Lex 100 - Dewey & LeBoeuf

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Dewey & LeBoeuf

1 Minster Court Mincing Lane London EC3R 7YL

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The trainee verdict

The lowdown (in their own words...)

Why did you choose this firm over any others? 'Enjoyed the interview process and other trainees I met'; 'emphasis on diversity'; 'friendly demeanour'; 'its connection with and reputation in America'; 'exposure to large deals and high- profile clients but with a smaller intake'; 'fantastic international reputation'; 'overseas secondments'; 'it has a strong presence in emerging markets and a good variety of interesting work'

How does your training compare with peers' at other firms? 'Hours are longer but more laid-back atmosphere'; 'the input and quality of supervisors also seems to be better than at other firms'; 'given greater responsibility'; 'on occasion I have been given much more responsibility than peers'; 'Magic Circle friends work twice as hard as me'

Best thing about the firm? 'Size and friendliness'; 'the flexibility and lack of formality as well as the fact that every transaction has an international aspect'; 'the fresh fruit bowls in the morning'; 'friendly, approachable partners'; 'it has a hardworking yet unpretentious vibe'

Worst thing about the firm? 'Lack of social events'; 'annoying delays and inconsistencies when it comes to seat changes'; 'no canteen or eating area'; 'the lack of formality means things can be a bit disorganised'; 'depending on the type of department/seat you are in, the hours can be long'; 'there is a lack of transparency in the seat allocation process'; 'lack of guidance'

Best moment? 'Closing a finance deal where my counterpart was an associate'; 'introducing a new pro bono client to the firm'; 'my secondment overseas'; 'going to a completion meeting in Geneva on a deal that I had worked on from the due diligence stage'; 'working on a high-profile, ground-breaking case and seeing it featured in the FT'

Worst moment? 'Spending a whole day working on a task that had already been completed by another trainee'; 'not getting my first choice for my next seat'; 'being overwhelmed and out of my depth during the first three months of my training contract'; 'having to compile and produce bundles of exhibits at last-minute notice'

The Lex 100 verdict

The firm

Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP was formed from the 2007 merger between US firms Dewey Ballantine and LeBouef Lamb Greene & MacRae. The firm advises a variety of international clients across a broad range of finance and corporate work, and is particularly strong in complex cross-border transactions, especially in the energy and insurance sectors, and regularly handles mandates in emerging markets such as Russia and Africa. Heavyweight arbitration is another strength.

The star performers

Acquisition finance; Bank lending; Commercial litigation; Corporate tax; Equity/debt capital markets; Electricity, nuclear and renewables; Emerging markets; Insurance and reinsurance litigation; Insurance: corporate and regulatory; M&A: lower-mid market, £50m-£250m; Project finance.

The deals

Advising RSA on liability and exposure relating to D&O cover for Northern Rock; advised the largest Polish insurance group, PZU, on its $2.6bn IPO on the Warsaw Stock Exchange; led on the PZU IPO; advised Raiffeisen Bank International on its â‚¬490m acquisition of a 70% share in Polbank; advised on a $1.2bn disposal for Mittal Investments.

The clients

Beazley Underwriting; BNP Paribas; Catlin; Citigroup; Commerzbank; Deutsche Bank; Swiss Re; XL.

The Verdict

Dewey & LeBoeuf gives a great first impression; current trainees reported that they 'enjoyed the interview process' and described the recruitment policy as being 'diverse'. Offering myriad international work possibilities, a solid reputation and a good salary, this US firm's key strengths lie in the competitive oil and gas and corporate finance fields. With more exposure to 'large deals and high-profile clients' than peers at other firms thanks to a small intake, prepare to be a part of a 'close team', rather than a 'lawyer factory' working in a more 'laid-back atmosphere'. Training here is described by one current trainee as 'demanding' but that has its advantages as trainees are given 'greater responsibility' and the work is 'more varied in terms of content and scale'. Gripes tend to centre on the 'lack of social events' (not helped by the absence of a canteen giving colleagues a chance to mingle during office hours) and the somewhat relaxed attitude of the firm towards seat changes and appraisals. You will definitely be expected to be creative as well as honing your marketing skills early on with one trainee recently 'introducing a new pro bono client to the firm' and it will not be unusual to see deals that you work on covered in the national press. So if you are looking for a friendly, international firm with a 'strong' presence in emerging markets then Dewey & LeBeouf looks like a good option.