As part of its ambitious plans for growth Switalskis Solicitors has welcomed 11 trainee solicitors to its offices across Yorkshire as part of its 2020/21 training programme.
Rebecca Coupland, Ellie Davies and Lauren Muir have joined as new recruits to the firm. The others have been promoted from existing roles within the firm, as part of Switalskis’ commitment to providing career development opportunities. They are Megan Bedford, Gabrielle Paris-Parker, James Pickles, Lauren Unsworth, Ujala Ahmad, Eleanor Fieldsend, Emma Frank and Maria Watkins.
The trainees will undertake a two-year programme, leading to qualification as a solicitor. Switalskis’ training contracts aim to equip their trainee solicitors with a broad spectrum of relevant skills and knowledge in areas of business as well as law, including business and finance, ethics and advocacy, to allow them to pursue a successful career as a solicitor.
Each trainee will spend time in three different legal departments within the Switalskis group, rotating to develop their experience and practical training in different areas of law. They will also attend further education on the Professional Skills Course – a compulsory part of training for trainees ahead of qualifying as a solicitor – which is funded by Switalskis.
Each new trainee will start their first seat in one of eight specialist legal departments, including Court of Protection; new build conveyancing; residential conveyancing; clinical negligence; family; child care; and child abuse compensation.
Ruth Coneron, director and solicitor advocate who is Head of Care and responsible for trainee development within Switalskis, says: “We are delighted with our cohort of trainees. They are bright, enthusiastic, hardworking and keen to progress their careers in law. Succession planning is an important part of our growth and business development strategy, which is why we invest heavily in the training programme. We are making big moves forward in a difficult market and we are delighted to be able to offer this valuable opportunity for those seeking to start their careers in the legal sector. We wish them all every success.”
Ellie Davies, who joins the child abuse compensation team as her first seat, says: “I am delighted to have joined Switalskis as a trainee solicitor and I am particularly pleased to have joined a firm which is taking the new challenges of 2021 in its stride and utilising these challenges to expand and evolve. Personally, I am working in a completely different practice area to those I have experienced before, coming from a largely commercial background, and I am therefore grateful for the opportunity to learn from such talented fee earners who really excel in their individual fields. I am looking forward to gaining more knowledge and experience throughout my training contract and hopefully developing a long-term career with Switalskis.”
Eleanor Fieldsend has been promoted from her existing role within Switalskis Solicitors and takes her first trainee seat in the residential conveyancing department. She says: “I am delighted to have accepted a training contract with Switalskis and to be a part of such a forward-thinking and accredited Top 150 law firm. After initially joining back in 2018 as an assistant alongside my legal studies, I knew the firm was where I wanted to complete my training contract and I look forward to seeing how my career will progress with Switalskis in the future. I am grateful for this opportunity to be part of a firm committed to providing first class client care and cannot wait to see how Switalskis expands and grows going forward.”
