Balfour+Manson Trainees

We will soon be closing our Balfour+Manson Trainees Facebook page so all future posts will be on our main Balfour+Manson LLP page. If you haven't already liked our page make sure you head over to Balfour+Manson LLP and give us a thumbs up!

We will soon be closing our Balfour+Manson Trainees Facebook page so all future posts will be on our main Balfour+Manson LLP page. If you haven't already liked our page make sure you head over and give us a thumbs up!

Looking for a traineeship commencing in 2019? Our trainee application window closes on Friday 20th July! The application can be downloaded from our website https://www.balfour-manson.co.uk/join-us/

Looking for a traineeship from 2019-2021? Our trainee application window is now open. The application can be downloaded from our website. Applications should be submitted by Friday 20th July 2018 https://www.balfour-manson.co.uk/join-us/

Looking for a traineeship from 2019-2021? Our trainee application window is now open. The application can be downloaded from our website. Applications should be submitted by Friday 20th July 2018 https://www.balfour-manson.co.uk/join-us/

On Saturday night, our Trainees and their guests attended the Scottish Young Lawyers Association (SYLA) ‘Spring Ball’ at the Hub in Edinburgh. The name ‘spring ball’ was slightly ironic perhaps considering the only recently concluded encounter with the ‘Beast from the East’. Despite the weather, a fantastic evening was had by all.
There were around 280 young professionals from the legal profession and other related industries in attendance. It was a great opportunity for our Trainees to meet each other’s friends and professional connections and network with trainees from other firms. The SYLA committee put together an excellent evening, with lots of extra surprises on the night for everyone to enjoy! However, it is obvious that our Trainees’ favourite part was the photo booth!

Read about Thomas' time in our litigation team.
My last six months were spent in Balfour+Manson’s litigation department. I dealt with a large and varied caseload encompassing personal injury, medical negligence and professional negligence. I was given a wide range of tasks to assist with – I interviewed clients and took detailed precognitions, instructed medical experts, received client instructions on negotiating settlements and drafted numerous court documents. I was also g...iven plenty of opportunities to sit in on consultations and view court proceedings.
Having spent my first twelve months in non-contentious departments, working in Litigation gave me a new challenge. The work was fast-paced and I gained good experience in managing cases and reacting quickly and effectively to new developments. I appreciated the opportunity to learn and take advice from my colleagues and I was very much made to feel part of the team.
I was also asked to prepare a substantial presentation on recent developments in Scottish personal injury practice and deliver it to my senior colleagues and fellow trainees. This was the first time I had delivered such a big presentation and it was daunting at first, but it gave me great experience in research and presentation skills. In the end I got lots of positive feedback – even my attempts at humour seemed to raise some laughs!
I very much enjoyed my time in Litigation and I look forward to putting the skills I’ve learned into practice as I return to our Private Client department.
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Sarah has given an update on her time in our Employment team.
“If you have a job without any aggravations, you don’t have a job.” - Malcolm S Forbes
Nearly everyone of a certain age is in, or has had, a job. Of these people, nearly everyone has, or has had, a gripe about a former or current boss or employee. This is why my first seat in the Employment Department was so enjoyable: it was extremely easy to relate and empathise with the clients. Our involvement, as solicitors, h...owever came into play only when a gripe turned into something beyond a ‘bad day at the office.’
In my six months with the team, I was fortunate enough to experience a breadth of employment matters. I attended client meetings and drafted advice for both employers and employees on issues of unfair dismissal; redundancy; settlement agreements; restrictive covenants; various types of discrimination; data protection; and disciplinary procedures. I additionally presented on human resources issues to charities at a breakfast seminar; and even appeared before the Employment Tribunal, ultimately winning my first case.
My take-away impression from Employment Law was just how fast paced it all was. With only three months to raise proceedings before a claim becomes time-barred, the importance of – quickly – seeking quality legal advice cannot be overstated. It was moreover interesting to see ‘trends’ in the field ebb and flow. For 2018, I am predicting changes in the approach taken to workers in the ‘gig economy’ and a wave of harassment and discrimination claims as – post-Harvey Weinstein – individuals feel emboldened to come forward.
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Lauren has given us an update on her time in our Litigation department.
"I spent my third seat in the Litigation department, assisting with personal injury and complex medical negligence cases. Throughout the seat I had the opportunity to attend numerous court hearings, as well as consultations with clients and medical experts. The Litigation department can be very fast-paced and I enjoyed the buzz of assisting colleagues to meet strict court deadlines. I gained invaluable experience from being able to assist such experienced colleagues during my time in the seat.
I am happy to be remaining in the Litigation department for my final seat and look forward to assisting colleagues with a range of public law matters."

It's been all change here this week as our trainees take their next seats. Ellen has spent the last six months in our private client department:
"I have now been with the firm for six months and here marks the end of my time in the private client department. The time has flown by and I cannot believe how quickly my second seat has come around.
I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in Private Client with the highlights including the interaction you get with clients from very earl...y on, and the variety of work you are involved in. Every day brought challenges, and I was still being introduced to new things right up to my last day.
I have drafted Wills, Powers of Attorney, Living Wills, trust deeds. I have been involved in the administration of executry estates, the administration of trusts and have assisted in guardianship applications. I have met a wide variety of clients, with different needs, requirements and instructions and have learnt to adapt and react. I have also learnt a lot about the department’s incredible Client Welfare Team and had the opportunity to assist them with some of their work.
My next seat is in the Family Law deparment and I am looking forward to experiencing a more contentious and litigious area of law."
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The B+M Christmas tree is looking fabulous thanks to our trainees!

We caught up with our newest trainee solicitors to find out how they have been getting on in their first seats with the firm.
It sounds like they have been doing an amazing job since joining Balfour+Manson in August! If you would like to read some of their comments click on the link below!
https://www.balfour-manson.co.uk/…/firs t-year-trainee-upda…/

We are delighted to welcome our new first year Trainee Solicitors to the firm. Sarah Cunningham, Lee Thomson, Fraser Tait and Ellen Andrew all officially began their traineeships with Balfour+Manson on 7th August.
Sarah Cunningham joins our Employment Law team where she will work beside our recently promoted Senior Associate Sarah Shiels and Partner/Head of Department Robert Holland.
Lee Thomson joins our Commercial Property department working beside our recently promoted... Associate Stephanie McLaren.
Fraser Tait joins our Property department working along side our recently promoted Associate Julia Cryan.
Ellen Andrew joins our Private Client team working beside Solicitor Catriona Torrance and newly qualified Solicitor James Hyams.
We hope that our new trainees enjoy their first seats with the firm and we are sure they will do a fantastic job working within their designated teams!
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If you are looking for a legal traineeship commencing in 2018, our deadline for applications is this coming Friday!
Please visit our website (link below) for details on how to apply to be a Trainee Solicitor with Balfour+Manson.
Good luck!
... https://www.balfour-manson.co.uk/current- vacancies/
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