Clifford Chance

I first joined Clifford Chance as a summer law clerk in May 2014 following my 2L year at Duke Law and started full time in the fall of 2015. I am now a second-year associate in the transactional pool and work primarily with the project finance and capital markets groups.

I was attracted to Clifford Chance because of its commitment to being a single global firm. I wanted to work on private transactions involving parties from all over the world, and I especially wanted to work on deals involving Latin America and with Latin American clients. I also have a soft spot for Asia, China in particular, and was intrigued by the possibility of being at a firm that could hold its own in both places. During my interview process at Clifford Chance it became very clear that this was a real possibility here.

Almost immediately after I got here, I started working on deals for which my specific skill set (and, in particular, my language skills) was not only valuable but also crucial. I was given more responsibility than I had expected this early in my career, but I was also given the support and the resources I needed to do a good job. It was exciting and it made me feel useful, which I believe is one of the most encouraging feelings a junior associate can have. I have since had the pleasure of working with people who appreciate the long hours and the extra hard work, which makes it surprisingly easy to stay motivated and excited about what I do.

The people

The first thing that struck me about the people I met at Clifford Chance was that they don't take themselves too seriously. People at Clifford Chance are extremely impressive, and they are also kind, friendly, and approachable. It makes for a much more pleasant work environment when you can engage with the people you work with on a personal level without feeling uncomfortable or out of place. Big law firms can be intimidating, but I noticed early on that the expectations are very different here. The partners I work for are encouraging and open-minded. Most of all, they are surprisingly responsive when you make an effort to contribute and are open and honest about what you need.

The most rewarding experience I've had so far

The most rewarding experience I have had at Clifford Chance was my first closing. The senior associate I was working with was on holiday when the client decided we were ready to close. I ended up running the closing by myself, which (at the time) was terrifying because I had never done it before, but it helped me get over some of the fear and hesitancy that all first year associates come in with. I also learned that I was never alone and what a true team effort it was. At one point, an issue arose late at night and I reached out to a partner I had never worked with before, but who happened to be at the office at the time. He couldn't have been more helpful and he talked me through the issue until we found a solution with which we were comfortable.