Informing our clients and the markets
Where we identify changes to the law, or new laws, that will directly impact our clients, we inform them as soon as possible. All our practice areas produce regular e-bulletins and briefings for clients describing recent developments which focus on what interests them and how it will affect their business. You may be involved in helping to write or edit articles for these client publications, such as those on the publications page of the firm's website.
In addition, as we learn about - and sometimes help to create - new law and practice, we pass our knowledge on to the wider market, and in that way strengthen our reputation in the market. This includes developing the market’s understanding of major legal trends, such as the firm’s 2007 study of how multinationals use alternative dispute resolution.
The firm's partners, associates and professional support lawyers regularly write articles and publications for legal, professional and commercial journals on a wide range of subjects. Again, it's likely that at some stage in your training contract you will contribute your own ideas and drafting to this kind of material. You can find some recent examples of external journal articles produced by our people here:
Partners and associates also make regular contributions to books or chapters of books. Andrew Lidbetter, a partner whose practice focuses on administrative and public law litigation, is the author of the judicial review and human rights chapters in Blackstone's Civil Practice and Company Investigations and Public Law - a book on the public law and human rights principles impacting DTI investigations. He comments:
"In an area of the law where there are regular new developments, publications raise our profile with clients and others looking for specialist legal expertise of repute. Writing books is also personally instructive and helps to sharpen our own critical analysis and thinking on the law."
Lastly, we support our written publications with seminars and conferences for clients and public audiences. These happen almost on a daily basis in our offices and at the offices of our clients. It's unlikely a trainee will ever be called on to give these presentations, but there's every chance you will be involved in preparing materials for this kind of event.