Matthias Grech started his journey with Ganado Advocates as an Intern in the summer of 2018 as part of Ganado Advocates’ summer internship programme.
Now an Advocate within the firm’s corporate finance team, Matthias walks us through his time as an intern and how it facilitated his transition to an advocate.
From your own experience, how would you describe the internship to others?
Personally, I deem the internships to represent a temporary window through which one can gain valuable insight upon a particular sector of law. My internships in the corporate and banking departments granted me a firsthand glimpse into the day-to-day realities of working as a banking and corporate lawyer respectively. This practical understanding of the professional landscape proved to be instrumental for me whilst deciding on my career trajectory.
Do you think it contributed to an easier student-lawyer transition and to your career progression within the firm?
From an academic perspective, I would say that the summer experience made me appreciate how the devil is in the detail, for the importance of being meticulous in your work cannot be understated. However, I do believe that the growth one experiences during this experience goes beyond student life. In fact, I believe that the main purpose of these internships are to assist you with visualizing the life which comes after one concludes his or her studies.
Did it facilitate your transition from a student to a lawyer?
Most definitely. Whilst I recall how the transition from student to lawyer was admittedly overwhelming (which is undoubtedly the sentiment shared by every single lawyer during the initial phase of their career), the internships granted me a dose of familiarity which alleviated the whole transition.
Can you recount an important lesson you learnt during your summer internship?
Slow down. Whilst it is vital to adhere to deadlines, you should always prioritize the allocation of ample time to whatever task you are doing, to ensure that it is done well.
If you had to share one piece of advice with law students applying for the 2024 internship programme, what would it be?
Take everything step by step. The notion of practicing law and becoming a qualified professional can undoubtedly feel like a daunting task. The important thing is that you focus on the step that’s ahead of you, and the rest will happen naturally.
In a few words, walk us through your typical day as an advocate.
Since I am a morning person, I like to wake up early and do some form of physical exercise before heading into the office, as this energizes me for the rest of the day. I typically arrive at the office at 9am. The first thing I tend to do is to browse through my emails and establish a short plan for the upcoming tasks of the day.
As a corporate lawyer, these tasks typically include M&A transactions, reviews of contracts, or virtual meetings with clients. At lunch time, I frequently also take some time to go grab a coffee with my colleagues or former classmates, considering that most of us work in Valletta.
When its time to close off, I make sure to update my timesheets to log in the work I would have carried out for the day, and head back home to relax.
