Birkett Long is delighted to announce that Claudia Hubert, Phoebe Trott and Rianna Billington have completed their training contracts with the firm and are now qualified as solicitors. 

Claudia Hubert, Divorce and Family team

Claudia studied A-Level law at sixth form college, which is what initially piqued her interest in the area. She went on to study Law at the University of Reading achieving a 2:1, subsequently completing her Legal Practice Course (LPC) at the University of Law with a Distinction. Claudia started her training contract at Birkett Long in September 2019, undertaking seats in Commercial Property, Dispute Resolution and Family.

On how she feels about qualifying, Claudia said: “I am both excited and nervous to be qualifying. It has taken several years of studying and training to get to where I am today, and it often felt like I would never get here, so I am looking forward to achieving what I have been working towards all these years. I am also very fortunate to be qualifying into such a brilliant team who have encouraged and supported me through the past 10 months of my training contract.”

Claudia knew a couple of weeks into her seat with the Divorce and Family team that this was the area of law that she wanted to qualify into. She thoroughly enjoyed studying family law, both at university and during her LPC, and experiencing it in practice didn’t disappoint! She likes that in this area of law she gets to meet such a variety of people and finds that the work is often very rewarding too. 

On what she likes about working at Birkett Long, Claudia said: “The firm is a very friendly place to work and everyone is approachable and happy to help you, no matter how senior they are. Birkett Long cares about their employees and ensures their hard work is rewarded, whether by an extra day of holiday as a Christmas present, or biscuits arriving in the post, you are made to feel a valued member of the firm.”    

Rianna Billington, BLHR and Employment team

Rianna studied English Literature at university but had always considered becoming a solicitor as she wanted a career that would not only challenge her but enable her to interact with individuals and businesses on a daily basis to help them solve the issues they were facing. Following completion of her degree, Rianna went on to undertake the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) at the University of Law.

Rianna obtained a training contract with Birkett Long following a period of work experience, which confirmed to her that Birkett Long was a firm that she could see herself working for and having a career with. She then completed her LPC and permanently joined the firm.

Rianna undertook her third and final seat with the BLHR and Employment team and was thrilled to be offered a permanent role upon qualification. She knew that employment was the area of law for her because it has a mixture of both contentious and non-contentious elements and she enjoys both. 

On how she feels about qualifying, Rianna said: “I am very excited to qualify as a solicitor as it marks a big step in a lawyer’s career. I am very grateful to Birkett Long for the training and support that I received during my training contract, even during a pandemic! Due to this, I feel that I am ready to face the challenges that will come head-on, but also am reassured by the fact that I know I will still be able to ask questions and get support from my team as the learning doesn’t stop just because I have qualified.”

Rianna likes that there is a continued focus on improving and growing at Birkett Long to ensure that they are providing the best level of service and advice to clients that they can.

Of her career at Birkett Long she said: “Each case that I have had the privilege of working on during my training contract has involved a unique set of facts meaning no two days are the same, nor are the solutions, and often creative legal analysis is required. I am looking forward to continuing to hone my skills and hopefully having a long and successful career in an area of law that I know will continue to keep me engaged for years to come and with a firm that I am very proud to work for.”

Phoebe Trott – Divorce and Family team

Phoebe studied at the University of East Anglia and achieved a 2:1 in Law. After completing her degree, she studied the LPC at the University of Law in London and achieved a Distinction. She commenced her training contract with Birkett Long in September 2019 and undertook seats in Wills, Trusts and Probate, Divorce and Family and Commercial Real Estate before qualifying as a solicitor into the Divorce and Family team in Colchester on 1 December 2021.

Phoebe noted that it has been a long journey to get to where she is today, not just due to the studying but also the challenges of having her training contract interrupted due to the pandemic. Phoebe is very grateful to the firm and all her colleagues at Birkett Long who have supported her throughout her training contract and who will continue to support her as a newly qualified solicitor. She is excited for the next chapter in her career, developing her skills and knowledge as a solicitor in the Divorce and Family team.

Phoebe first studied family law during her degree and then continued on to do her LPC. After completing seats in different departments across the firm, she was naturally drawn back to the Divorce and Family team to pursue her chosen career path. Phoebe said: “I love helping people through challenging situations and to feel like you have made a difference to someone’s life can be very rewarding. When clients come to us it is often a very stressful and emotional time for them. I like to be as supportive as I can to assist clients in making the decisions to move forward to the next chapter of their lives.”

On what she likes about Birkett Long, Phoebe said: “Since the day I stepped foot in Birkett Long’s offices for my training contract interview just over 3 years ago, I have been welcomed by friendly faces and nothing other than kind and caring individuals. Birkett Long really supports its employees and the caring approach they took to assist me during my training contract in the middle of a pandemic was second to none. I look forward to continuing my career in this friendly and supportive environment.”

Mel Loxley, Training Principal and Partner at Birkett Long, said: “All three have impressed each of the teams they have worked in during their training and we are thrilled that their excellent contribution to Birkett Long during their training will continue beyond qualification. Phoebe and Claudia’s addition to the Divorce and Family team means that our combined team is bigger now than it has ever been, with 14 people across the three offices giving us the biggest collaboratively trained team in Essex. Rianna’s qualification into the BLHR and Employment team brings the size of that team up to seven, again the biggest it has ever been.”

For further press information please contact Jennie Skingsley at Birkett Long on 01206 217605, email: jennie.skingsley@birkettlong.co.uk