Robert Stephen

“I studied law at university in Scotland and graduated in June 2004, then converted to English law by taking the Graduate Diploma in Law. I stayed on afterwards to take the Legal Practice Course.
 
I was attracted to Herbert Smith because of the diverse and sociable mix of people from a wide range of backgrounds. I also felt confident I would be well supervised and receive a quality training contract working for international clients.

My confidence has been repaid and I’m relishing the challenge of being a trainee. I have just finished my third seat in Moscow where I enjoyed the extra responsibility that comes from working in a busy overseas office. As well as learning Russian, I was involved in several high profile matters including advising Sinopec, China's second biggest oil and gas company on a joint venture with Russian oil major Rosneft.

Throughout my training contract I've been given responsibility for discrete areas of large transactions and cases, and run smaller files with little or no supervision. The highlight? Apart from working overseas, it was attending trial for 16 weeks at the High Court, Royal Courts of Justice, and drafting my own witness statement.”