Chris Eykel

Associate at Fieldfisher

Biography

I studied History at RHUL, starting in 2011 and graduating in 2014. I qualified as a solicitor at Fieldfisher in 2021 and work in the Real Estate department on transactional commercial property matters for a range of clients, from charities and Government bodies to multi-national companies. My job involves advising clients on freehold and leasehold disposals and acquisitions, landlord and tenant matters, and the management, development and occupation of commercial properties.

What did you enjoy most about your time at Royal Holloway? Any favourite memories of campus?

I most enjoyed the friendships that I formed and our times whiling away the hours between lectures in the Stumble Inn and Monkeys Forehead (not sure if either of those are still there!). I also have happy memories of studying in the Founders Library and staying up all night for the Summer Ball in my final year.

Can you tell us about your career progression so far?

After graduating from RHUL, I took the GDL and received my training contract offer at Fieldfisher in the summer of 2015. I then took the LPC and worked as a paralegal at Linklaters for six months before starting my training contract. During my training contract, I did seats in the Regulatory, Real Estate, Intellectual Property and Corporate departments and qualified into the Real Estate department in 2019.

What do you enjoy the most about your role?

The fact that it combines technical and specialist knowledge with the need for more practical negotiation and drafting skills. I also enjoy the variety of tasks and number of clients – at any one time I am normally working on several dozen matters, all with their different quirks and challenges. This means that the job never gets boring.

Did you do any work experience or volunteering roles whilst you were at university and if so what did you gain from your experiences?

During my time at RHUL, I did a few weeks' work experience at high street firms in my local town and had a vacation scheme with a US firm in London. I also volunteered as a shop assistant in a charity shop for three years, which (in addition to being a really rewarding role) provided lots of useful examples for answering competency-based questions in vacation scheme applications and training contract interviews.

What advice would you give to students considering a career in law and applying for vacation schemes and training contracts? 

Make sure that you understand the different types of law firms, practice areas, sectors and roles. There is a huge difference between working as a solicitor or a barrister, in civil law or criminal law, in a high street firm or a City firm, and in contentious or non-contentious work. Taking that into account, be judicious in the jobs and firms that you apply to. Perhaps most importantly, don't be disheartened by rejections. Across two years of applications, I was only offered three interviews and two vacation schemes – Fieldfisher was (thankfully) a perfect fit for me and I was fortunate enough to receive a training contract offer.