Lisle Gannon's learning and development journey at Marriott Harrison

Being a trainee at Marriott Harrison

I would describe the Marriott Harrison trainee experience as high stretch, high support. As a trainee, you are given high levels of responsibility including interacting directly with clients, drafting core documents and taking on key project management roles, whilst always having the support of accessible senior lawyers. Gaining exposure to high quality clients and the opportunity to work through main documents on complex transactions early on in my career is what I was after when I was applying for training contracts, and I count myself lucky that I found Marriott Harrison. There is a real emphasis here around on-the-job training and getting stuck in from the get-go which means you kick start your legal career with a steep and exciting learning curve.

As a trainee in the corporate team, I understood from the start that Marriott Harrison tries to keep deal teams lean. Trainees play a significant role on each transaction and there are always opportunities to learn. On a typical transaction, there is a partner, associate, and a trainee. As a result, you have consistent access to partners and associates from whom you learn and pick up skills from. I’ve always felt comfortable speaking to partners and associates alike at Marriott Harrison, whether it’s asking a question or bouncing ideas off them and learning from senior lawyers in our open environment has been pivotal to my development.  

The breadth and depth of experience I gained on my training contract ensured that the jump from trainee to associate didn’t feel quite so big. Marriott Harrison wants you to be working towards associate-level competencies during your training contract so that by the time you qualify you are able to hit the ground running. During my training contract, there was equal emphasis placed on developing my technical skillset and softer skills both of which are essential for any successful lawyer. 

Project highlights

When I think of highlights from my training contract, several memorable transactions come to mind. On one such transaction, we acted for the sellers of Cellesce (a patient-derived organoid technology business) on its sale to US life science firm, Molecular Devices. The transaction had certain complexities which required me to learn quickly and take on a more substantial role than I was used to. For example, I took the lead on a detailed disclosure exercise and ran a document-heavy signing process, always with the knowledge that I had the support of the lead associate and partner when I needed it. I was particularly proud of the direct interactions I had with our clients, who I built up a good rapport with as the transaction progressed.

L&D at Marriott Harrison

Given our size, there is certainly scope for a Marriott Harrison trainee to tailor their learning and development to suit their needs and aspirations.  Marriott Harrison prides itself on working with you to understand your skillset, passions, and interests and how developing these can work in harmony with Marriott Harrison’s business needs. This means you can really be the driver of your legal career! For example, I was interested in developing my understanding of venture debt and share schemes and incentives. I voiced this to my colleagues and was encouraged to pursue my interests by being put on venture debt transactions and having the opportunity to attend various share schemes courses. Individual trainees’ seat preferences are also very much considered when a rotation comes around – Marriott Harrison works hard to give as many people as possible their first choice each time.

The Marriott Harrison training contract encourages you to operate beyond your years of experience and to develop your competencies at a quicker rate than elsewhere, all whilst having direct support from senior lawyers to help you along the way. This style of training contract allowed me to hone my skillset, operate at a higher level, and has stood me in good stead as I progress in my associate role.