Jason Gatchalian

Give a brief overview of your role at the firm now, when you joined and your background before joining . 

I am a 2nd year Paralegal Apprentice, and I joined Clifford Chance in September 2022. I have just started my second rotation within the GFM Asset Finance team, after finishing my first rotation in the Litigation and Disputes Resolution team.  

Prior to the apprenticeship, I have worked in various roles in retail and in hospitals where I learned a lot of invaluable skills such as communication, time management and resilience, which I have been able to apply and build on during the apprenticeship.  

What made you choose an apprenticeship?  

I chose the apprenticeship because I have initially entertained the idea of working in law and potentially being a lawyer. However, I never really thought of pursuing it as the road to becoming a lawyer is a big financial and time investment. I also had no legal education or law background, so I had no experience to substantiate whether this path would actually be a career I would want to pursue in the long-term.  

Therefore, I thought that the Paralegal Apprenticeship would be an amazing opportunity to address that lack of insight. The apprenticeship has enabled me to gain experience in a variety of legal work, see what lawyers and other legal professionals do, and know what it's like to work for a magic circle law firm. It has also given me insight into what it's like to study law and what challenges and opportunities you could be faced with in a career in law. .  

What is it that attracted you to your career within the legal sector?  

I think the most attractive facet of the legal industry is that it's ever-changing. There are always new challenges that affects how we work, and it always forces us to be more creative in how we tackle these challenges. In the end, we come out all the better for it! For example, how we experiment in using various legal technology to ensure we are as efficient and cost-effective as we can be for our clients, whilst maintaining the production of high-quality output throughout. 

Working in commercial law is especially intellectually stimulating because, unlike other areas of law, your knowledge of the law is not enough to be a competent legal professional. You will also need to be commercially aware of the business landscape and how news and current affairs may impact the service you are providing the client and their organisation.  

What has been your favourite part about working at Clifford Chance?   

What advice would you give to someone considering a career at Clifford Chance?  

What is the most enjoyable part of your role?  

A specific part of the role that I enjoy the most, which I think is not common in other companies, is the panel events and guest speakers that we have coming in and doing a talk on particular aspects of their life. Recent examples that have really moved me are talks by female Partners on what it's like being a female leader in law, and a panel event by Trainees and Associates with various disabilities such as Dyslexia and ADHD and how they overcome those challenges in the workplace as well as how those conditions actually make them better lawyers.  

What was it that first struck you about the people you met at Clifford Chance? 

The best part of the role is working with talented, smart and kind colleagues. The people here really make it an amazing place to work. Everyone is understanding, extremely supportive and always willing to help even if they are not part of your project or your team! Which is really encouraging especially when you are a newbie and don’t know how anything works, including the coffee machine! 

What keeps you motivated?  

The thing that motivates me the most is personal and professional development. I always want to make sure that I am continuously improving and developing in my career, and that I continue to produce high-quality work and contribute significantly to my team's goals and successes.