Summer Secondments 2008

The following students have participated in external secondments as part of this year's secondment program:

Joel Payne	London Office
Mat Brechtel	Montreal Office
Tamar Meshel	Toronto Office

Joel Payne - London Office

This summer I was privileged to spend my secondment at Fasken Martineau’s London office, Fasken Martineau Stringer Saul. This amazing opportunity not only allowed me to observe the work conducted in our London office, but also to explore one of the world’s greatest cities.

The first ever full service UK-Canadian law partnership established in 2006, Fasken Martineau Stringer Saul (FMSS) has almost 50 lawyers that practice both English and Canadian law. During my secondment, I assisted several lawyers in the corporate department. This work included preparing verification documents for an AIM offering, due diligence in connection with the purchase of a company operating in Africa, and a marketing assignment requiring me to catalogue transactions that involved assets in literally dozens of countries around the world. Working on these and other tasks, I quickly realized the global scope of the work performed at FMSS and how important London is as a hub for international business and finance.

Other significant experiences included attending a client’s annual general meeting, attending a client’s office to close the sale of one of their businesses, and observing chambers proceedings and both a civil and criminal appeal at the Royal Courts of Justice.

When I was not busy at work, I was busy taking in the countless sights and activities in and around London. Luckily, the stylish flat provided by the firm was about five minutes from everything.

Many of my evenings were spent just wandering around London’s amazing galleries and museums. I particularly enjoyed the Tate Britain art gallery and the Imperial War Museum. London is also home to an overwhelming number of theatres and orchestras. I watched a great performance of King Lear at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, and London’s Philharmonic Orchestra was so good, I took the time to see them twice.

As if there were not enough to do in London, I spent a day exploring the colleges at Oxford, a day punting on the River Cam in Cambridge, and a day on the flashy pier in Brighton.

Looking back on this experience, I can say that it surpassed my expectations in every way. I could not have planned a better summer experience for myself, and for this reason, I am very grateful to everyone who made it happen. Thanks especially to Bibi Bysterveld, Claire Read, and Marina Sunjic for planning and arranging all of the details. I would also like to thank everyone at FMSS for their hospitality.

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