Jessica Kung (she/her)

I joined the firm in August 2018 after graduating from the University of Cambridge with a degree in law. I was offered a place on a vacation scheme and, subsequently, a Training Contract.  

During my Training Contract, I did seats in Funds, Derivatives, General Banking and SABRE (Structured, Asset-Backed and Real Estate Finance). The aspect of my Training Contract I enjoyed the most was the plentiful drafting opportunities available to me throughout, which increased in complexity over the two years. During my first seat, I was asked to draft some simple notices but, by my third seat, I was being asked to take on a lot more responsibility, such as preparing the first draft of a loan agreement which was detailed, complex and integral to the transaction.  

Additionally, I was able to take the lead on workstreams from early on in my Training Contract. For example, during my first seat, I organised and managed a signing process involving nearly 200 investors. 

When it came to my fourth seat, I was working with a more junior trainee on some transactions and was carrying out tasks normally performed by junior associates on the deal. This resulted in a relatively smooth transition to life as a newly qualified lawyer as I had already started developing some of the skills expected of junior lawyers prior to qualification.  

One of the highlights of my time at Clifford Chance so far was being awarded the City of London Solicitors' Company Prize. The Prize is awarded annually to a trainee who is considered to show the most promise as a future City solicitor, which I consider to be a testament to the fantastic opportunities and training offered to me during my Training Contract.  

I qualified into the firm's Derivatives and Structured Products group in September 2020. Our group is the market-leading practice in synthetic securitisation and other types of credit risk transfer and risk transfer transactions. 

The work here is some of the most complex and challenging that I have encountered to date and there is always something new for me to learn. In addition, I also work regularly with the SABRE group on its transactions as part of the main deal team (instead of as a derivatives specialist). This has allowed me to continue building on my experience from my time as a trainee in SABRE and develop a broader practice which extends beyond the group I qualified into.