Taylor Henry, Klaudia Wasilewska and Emily Deans become newly-qualified solicitors today [Thursday August 12th] after a challenging traineeship dominated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Elaine Motion, Chairman of Balfour+Manson, said: “I am so delighted that Taylor, Klaudia and Emily will remain as highly-valued members of the Balfour+Manson family.

“When they joined us in August 2019, none of us had any idea that their traineeship would be like no other, with almost three-quarters of their two years taken up by the uncertainties and difficulties of the pandemic. They have made it through really tough times and shown great resilience and team spirit, as well as impressive legal skills.”

Emily Deans joins the busy Edinburgh family law team, where she spent part of her time as a trainee, while Taylor Henry will work in the private client team.

Klaudia Wasilewska, who was in the employment team during the busy period in the early months of the pandemic, will work in the medical negligence and personal injury team, where she has already spent 12 months.

Balfour+Manson’s four first-year trainees, who joined in January, moved to their second seat this week. Laura Dodson joins the employment team, Claire Metcalfe goes to litigation, Findlay Glynn will work across private client and property and Dylan Mitchell will cover sheriff court and dispute resolution.

“It’s been a weird time for our first-year trainees too,” said Elaine Motion, “but it’s starting to feel like we are now experiencing much more ‘normality’. For Balfour+Manson, normality is all about recruiting bright young talent and then investing time and effort to turn that talent into the rising stars, partners and managers of the future. We’re all excited about the new group of trainees and the opportunities and successes ahead of them.”

Last weekend, all seven trainees took on Edinburgh’s Seven Hills challenge in aid of one of the firm’s 2021 charity partners, Health in Mind, which has been promoting positive mental health and wellbeing in Scotland since 1982.