Haynes and Boone CDG, LLP

A day in the life of... Milad Amani, trainee, Haynes Boone

Departments to date: Energy and shipping (non-contentious); Litigation

University: University of Birmingham University of Law

Degree: Law LLB, 2(1) Hons; LPC with an MSc in Law, Business and Management (Distinction)

8.14am: I turn off my tenth alarm and get ready for work, iron my shirt, make my porridge and head out.

8.50am: I am usually on a bus, quickly checking my emails and playing Duolingo, trying to learn Arabic from scratch for personal reasons, but I also think it could help one day connect with people I might run into in life.

9.20am: I tend to get off the bus a couple of stops early so I can walk across Blackfriars Bridge for some fresh air.

9.30am: I am at my desk with a cup of tea and start sifting through my emails. When I was in my energy and shipping (‘ES’) seat, there would usually be a couple of emails coming through with comments on memorandums of agreement for the sale or purchase of drilling rigs stationed off the coasts of countries like Nigeria, Malaysia and Norway. These deals tend to be worth millions, so there would be some urgency. I would then usually liaise with ship registries in jurisdictions such as the Cayman Islands or Liberia to find out the document requirements for a particular deal.

In contrast, litigation is such a vast field that it could mean I am doing research for the insolvency and restructuring partner on winding up a company, or working out what a blowout preventor is. Accordingly, I spend quite a bit of time deep-diving into articles and books to grasp the context. I love it! I learn so much and it puts the ‘meat on the bones’, which helps when reviewing contractual documents to truly grasp our clients’ claims.

In the middle of this I have a break, which usually means catching up with the trainees or even partners because we all just get on.

11.30am: Regardless of the seat, we don’t really have morning team calls; instead I have one-on-one chats or calls with the relevant partner/associate on any work I submitted prior. This is usually followed up with some positive and constructive feedback about how else I could have approached the task.

Often, there are last-minute client calls where we get new instructions, and this is when I am tasked with my main job of the day. This could be reviewing investment agreements, contracts for the construction of superyachts or even interviewing clients to understand the chronology of events that led to an ‘event of default’.

1.00pm: At lunchtime, I usually eat my packed lunch and I also find a room or go to the local mosque to pray. The firm is very supportive, so it’s great!

2.00pm: After lunch, meaning I get back to my desk, I check my emails and I catch up with one of the interns who has joined our department for three weeks just to make sure he is getting on well.

4.00pm: I have become quite fond of ES, so I am usually involved in writing articles related to new judgments from the UK Supreme Court in relation to ES or new developments in the field of autonomous vessels and new legislation, such as the Hong Kong Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships, which aims to ensure safe and environmentally sound ship recycling on a global basis.

5.30pm: Depending on the urgency of the task, I usually like to complete my to-do list prior to leaving the office so I have time to go to the gym after work. In such an event, I sit down with the relevant partner/associate and we go through all the work completed and I confirm with them that nothing is outstanding.

During the evening, I do sporadically check my emails to ensure I don’t miss something urgent, especially due to our international client base, which may mean they have only just seen our emails sent throughout the day.

About the firm

The firm: The London office of Haynes Boone has experience serving the corporate, debt capital markets, energy, finance, insolvency, international dispute resolution, investment management, project finance and development, real estate and shipping sectors. The firm boasts a team of commercial and dispute resolution lawyers with deep industry knowledge in their core sectors. Many of our lawyers have international backgrounds; our lawyers are fluent in 19 languages.

The clients: Investec Bank plc; BNP Paribas; Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking Corporation; Bank of America; The Hellenic Gas Transmission System Operator (DESFA) S.A.; Stena LNG Holding Sweden AB.

Senior partner: Taylor Wilson (USA)

Managing partner: William Cecil (UK)

Other offices: 16 offices in the USA, Mexico City, Shanghai

Who we are: With decades of experience, our lawyers provide clients with broad English law capabilities. These include an experienced litigation and international arbitration team that has handled numerous claims in the English High Court and before major arbitral bodies, and transactional teams that have guided clients through such diverse matters as mergers and acquisitions, IPOs, financing, conventional and alternative energy projects, and maritime and offshore operations and projects. Our London office links clients operating in the world’s interconnected energy and finance markets.

What we do: Haynes Boone is an international commercial law firm. London’s practices comprise contentious, corporate, debt capital markets, energy, finance, insolvency, investment management, project finance, real estate and shipping.

What we’re looking for: A strong and consistent academic record and to be on track for, or have obtained, a 2(1) degree minimum; to take on responsibility and have commercial awareness, commitment, energy and spark; and to have a sense of community and enthusiasm to participate.

What you’ll do: Each contract will comprise four seats of six months’ duration each. Trainees in those seats will work with different teams across the range of the firm’s practice areas within the relevant group during each seat. Practical training will be given with plenty of support and feedback. You will be closely supervised and mentored by the training principal, and a partner mentor.

Perks: Private health insurance, group income protection, group life assurance, group personal pension, season ticket loan, gym membership subsidy, employee assistance programme.

Sponsorship: Haynes Boone offers full sponsorship of the SQE study route as well as an annual maintenance grant of £10,000 per year of study.

Diversity and inclusion