Hannah Brader

I wanted to work in Birmingham so was immediately attracted to Pinsent Masons. It's one of the largest firms in the city and very well respected throughout the UK and internationally, which I knew would expose me to high-quality work. After spending some time talking to employees, I liked the fact they were friendly and approachable but very smart and business savvy at the same time.

After I joined that was exactly the attitude I found here. Teamwork, collaboration and a sharing of knowledge and insight are key. You can knock on anyone's door, whether they're senior associates or partners, and even when they're really busy they'll take time out to help you. My first two seats were in Birmingham. My third seat was on secondment to a major client in Rugby, which gave me a real insight into what the client was looking for from a law firm. With my final seat I had the opportunity to move to London.

Experiencing such a range of opportunities during my training contract gave me a fantastic overall perspective on the company, enabling me to pinpoint exactly where I wanted to develop my career. I qualified into Corporate in the London office and I love it here. London is such a vibrant place with so much to do, and I work with my team on very high-value, high-profile deals. Corporate transactions, by their nature, are very intense and within the team we have this great atmosphere; as the deadlines approach we all pull together to close the deal and when it's over, you move onto something new.

What I find most challenging about my job is also the part I enjoy most. Every deal or transaction that I'm involved in is slightly different from the last, so I'm always learning new things and always being tested. For instance, all new legislation has just been passed that affects many of our clients, each in different ways and it's up to me to educate them on how their business will need to adapt. There's a very strong focus here on knowing our clients' businesses intimately, so that we can think of the commercial impact. That's one of the big changes in working as a lawyer, as compared to studying law. You don't have time to endlessly analyse things and write long essays, you have to think on your feet and quickly get to the crux of every issue that arises.

During my time here I've not only had experience on projects throughout the UK but my work has had an international dimension as well. I've been involved in the acquisitions of major companies in Libya and Norway. As global communications systems improve, the need for overseas travel lessens to a certain extent, but it does depend on the particular requirements of each project. During the Norwegian project I was working on, I went over there many times to oversee the key stages, spending time in both Oslo and Bergen.

I had such a positive experience when I was a trainee that it has helped me to look after the trainees I now supervise. There is a strong focus on training and learning here, and I seek to continue that tradition. It's much easier for a trainee to do a good job if they understand the context of the deal, even if they don't need to know, just so they can see how their work fits into the bigger picture.