Braphus Kaalund - Trainee Solicitor
You spent most of your time studying classical trumpet as an undergraduate. What brought you to the law?
Originally I wanted to get into the business side of music, perhaps running a big performing arts centre. So I took a minor in law and really enjoyed it. I pursued it further and during my postgrad studies had a British professor who encouraged my interest in international law and arbitration. She suggested I consider practising in London or Paris so I came to study in the UK to see if I liked it. And I love it. It's a great contrast to the places I've known in the US and the quality of work you get here is superb. Work/life balance is generally better too.
People say the firm is one of the best in the world. Doesn't that make it intimidating?
No, there's an informality here which you notice as soon as you walk in the door. It's intimate and it's easy to interact with colleagues. Just two weeks after joining I was able to book a 30 minute slot with the head of a department I was interested in to show my interest and get his views. I called his secretary and that was it. While in dispute resolution I've done quite a bit of research on arbitration, privilege and ethical rules for various associates and they asked me to help update a textbook on the subject. I've been amazed how easy it is to get involved and make things happen.
What's your next step?
One of the first matters I worked on was the UK bank charges litigation. We represented a major banking group. It was great to be involved on a piece of work that affected so many people in the country. Now there's an opportunity to do a secondment with the bank to continue that work. I also want to have a stint overseas, either to do arbitration or to try working in one of the areas where our practice is expanding – although I’m also tempted by a secondment with the human rights group Liberty. I'm pretty sure where I want to qualify so I can use the flexibility of the training contract to fit in other things too. Hopefully I'll get to the opera occasionally as well!
Braphus Kaalund
Trainee Solicitor
Music at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA
Juris Doctor at Kentucky University, USA
Law at Birmingham University
Seats: Corporate, Dispute Resolution
Joined February 2008