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10 Upper Bank Street Canary Wharf London E14 5JJ 
Favoured by 9 users
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The lowdown (in their own words...)Why did you choose this firm over any others? 'Reputation'; 'international opportunities'; 'career progression'; 'quality of training'; 'felt it was more interested in the quality of your work than how you dress or what school you went to' How does your training compare with peers' at other firms? 'International scope and unrivalled industry-leading work'; 'friendly graduate recruitment staff'; 'best work from the most international and sophisticated clients'; 'training is more comprehensive and ongoing than most and seems broadly comparable to other Magic Circle firms'; 'training is more frequent, consistently presented, current and practical'; 'lawyers are very approachable and happy to share their experience' Best thing about the firm? 'Strong pro bono commitment'; 'international scope and unrivalled industry-leading work'; 'very supportive environment'; 'partners who are involved seem genuinely interested in your development'; 'in-house resources'; 'the esprit de corps from a practical, down-to-earth and open-door approach'; '24-hour secretarial support means that if you're in late, it's not because you're photocopying'; 'trainees get invited to closing dinners and team drinks' Worst thing about the firm? 'No control over hours worked/no predictability'; 'the long hours'; 'you can only do one contentious seat'; 'the pressure'; 'work flow can be a problem with some trainees being extremely busy and others not so'; 'during the week it is difficult to keep any plans because of the probability that you will be working' Best moment? 'Spending six months in Madrid'; 'going to Paris for six months'; 'flying a remote controlled helicopter in the office on Christmas Eve'; 'getting involved with board level discussions at a major European bank' Worst moment? 'Being sent on secondment overseas and being miserable'; 'being swamped with work'; 'all nighters'; 'tight deadlines - pressure'; 'having three stressful closings in one day'; 'missing important social event to work at the weekend'; 'making an 800-document bible' The firmGlobal financial powerhouse Clifford Chance operates at the top end of UK and cross-border transactions in a variety of areas, including bank lending, tax and the full range of financing. With unrivalled strength in private equity, it is also a market leader in non-transactional work such as banking and commercial disputes, as well as international arbitration. The star performersAcquisition finance; Administrative and public law; Arbitration; Asset finance and leasing; Bank lending; Banking litigation; Commercial litigation; Commercial property; Commodities and futures; Construction; Corporate restructuring and insolvency; Corporate tax; Debt capital markets; Derivatives; EU and competition; Electricity, nuclear and renewables; Employee share schemes; Environment; Equity capital markets; Financial services; Insurance: corporate and regulatory; Investment funds; Islamic finance; M&A: upper mid-market and premium deals, £250m+; Oil and gas; Pensions; Planning; Private equity; Private Finance Initiative (PFI); Project finance; Property finance; Public affairs; Public international law; Rail; Securitisation; Social housing finance; VAT and indirect tax. The dealsAdvised Eurostar on the implementation of its 'Futur Eurostar' project; advising the Co-operative Group Travel Agency in relation to its joint venture with Thomas Cook The clientsBarclays; BlackRock; Deutsche Bank; Esure; Gartmore; JP Morgan Cazenove; Koks Group; Legal & General; LCH. Clearnet; Lloyds TSB. The money(from Legal Business magazine) Turnover in 2010: 1,196.3m (-5% from 2009) Profits per equity partner: £908,000 (+24%) The winnersLegal Business Awards 2011 Winner Lawyer of the year (Stuart Popham), highly commended Competition team of the year, CSR team of the year, Private Equity team of the year, Restructuring team of the year. The VerdictKnown for its 'work hard, play hard' culture, Clifford Chance is a number-one choice for many due to the 'reputation and prestige' of this ''blue-collar' as opposed to 'blue-blooded'' Magic Circle firm. The people are described as 'normal, friendly and approachable' and trainees are exposed to 'high-level work and clients'. The training is described simply as 'first class' and is 'more frequent, consistently presented, current and practical'. Finance and M&A work abounds here and there are lots of opportunities to work abroad with trainees doing anything from 'spending six months in Madrid' to 'flying to Frankfurt for three days'. The firm also has a 'strong pro bono commitment' and a 'business-minded management'. Current trainees note the 'great support system' available with 'some fantastic supervisors and partners involved who are genuinely interested in your development'. And there are definitely times when support is needed, hours can be arduous and 'workflow can be a problem, keeping some trainees extremely busy and others less'. Other complaints are that 'you can only do one contentious seat'. The standards here are extremely high and there are certainly plenty of challenges but also plenty of chances to work on headline deals, excellent training and access to high-profile clients. If you think you're up to it, CC is definitely a front runner. A day in the life of.....Sarah James , second-year trainee solicitor, Clifford Chance
Departments to date: Financial regulation, litigation and dispute resolution (with three-month secondment to the Law for All charity), tax
University: Durham
Degree: Mathematics, 1st 8.00am: I arrive at work to attend an aqua aerobics class in the firm's swimming pool. After the class and a swim I grab some breakfast at the staff canteen. 9.30am: I arrive at my desk and chat to my supervisor about the matters we work on together. It's really important to keep in touch with the work that is going on as deals can move really quickly. I read through my emails and consider the tasks that need to be completed for the day. 10.00am: An associate calls and asks if I can help with some research on partnerships. I'm currently in the tax department, but in order to apply the tax legislation we need to really understand the legal implications of different transactions involving partnerships. I take notes on the task and get to work straight away, using our extensive library of books and online resources and record my findings in an email. Research is a very common trainee task; lots of the work undertaken by Clifford Chance is unusual and difficult, and often a trainee will start the ball rolling. 12.30pm: Having discussed the task with the associate, I head down to the canteen for lunch. There are always several tables full of trainees to sit with; as we all studied the Clifford Chance LPC together we know each other pretty well. It's great to have such a big network of friends in the office; there is always someone around to grab a coffee with or to discuss the different departments when choosing your next seat. 2.00pm: I take part in a call with our office in Paris and take notes on the tax implications of various transactions. Our London office is often used by clients as a hub to obtain advice in countries around the world; our far-reaching network of international offices makes this much easier. The final six months of my training contract will be spent in Singapore; I'm really looking forward to it as business there is booming (not to mention the fact that the weather will be an improvement on the English winter!). All of the trainees have the opportunity to spend a seat abroad, and it's a great way to really appreciate the firm's network across the world. 4.00pm: After a quick tea break I turn my hand to reviewing a tax opinion for a securitisation of credit card receivables. The nature of the transactions of Clifford Chance means that often many departments of the firm are involved. A lot of our clients really appreciate the full service that we can provide. 6.30pm: It's a Friday so I head down to the 'budgie', our in-house bar, to meet up with some other trainees. We stop for a lychee martini before heading out to dinner to catch up. About the firmAddress: 10 Upper Bank Street, Canary Wharf, London E14 5JJ Telephone: 020 7006 3003 Fax: 020 7006 5555 Website: www.cliffordchance.com/gradsuk Email:
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Other offices: Abu Dhabi, Amsterdam, Bangkok, Barcelona, Beijing, Brussels, Bucharest, Doha, Dubai, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Istanbul, Kyiv, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Milan, Moscow, Munich, New York, Paris, Perth, Prague, Riyadh (co-operative office), Rome, São Paulo, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo, Warsaw, Washington DC. Who we are: At Clifford Chance our goal is to be at the forefront of the elite group of international law firms that is emerging. What we do: Clifford Chance advises its clients internationally and domestically; under common law and civil law systems; in local and cross-border transactions and disputes; on day-to-day operations and on 'game-changing' transformational deals and issues. What we are looking for: We aim to recruit people who can help us to give our clients a competitive edge in challenging situations. We're looking for people who have the potential to become outstanding lawyers - irrespective of what you have studied at university. What you'll do: You will work in at least three of our practices during your two-year training contract, learning from professionals at the leading edge of our profession. Perks: As well as a competitive salary, you'll enjoy: a subsidised restaurant; free use of fitness centre, swimming pool, squash courts and wellness centre; the option of up to six weeks' leave on qualification and a pension. Sponsorship: Fees for GDL and LPC covered (LPC preferred provider: College of Law Moorgate, LPC preferred electives: City electives, private acquisitions, debt finance, equity finance), plus maintenance. Please refer to website. Application processApply to: Graduate recruitment team. How: Apply online at www.cliffordchance.com/gradsuk. When to Apply: Non-law - 31 January 2012; law - 31 July 2012. What is involved: Online testing, verbal reasoning test, group exercise, case study, competency-based interview. Facts and figures Trainee places available for 2014: Around 120 Applications received pa: 1,800 Percentage interviewed: 10% SalaryFirst year: £38,000 Second year: £43,000 Newly qualified: £61,500 Vacation schemesSpring workshop 2012: Please refer to website for details. Summer vacation scheme 2012: Please refer to website for details. Winter workshop 2011 : Please refer to website for details.
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