Ginger Hancock, New York Associate

When I walked through the door at the start of the summer program, everyone in the office was working completely flat out. The learning curve was steep, but I benefitted from interesting assignments and always had the support of helpful, approachable colleagues. My summer at Freshfields was the first time I lived and worked in New York, and in addition to introducing me to “The City” it really strengthened my knowledge of international business transactions and legal disputes.

Since joining the firm, I have continued to expand my horizons-and my legal skills-by working in the International Arbitration Group. I contribute to a wide variety of projects that relate to our representation of host countries and claimants in complex international commercial arbitrations. For example, I am a member of the team that represents the Republic of Turkey in three ICSID arbitrations, each of which involves exciting factual and legal issues. We also collaborate closely with lawyers in several other countries. I’ve realized that Freshfields often exposes young associates to legal issues relating to non-U.S. jurisdictions, as well as to new cultures and personalities.

I look forward to working on every aspect of these sophisticated international disputes, rather than receiving isolated assignments as at some other firms. I’ve been able to strengthen my skills as a lawyer at an amazing rate, and I sense that there’s much more to come.