Adeola

Trainee Solicitor

I studied Politics at university, with the intention of joining a think tank or pursuing a career in the Civil Service. But fairly early on, I realised that wasn’t the path for me. So I started to explore the alternatives and when I came across law – and commercial law, in particular – it was far better aligned with my view of the world and the kind of work I wanted to do.

I was first introduced to Baker McKenzie when I signed up for a programme which helps candidates from minority ethnic and lower income backgrounds get into the profession. As well as being a great introduction to law, the programme really demonstrated to me how much the Firm cares about socio-economic mobility and how focused it is on achieving its diversity goals.

Outside work, it’s fair to say, I’m quite an active person. I run most mornings and love a good session on the Pilates reformer. But, much like work, being part of a team is what I enjoy the most. I play netball for the Firm, and right now I’m arranging a five-a-side football tournament as a social for my colleagues in Banking and Finance.

I’m currently in the second seat of my Training Contract. The first was based in Corporate M&A, where I got to work on a huge deal in the healthcare space. When I say it spanned no fewer than 27 international jurisdictions, you’ll understand the scale of the challenge involved!

But for me, it’s not just the size of the projects that make Baker McKenzie such an exciting career prospect. It’s the breadth of opportunity available here too. In my third seat, for example, I’m looking forward to spending time, and developing my knowledge in, IP Tech.

Having spent my early years growing up in Nigeria, I’ve always had something of an international outlook. So something else that drew me to Baker McKenzie was its huge global network. Pretty much from day one, I’ve been working with colleagues around the world. And next year, for my fourth seat, I’m hoping to do an international secondment – ideally in the US or maybe Singapore.