Tim Foley

Looking back to when you started - is there any advice you would give yourself now?

Yes - attention to detail is extremely important. It is always worth checking your letter or document one last time.

Can you describe the culture at Clyde & Co?

Clyde & Co is an extremely friendly firm while maintaining an air of drive, professionalism and entrepreneurial spirit.

What attributes/skills would you expect to see in a trainee solicitor and specifically a Clyde & Co lawyer?

In any trainee solicitor, I would expect a high standard of legal knowledge, good attention to detail and good drafting skills.

What marks out a Clyde & Co lawyer in addition to those attributes is a rigorously commercial approach, so that everything they do on a case is analysed beforehand in terms of the commercial benefit it is likely to offer.

It is a demanding profession - can you still manage to achieve a good work/life balance?

It is possible to achieve a good work/life balance at Clyde & Co. I am based in the firm's Guildford office and I live only three miles away. Having just become a father, this means that I am able to see my daughter on weekday evenings in a way that I would not perhaps if I was working in London.

At Clyde & Co, although we work very hard, we do not have a tradition or expectation of long hours. As a trainee at Clyde & Co, there is no expectation that you need to be at your desk late in the evening. If you have done your work, then you go home; it is as simple as that.

Would you recommend Clyde & Co as a firm to begin a legal career with?

As a trainee who has now become a Partner, my answer would obviously be ‘yes'! The firm is a good place to work, the people are very friendly, we are market leaders in our core areas and the training we can offer to our trainee solicitors is exemplary.

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