Graduate Recruitment
Meet our people
Luke Holmes - Solicitor
Litigation and regulatory
Philosophy and Politics, Manchester University
Why did you join DLA Piper?
I wanted to gain experience of quality work with large, corporate clients whilst remaining in the north-west. As one of Manchester's premier full-service, commercial law firms, DLA Piper was one of very few firms which presented me with the opportunity to do this.
Has the work been interesting so far?
The range of work I experienced whilst a trainee in the corporate, banking, litigation and restructuring departments was hugely varied and almost always interesting and challenging. Although as a trainee I inevitably had some mundane tasks to perform, I was also given a lot of responsibility, both in assisting my colleagues with larger projects and with running several of my own files.
What have your hours been like?
On occasions I have had to work late nights, but on the whole the hours are good. There certainly isn't a long hours culture and people don't stay late unnecessarily just to be seen to be in the office. The general atmosphere in the office is very relaxed and people have a work hard, play hard attitude.
How did you get on with the other trainees?
I got on with the other trainees really well. In the Manchester office there are about 25, which was enough for there to be a good gang of us when we went out to trainee social events, but not too many so you still get to know everyone. As well as official trainee events there's always a few people up for going for a beer on a Friday night.
How much client contact have you had so far?
The amount of client contact I've had has varied a lot with the different departments I've sat in. In the corporate and banking departments the client contact was more limited because I would normally be assisting with large projects and so a more senior member of the team would be the primary point of client contact. However, in the litigation department I ran many of my own files and on these matters I was often responsible for directly advising clients.
What advice would you give to someone applying to DLA Piper?
I would advise thinking carefully about why you want to work for DLA Piper rather than one of the many other legal firms you could apply for and, on the other hand, what sets you apart from the other candidates that will be applying to DLA. Other than that I would just say go for it – it's a great place to work!
Would you recommend the DLA Piper training experience to current students?
I'd definitely recommend the DLA Piper training experience to anyone thinking of applying. The last two years have flown by but looking back I've gained a huge amount of confidence and experience and have progressed from a nervous, first-seat trainee to a newly qualified, ready to embark on a career as solicitor in the litigation department.
Best/worst moments
My best moment was probably negotiating a really good settlement for one of our litigation clients on a matter which I had primary responsibility for.
My worst moment would be working the day after a particularly late night out with the banking team following the completion of a large deal, although the fact that my supervisor was suffering even more than me made things a bit more bearable!
