Harry Milner – Trainee Blog

November 2024

November has been quite the eventful month!

I have enjoyed conducting research for both our charities, corporate and employment team. This is an integral skill for a trainee solicitor as often you will be asked to assist with specific points of law that require further investigation. This is essential to ensure our clients are given accurate advice that gives the latest legal position.

I was also given the opportunity to help my colleague, Harriet Wheeldon from our charities team provide an advice note on incorporating a charitable organisation matter for a new client. It was great to attend the client meeting and take full advantage of the varied work the firm does.

During the month, I attended a PSC elective course Commercial Property (Freehold and Leasehold) hosted by BPP University. As I begin to look at qualification I have chosen to undertake courses that I have interest in and enjoyed the most throughout the training contract.

I now look forward to next month as we approach the festive period with various work related events planned!

October 2024

October has been a very busy month in our Company and Commercial department with a large amount of pre-budget related work conducted for our clients. This has been a great experience for me as a trainee in the department to help and assist the team on these matters.

I have had a large involvement of a matter that has transferred shares in a company to new shareholders which allowed me to draft board minutes, a deed of gift and the share transfer forms. I also assisted with the drafting a letter of advice to a Bank regarding a deed of release which I found extremely interesting. I also managed to work closely with our Head of Corporate Team, John Flanagan on some partnership advice a client was exploring as an option for his land.

The department also spent time furthering our knowledge in areas of interest as we watched several webinars on demergers, company acquisitions and employment. As a solicitor it is imperative to keep your knowledge up to date.

September 2024

This has been an extremely busy month having moved into the Company and Commercial department!

It has been great to welcome our newest cohort of trainees to the firm and I look forward to working with them. Currently we are receiving a considerable amount of pre-budget related work, I have taken full advantage of this by helping the team on a variety of different tasks.

I have helped assist on a completion within our corporate team relating to a tranche of shares that was being purchased. I have also been involved in a company sale the corporate team has been working on. I was very fortunate to be given the opportunity by my supervisor to sit in a disclosure meeting with our clients to discuss the elements of the share purchase agreement. I have also drafted board minutes on a separate matter on behalf of our client to approve of the borrowing of loan for a purchase of property.

I often find the first weeks difficult to adapting when moving seat, when settling into a new team and different workload. However, this time I have really enjoyed the transition! The Commercial and IP team have also been providing some useful work, I helped look into the terms and conditions of a corporate purchase we are acting on. I have also conducted research into the new Digital Markets Competition and Consumer Act 2024. I have found this interesting as it is often quite specific, I enjoy finding a solutions for my colleagues on the technical legal points.

I cannot thank the team so much for their supervision and advice over this past month and I am now looking forward to the rest of the seat!

August 2024

I cannot believe it has nearly been a year since joining the firm! Whilst it has gone quickly, I feel like I have learnt so much during my time in each department.

August was a very rewarding month as I began tying up various work I had been completing throughout the PC seat. I was pleased to submit and receive back a grant of probate for an estate matter I had been working on, being given this responsibility allowed me to fully understand the process of probate and how Rollits develop their estate accounts and consider any taxation issues that may arise. I am grateful to the team as I felt I benefitted massively from the supervision on this matter.

I have also drafted several wills; this is an area I have seen my legal skills develop. Many of the wills I have drafted during this last month have been deemed more ‘complex’ with the inclusions of Property Trusts or Residue Trusts that require careful consideration to our client’s situation and often have a drafted letter of wishes sitting alongside.

This month I have taken training in GDPR and the various legal framework relating to data protection. I feel reassured that at Rollits we receive this as it allows us to be fully aware of our individual and firm wide responsibilities to adhere to the regulations.

Whilst I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in the Private Client seat and working in our York Office, I am now really excited to move into our Company and Commercial team as a second year trainee.

July 2024

July has been a good month as I have enjoyed some well-deserved time off! I spent some of my time supporting England in Germany at the Euros and meeting some old friends.

Upon my return from annual leave, I have helped host our Rollits Golf Day at Brough Golf Club, it was a fantastic event and great to raise money for our chosen charities. I have also spent the month dealing with the Office of the Public Guardian regarding the registration of an LPA, making sure the LPA is registered as requested by our client. I really feel I am understanding the area and putting a lot of my academic knowledge into practice. The Private Client team in Hull is expanding which has led to me being kept busy assisting with different matters including drafting wills and other documentations such as renunciation documents!

June 2024

I have really enjoyed some of the work I have assisted with this month. I have been given my first estate administration file to work on and have learnt a lot regarding the different probate procedures. This includes writing to the various institutions and preparing our estate accounts. Being given a varied workload as a trainee is important as it improves all your skills. I have been attending our York office more frequently and I am pleased to have assisted with drafting a deed variation for one of our clients in a contentious probate matter the firm is dealing with.

We were very fortunate to welcome our first cohort of work experience students to Rollits this month, it was an action-packed week and nice to offer advice to those wanting to join the profession. I hope many enjoyed the week and the different departments and will go onto apply for our 2027 Period of Recognised Training. I also assisted with the event hosted by Rollits at Humber Business Week at the MKM stadium, it was great to meet some of the Rollits clients’ and wider business community!

May 2024

Having spent the last three months in our Private Capital Team, I can really see the progress I have made since joining the department.

May has been a great month, I have begun assisting with several probate/estate files which has allowed me to understand and gain further knowledge of what the job would be like if I qualified into the Private Client area. I have also developed my drafting skills; I have begun drafting more complex clauses/trusts into the wills I have been asked to draft. I have also had the opportunity to host my own client meetings. I am really pleased at the training I have so far received at Rollits, which has allowed me to develop the skills required when meeting our clients.

Alongside this, I have taken the time during May to undergo a number of important courses. I have attended the Client Care element of the PSC Course organised by Rollits with BPP Law School. This gave me a great insight into client relations and the duties and responsibilities of solicitors. Additionally, I have spent time undergoing our Anti-Money Laundering internal training – Solicitors must make sure they are always aware of the threats that can occur when working in a law firm. Having an advanced knowledge of this allows us to make sure our clients monies are secure, and we are not assisting or aiding any organised crime through our daily practice.

April 2024

As we approach the end of April, I can begin to feel myself understanding more of specifics in the private client area, this has allowed me to undertake more extensive work for the team.

I have dealt with several probate files and have drafted letters to different companies to help close the accounts of some of the estates we are working on. It is great to be learning first-hand the skills required in specifically to this area of law. Being empathetic to our clients’ situations is imperative to providing good advice and service.

I have also worked on several deputyship order applications. I have found working on these files very rewarding, as you are helping achieve an outcome which is beneficial to all parties involved often at very difficult periods of time. Similarly, I have drafted many wills including mirror wills for spouses. It is quite fascinating the different incorporations can be included into a will; I enjoy the academic thought that may be required when assessing each individual situation especially when a trust may be incorporated, to achieve more tax efficient results for our clients such as through leaving charitable legacies.

I am really enjoying the client facing nature of the seat and directly dealing with our clients, I am looking forward to the rest of my seat.

March 2024

March has been a very eventful month here in the Private Capital Team at Rollits. Upon moving from the Property department, I have had the opportunity to visit our wider team in Rollits’ York office, it was great to finally meet everyone.

I have also attended several client meetings here at our Hull office drafting attendance notes on a variety of different matters, including estate planning, wills and LPA’s. I thoroughly enjoyed the practical side to this and meeting our clients. It is great experience seeing how my colleagues can tailored their legal knowledge to individual’s specific circumstances regardless of how simple or complex their situation may be. Understanding your clients’ needs is essential skill required as a solicitor and the importance of this has been demonstrated to me already.

Additionally, I have spent time researching points of law such as the recent IHT updates noted in the Spring Budget, drafting wills and LPAs for both Health and Finances. I feel that I have learnt so much this month, whether that is information on relevant Business Property Relief for the purposes of calculating inheritance tax or the different amount of trusts available to individuals.

I am really looking forward to what the next five months in Private Capital team entails!

February 2024

I cannot believe it has been six months since I joined Rollits and the Commercial Property team!

This month has probably been my favourite, I am finally seeing a lot of matters I have worked on throughout my time in the department come to an end. I began the month by receiving three certificate of compliances that I had been chasing for a long period of time. I felt this was a big achievement as I could now register our clients’ leases at the Land Registry.

I also had the opportunity to assist our Managing Partner, Ralph on a matter for one our larger clients. I really enjoyed organising and filing several deeds, instructions to counsel and various ancillary documents to create a clear coherent folder of information.

I managed to spend some time seeing my friends and network at the Hull Young Professionals event down Humber Street. I also spent some time relaxing on my birthday off work, I am extremely grateful to the firm for having this extra entitlement policy.

Whilst I am going to miss the team I have worked with over the past sixth months, I am looking forward to joining the Private Client department and continue my learning!

January 2024

I feel January has been a very productive month here in commercial property department at Rollits.

As my experience and knowledge in this area improves, I have been given a real insight into some of the transactions the firm deals with and what life would be like qualifying into the department. Throughout January, I have had an increased amount of responsibility on my matters. I have assisted with drafting a range of associated documents which includes a rent deep deposit and a licence for alterations.

I am pleased to have been given the opportunity to attend a client meeting for a large land and property transaction. It was a great experience to see all the legal elements that I had helped in draft take shape in a practical environment. This enhanced my knowledge of SDLT in business transactions and how the parties work together throughout the various steps to create a successful result for all.

I have also managed to have a meeting with both my mentor in the department and my training supervisor.  I am very fortunate to have access to this support throughout my Training Contract at Rollits, as it gives me the opportunity to discuss my goals, objectives and progress at the firm.

December 2023

As the month and year comes to an end, I have been very busy here at Rollits.

This month, I have had several matters that I have managed to complete for our clients. This has helped develop my understanding of the different post-completion steps required in Property transactions. I particularly enjoy informing and communicating with our clients when we have the positive news that their matters have completed. Understanding and learning Rollits’ billing and invoicing procedure is something I have found very interesting as well! I am also pleased to have been given the opportunity to undertake some advocacy training at Crown Chambers in Hull.

I have also attended several Christmas firm events such as the Rollits Christmas Party that was hosted at the Double Tree Hotel and Property department’s Christmas Meal. After such a hectic few weeks I am looking forward to a well-earned rest over the Christmas period!

November 2023

It has officially been three months since joining the firm and I am now halfway through my property seat; I can’t believe how quick it has gone!

This month, I have had the opportunity to help assist with a Section 25 notice and drafting a new lease for one of our clients. I have also prepared various lease reports as well. However, most of my time has been spent dealing with unregistered land! This is an area I have seen my understanding develop, I have completed several voluntary and compulsory first registrations. I have particularly enjoyed one which involved a lot of investigation into boundary lines and drawing onto Land Registry maps to detail how the land has changed from the plans contained in the conveyances.

I am looking forward to seeing what December brings!

October 2023

As October comes to an end, I have had another great month here in the Property department. I am beginning to feel my confidence grow as my understanding of issues increases.

My workload has been very engaging and varied! I have had the opportunity to help assist on preparing a lease report and an application for adverse possession of unregistered land for one of our larger clients. The support from my colleagues has really helped converting my academic knowledge into achieving good practical outcomes for our clients.

I have managed to experience firsthand the firms secure banking procedures when dealing with money, these standards are fundamental to protecting our clients and limiting the firm’s risk of fraud and cybercrime. It is reassuring to have full training in this area and to feel confident of the procedures used by Rollits.

I have also dealt with a voluntary application for a first registration, this was really exciting as I could search through the original deeds and find various details about the property.

September 2023

My first month at Rollits in the Property department has been really insightful! It has been a busy start to life as a trainee at the firm, but the team has been really supportive and welcoming. I have been given the opportunity to manage my own workloads and undertake a variety of new tasks.

I have prepared a large amount of legal research to help assist my colleagues on different matters. This research has been primarily focused on the process of purchasing property from registered overseas entities, neighbouring land, boundary agreements and the enlargement process for converting a property from leasehold to freehold.

My time has also been spent calculating and drafting SDLT returns, creating heads of terms for leases and contacting the Land Registry for updates and clarification on different issues. I also assisted my colleagues in a large portfolio purchase which gave me the chance to draft a statutory declaration and a number of different completion statements.

Alongside this, I am grateful to have supported the firm in the launch of the Heritage Open Day as well as attending my first Hull Young Professionals event. I am excited to see what the next month in the Property department brings!