Claire Lau

• Degree: Jurisprudence, Magdalen College, Oxford
• Joined: Autumn 2006
• Practice area/group: Commercial Real Estate
• Office location: London
• Favourite book: ‘The Time Traveler’s Wife’ by Audrey Niffenegger

I joined Hogan Lovells in August 2006 as a trainee, and qualified into Real Estate two years later. Upon starting my training, I wondered how I would know by the end of two years what area to qualify into. I needn’t have worried. I sat in the Real Estate department in my second seat of training and after the fifth month I knew I had found the right area. Thanks to the quality of training and breadth of practice areas offered by Hogan Lovells, the vast majority of trainees experience similarly strong feelings about where they want to qualify.

Life as a qualified associate is rewarding; the variety of work and constant juggling suits me well. It is impossible to predict how the day will pan out, or which files will require sudden, urgent action. Organisation is essential, as is the ability to throw your schedule out the window at a moment’s notice. Hogan Lovells is a great place to work; its size and reputation ensures high quality work for high profile clients around the globe. Unlike some large firms, Hogan Lovells offers a warm, supportive culture as well, so I never feel insignificant. The way departments are structured helps, with large practice areas divided into smaller specialist departments comprised of teams of around five or six. So whilst real estate is a large department, I feel I have my place in it and make a valuable contribution.

The broad spectrum of departments here is unique among the big City firms; as someone who didn’t know which area I wanted to qualify into, it was hugely beneficial to train somewhere that exposed me to a large number of specialisations. Now I have qualified I relish the real sense of teamwork between the different practice areas. For example, I often turn to my colleagues in the tax and construction departments for advice on those aspects of my real estate transaction. I in turn give real estate support to my corporate and finance colleagues.

The opportunities offered by Hogan Lovells are exceptional, and I am confident I have made the right choice in joining. My advice is to do as many vacation schemes as you can, so you can make a more informed choice about where to train. And the better informed you are, the better you will come across in your interview.