Peter Clemons

Education: History, University of Warwick

After university, I went into the communications industry. I enjoyed working with clients but realised it wasn’t for me and instead chose to become a commercial solicitor. At WFW, the focus on energy, transport and infrastructure stood out. When it came to the final interview, I could say with conviction this was the firm I wanted to join.

WFW’s unique four-month training contract structure really appealed to me. With six seats, you can take a new direction or redo a seat in a particular area. For example, if you like asset finance, you could do three or four seats in that area. Several international seats are asset-finance based, so when you finish your training contract you could really hit the ground running. The six-seat rotation enabled me to explore different areas and understand what type of lawyer I want to be. For me this was WFW’s biggest selling point.

With a smaller trainee intake and smaller teams, you soon get to know everyone by name. It also affords the opportunity for greater responsibility. Trainees are supervised by a senior lawyer during the training contract, and in my first seat I was able to take client calls, a fascinating opportunity to be given early on. The other benefit of being in small teams is that you work side-by-side with industry experts who are leaders in their fields, a great way to develop your skills.

I’m half Bolivian, half English with family across the globe, so wanted to work at a firm that reflected such an international background.