Why have you chosen a legal career in the City?

I have chosen a legal career in the city because it is an international hub for many commercial transactions which will provide me with deep exposure to interesting international commercial and financial matters. As part of this, I will receive an opportunity to work with solicitors and professionals from across different borders and jurisdictions which will present me with challenging and stimulating work. I am also very attracted that the City is home to many large organisations and prominent clients which will expose me to high quality work and make my day-to-day work interesting and unique since I will be at the centre of important commercial and legal developments.

I am motivated by the responsibility of managing my own workload because it allows me to make important decisions and exercise initiative as well as think on my feet. I am motivated by working in teams because it allows me to see how my contribution fits into the bigger picture and exposes me to different perspectives which make my experience intellectually stimulating.

What attracts you to Bingham and how do you consider you would add value as a trainee in the London office? (250 words max)*

I am attracted to Bingham’s strong global presence which will enable me to operate in multi-disciplinary teams on an international platform. This will see me work on most challenging and exciting commercial problems facing clients internationally where I will be able to contribute my perspectives and operate in teams to develop ideas to provide cutting-edge legal solutions. I feel that the dynamic and entrepreneurial ethos of the firm fits my personality very well as I will be able to realise my full potential by making important decisions and thinking creatively about the clients’ problems to devise effective and innovative solutions.

I believe that I can add value to the London office through my extensive legal experience and the relevant skill-set. I possess commercial acumen and strong problem solving skills which will enable me to operate in a challenging and demanding environment whereby I will be required to deal with complex problems and make a meaningful contribution to the work that I undertake. I am a good team player and have an ability to express my ideas in a simple and understandable manner. I am very enthusiastic, entrepreneurial and focused which will allow me to bring new perspectives to the table and use my initiative to add value to my work. I possess good client-facing skills through which I will be able to deliver a good client service and work with the clients to understand their business, objectives and legal requirements.

What are the most important rewards you expect in your career? (250 words max)*

The most important reward I expect in my career is to work on matters making headlines in the news because this will require me to navigate complex legal and commercial landscapes to devise cutting edge solutions for the clients. This will present me with a prospect of working in very diverse teams spanning multiple borders and institutions which will require me to solve novel problems and bring my perspective to the table.

Another important reward I expect in my career is to acquire experience in certain sectors so that I can gain a good understanding of certain industries. This will in turn enable me to understand the requirements of clients and manipulate law to devise groundbreaking solutions. As part of this, I also expect to gain client contact so that I can better understand their requirements and knowledge of their industry.

Describe a particularly challenging experience you have faced and the way you dealt with it. (250 words max)*

At [law firm], I was requested to represent one of several clients at a Board of Directors EGM of a joint venture in Amsterdam in my capacity as an interpreter only two weeks of having joined the firm. During our pre-EGM strategic meeting, the client presented me with large volumes of new technical information. I faced a very steep learning curve because I had to think on my feet to understand the core problem areas and apply my commercial knowledge of the case in order to logically analyse the information to make sense of it. I then translated and presented the information to the solicitors and other parties involved in a clear and understandable manner. I demonstrated initiative by asking the client to elaborate on certain aspects and gave a small presentation at the end of the meeting in order to ensure that everyone understood the client’s latest position. I learnt that I performed exceptionally well under pressure by maintaining a constant focus on the problem and demonstrated leadership skills by actively managing the meeting and using my initiative. I learnt that I am very passionate and enthusiastic when I am presented with a challenging situation and think very creatively how to resolve problems.

Identify a current commercial issue which has recently attracted your attention. Why do you consider it to be significant? Who are the key stakeholders in this situation and what are the implications for those concerned? (250 words max)*

I closely followed the horsemeat scandal in the UK when horsemeat was discovered in processed beef products sold by large supermarkets.

The horsemeat scandal in the UK and Europe is significant because it has focused attention on the complexity of supply chains that involve multiple providers and countries.

The key stakeholders in this situation are supermarkets, suppliers and consumers.

The supermarkets are in breach of European labelling laws. In the short term, the supermarkets had temporarily suffered a reputational damage. In the long term, this horsemeat scandal has exposed the weak quality controls exercised by supermarkets and the difficulty in controlling the quality amid increasing economies of scale.

This horsemeat scandal has exposed the unethical and illegal behaviour by suppliers who are cutting corners in order to increase their profit margins and satisfy the increasing demand from supermarkets. The suppliers will undergo greater scrutiny by the supermarkets and health authorities and will have to comply with heightened standards which can lead to additional costs. This scandal can lead to deterioration in commercial relationships between supermarkets and suppliers which can result in less favourable terms being imposed on suppliers.

The scandal has undermined consumer confidence in the supermarkets as consumers can no longer be certain that they are getting what they are buying. This can change consumer shopping habits as they opt for smaller and local shops. However, this scandal has had a negligible effect on consumer shopping habits as the share prices of supermarkets remained fairly stable.

Please give details of any prizes, scholarships, positions of responsibility and any other noteworthy achievements that will support your application. (250 words max)*

Recently, I founded a pioneering business in the entertainment industry. I am currently overseeing staff at all levels and working closely with a range of businesses. I am a representative of a company specialising in innovative payment systems in the UK (prepaid cards and e-wallets) and working with businesses in emerging markets to integrate this financial model into their operations. Outside the office hours, I run [sport] sessions at the [law firm] gym. At university, I pioneered the University of [university] Amateur [sport] Club for the first time in fifty years. In my second year of university, I helped to develop an innovative initiative to reduce the university’s carbon footprint by switching off all unused desktops during vacation breaks. I was a member of the Student-Staff Liaison Committee in my second year. At university, I was selected to represent [university] University in the national [sport] championships. In [year], I was awarded the [award]for academic excellence at GCSE and A-Level. At the sixth form, I secured a second place in the International French Debate. In [year], I won a gold medal for England in the [English sports tournament name] [sport] Tournament and had over 60 amateur [sport] bouts.