Expect great things. - Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringerssl.freshfields.com/ukgraduates/assets/downloads/FBD... · 2019-09-27 · Expect a bright future. Clients from across the globe

Your future at an international law firm

Expect great

things.

We do. And as a trainee

at Freshfields, so will you.

A bright futureInternational opportunities

A fulfilling career

Amazing opportunities

1

What’s inside

2Expect a bright future:About us

4Expect amazing opportunities:The work we do for clients

8 Expect to try everything: Why choose Freshfields?

14 Expect a fulfilling career:Making a difference

20Expect to be rewarded:Our benefits

22 Expect to be challenged:What we look for in our people

24 2019/20 programmes and application windows:How to apply

Read more online: freshfields.com/ukgraduates

We have more than 2,800 lawyers

working on over 12,800 matters a year

in 28 offices across 16 countries

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Expect a bright future.

Clients from across the globe seek out Freshfields for our successful track record in complex mandates and our ability to

add value to everything we do.

About us

Freshfields has a truly global reach: in the last three years, we’ve worked in more than 150 countries. Our lawyers have to know the markets as well as the law. That means understanding the cultural, political and economic factors at play, and how national and international regulators operate – and co-operate.

We also pride ourselves on always adding value to clients and providing seamless service: we can – and do – find a way to help our clients, wherever and whenever they do business. That’s why, despite having 28 offices in the world’s main business centres, we give clear, comprehensive advice with a single voice. That unified, faultless service comes from our collaborative, collegiate culture.

More than a third of our revenue comes from markets where we don’t have a permanent presence so our StrongerTogether firms provide local legal advice, and we apply our global experience to give our clients joined-up, strategic global advice.

Diversity is crucial for our continued success: we need graduates who are creative, open-minded and curious about different cultures.


Freshfields’ unique eight-seat training contract offers the chance to really experience a range of practices before you choose to specialise.

54

Expect amazing

opportunities.

You’ll be helping the world’s largest corporations, financial institutions and governments overcome their most complex challenges, and realise their

potential in a rapidly changing world.

The work we do for clients

Our work falls into three broad categories:

1. Grow By grow we mean transactional work – basically buying and selling, with work ranging from stock market flotations to big-ticket M&A deals.

2. Strengthen By strengthen we mean helping our clients stay on the right side of the rules – everything from staying compliant with financial services regulations to combating bribery and corruption.

3. Defend By defend we mean getting (and keeping) our clients out of trouble: risk management and disputes work to help protect businesses and reputations – litigation, arbitration and handling major global investigations.

Our eight-seat training contract offers plenty of opportunities to specialise in these or one of our many other areas of law: all trainees must experience one three-month seat in dispute resolution, as well as at least two seats in our global transactions group (across corporate, finance and real estate). For a taster, apply to join one of our workshops or vacation schemes.


Working on everything from M&A to litigation, you’ll need to think globally and be a collaborative team player.

Cyrus, Partner

We’ve worked in more than 150 countries in the

last three years

We consistently rank at the top of league tables

for cross-border M&A

We’ve provided 51,000 hours of pro bono advice

to 280+ clients

At 276 years old, we are the oldest international

law firm in the world

We have 28 offices worldwide

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Innovative and creativeThe rapid advance of technology is disrupting business more profoundly – and more quickly – than at any point in history. This process of ‘creative destruction’ can be disruptive to our clients’ business models, and our own.

In response, we put innovation at the heart of what we do – and what you’ll be doing. To advise on emerging risks and creating new value protections, we need dynamic trainees to help apply a ‘digital lens’ to everything we do.

In fact, the way we work is already being reimagined in the Freshfields Hub and Freshfields Lab. With locations throughout Europe and Asia – including in our Manchester office – the Hub operates across time zones and in more than 30 languages. The Hub uses cutting-edge tools (including document automation and AI) to tackle tasks such as due diligence, document review, regulatory surveys, contract production, and antitrust and

competition law analysis and research, in multiple languages.

The Hub offers graduates an alternative route into a career in law, with future-focused roles like legal technologists and legal support specialists. We also have close links with the legal tech start-up community and sponsor Legal Geek, the largest law tech community in the world.

The first Freshfields Lab in Berlin, the epicentre of the European start-up scene, is where we work collaboratively with clients to explore digital technologies and develop new ways of working. The Lab is already helping us combine world-class legal advice and technological expertise. From here we will build the Freshfields Lab as a truly global initiative.


More on our innovation is available at freshfields.com/en-gb/about-us/ connected-innovation/

Katrina and Bren, Trainees

The Station restaurant at our Manchester office

98

Expect to try

everything.

We don’t expect you to know what type of law you want to specialise in. Instead,

we think your training should be all about finding out what suits you best.

Why choose Freshfields?

You’ll get close support and mentorship, the potential for rapid professional growth and exciting opportunities.

An eight-seat training contractOur flexible training contract means you’ll experience up to eight three-month seats over two years, including in our largest practices – global transactions (made up of corporate, finance and real estate) and dispute resolution. You can also elect to spend three months in antitrust, competition and trade (ACT); people and reward; and tax. Many trainees choose to try out more than one specialist team, or to return to a seat they want to qualify into, so you can visit large practice groups more than once.

When you arrive, you’ll attend a ‘departmental fair’ to learn about our practice groups in our London office. After that we offer regular drop-in advice sessions on seat moves.

Work with the best peopleJoin Freshfields and you’ll be working with some of the world’s best lawyers. These dedicated, supportive people will be your colleagues, mentors, teachers and friends.

Soon they’ll come to rely on you, especially when a deal is closing or when a case you’re working on is nearing trial. And you’ll get plenty of client exposure and responsibility – invaluable experience as you move forward in your career.


Katrina, Trainee

1110

Work worldwideFreshfields helps clients cross borders with confidence – you’ll learn to do the same. You will have the opportunity to apply for a secondment in our extensive global network of offices (including Paris, Hong Kong, Dubai and New York). You can also apply for a client secondment, including to our pro bono clients. Even when you’re in London, you’ll still be working worldwide, perhaps taking instructions from Singapore in the morning and talking to counsel in Brazil in the afternoon.

And if you’re a native speaker of an Asian language such as Japanese, Mandarin, Korean or Indonesian, you could apply for our London–Asia training contract and you will spend your first year in London and your second in an Asian office, building your network and knowledge on both sides of the globe.


ProgressionRather than tie career progression to how long you’ve been there, Freshfields promotes based on merit alone. Which means, when you’re qualified, you’ll be given a specific set of career milestones – a diverse set of skills needed to progress. This framework means you clearly understand what is expected to advance your career. Most importantly though, career milestones help you maximise your potential: you can have frank conversations about the types of work you want to get exposure to. As a trainee, you’ll regularly receive feedback, informally on the job and formally through mid-seat and end-of-seat appraisals.

StrongerTogetherWhere needed, we complement our lawyers’ comprehensive international experience with local advice from our StrongerTogether network. We have non-exclusive arrangements with more than 300 firms across the world, giving us the flexibility to build a team around every client’s specific needs.

These relationships are managed by more than 100 Freshfields ‘country partners’ who know the countries intimately. Our firms regularly train together and we second lawyers to and from Freshfields, helping us to build deeper cross-team connections.

SupportToday’s trainees will make up our partnership of tomorrow. We offer support from the moment you arrive. And we understand that formal training will only take you so far. Sometimes you just need a friendly word of advice from someone who’s been there before.

As a trainee you’ll benefit from the support of a trainee intake partner (TIP), who will be your personal mentor throughout your two-year training contract. You can catch up with your TIP at any time, and you’ll meet them halfway through your training contract to discuss your progress. You can also get one-to-one coaching from our trainee development team.

Ron, Associate

Evelyn, Trainee, and Noor, Associate

Giles, Partner

We recruit fantastic trainees. We want them all to qualify with us and go on to become great lawyers.

How to applyYou can apply for a training contract, vacation scheme or workshop online at freshfields.com/ukgraduates. This is also where you can find out more information about our application process and eligibility criteria.

We have also produced a handy application guide to help you through the process. You can access this online or visit us on your campus to pick up a copy.

1312

Training contractThis year, we’re offering up to 80 two-year training contracts for intakes in our London office in February and August 2022.

We look at every application individually and shortlist applicants on merit alone. Whatever your background, if you think you can make it as an international commercial lawyer, you should apply.

Three-week vacation schemesOur three-week summer vacation schemes are an exciting way to find out more about life at Freshfields before considering applying for a training contract.

You’ll do real work, participate in group exercises, meet associates and partners, and attend social events organised by trainees. It’s your opportunity to really immerse yourself in the work and culture that Freshfields has to offer. You receive a weekly payment of £450 and there is additional financial support available to those who are eligible.

If, at the end of the three-week vacation scheme, you decide you’d like to be considered for a training contract, you have the opportunity to interview.

WorkshopsIf you haven’t yet made up your mind which firm you want to join – or whether law is for you – a workshop or open day offers the chance to get an inside view of Freshfields.

You’ll get a taste of what life as an international lawyer is like, and what sets us apart from other law firms. You’ll also meet trainees, associates and partners, and learn about the training contract application process from our graduate recruitment team.

We also offer a two-day spring scheme for first-year students, a great way to get a head start and learn about what a career in law has to offer.

Elizabeth, Trainee

A Freshfields workshop

The best thing about Freshfields is the people. When I get asked why I joined and why I’m still here after 16 years, I always give the same answer – the people. I get to work with a group of completely inspirational, collegiate, ambitious people who want to work on the most challenging global transactions, but also have fun along the way. I feel incredibly privileged to have such utterly brilliant colleagues.

Read more online: freshfields.com/ukgraduates 1514

Expect a fulfilling

career.

Every Freshfields lawyer has a different experience.

Here are just a few of their stories.

Alison Smith, Partner

16

Freshfields is very open-minded. I was a non-law student – I did English literature at Durham – and arrived not really knowing what I wanted to do. The eight-seat training contract can be incredibly varied, giving plenty of chances to experience the different work we do here.

Read more online: freshfields.com/ukgraduates 17

I’ve done three secondments so far. When I was a trainee, I was seconded to our Tokyo office, which was fabulous. I was also seconded to the 2012 Olympic Organising Committee as an associate, then later, I was seconded as a senior associate for seven months to Goldman Sachs’ investment banking legal team. Each one was completely different, but they were all absolutely brilliant: you really get a different perspective and build important relationships.


Kate Cooper, Senior Associate Vincent Lim, Trainee

Diversity and inclusionOur aim is to be a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone has the opportunity to develop and excel. We know that this is crucial for our continued success: talented individuals with diverse perspectives and skills enable us to deliver as a team for our global clients. We want our people to be creative, adaptable, confident in their own ability and respectful of others.

We are committed to supporting the development and progression of women at the firm. From women’s networks to mentoring schemes and our bespoke Global Sponsorship Programme, our efforts to improve gender balance are broad. And, as founding members of the 30% Club’s professional services firms initiative, Freshfields is dedicated to being part of the continuing push for gender balance in law.

We have a thriving global LGBT+ network called Halo, and an ‘allies’ network called Halo Champions. As a global organisation, we operate in some regions that are more challenging from the perspective of LGBT+ equality, but we are committed to giving the same level of support to our LGBT+ colleagues wherever they are. We are a founding partner of Stonewall’s Global Diversity

Champions programme, a best practice forum for global organisations that are committed to LGBT+ equality across the world. Last year, we formally announced our support for the UN LGBTI Standards of Conduct for Business.

We launched our global Black Affinity Network in 2015 and it continues to grow. Through regular meetings, networking, social events and biannual conferences, the Network supports the firm’s commitment to broadening BAME representation at all levels of the firm.

We look to continually develop our approach, with two new networks launching this autumn: our disability network and mental health network. To support disability throughout the firm, we are also members of the Business Disability Forum. Mental health and wellbeing are key priorities. We have a global team trained up in mental health first-aid skills as just one of our many approaches to improve in this area.


A responsible businessAt Freshfields, we are committed to running our business in an ethical way. Last year, we gave more than 51,000 hours of pro bono advice to more than 280 clients. You could be advising individual victims of human trafficking or some of the world’s largest charities. We also offer trainee secondments to some of our pro bono clients. Internally, we don’t distinguish between pro bono and other client work.

Our Freshfields Stephen Lawrence Scholarship Scheme aims to address the under-representation of black men from less privileged backgrounds in the City. To date, over 300 university students have engaged with the Scheme, with over 50 scholars benefiting from mentoring and careers support that has helped them secure City careers, including at Freshfields.

We are at the forefront of advising on sustainability, helping organisations around the world assess and respond to the growing number of environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks and opportunities. We are also connected to the many communities where we work, so wherever you are, you’ll get the chance to volunteer with schools, social enterprises and other local projects.

Freshfields has been carbon-neutral since 2007: the Freshfields Reforestation in East Africa Programme offsets our emissions and supports 9,000 small-scale farmers in the process.

1918

Making a difference

Responsibility is at the heart of our firm, inextricably intertwined with our character, our values and our ethos.

One of our community projects – Cody Docks

Pride event at our London office

£45k starting salary

On-site gym

A brand new office in 2020

Secondment opportunities

Sports and social activities

£51k in your second year

2120

Expect to be

rewarded.

Freshfields doesn’t just offer you the chance to work internationally on the world’s

most complex legal challenges. You’ll also get a flexible eight-seat training contract and

a competitive salary and benefits package.

Our benefits

Salary and benefits We pay a salary of £45,000 in the first year, rising to £51,000 in the second year, as well as a range of lifestyle benefits and other perks. If you stay on as a newly qualified associate, you’ll earn £100,000.

As a trainee, you’ll also receive:

• 26 days’ paid holiday per year;

• the option of an interest-free loan before you join the firm; and

• the option of four weeks’ unpaid leave at the end of your training contract.

We offer a range of lifestyle benefits, including:

• a subsidised café serving a range of cuisine;

• a wellbeing studio, which includes an on-site doctor, dentist and physio; and

• a state-of-the-art gym with two exercise studios and 40 gym classes a week.

In 2020, we will be moving to a new, state-of-the-art office in the heart of the City of London on Liverpool Street – 100 Bishopsgate. Find out more about our new home at 100bishopsgate.com.


23

Expect to be

challenged.

If you’re a bright, commercially minded and adaptable team player,

you’ll thrive in our fast-moving and dynamic environment.

There’s no ‘Freshfields type’ but there are a number of shared values. We take work seriously but we don’t take ourselves seriously.


Who you areTo succeed at Freshfields, you’ll need to be creative enough to solve new and complex problems. You’ll be open-minded and intellectually curious enough to consider new ways of doing things. And you’ll also be pragmatic, quick to adapt to an evolving situation and commercially minded enough to give clear, direct advice. Your interest in the business world means you aspire to be involved in the events that make the headlines.

Of course, given the high-profile work we do, you’ll be committed and organised, with close attention to detail. We don’t expect you to know everything before you arrive – you’re here to learn – so you’ll need to be flexible and receptive to feedback. Working at Freshfields isn’t always easy and the hours can be long, so you’ll be someone who keeps your cool under pressure and you’ll be able to prioritise calmly in demanding situations.

The legal industry is constantly evolving, so you will need to be adaptable and forward-thinking to stay ahead of the times. We want people who can use new technologies to maximise efficiency and find the best ways to help our clients.

Most of all, you’ll be a team player, willing to pitch in and work seamlessly with colleagues across the globe.

To find out more about the application process, and read tips for applications and interviews, download our free guide online.

Evie, Trainee, and Jonathan, Associate

What we look for in our people

22

24

2019/20 programmes and application windows

First-year undergraduate

Final year non-law workshop

Tuesday 3 December 2019

Application window dates: 1 October–5 November 2019

Graduate workshop

Thursday 5 December 2019


Penultimate-year undergraduate

Final-year undergraduate

Graduate (including postgraduate and GDL or LPC students)

Freshers meet Freshfields workshop

Tuesday 26 November 2019


Vacation scheme insight workshop

Thursday 28 November 2019


Open day

Wednesday 15 April 2020

Application window dates: 1 October 2019–20 February 2020

How to applyApplication forms and more information can be found at freshfields.com/ukgraduates

Amazing opportunities

Partner

Spring scheme

Wednesday 8–Thursday 9 April 2020


Open day



Training contract 2022

Winter application window dates: Law and non-law

1 October 2019–6 January 2020

Summer application window dates: Law (UK LLB) only

1 June–16 July 2020


Winter application window dates: Law and non-law

1 October 2019–6 January 2020

Summer application window dates: Law (UK LLB) and GDL graduates


London–Asia training contract 2022

Application window dates: 1 October 2019–6 January 2020



Open day



Open day




Summer application window dates: Law (UK LLB) only




Summer vacation schemes

Scheme one: Monday 22 June–Friday 10 July 2020

Scheme two: Monday 13 July–Friday 31 July 2020


This material is provided by the international law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP (a limited liability partnership organised under the law of England and Wales) (the UK LLP) and the offices and associated entities of the UK LLP practising under

the Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer name in a number of jurisdictions, and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer US LLP, together referred to in the material as ‘Freshfields’. For regulatory information please refer to freshfields.com/support/legalnotice.

The UK LLP has offices or associated entities in Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, China, England, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Russia, Singapore, Spain, the United Arab Emirates and Vietnam.

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer US LLP has offices in New York City and Washington DC.

This material is for general information only and is not intended to provide legal advice.

© Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, September 2019, 07874

freshfields.com/ukgraduates

Documents

Expect great things. - Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringerssl.freshfields.com/ukgraduates/assets/downloads/FBD... · 2019-09-27 · Expect a bright future. Clients from across the globe