6.30am: Jump out of bed and head to the gym. One of the benefits here is the subsidy that's contributed to gym membership - meaning there is no excuse not to go!9.00am: Arrive at work and grab breakfast while checking my emails, including ones relating to a deal I'm working on involving assets and investors from the UK, Canada, Texas, Nigeria and Singapore.9.30am: Team meeting with the partner and associate that I'm working with on this deal. I'm working on a due diligence report to advise our client (a private equity firm) on the legal aspects of the assets that it is proposing to buy (a stake in a global oil and gas company). We've received more documents from the other side's solicitors so I will need to incorporate them into my report. There are also some employment agreements and documents detailing the target's IP rights.10.00am: I call associates in employment and IP to ask for their help reviewing the documents. People at Bakers are friendly and helpful, so 'cold-calling' is never really a problem!10.15am: Time to get on with my own review of the documentation relating to the oil and gas assets. Bakers is really on the ball with training, including industry-focused training. Although when I started my knowledge of the energy industry was limited to say the least, I quickly got to grips with the main principles.

12.45pm: Time for lunch. At least once a week we have trainee or departmental training sessions. At other times there's always a group of trainees around in our canteen, or venturing out to sit outside.1.30pm: Back at my desk and preparing for a conference call with the client on the deal, to discuss the investment agreement that we're negotiating. The partner will be leading the call but as I've been doing most of the due diligence, I will be required to comment on the warranties section.3.00pm: The call goes well and the client seems pleased with our progress. He's got some comments that we'll work into the document before recirculating the agreement so that the other side can comment on it. I am allocated the warranty section to amend, as these comment on the oil and gas assets I have reviewed.4.00pm: I'm due to give a presentation at the projects breakfast meeting tomorrow. I have already researched the new legislation that I'm presenting on and I produce a brief summary note and hand-out. The fortnightly departmental meetings are generally quite informal affairs. The group discusses the deals it's working on, any peculiar points that have arisen in them and business development. Often, a trainee will be asked to research and discuss a particular topic relevant to the department.5.00pm: An associate in the department calls me. A client that we completed some work for a couple of weeks ago has called with a follow-up question and the associate asks me to draft a response.6.15pm: I take the warranty section of the investment agreement to the partner I'm working with and we decide to caveat this section with 'still subject to due diligence' as we suspect we'll receive further information over the rest of the week.6.45pm: The investment agreement is sent out to the other side. I write up my to-do list for tomorrow, re-read my presentation notes and am out of the door by 7.20. Tonight I'm meeting some friends from law school. Most weeks some of the trainees will get together for drinks, or there may be a department social. Once a month the whole office gets together for Friday night drinks.