Regina Madrazo – Associate

When you're just out of university, one member of the 'magic circle' of international law firms looks very like another, so I didn't know how lucky I was to be offered a job at Freshfields. Four and a half years on, I certainly do.

I'm still learning every day, but looking back, I can see how much I've already achieved. Right from the start, you get your own part of a project, so you quickly get used to working on attractive and remarkable matters. But everyone here is very helpful - and they really look after trainees - so it makes those early days less daunting.

The Freshfields rotation system is excellent and it's not rigid. For example, I didn't do a fourth rotation, as I was working on a big project in corporate and really enjoying it. I wanted to stay. The team wanted me to stay. So I stayed. One of the major benefits of working here is the closeness I enjoy with my team. We work hard all day - very hard - but then we go out in the evening and have a drink together.

The way we handle the client relationship is one of the most important parts of our job. We have to know when to call on other departments, and we have to brief them exceptionally well so that they deliver what our client wants. Freshfields' clients buy global assistance, so we have to make sure that they get the very best at every point of the transaction. And they don't need someone who just parrots legal regulations at them. They need someone who understands their business, who can apply the law to their specific needs and then explain it to them in business language.

That's the great thing about training here and working here. You learn how to apply law, not just practise it.