Department: Insurance and Personal Injury
8:30am:
Being a member of a team which is heavily involved in litigation means I usually arrive at the office at 8:30 in the morning, depending on whether I have a court appearance that day. I am often in court early in the morning to handle preliminary issues related to our cases. One of the first things we do as a team is to coordinate on our daily targets, ensuring everyone is aware of their tasks for the day. Subsequently, I check my emails to see if there is anything I need to respond to urgently.
10:45am:
I am frequently in court at this time of day to assist with hearings. I recently participated in hearings concerning medical negligence and personal injury where my primary responsibility is to gather and organise evidence as well as draft questions for the examination and cross-examination of witnesses. Furthermore, as a Trainee lawyer, I am responsible for compiling an index of all documents and researching case law and legislation relating to the case in question.
1:00pm:
Every day before we break for lunch, I participate in a Firm wide meeting of all the litigation departments during which we assess the volume of cases for the following day and coordinate court appearances.
2:00pm:
After lunch, I start by checking my emails and prioritising my urgent tasks. I prepare the first drafts of various submissions for ongoing or upcoming hearings and send them to my supervisor for proofreading. I often have a call with the Associate or Partner I'm collaborating with to discuss my queries as it is an easier and quicker way to communicate rather than exchanging several emails on a simple matter.
4:30pm:
I review a life insurance policy along with permanent or total disability insurance policies so that we can advise our clients on whether the insureds fulfil the terms and conditions of the policy. Following my review, I prepare a short memo which I send to my supervisor for approval. Once I receive feedback I revise the memo accordingly and send this off to our clients for their comments. I really enjoy that the cases we work on differ widely; they range from road accidents to professional negligence, each case with its own unique facts and circumstances. The advisory work I am assigned certainly adds to this dynamic and multifaceted environment which I find incredibly thrilling.
5:00pm:
I received a call from my supervisor regarding an urgent research task that he needed assistance with. This involves reviewing a memorandum from our clients setting out a proposed course of action they wish to crucially proceed with over the next two days. I provide a summary of my findings and a first draft of my analysis, along with some relevant case law that may be useful to the client.
6:30pm:
Earlier this week, the team received instructions to prepare a memorandum on an innovative life insurance policy for a multinational company looking to expand its operations in Cyprus. My supervisor asked me to be involved in the drafting of the memorandum. We have an initial call to discuss the background and the proposed timeline for drafting. I have been assigned the task of researching case law and legislation related to issues arising from conducting life insurance activities in Cyprus and the implications of the company’s innovative approach. The amount of exposure I have in cross-border matters is something I certainly don’t take for granted; it’s such a great opportunity to broaden my horizons.
Αt the end of the day, I clear my inbox, update my timesheets and log off for the day!
Cleopatra Khattab, Trainee Lawyer at Harris Kyriakides.
