Martin McKinnell, Trainee Solicitor, Commercial Department

Martin McKinnell (Second year trainee, Corporate & Commercial Department)

Degree: Law at the University of Bristol.

Work Experience: One week vacation scheme at Lupton Fawcett LLP (Leeds).

Hobbies: Football and movies.

I am currently in my third seat at Endeavour Partnership which is in the corporate & commercial department. In my current seat I have been involved with a wide variety of work of both a commercial and corporate nature.  Commercial work has ranged from drafting terms and conditions and settlement agreements to intellectual property matters.  I have assisted the corporate team with transactional work, from dealing with due diligence through to advising on pre-emption rights and being involved with the drafting of share buy back agreements, share purchase / asset purchase agreements, board minutes and company resolutions.  My work is routinely for business clients (whether companies, partnerships, or individuals etc) but also charities and other organisations
 
In my day to day work I work closely with the head of the department as well as assisting other members of the team. As a trainee I deal with clients independently, under supervision and in a more observatory role, whether in face to face meetings or via telephone. In this department I find that there is a great deal of support from the senior staff if such help is needed and that all members of the team are willing to listen and aid you no matter what the problem.

In my time at Endeavour I have also had seats in commercial litigation and commercial property. Whilst in commercial litigation I had the opportunity to participate in a variety of aspects of the litigation process from drafting the claim form to attending the court hearing (either alone or with Counsel!). In my experience the senior staff in the department allow their trainees a great deal of independence so you really do feel a part of the team and you get a great deal out of the training experience.  Similarly, whilst in the commercial property department I gained experience in many areas of work from drafting leases to residential and commercial conveyancing and again this work is undertaken with a high degree of independence although help was always available from the other members of the team if needed. Great experience is gained throughout this seat in managing case loads and dealing with issues on a commercial basis.
 
When deciding where to apply for my training contract I decided on Endeavour for two main reasons. Firstly, I wanted to train at a law firm that dealt primarily with business clients and focused on commercial legal services. The second reason was due to the firm’s ethos of being a Teesside based law firm, aiding the business community in the Teesside area. Having been born and raised in Teesside I felt a connection to this philosophy and found it appealing at once.

At Endeavour trainees do have the opportunity of taking part in business development and regularly get invited to networking events giving you the opportunity to go out into the community and meet existing and potential clients as well as other professionals from the area.

In my opinion a law career in Teesside can offer any prospective trainee the opportunity not only to be part of a developing business community but also to help that community grow. It offers the opportunity to work with great local businesses that are highly regarded in their respective fields.

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