Gordon Tatnell, Associate

Gordon qualified as an associate into the firm's corporate/M&A team in September 2017. Here he discusses his Dickson Minto summer placement and traineeship.

Summer Placement

"I studied law at the University of Edinburgh (with a year abroad at the University of Sydney) and first encountered Dickson Minto whilst applying for summer placements at the end of my third year. Dickson Minto was one of the first firms I interviewed with and I was very relieved to find that they focused on interviews and CVs rather than psychometric testing! It felt that there was a strong focus placed on me as an individual. I was pleased to be offered a summer placement and the three weeks which I spent at the firm gave me a great taste of what it would be like to be a trainee. A big part of what made the summer placement so interesting was the opportunity to work alongside trainees and being made to feel like part of the team straight away. I was delighted to be offered a traineeship at the end of my summer placement."

London Experience

"Beyond the firm's reputation in the field of corporate law, a key factor in my wanting to become a Dickson Minto trainee was the opportunity to live and work for part of my traineeship in London. My third seat was spent in one of the firm's private equity teams based in the London office. This experience gave me the opportunity to work on large London private equity deals as well as the chance to experience life in a new city."

My Traineeship

"The friendly and approachable atmosphere which I first encountered as a summer student has been a constant feature throughout my traineeship. The firm has a very supportive approach towards trainees and everyone (from partners to trainees) is always willing to take the time to explain what you're being asked to do. Trainees are also supported by the firm's comprehensive first year training programme which is lead by partners and associates from across the firm. As a corporate trainee, I feel that I have benefited from a focused traineeship but yet at the same time I have had the opportunity to work in a range of teams including banking, corporate/M&A, capital markets, and private equity. I feel that I have been challenged at every stage of the traineeship and that as I move towards the end of my traineeship I am gaining ever greater responsibility in the work that I undertake. However, the training and support which I have received throughout my traineeship at Dickson Minto has given me the confidence to take on that responsibility."

The Social Side

"One of Dickson Minto's strongest points is its people and a big advantage of its size is that you can get to know everyone that you work with. Between regular Friday night drinks, team dinners, firm wide events and more there are always plenty of opportunities to socialise. On the sporting side there are a number of different groups including netball over the winter and touch rugby in the summer."

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