Accelerating from trainee to elite law firm partner
Hayley is a Partner in the London Disputes and Investigations practice. She trained with the firm and was promoted to Partner less than a decade after qualifying. How? For her, it’s about entering into an agreement to work hard and in return be supported and given the best opportunities out there. And that starts at Trainee level.
“The amount of responsibility and on-the-job training I was getting as a Trainee was incredible, particularly compared with the more formalised training some of my peers had elsewhere. As a trainee at Weil you’re very visible, which isn’t for everyone, but means you’re given huge amounts of responsibility and exposed to really senior people within the firm from a very early stage.”
“For example, I was involved in a High Court trial within a month of starting my training contract and I loved the work and the challenges I was being presented, including working directly with Partners across a number of different practice areas. I really wanted to step up and demonstrate my potential.”
Working on “bet the company” matters
That was Hayley’s first exposure to litigation work where she ultimately decided to specialise. The firm’s leading position in the market and smaller operation in London mean that she has been exposed to a huge range of high calibre work for prestigious clients. This presented Hayley with the opportunity to take on more responsibilities and a wider scope of work at an extremely fast pace.
“In our team we all do everything rather than being pigeonholed or forced to specialise in, say, litigation or arbitration. The team’s practice has evolved over time so there is a lot of variety. This keeps the job incredibly interesting and means there are lots of opportunities to develop.
Her later choice to develop a specialism in investigations allows her to use the skills developed during years of litigation work, such as interviewing witnesses and distilling vast amounts of factual material. She assists clients where they find themselves in crisis situations and facing huge financial and reputational harm.
Hayley advises where allegations of issues such as bribery, sanctions breaches and fraud have arisen, advising on whether those allegations can be substantiated once an investigation has been conducted and, helping clients make improvements to prevent similar issues arising in future.
“There are some more human elements to investigations that I really enjoy. It’s so important to understand who you are interviewing and think carefully about how best to get the information to draw conclusions in an investigation. I'm naturally a curious and persuasive person and the opportunity to act as a detective and get to the bottom of an issue really appeals to me.”
Finding purpose in work and life
Through her professional and personal growth, Hayley has found how problem solving, negotiation and advising on complex legal work can be meaningful.
“What I found at Weil was value and purpose in my work, and seeing the impact of my contributions beyond the immediate situation, and the influence my team had on the market more broadly. That satisfaction in the quality of work and in developing a mindset of service has proven to be extremely rewarding. If that purpose and standing alongside clients when they most need advice and assistance appeals, Weil is the place for you.”
Seeing what you’re really capable of
Now as a Partner, with responsibility for Early Careers, Hayley is keen to show that her progression is as much down to the firm’s support as it is to her hard work.
“You're going to get a high level of responsibility on high-profile matters with hugely impressive people. There will be a real investment in you. Of course there is hard work involved, but that should be seen as a huge benefit as it allows you become a better lawyer than you ever imagined you could be.”