The Legal Cheek Winter Virtual Vacation Scheme

THE SCHEME IS NOW FULLY BOOKED.

The Legal Cheek Winter Virtual Vacation Scheme, run in partnership with The University of Law (ULaw), took place from Monday 4 December until Friday 8 December 2023. It will return in December 2024. In the meantime, our next Virtual Vacation Scheme takes place in March 2024. Find out more

It features a series of short talks, workshops and Q&As with lawyers from leading firms, corresponding written exercises set by ULaw, as well as an employability expo and various socials.

The following firms are participating: Akin, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, Charles Russell Speechlys, Clyde & Co, Dentons, Foot Anstey, Gateley, Gibson DunnMacfarlanes, Norton Rose Fulbright, Osborne Clarke, Ropes & Gray, Shoosmiths, Weil Gotshal & MangesWiggin and Womble Bond Dickinson.

The Scheme is open to all students. Its aim is to help students gain insights into life as a lawyer across a range of practice areas. The Scheme is not part of the participating firms’ recruitment processes.

Sponsors

In partnership with

Participating firms and chambers

Speakers

Zum Mohammed

Zum Mohammed

Partner in the corporate team at Gateley

Peter Lewin

Peter Lewin

Partner specialising in video games and interactive entertainment at Wiggin

Lily Löeffler

Lily Löeffler

Associate in the global finance and business, transportation and space, and restructuring and reorganisation practice groups at Gibson Dunn

Patrick Grant

Patrick Grant

Tutor and director for legal tech and innovation at ULaw

Thea Harman

Thea Harman

ULaw student ambassador

Sarah Knight

Sarah Knight

Partner in the corporate team at Osborne Clarke

Jacob Ward

Jacob Ward

Senior associate specialising in domestic and international litigation at Macfarlanes

Ashwin Pillay

Ashwin Pillay

Senior associate specialising in private company mergers and acquisitions and private equity investment work at Charles Russell Speechlys

Mahereen Nawaz

Mahereen Nawaz

Associate in the restructuring team at Weil Gotshal & Manges

Nadia Cinti

Nadia Cinti

Associate specialising in project finance at Akin

Sean Murphy

Sean Murphy

Global head of fintech at Norton Rose Fulbright

Isabel Davies

Isabel Davies

Senior associate specialising in video games, esports and interactive entertainment at Wiggin

Juliet Gordon

Juliet Gordon

Associate in the corporate team at Norton Rose Fulbright

Graeme Thomas

Graeme Thomas

Senior associate in the antitrust and competition practice at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner

Molly Cullen

Molly Cullen

Associate in the corporate team at Shoosmiths

Albert Weatherill

Albert Weatherill

Partner in the financial services team at Norton Rose Fulbright

Richard Palmer

Richard Palmer

Student recruitment manager at ULaw

Alexandra Hildyard

Alexandra Hildyard

Senior associate in the litigation and dispute resolution practice at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner

Nicholas Fortune

Nicholas Fortune

Counsel in the restructuring team at Weil Gotshal & Manges

Tanwen Evans-Balch

Tanwen Evans-Balch

Associate in the tax, trusts and succession practice at Charles Russell Speechlys

Peter Crisp

Peter Crisp

Deputy Vice-Chancellor at ULaw

Patrycja Hinsley-Eves

Patrycja Hinsley-Eves

Associate specialising in professional and financial disputes at Clyde & Co

George Harris

George Harris

Senior associate in the dispute resolution team at Dentons

Ben Bolderson

Ben Bolderson

Associate specialising in competition litigation and commercial disputes at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner

Hannah Hogarth

Hannah Hogarth

Newly qualified solicitor in the corporate team at Gateley

Kenan Ceylan

Kenan Ceylan

Associate in the private equity group at Ropes & Gray

Harry Wells

Harry Wells

Trainee solicitor in the dispute resolution (professional risk) team at Womble Bond Dickinson

Megan Pirrie

Megan Pirrie

Future trainee at Harbottle & Lewis and ULaw student ambassador

Schedule

Monday 4 December

9:40-10:00

Welcome

Speakers

• The University of Law (Peter Crisp, deputy vice-chancellor)

10:00-11:00

Deals

Format

Workshop

Speakers

• Gibson Dunn (Lily Löeffler, associate)
• Osborne Clarke (Sarah Knight, partner)
• Ropes & Gray (Kenan Ceylan, associate)
• Shoosmiths (Molly Cullen, associate)

14:00-15:00

Disputes

Format

Workshop

Speakers

• Clyde & Co (Patrycja Hinsley-Eves, associate)
• Dentons (George Harris, senior associate)
• Macfarlanes (Jacob Ward, senior associate)
• Womble Bond Dickinson (Harry Wells, trainee solicitor)

17:00-18:00

Meet the ULaw future trainees

Tuesday 5 December

10:00-11:00

Fintech

Format

Presentation

Speakers

• Norton Rose Fulbright (Sean Murphy, global head of fintech, Albert Weatherill, partner, and Juliet Gordon, associate)

14:00-15:00

Restructuring

Format

Workshop

Speakers

• Weil Gotshal & Manges (Nicholas Fortune, counsel, and Mahereen Nawaz, associate)

Wednesday 6 December

10:00-11:00

Competition law

Format

Workshop

Speakers

• Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner (Alexandra Hildyard and Graeme Thomas, senior associates, and Ben Bolderson, associate)

14:00-16:00

Employability Expo

Format

Expo

Speakers

• The University of Law

Thursday 7 December

10:00-11:00

Video games

Format

Presentation

Speakers

• Wiggin (Peter Lewin, partner, and Isabel Davies, senior associate)

14:00-15:00

Legal tech

Format

Workshop

Speakers

• The University of Law (Patrick Grant, tutor and project director for legal tech and innovation)

16:00-17:00

Project finance

Format

Presentation

Speakers

• Akin (Nadia Cinti, associate)

Friday 8 December

10:00-11:00

Private capital

Format

Presentation

Speakers

• Charles Russell Speechlys (Ashwin Pillay, senior associate, and Tanwen Evans-Balch, associate)

14:00-15:00

Listed law firms

Format

Workshop

Speakers

• Gateley (Zum Mohammed, partner, and Hannah Hogarth, newly qualified solicitor)
• The University of Law (Guy Grayson, tutor)

17:00-18:00

Farewell drinks with ULaw future trainees and the Legal Cheek team

How it works

All sessions take place virtually via the Hopin platform. Some are view-only with students able to interact via the chat; in others students are encouraged to interact by sharing their audio and video.

Case study exercises are set by ULaw, with model answers supplied at the end of the Scheme.

You are encouraged to attend all sessions but we appreciate you may have some other commitments to balance. Students who attend all of the sessions receive a certificate at the end of the Scheme.