|
Broadwalk House 5 Appold Street London EC2A 2HA 
Favoured by 7 users
(Register to add this entry to your favourites)
The lowdown (in their own words...)Why did you choose this firm over any others? 'I did a vac scheme and it just felt right!'; 'not Magic Circle but Magic Circle work'; 'as well as being an excellent, top-level international practice, the people I met were interesting, diverse and good fun'; 'felt the culture was very different to other firms of similar stature'; 'strong push to work efficiently and not put in 'face time'; 'collegiate spirit' How does your training compare with peers' at other firms? 'I appear to have a more supportive environment than some peers, and a lot more organised training seminars/workshops'; 'when we are busy we work comparatively long hours'; 'friends at Magic Circle firms do not get the attention you get as a trainee here' Best thing about the firm? 'Friendly, relaxed, inspiring people'; 'social life/handling of social issues'; 'culture: work hard, play hard'; 'able to work with some top-class fee earners'; 'the attitude of colleagues - good sense of humour, which helps!'; 'standard of in-house training is high and has been very useful' Worst thing about the firm? 'Long hours'; 'photocopiers/printers'; 'being split between different offices'; 'stress resulting from an intense workload'; 'very few international secondments'; 'compulsory seats in corporate and finance even at a time where there is less work'; 'the canteen - it's awful' Best moment? 'Holding meetings with a director on my own in my first seat, being sent abroad to hold board meetings on my own. Pretty good responsibility!'; 'completing a finance deal by myself'; 'involved in closing £1.7bn deal my first week'; 'Dubai seat'; 'client trip to Cannes'; 'very positive feedback after a difficult seat'; 'working on the high-profile carriage dispute between Virgin Media and BSkyB' Worst moment? 'Late, late nights'; 'numerous stressful moments'; 'making the odd mistake'; 'undeserved rebuke from a superior'; 'unpredictability in one seat twiddling thumbs for half the week and working until 3am the rest of it'; 'prefer not to mention, but the situation was dealt with so well that my faith in the firm is stronger than ever' The firmAshurst is particularly well known for private equity, acquisition finance and derivatives. On the M&A side, the firm has advised on some headline deals whilst also maintaining market-leading PFI expertise and a wide-ranging disputes practice. The star performersAcquisition finance; Banking litigation; Commercial litigation; Commercial property; Construction; Corporate restructuring and insolvency; Corporate tax; Derivatives; Electricity, nuclear and renewables; Environment; Equity capital markets; EU and competition; Flotations: small and mid cap; M&A: upper mid-market and premium deals, £250m+; Planning; Private equity- buyouts; PFI; Product liability; Property finance; Property litigation; Public international law; Securitisation. The dealsAdvised underwriters on Imperial Tobacco's £5bn rights issue; advised on Westfield's £2bn Stratford City development; acted for Virgin Media in seminal competition case Virgin Media v BSkyB; advice to Enodis on two £1bn competing offers, and to Imperial Energy on its £1.4bn takeover by ONGC; acted for Total in disputes arising from the Buncefield explosion. The clientsApax; Aviva; Blackstone; Cinven; Citi; JPMorgan Cazenove; Morgan Stanley; Nomura; RBS Hoare Govett. The money(from Legal Business magazine) Turnover in 2008: £323m (+17% from 2007) Profits per equity partner: £1,040,000 (+9%) Winner of Competition team of the year; Highly commended for Structured Finance and Real Estate. The Lex 100 verdict'Not Magic Circle but Magic Circle work' is how one current trainee sums up the appeal of Ashurst. This firm oozes quality, in terms of work, clients and fee-earners, and a glance at the deals list shows it genuinely 'punches above weight'. Many respondents to our survey commented on the collegiate atmosphere where 'most of the senior people are approachable and likeable, and this filters down through the whole workforce'. An interest in corporate and finance is pretty important as there's a requirement to do both seats but if deals float your boat you'll be happy' 'being involved in the closing of a £1.7bn deal in the first week of my first seat' was the best (and worst!) moment for one current trainee. A great choice if you are a 'work hard, play hard' type, Ashurst has exacting standards but is 'definitely not a sweatshop' and 'seems to have more people with lots of extracurricular interests'. At time hours can be long and unpredictable ('twiddling thumbs half the week then working until 3am'), but although 'people work hard and take work seriously they don't take themselves too seriously and always have time to laugh and make a joke'. Trainees praise the 'very high' standard of in-house training; one says 'I appear to have a more supportive environment than some of my peers, and a lot more organised training seminars/workshops'. Another feels that 'friends at Magic Circle firms don't get the same attention; we not only work on the same level of deals, but also play a more active role'. The fact that there are 'very few international secondments' is the commonest complaint, along with the 'small portions' in the 'expensive' canteen a price worth paying to be part of this excellent, top-level firm. A day in the life of..... Tim West trainee, Ashurst University: Bristol Degree and class: Law
My main motivation for joining Ashurst was the fantastic experience I had on the three-week summer placement scheme. Looking back to before I did the scheme, I was fairly naïve as to how a City law firm worked so I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. However, I had heard nothing but good things from people I knew who had previously done the scheme and so I was delighted to discover that Ashurst more than lived up to its high reputation among graduates. Everyone was friendly, took the time to ask me about myself and at no stage was dismissive or talked down to me. I spent my first seat in the Real Estate department and from the very outset I was running my own small files with the supervision of an associate. The client contact was excellent and the level of responsibility really improved my drafting, writing and time management skills. I am currently in my second seat in Litigation and involved in an appeal to the Court of Appeal. Sitting with the lead partner, I am very close to the action and have gained superb exposure to the running of a very high-profile case. I have sat in on meetings with Counsel, attended hearings at Court and, moreover, gained invaluable insight into the management of a Counsel team and client expectations. Ashurst also has an impressive array of pro bono initiatives which are encouraged and supported throughout the firm. Through one such initiative I got the chance to represent a pro bono client at the City Magistrates Courts. Cross-examining a witness and making submissions before three Magistrates was not something I ever expected I would have the opportunity to do as a trainee! There has also been time for the 'lighter' side to a training contract. Whether that be regular post-work drinks with the other trainees, playing for the Ashurst football XI or even running through Battersea Park dressed as Santa Claus with 5,000 other bearded men in red, there is always something going on!
 Hanna Virta trainee, Ashurst
University: Oxford
Degree and class: PPE
All top City firms pitch themselves as friendly and supportive working environments, but there are few which truly are. In my experience, Ashurst stands up to the pitch. This has come across right from the interview process onwards. The interview was professional but laid back and focused on getting to know me as a person and how I thought. Once I became a future trainee, the graduate recruitment team made a concerted effort to make me feel welcome and an integral part of the firm.I am currently sitting in Real Estate where I inherited my own files from day one and have been dealing with clients on a daily basis. Trainee work is varied and I have been engaged in research, drafting deeds and documents, as well as helping with the real estate aspects of corporate transactions. On-the-job learning is complemented by in-house training and departmental inductions, and it is clear that the firm invests heavily in its workforce. There is no strict sense of hierarchy, supervisors are open to questions and the 'open door' policy is a working reality. As an international student, what attracted me in particular to Ashurst is its international presence and client portfolio. Ashurst employees come from a diversity of backgrounds which are mirrored in the firm's distinctive range of clients. There are plenty of opportunities to get involved with cross-border transactions, many of which are very high-profile. Secondments overseas, as well as to a number of prestigious clients, are possible and encouraged.There is an array of sporting and pro bono activities to choose from. I am a member of Ashurst's floating pool of school mentors who dedicate lunchtimes to raising the aspirations of students from inner-city schools. I have also represented Ashurst in the Law Society's 10km walk in aid of The London Legal Support Trust and am looking forward to cycling from London to Brighton as part of the Ashurst team raising money for the British Heart Foundation. About the firm Address: Broadwalk House, 5 Appold Street London EC2A 2HA Telephone: 020 7638 1111 Fax: 020 7638 1112 Email:
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Senior partner: Charlie Geffen, Managing partner: Simon Bromwich
Total partners: 223
Other fee-earners: 780
Total trainees :106
Other offices: Abu Dhabi, Brussels, Dubai, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Madrid, Milan, Munich, New Delhi, New York, Paris, Singapore, Stockholm, Tokyo, Washington DC Who we are: An elite law firm advising corporates, financial institutions and governments with core businesses in mergers and acquisitions, corporate and finance. What we do: Corporate; employment, incentives and pensions; energy, transport and infrastructure; EU and competition; international finance; litigation and arbitration; real estate; tax; and technology and commercial. What we are looking for: Common sense and good judgement; the ability to handle responsibility; academic excellence; the ability to think laterally; a wide range of outside interests; and a sense of humour. What you will do: The training contract consists of four seats. One seat is spent in the corporate department and another seat is spent in the international finance department. Trainees spend their remaining two seats in our other practice areas or on secondment. Perks: 25 days' annual holiday; interest-free season ticket loan; pension; private medical scheme and annual health screening; subsidised gym membership; childcare vouchers; life assurance. Sponsorship: Full fees for the GDL and LPC plus maintenance grant of £7,500. Application processApply to: Stephen Trowbridge, Graduate Recruitment and Development Manager. How to apply: Online. When to Apply: By 31 July 2010. What is involved: Interview with graduate recruitment and development manager, followed by interview with two partners, followed by tour of the office with a trainee. Facts and figuresTrainee places available for 2012 55 Applications received pa 2,500 Percentage interviewed 10% SalaryFirst year £37,000 Second year £41,000 Newly qualified £60,000 Placement schemesSpring: March/April 2010 (apply by 31 Jan 2010) Summer: June/July/August 2010 (apply by 31 Jan 2010). |
