Six months after qualifying into our Company and Commercial team, Emily Drew is sharing what life looks like on the other side of the training contract.
Last year, as one of our then-trainee soliciors, Emily offered a behind-the-scenes look at life in the Scott Bailey training programme.
From navigating complex legal matters to joining the firm’s social committee and leading networking initiatives, it’s been a whirlwind introduction to qualified life – and a brilliant start to what promises to be a very successful legal career!
From trainee to solicitor: my first six months at Scott Bailey
In August 2023, I published an article with insights into the life of a trainee solicitor at Scott Bailey. It was lovely to hear how many people enjoyed reading about what goes on behind the scenes, so now that I’ve reached the six-month mark as a qualified solicitor, I thought it was a good time to revisit my journey and reflect on this next chapter.
I qualified in September 2024 and joined the Company and Commercial and Marine Law department, working alongside Ben Ironmonger, Partner and Head of Department, and Celia Hawson, Paralegal.
Moving into life as a newly qualified solicitor has been a real mix of excitement and learning curves, but I’ve felt fully supported every step of the way by Scott Bailey both as a firm, but also as a team of people. One of the great things about being part of the team here is the opportunity to get involved with a wide variety of work – not just legal cases, but also business development, marketing and social events too.
Gaining experience across a range of legal work
Since qualification, I’ve taken on greater responsibility for my own files, guiding matters from initial instruction through to completion. This includes a real variety of tasks – contract reviews, independent legal advice appointments, loan agreement drafting, and one of my personal highlights: advising on the sale and purchase of houseboats!
Our department also leads the firm’s marine law services, which means my workload has a great balance of traditional company and commercial work alongside more niche matters. It’s been particularly rewarding to start building lasting relationships with clients and working across multiple areas of law. And yes – all those forms and compliance checks we ask clients to complete are very much a necessary part of the job!
I’ve also had the opportunity to support Ben on a wide range of business sale and purchase transactions. These have involved everything from pubs and dental practices to marinas, engineering businesses and domiciliary care providers. I really enjoy this area of work – it’s a privilege to support clients through such an important transition, from negotiating heads of terms to seeing them through to a successful completion.
Getting involved outside of legal work
Life at Scott Bailey is about more than legal advice – we also place a lot of value on collaboration, social connection, and community. I recently joined our newly-formed social committee, helping to organise everything from our Christmas and summer parties to themed events like our weekly Friday Fiesta. The team here genuinely gets along, and it’s great to work somewhere that encourages time together outside of the usual day-to-day.
Networking and marketing have continued to play a big role in my professional development. I regularly attend events both locally and further afield, representing Scott Bailey and helping to grow our connections – especially within the marine industry through our membership with British Marine.
One of the highlights of the past six months was being involved in judging the Scott Bailey Professional Services Award with the New Forest Business Partnership. Presenting the award at the Brilliance in Business Awards was a fantastic experience and something I’m proud to have been a part of.
I also run our Women in Business group, which has continued to go from strength to strength, and I’m currently exploring the launch of a new group to support and connect young professionals in the region.
Looking ahead to my future with Scott Bailey
The first six months as a newly qualified solicitor have flown by – it’s been busy, fulfilling, and full of learning. Every day brings a new challenge or opportunity, and I’m looking forward to continuing this journey and seeing where it leads. If your business needs legal support, I’d be very happy to help.
