What is it like to train at Needle? Interview with Connor Kendle, Associate Solicitor

“No day is the same, and I am always involved and building new experiences. .”

Connor Kendle completed his training contract at Needle in September 2025.

Connor Kendle with Naomi Duxbury-Tetley

Hello, Connor, thanks for taking the time to speak with me today. To start off with, take us back to when you started your training contact, you had been a paralegal at the firm for a while - how did it feel to start the next phase of  your journey?

Firstly, it was very surreal. It was such a happy time in life.

You go through University and you hear from lecturers and careers advice that actually obtaining the training contract is so, so difficult.

All the statistics of people graduating versus the amount of training contracts available each year - it is extremely competitive.

There’s so much work to do, to get up to that. Just having a degree or a law degree, it’s not enough.

You need to put yourself out there too, and build yourself up as a professional.

I’d been working as a paralegal for about a year, and to finally get to that point where I’d had a training contract accepted - that was a big moment for me. 

So, at the point you started the training contract, you probably had a set of expectations about what it would be like. What surprised you the most about training at Needle?

I was obviously aware of some of the work the firm had done, but I didn’t appreciate the scale and level of work that we do.

On top of that I didn’t appreciate how hands-on it would be. (I got a feel for it whilst being a paralegal). 

You get a really good level of oversight as a trainee and you’re encouraged to step up a level, which means engaging with clients more directly.

Obviously everything is still closely supervised, but in terms of the kinds of tasks you do; there’s definitely more meaningful experience - and you feel that you’ve really made a contribution to the client’s business, transaction, case - and so on.

At some other firms, when you’re at that junior level, you’re typically doing the sort of mundane tasks - and you’re not really seeing the benefit of it in the long run.

Whereas here, you start from scratch; from the start of the transaction and follow it all the way to the end and you’re involved in the whole process.

No day is the same, and I am always involved and building new experiences.

I’ve been involved in client meetings and not just taking notes. It’s become quite a normal task to be in a meeting and be actively engaged with the clients’ interests and making your own contributions, putting your own views forward.

I think that’s something that’s really good with Needle, that your viewpoint and opinions are valued; and you’re encouraged to present your opinions and contribute.

That’s something I needed to get used to, because I’d never done that before.

Those are new skills that I hadn’t previously needed.

It’s very hands on and you’re in the process with a supervisor. You’re expected to keep them up to date with what’s going on and take the time to understand what’s happening - and you need to show you can take a proactive approach.

We have such a range of clients and a range of matters we deal with here, and you engage with clients in really interesting and unique moments.

In those moments you really feel like you’re supporting them through something that’s quite uncertain.

Moments like that where you’re genuinely helping the human behind the matter code are really rewarding.

Congratulations on your qualification! Now that you’re fully qualified as a solicitor, what’s the next big thing that you’re looking forward to achieving?

I think that I am still training, in a sense. I’m just really excited to build on the experience I have now.

We’ve just finished quite a large deal, for example. It was really, really hands-on and it completed just before I qualified.

That was an amazing experience to get in before qualification because there were so many quirks and factors in the deal. When you are involved in transactions that have so many unique issues it gives you confidence going into the next transaction.

Now I’m qualified, I'm looking forward to the next big deal we’re doing - it’s really a case of continuing to build on what I’ve already experienced. 

I’m also excited to focus on the professional development side of things. Networking with clients and potential clients and bringing in new work. I’d like to develop and kind of figure out my whole personality and style as a solicitor.

It has all flown by really fast.

I remember starting the training contract and thinking that 2 years is such a long time. The difference in experience I have now and the knowledge that I have compared to back then (and even on things that I don’t necessarily work on in Corporate (for example Commercial Property and Property Disputes) is huge.

I’ve gained such a wealth of knowledge after those 2 years. 

Obviously, I reflected at certain points during those 2 years, but you don’t get time to talk about it because you’re focusing on the next thing. After some qualification celebrations with friends and family, I am looking forward to developing further in the years to come at Needle.

Connor qualified as a solicitor on 4 September 2025. He now works as an associate solicitor within the Needle Corporate and Commercial teams.

Find out more about Connor by visiting our people page here.