December 30 2021
December '21 Paralegal of the Month: Antony Christopherson
Case Studies
Tanya Robinson
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Hi Antony! Could you introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your background?
I’m Antony and I’m originally from Kent. I studied History at the University of Edinburgh and graduated in 2020. Shortly after, I secured a training contract with Slaughter and May, and started studying the GDL at BPP. I will be starting the accelerated LPC at BPP in February 2022, so have been using my time to get some experience under my belt by working as a paralegal at the private equity and venture capital firm, NJF Capital.How did you first become interested in working in law?
It was during a vacation scheme that I decided that a career in law was for me. It was exciting working with large, listed clients and learning about the intricacies and difficulties that each of them faced. I felt that the work was tangible, and I enjoyed working in a team to develop solutions for clients. I also think that a decisive factor was the people I was working with. I think that lawyers are often quite approachable, attentive, and conscientious people, and I could picture myself working well alongside them.Could you tell us about your experience of working through Flex Legal?
The Flex Legal system is very efficient and well organised. I finished the GDL in April and started my paralegal position at NJF Capital just a few weeks later. However, I think the best thing is the number and the variety of roles they have access to. I received a few emails about potential positions, but they were in areas which didn’t interest me as much. I knew that Flex had access to a strong supply of roles, so I waited a little longer and found one that really excited me. At no point did I feel pressured to accept a role, because I knew that Flex had access to plenty more.Where are you currently working?
I’ve been working at NJF Capital, a private equity and venture capital firm. They oversee a diverse investment portfolio of over 40 companies, 30% of which have now reached “unicorn” status.What have you found most interesting about your recent role?
I’ve spent my time conducting legal research, drafting documents, and sitting in on investment pitches. I’ve really enjoyed how forward thinking and dynamic the PE and VC worlds are. The team are constantly looking at innovative technologies and analysing how they can be used to revolutionise traditional business models.What advice would you give to those looking to get into paralegal work?
My advice is to be open to new experiences. When joining NJF Capital, I knew nothing about private equity or venture capital, and struggled to tell the difference between them. I also felt, having only studied law for a few months on the GDL, that I didn’t have enough experience or knowledge to join a small, dynamic company. However, the team were really kind, and used every opportunity to explain new things to me. They didn’t just explain why things were important legally, but what the broader industry trends were and where we fitted into them. It doesn’t matter if you paralegal in a completely new area of law because your team will show you exactly what to do.Additional Resources:
- Antony’s LinkedIn - you’ve heard what Antony has to say about working through Flex, now take a look at his full professional profile over on LinkedIn.
- How Flex Legal helped Runnymede Law during peak workloads - perhaps Antony’s experiences have got you wondering what interim legal resourcing could do for your team? Take a look at this case study, where we break down how we helped Runnymede Law tackle busy peaks in their workload.
- Apply to be a Flex Paralegal - interested in what the world of interim paralegal work could look like for you? Well look no further! Click here to learn more and perhaps even apply.