Life on the eighth floor. My London vacation placement

During my vacation placement in the London office, I was in the Employment team on the eighth floor.

My colleagues were very welcoming and helped me settle in to the world of employment tribunals and unfair dismissal claims. I enjoyed working in Employment Law, as I got to see the inner workings of really fundamental processes for any organisation. Advising an employer, for instance, on the best way to manage a particularly tricky employee gave me an insight into the important work Pinsent Masons does in this area and the way that clients rely on the firm’s expertise.

The team involved me straight away in their tasks, letting me sit in on calls with clients and carry out research on key aspects of dismissal cases. Having two other vacation schemers on the same floor was also great, as we were able to catch up most days and sometimes go for lunch together. The open plan nature of the office was another aspect I enjoyed, as I was able not only to turn easily to a colleague to ask a question, but also to join in with the rest of the team during their breaks as they discussed the finer points of Love Island and Boris Johnson.

Another perk of being on the eighth floor was the view over London. Over the course of two weeks, I found myself developing a habit of stopping to admire the view every morning, when the voice in the lift told me that I had reached “Floor 8” and I stepped out into the glass landing. Before going through into the office, I would spend a few seconds standing by the window and looking out across the city.

London always seems to be a hive of activity: busy construction sites as far as the eye can see, with cranes stalking across the skyline; the rooftop terraces of offices all around, at lunchtime crammed with people enjoying the sunshine; the people at street level below, bustling along to work. This perspective reminded me not only of the vibrant and dynamic international hub that I am lucky enough to live in, but also of the strong global reach of Pinsent Masons. Working in such an outward-looking and diverse firm has been a great experience.