Clyde & Co associate Lisa Weigand discusses trainee responsibility, a client secondment and finding her path into white-collar crime and sanctions
From corporate insurance and international arbitration to sanctions and a client secondment, Clyde & Co associate Lisa Weigand’s training contract gave her plenty of opportunities to explore different areas of law before deciding where she wanted to qualify. Along the way, she gained hands-on experience, worked closely with clients and discovered the value of a supportive team. Now an associate in the firm’s white-collar crime and sanctions practice, she shares what she learned during her training and offers her advice to aspiring lawyers.
Weigand’s interest in law began with a liking for humanities, writing and problem-solving. “I liked the concept that there wasn’t just one right answer, but that you could reach a conclusion through your own thoughts, analysis and opinions,” she recalls. She was also drawn to the “people-focused” nature of the profession, with studying law at university confirming her interest and ultimately leading her towards private practice.
When it came to choosing a firm, Clyde & Co’s “sector-focused approach” caught her attention. Having already gained some exposure to the energy sector through earlier work experience, she was keen to explore the firm’s other areas of expertise, including insurance, transport, infrastructure, trade and commodities. The four-seat training contract also appealed to her, with six months in each team giving trainees time to get to grips with the work, build relationships and get properly involved.
That interest was reinforced during Weigand’s vacation scheme at Clyde & Co, where she spent two weeks in a construction team and was quickly given practical work to get stuck into. “What stood out most was how supportive the team was,” she recalls. “My supervisor at the time checked in regularly, helped me prepare for the final interview and made sure I had opportunities to meet people across the team and the firm.”
Weigand also remembers partners taking the time to speak with her informally, which helped confirm that she wanted to work somewhere with “collaborative team players” and where she would feel comfortable asking questions as she developed as a lawyer. When she returned to the firm as a trainee, she found that the supportive environment was matched by a willingness to give junior lawyers meaningful responsibility from day one.
“From the second you join a team, you are really involved in the matters and contributing,” she says. “While starting a new seat could initially feel daunting, I found that trainees were trusted with real work, including preparing first drafts of legal advice, client emails and correspondence with counsel. If you want more responsibility and ask for it, you will definitely get it!” she adds.
Weigand’s training contract took her through four distinct seats in corporate insurance, sanctions and financial crime, international arbitration and a client secondment, giving her exposure to both advisory and contentious work. “Figuring out what you do not like is just as valuable as finding what you do like,” she says, explaining that the variety helped her understand the kind of lawyer she wanted to become. It also allowed her to build on a growing interest in regulatory and sanctions work across different teams, helping her see the area “from various angles”.
Trainees have a say in shaping that experience, with Weigand explaining that they rank the available seats in order of preference before the early careers team matches their choices against business needs and available places. “If you do not get one of your top three preferences in one rotation, they make a point to ensure you get one of your top three preferences in the next,” she says. For Weigand, the opportunity to experience different practice areas while gradually developing her own interests was one of the most valuable aspects of the training contract.
A six-month client secondment gave Weigand the opportunity to see legal advice from the other side of the table. Working within an in-house legal team helped her understand the kinds of matters clients seek external legal advice on and, just as importantly, how they prefer that advice to be delivered. “Do they love an executive summary at the beginning, or do they just want the full piece of advice? Do they prefer a lengthy advice note or concise email advice?” she recalls asking herself.
The experience also taught her how to build relationships with clients at different levels of an organisation and gave her a clearer understanding of the commercial considerations that shape their decisions. It was a perspective she could take back into private practice, particularly as her interest in sanctions continued to develop.
That interest had first taken hold during her second seat, at a time when Russia’s invasion of Ukraine had generated a significant volume of sanctions work. “The subject matter is fascinating because the legal landscape changes every single day,” Weigand says. Her client secondment subsequently gave her a better understanding of how sanctions issues affect businesses in practice, and by the time qualification came around, she felt she had developed the knowledge and experience to continue building her career in the area.
Qualifying into the white-collar crime and sanctions team therefore felt like a natural next step. Now an associate, Weigand works across sanctions, financial crime and export controls, often advising insurers and other financial institutions. Her work ranges from risk assessments and day-to-day advisory questions to regulatory engagement and complex claims, giving her exposure to a varied and fast-moving practice.
The move from trainee to associate also brought new challenges, although Weigand says the support she had received throughout her training contract continued after qualification. “From one day to another, you have a whole different role and you are expected to take more responsibility and have a certain level of understanding of the legal and commercial concepts,” she says. Having recently experienced that transition herself, she believes junior associates are particularly well placed to support trainees as they take on greater responsibility, while more senior lawyers are also available to offer guidance when needed. “There is no expectation that just because you are qualified now, you must know everything, as long as you are willing to learn” she adds.
That willingness to help one another was also an important factor in her decision to remain at Clyde & Co. “I really love the culture at the firm, so I knew I wanted to stay,” she says. She describes the environment as highly collaborative, with matters typically involving a mix of partners, associates and trainees rather than lawyers working in isolation. For Weigand, being willing to learn from others, ask questions and contribute as part of a team is central to developing as a lawyer.
For prospective applicants, Weigand says commercial curiosity matters just as much as technical legal ability. “One thing is being a good lawyer and understanding how the law applies, but the next step is thinking about the client’s business, industry dynamics and the wider commercial context,” she explains. Given Clyde & Co’s sector focus, she believes candidates who show a genuine interest in how legal and regulatory developments affect clients, while demonstrating a willingness to learn and work collaboratively, are likely to stand out.
When it comes to applications themselves, her advice is to be selective rather than trying to cover as many firms as possible. “I did a lot of panic applying at first, firing off numerous applications,” she admits. “But as everyone says, less is more.” Instead, she suggests narrowing down firms according to the type of work and clients that genuinely interest you, then taking the time to research their sector strengths, recent focus areas and how they compare with competitors. “You cannot do it over one night, but targeted research pays off,” she adds.
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