Jacob T.
About me
| Jacob T. | |
| Law | |
| Law, International Human Rights Law & Practice | |
| Taught Postgraduate | |
| Constantine | |
| 2017 | |
| United Kingdom |
My employment
| Private Equity & Funds Associate | |
| Baker McKenzie | |
| United Kingdom | |
| Legal services | |
| Large business (250+ employees) | |
| 2018 |
Like this profile?
Add this profile to your favourites so you can return to it later from your account.
A day in the life of a Private Equity & Funds Associate in the United Kingdom
I did loads of different jobs and would highly recommend making the most of your university experience by working as hard as you can by doing as much as you can.
Briefly describe the organisation you work for
The third largest law firm in the globe, Baker McKenzie is able to provide a full range of legal services to clients across the world. The majority of the firm's clients are household names that require large scale and high stakes advice, across multiple jurisdictions.
Culturally, Bakers are an extremely down to earth firm with an inherent international outlook. We take our work very seriously but we don't take ourselves very seriously at all.
What do you do?
I am currently part of the corporate team with a particular specialism in private equity and funds transactions. This includes fund formations, corporate reorganisations across the globe and multi-million and multi-billion pound transactions in both healthcare and TMT.
I have also worked in mergers and acquisitions (buying and selling asset management and pharmaceutical companies), employment law and on secondment with bp’s exploration team.
Reflecting upon your past employment and education, what led you to your current career choice?
Trial and error - it's rare that anyone has a crystalised idea of what career they want to go into. I tried various jobs, and made a clear mental note of what was important to me. I knew I wanted to work internationally, be challenged, well-remunerated and make a difference whilst working in an open and friendly team. My career in commercial law has so far more than lived up to this.
Is your current job sector different from what you thought you would enter when you graduated?
It isn't - most law firms will recruit from vacation schemes, which occur in the penultimate or final year of your degree (depending on whether you’re studying law or not). In my case, I did my vacation scheme in the final year of my law degree (before going on to study a masters in international human rights law, also at UOY) and was offered a training contract at the end of the scheme.
Describe your most memorable day at work
I had worked extremely hard, for several months, as one of two Trainees, on a multi-billion pound pharmaceutical joint venture. When we completed the deal, we where invited to celebrate amongst several other lawyers, accountants and clients at a reception and 5 course dinner at the Ritz.
The sense of accomplishment at closing a historic deal alongside enjoying the best the Ritz had to offer was a little full on, in the best sort of way.
What extracurricular activities did you undertake at university and what transferable skills did you develop through these?
I was a campus ambassador for a ‘magic circle’ firm, a committee member at UOY LawSoc, Deputy Editor of Ebor Lex, Secretary and RAG Officer of Constantine's Student Association and was Constantine's tennis captain. I also worked part-time as a kitchen assistant at a local care home, paralegal at a law firm on-campus, glass collector at Slug and Lettuce, UOY student ambassador and housekeeper at the Principal hotel.
I did loads of different jobs and would highly recommend making the most of your university experience by working as hard as you can by doing as much as you can.
What top tips do you have for York students preparing for today’s job market and life after graduation?
Be open minded and use the UOY careers service for help, advice and job prep. Few people leave university to start a career they will do for the rest of their life. Most people try a few different jobs, learning along the way, before beginning to feel settled.
Don't panic and spend some quality time thinking about what interests you and why, well before you graduate.
Next steps...
If you like the look of Jacob’s profile, the next steps are down to you! You can send Jacob a message to find out more about their career journey. If you feel you would benefit from more in-depth conversations, ask Jacob to be your mentor.