SJ Berwin - PLUM 2009

12
EU & COMPETITION
By Neil Jepson
First year trainee
Competition law ensures that markets remain competitive.
Our role is to guide companies through this
complex regulatory framework and to support them
if they find themselves on the wrong side of the law.
Competition law includes rules on: (1) the
behaviour of dominant firms; (2) agreements,
either between competitors (intentional hardcore
cartels or the incidental impact of horizontal
collaborations) or between companies at different
levels of the supply chain (‘vertical agreements’);
(3) the compatibility with the common market
of economic assistance given to companies by
governments (‘state aid’); and (4) the possible
anti-competitive implications of mergers. The
department also deals with a wide range of
general EU law questions, public procurement
issues, and specific sectoral regulatory issues
(e.g. on pharmaceuticals, energy and telecoms).
Given the variety of work on offer, trainees are
exposed to a diverse range of tasks, whether you
are doing the contentious or the non-contentious
seat. For the contentious work, we provide
administrative support as well as research points
of law. For the non-contentious work, we manage
merger filings to the UK or European authorities;
we assist with the drafting of key documents for
regulatory investigations into the conduct of our
clients; we also help research and analyse the
diverse international markets in which our clients
operate (e.g. airlines, animal feed, gambling or
mobile phones).
Trainees also help raise the department’s profile
by writing articles and editing the weekly
newsletter to clients, ‘Community Week’.
There is a strong emphasis on teamwork and
internationalism within the department. Trainees
often pull together on large tasks and have ample
opportunity to get to know their colleagues in our
continental offices, as we negotiate complex
multi-jurisdictional matters. One trainee every six
months even has the opportunity to work just
minutes away from the European Commission in
our Brussels office.
If you have a keen interest in learning how markets
work and if you are stimulated by diverse and
international work, EU and competition could be
the seat for you!
FINANCE
By Paul Tannenbaum
Second year trainee
The finance department acts for both lenders and
borrowers in leveraged and acquisition, real estate,
funds and structured finance transactions. Clients
range from well known banks to large investors,
private equity houses and venture capitalists.
As a trainee in the finance department, you are
provided with a high level of responsibility. Trainees
are often found managing transactions and
undertaking drafting of documents such as board
minutes and director certificates. Transactions will
frequently have a multi-jurisdictional element and
trainees find themselves liaising with foreign counsel
and co-ordinating with many different parties all over
the world to ensure that a transaction runs smoothly.
During my seat I have been fortunate enough to
work on a number of transactions across all the
practice areas of the department. This not only
enables you to complete the seat with a good
overall impression of the department, but also
provides opportunities to meet people from across
the firm, be it through liaising with the real estate
department on a real estate finance transaction or
with the corporate department on a corporate
finance transaction.
There are weekly departmental training sessions
and frequent marketing meetings which trainees
are encouraged to attend. Trainees are also invited
to many marketing events such as karaoke
evenings, wine and cheese tasting and barbecues.
A keen interest in table football is also welcome
with the in-house table being a hugely popular
member of the department!