Your career in London
If you are excited by the idea of practicing international law, but crave the teamwork, mentoring and direct client contact that a smaller office offers, we may be the firm for you. Our 100 lawyers in London work closely with our teams in markets worldwide, from Paris to New York, Silicon Valley to Shanghai. We focus globally and in London on three sectors: Technology & Innovation, Energy & Infrastructure (E&I) and Finance.
In 2022, our London Corporate group closed over 320 growth financings and tech M&A deals on behalf of some of the most exciting innovators in the market. Our E&I team also advised on some of the most important energy and infrastructure projects here in the UK, and across Europe, Asia and Africa. We also have teams focused on finance; capital markets; M&A; tax; cyber, privacy and data innovation; employment and dispute resolution.
Whether you’re looking to start your law career or join us from another firm, our London office offers a dynamic, collaborative environment. We offer a comprehensive training program, including academies focused on developing business skills as you advance. And we will ensure you connect with mentors and have opportunities to make a social impact through a world-renowned pro-bono programme.
If you are interested in joining us as an experienced lawyer in London, please see our current listings or contact Alice Brock Talent Assistant, at [email protected].
Our Training Program
Our training program, which commences in August, is designed to provide you with everything you will need to succeed:
- Exposure to a variety of practice areas To help you explore all the different areas in which we practice and gain the critical skills necessary to qualify, you will sit six, four-month seats to include both contentious and transactional seats. You will be supervised by a partner for each seat, and also receive coaching and mentoring from our entire team.
- Support from a dedicated trainee partner London Partner Sushila Nayak heads our UK trainee program. She will help ensure you have a varied set of assignments and skill-building opportunities. She will also work with you on an individual basis to understand your interests, identify your strengths and help you address any challenges that come up.
- Extensive feedback You will receive regular appraisals across the two-year training experience to help you gain the most from your training.
What We Look For in Trainee Candidates
We welcome candidates with different experiences and backgrounds. We look for a commitment to excellence. Applicants for our graduate trainee program should have achieved or be on track for a 2:1 degree (in any discipline). Law undergraduates can apply from their penultimate year onward. Non-law undergraduates can apply from their final year onward.
As part of our graduate recruitment process, we are using the Rare Contextual Recruitment System. This is a specially developed system which allows us to measure candidates' achievements in the context of their socioeconomic background. Using this system means we can better understand candidates' achievements, and identify those that have performed exceptionally well from a range of diverse backgrounds.
Vacation Scheme
The primary route to applying for a training contract with us is to apply for a space on our vacation scheme programme which will take place in Summer 2024. Our vacation scheme offers participants an opportunity to see the London office of a U.S. law firm in action and get an insight into what life as a trainee would be like here.
During the two-week scheme you'll spend time in two of our London practices, working on real work alongside our trainees, associates and partners. There will also be a variety of social events and networking opportunities that run throughout the scheme, giving you the chance to really get to know our team.
The application window for our vacation scheme route is open from 1 October 2023 until 31 January 2024. To apply for a vacation scheme please submit an online application form by 11.59pm on 31 January 2024. If your application is shortlisted you will be invited to take part in an assessment centre, which typically includes written exercise based on a hypothetical legal scenario, an interview, and presentation task.
Training Contract Only Route
We also offer a direct training contract application route, designed primarily for those who are unable to complete a vacation scheme with us. This is part of our commitment to ensuring equal access to our opportunities – we recognise that not all our applicants will be able to attend a vacation scheme with us.
The application window for our Training Contract Only route is open from 2 January 2024 until 30 April 2024. To apply for a direct training contract please submit an online application form by 11.59pm on 30 April 2024. Please note we do not recruit on a rolling basis.
For more about our assessments, compensation and sponsorship, please see our London Graduate Recruitment brochure.