Why did you choose Ropes & Gray to start your legal career? OR Why did you apply to Ropes & Gray?

I discovered Ropes & Gray through a trainee recruitment event held at my university. The firm’s strong focus on private equity and antitrust, which were my main academic interests in my final year, immediately drew my attention.

During my assessment centre and vacation scheme, I met people at the firm who were genuinely interested in my development, asked me questions about what I wanted in my career, and gave me very focused advice on the legal field. I truly appreciated the culture of stewardship and mentorship at this firm, and became confident I would receive the best training here.

How did you find the recruitment and selection process?

The experience closely reflected the expectations placed on a trainee solicitor. I thoroughly enjoyed participating and found it to be a strong indicator that the training contract would be equally engaging and rewarding. (I was right!)

How would you describe the firm’s culture?

Highly supportive. Since deal teams at the firm tend to be much leaner than those at other firms, colleagues work closely together and naturally develop strong working relationships. This structure has allowed me to get to know my team members very well. My main sources of support within the firm have come from my trainee cohort, the support staff, and both my current and former supervisors.

Tell us about a memorable matter you’ve worked on.

My absolute favourite deal to work on was Xerox’s acquisition of Lexmark. In the antitrust team, I assisted with drafting the briefing paper to the Competition Markets Authority, which gave me niche knowledge about printers, the European printer market, and the competitive landscape of different kinds of printers.

This was particularly interesting to me, as my dad owns a printing business in Malaysia. It was fascinating to learn what drives consumer behaviour and What makes a consumer switch from one product to another? How is each printer market defined? These are questions we would not normally ask, let alone have the answers to.

Tell us about a pro bono matter you’ve worked on.

I worked on a pro bono matter for a sustainable company that creates innovative jacket linings. It is a very interesting concept, and I was pleased to be able to apply my knowledge as a trainee to support a company with such a unique mission. This experience gave me first-hand exposure to drafting all the necessary documents required in a corporate deal.

What tips would you give a potential applicant?

Identify your strengths and weaknesses by participating in a wide range of activities, not all of which need to be related to law. For example, I found public speaking to be nerve-wracking when I was preparing my applications, so I practiced extensively to build my confidence. This preparation proved invaluable during the application process, especially when I was required to speak publicly.