8.00am: Arrive at the office and head to the coffee bar for breakfast and my first caffeine fix of the day. On the way back I chat to one of the other trainees about the 10k run we are planning to do at the weekend, in aid of the firm's charity of the year.8.15am: Check my emails and update my voicemail. I have a completion meeting this afternoon, so need to make sure I have all the documents organised ready for signing by the client. I've been involved in various stages of this deal, adapting to the changing requirements of the client. This gives me a true perspective of how goalposts often change in a complex corporate transaction.9.45am: The company corporate search I had ordered yesterday arrives in my inbox. The search is for a company which is being sold as part of a larger transaction. I have been asked to review the relevant company incorporation documents to make sure the directors of the company have the power to do what they plan to do. There is nothing unusual about the company which needs to be brought to the attention of our client.11.00am: I get on with some research in order to draft an advice note to a client on deferred shares. An international client is planning on using this type of share as part of a restructuring transaction, and wants to know the advantages, disadvantages and any formalities required for their issue.

12.45am: I usually grab my lunch at my desk, but in preparation for the forthcoming 10k, I fancy getting out today; so I head off for a run with one of the other trainees along the south bank.2.00pm: Just time to respond to a couple of emails received over lunch regarding the summer vacation scheme. I am one of the office trainee co-ordinators, so am involved in organising the firm's summer vacation schemes. Today, the discussions are about where to take the students on the socials - always a popular talking point.2.30pm: I attend the completion meeting with Ed (the partner) and the clients. I have been tasked with making sure the client signs all the documents in the relevant places, and that the business of the transaction is conducted in the required order. As I drafted the board minutes, which in essence tell the story of how the transaction is to proceed, I am confident that I can talk the client through the various documents.4.00pm: Walking back to the office, Ed and I run through the post-completion formalities that I need to do. A number of the documents that have been signed will need to be sent off to Companies House for registration, and it's one of the trainee duties to make sure that not only are the relevant documents sent off, but to follow up with a search of the relevant company to make sure everything sent off has been recorded against the company.4.20pm: My supervisor informs me that we have just been instructed on another matter for an existing client, and that he wants me to prepare the first draft of the engagement letter for the transaction. Although corporate transactions often involve complex documents, trainees are encouraged to undertake discrete tasks, in particular drafting, whenever the opportunity arises.6.00pm: I jump in a taxi and head off to east London, to a legal advice centre that DLA Piper supports. It's one of the many corporate social responsibilities the firm encourages.8.30pm: After another busy advice clinic, mainly dealing with debt and housing issues, I head home, feeling rewarded by the fact that I have helped a few clients manage real-life legal issues.