A day in the life of an Addisons Graduate

By Gina Lee, Addisons Graduate Program 2023

When I was considering firms to apply to as part of my Graduate training, I really wanted to understand the kind of work and activity I would be undertaking.

One of my first rotations as a Graduate in the Addisons Graduate Program was working in the Corporate Group. I have shared my experiences, the depth and quality of work, plus the great culture we have at Addisons! I hope this gives you an idea of what to expect.

Thanks, Gina.

A day in my life in Addisons’ Corporate Group

9:00 AM

Our Corporate Team hosts a fortnightly Corporate Group meeting. During the meeting each attendee, which includes partners, solicitors, special counsel and graduates, provides an update in relation to ongoing matters and what each person has been working on. This is a great opportunity to catch up with the rest of the team and gain some insight into the different kinds of work our Corporate team is currently involved in, spanning across M&A transactions, competition and consumer matters, insolvency and on-going litigation matters.

9:30 AM

I provide assistance to our competition and consumer team for an ongoing audit for a client and identifying whether there are any resale price maintenance risks in email communications.

10:30 AM

Cake Day! Our firm’s favourite day of the month and coincidentally the day of the month that several people choose to work in the office rather than from home. I think it’s because of the sausage rolls.

11:00 AM

I have been asked to review an amendment deed for a franchise agreement for a client who manufactures luxury vehicles. This includes ensuring that the provisions in the latest version of the franchise agreement are reflected in the amendment deed and making any relevant updates to the deed.

1:00 PM

My graduate cohort is scattered across our office’s three floors but we always try to find some time to have lunch together. One of our current favourite spots for lunch is Fish Bowl. 

2:00 PM

My team is currently working on a complex M&A transaction involving several related entities. My partner always takes the time to provide a comprehensive overview of a matter which has been extremely beneficial to my learning during my rotation. I conduct company searches for each entity to determine the shareholders and the relationships between each company. I have also been asked to summarise the pre-emptive rights for shareholders for each company by looking at the company constitutions. I summarise my findings in a memo for my team.

5:00 PM

A Special Counsel from our team asks me to find the explanatory memorandum for financial sector reforms in the Corporations Act in preparation for a call with a client. I spend the rest of the day summarising my research.