Joining gunnercooke as a trainee

Shabab Ahmed is a Trainee Solicitor who works within the gunnercooke Corporate & Commercial team headed up by Partner David Salamons.

Here Shabab discusses the benefits of working alongside and learning from entrepreneurial Partners and legal professionals at gunnercooke.

Learning from the best

At gunnercooke we have a diverse mix of people who have a wide range of experiences and different personalities.

Shabab has found this, and the level of access to Partners, extremely beneficial to his development.

“I’ve been here for two years. I started as a paralegal and now I’m almost six months away from qualifying.

“In David’s team there’s a variety of different Solicitors that I work for and that supervise me. The training has given me a good balance due to the differences in personalities and working styles which means that I’m picking up different bits from different people.

“We have formal training where we sit down and spend three or four hours together and go over certain documents that are important or discuss drafting techniques and things like that.

“We also have on the job training where I’m shadowing the day-to-day activities that capture what it’s about to be a Solicitor. This is especially important in Commercial Property and the Corporate practice areas where the detail of the matters is key.

“My favourite thing is the diversity of the Partners. All the people are completely different, and crucially the Partners are accessible.”

Working with a broad range of clients

It’s vital to be exposed to a variety of clients to gain a depth of experience and understanding ahead of selecting your onward career path.

gunnercooke’s client base spans everything from global multinationals to start-ups, providing you with a fantastic opportunity to learn and grow.

“My favourite part is probably the type of clients we work with.

“They can range from small companies to entrepreneurs who’ve had a great idea and want to run with it.

“But there’s also the big companies that Partners represent which gives me the opportunity to work for them too.

“I think the diversity in what they do is a real draw for me as well.

“I’ve personally worked with tech companies, pharma businesses, hospitality ventures, you name it. It’s easy to find a niche within them if you’ve got an interest, or you can be really broad and get to know a lot of different types of work.”

Supporting career ambitions

To be successful in law, it takes tenacity, hard work and commitment but it also requires a supportive team and mentorship.

Shabab has enjoyed his time at gunnercooke and hopes to continue working here, which is testament to the development opportunities he’s been given and our fantastic culture and working environment.

“Getting the training contract and confirming that I’m going to qualify by a particular date has definitely been one of the highlights. It’s given my career a trajectory.

“It wouldn’t have been possible without the support from my team and the Partners at gunnercooke who’ve mentored me throughout the process.

“If there’s a position for me in this practice then I’d love to stay at gunnercooke. The atmosphere in the team and the wider firm has been brilliant.”

To contact Shabab’s team, please contact David Salamons here.

To join us, click here.