Trainee Solicitor, Tom Swann, discusses his final year of training

Why did you choose Furley Page to undertake your training contract?

I grew up in Herne Bay, on the north coast of Kent. I always knew that I wanted to base my career in Kent and to build and develop relationships with those from both my local community and further afield.

Furley Page is a strong regional firm with a history of almost 300 years. It is well known locally for its expertise and its excellent client service.

The firm has a good reputation for nurturing talent, which is demonstrated by the fact that many of the current partners trained with the firm.

What seats have you been in and has there been any which challenged your perception of that area of law?

My first three seats were in Employment, Dispute Resolution and Corporate, and I have returned to Dispute Resolution for my fourth seat.

My seat in Employment certainly challenged my expectations; I had not anticipated the sensitivity and complexity of issues that you can encounter. Working closely with the head of the Employment team, Andrew Masters, I developed an appreciation of the nuances that arise in practice.

If you could take one key learning from each of your seats you have completed so far, what would it be?

• From my seat in Employment, I have learnt not to forget that behind legal issues lie real people and relationships.
• From Corporate, I have learnt that attention to detail is essential.
• From Dispute Resolution, I have learnt that legal strategy is often as important as the actual merits of the underlying case.

Reflecting back on your training so far, to what extent has the reality of training in a legal firm lived up to your expectations?

Training at Furley Page has absolutely lived up to my expectations. I have spent much of my training working alongside partners of the firm on high value and complex matters, whilst still maintaining an excellent work/life balance.

I look forward to qualifying as a solicitor in September and to continuing to develop the knowledge and skills that I have gained during my Training Contract.

Find out more about becoming a Trainee Solicitor with Furley Page >>