9.30am: I arrive at my desk in the M&A department and catch up with my supervisor, a senior associate, over breakfast and a cup of tea. I go through my emails and my calendar to see what the day has in store.

10.00am: I check my 'to do' list that I made the night before and see what needs to be done first. My supervisor is heading the corporate aspects of an international multi billion-pound acquisition of a mining group which I am helping out with. The deal is heading towards the completion date and we have a conference call scheduled at 11.00am to discuss how matters are progressing. I go through the agenda for the call with my supervisor and see what issues need to be raised.

11.00am: The conference call is with all parties involved in the acquisition, including representatives from the buyer and seller and lawyers from around the world. Latham is representing the buyer on this deal so we need to make sure that all the documents agreed between the parties are favourable to the future development of the companies being bought.

11.45am: Our client phones to discuss the outcome of the call and to target what needs to be done this week. I've enjoyed having a lot of client interaction on this deal and I discuss the completion agenda with them. I need to update the draft of an assignment agreement so I review the comments that have come in from our client and our foreign counsel. Once I have updated it I give the draft to my supervisor to check before I send it over to the lawyers on the other side.

1.00pm: Lunch is with a few of the other trainees at one of the local lunch spots to catch up with the latest gossip. There's a night out planned with the corporate department next week so we talk about venues and what can be expected from the partners' dance moves!

2.00pm: A call comes in from a trainee at the law firm who is acting for the seller on the acquisition. We are working together to create the timetable for completion, and because there are so many jurisdictions involved in the transaction, the timing and location of everything is proving to be quite tricky to organise.

3.00pm: I receive an email from a regular corporate client in the US who needs some help with a share issue for their UK subsidiary. After doing a bit of research online I fill out the necessary Companies House forms and draft an advice email detailing the filing deadlines and what needs to be done. After my supervisor has checked it I send it out to the client along with the forms for them to sign.4.30pm: I meet one of the other trainees for a cup of tea to find out how he's getting on with the deals he's working on. It's useful to find out what life is like in other departments as it helps shape my preferences for my next seat.

5.00pm: A partner asks me to do a bit of research for him on precedents for expert determination clauses. I have a look through our document database and email him a draft based on the examples I found.

6.00pm: Another acquisition I had been working on over the last few months closed recently and I have been tasked with putting the bible together of all the signed documents. I check the documents we have against the checklist that I kept as the deal was progressing to make sure we aren't missing anything before sending it all off to be printed.

8.00pm: I send out the last few emails and update my 'to do' list for tomorrow before heading out to a local bar for a drink with some friends.