|
65 Fleet Street London EC4Y 1HS 
Favoured by 1 users
(Register to add this entry to your favourites)
The lowdown (in their own words...)Why did you choose this firm over any others? 'Reputation and vac scheme'; 'German links, widest possible choice of seats'; 'reputation for all-round excellence and quality of people met on vac scheme'; 'excellent past, present and future'; 'flexibility, pro bono work, people'; 'location'; 'better than City/Wharf!'; 'best in international arbitration' How does your training compare with peers' at other firms? 'Less individual responsibility, but the work is far more high-profile'; 'massively better in terms of how people are treated'; 'more work, longer hours, sometimes not as good quality work given to trainees because of value of deals'; 'very good training: flexible and in-depth' Best thing about the firm? 'Unstuffy atmosphere'; 'really friendly people'; 'the internationalism that runs through everything and everyone'; 'free gym on site'; 'three-month seats'; 'glut of intelligent people working together in a challenging environment'; 'its reputation and high standards'; 'the work is complex, challenging and exciting' Worst thing about the firm? 'Unpredictable hours'; 'quite arrogant about other firms'; 'being taken for granted'; 'some people are still very conservative and don't realise there is a life beyond Freshfields'; 'our rugby team'; 'the hierarchy and the quality of work given to trainees'; 'I'm not sure that every office across the world delivers the same quality as London' Best moment? 'Being sent to Iceland during the Icelandic banking crisis'; 'last minute emergency save of a microfinancing scheme'; 'working on a cross-border merger and being allowed to draft documents from scratch'; 'closings at 8am after consecutive all-nighters, followed by champagne breakfast then reading about your transaction on the front page of the FT' Worst moment? 'Indexing documents for a data room all night and into the next day'; 'going home at 5:30 every day for a week because there was nothing to do'; 'having someone proof-read my one or two-line emails to a paralegal at the client company'; 'three months in banking, working over 70 hours a week every week'; 'doing basic formatting work at 1am' The firmWhile Freshfields may still lag behind its fellow Magic Circle firms in certain areas of finance (eg acquisition finance, asset finance and bank lending), it continues to be a world-beater for corporate restructuring, M&A, equity capital markets, corporate tax, and EU and competition. The firm is also a strong performer on the contentious side, with leading practices in commercial and banking litigation, international arbitration and public international law. The star performersTop-ranking departments according to The Legal 500* - Arbitration; Banking litigation; Corporate restructuring and insolvency; Corporate tax; Environment; EU and competition; Financial services; Fraud; Mergers and acquisitions: upper-mid market and premium deals, £250m+; PFI; Private equity; Public international law; Rail; Regulatory; Securitisation; Trade. The dealsActing for BAA in the £13.3bn refinancing of its UK airports; advising the underwriters on the rights issues of HBOS (£4bn), RBS (£12bn), and Centrica (£3.1bn); representing Dunlop Oil & Marine on the high-profile marine hoses cartel investigation; advising US corporate Best Buy on its $2.1bn acquisition of 50% of Carphone Warehouse's retail interests; restructuring Northern Rock. The clientsBarclays; Bradford & Bingley; Cazenove; Citigroup; Credit Suisse; HBOS; JPMorgan; Merrill Lynch; Morgan Stanley; RBS; UBS. The money(from Legal Business magazine) Turnover in 2008: £1,178m (+9% from 2007) Profits per equity partner: £1,434,000 (+39%) Winner for its Structured finance/debt capital markets, Insurance and CSR teams. Highly commended for Banking/restructuring, Dispute resolution, Energy/natural resources, Law firm of the year and lawyer of the year (Graham Nicholson appointed chief legal adviser to the Bank of England). The Lex 100 verdictAccording to one current trainee, Freshfields is 'the paramount example of a Magic Circle firm, with intelligent, well-motivated people doing challenging, high-profile work'. So if that sounds like your cup of tea and you don't mind putting in the hours, this could be a great choice. Trainees praise the good impression given by the firm's reputation, interview and vacation scheme. The training contract itself is praised for being varied, flexible and thorough, with the working environment 'much more relaxed than people give it credit for'. There are weekly training sessions and constant performance updates to ensure that training is developing at 'the appropriate pace and level'. Trainees also believe they are treated 'massively better' than peers elsewhere with an involved and sensitive approach from most supervisors. 'It is populated by humane people so even when you're working hard they look out for you and make sure you're coping'. It is good to hear of this strong support network, because there is no doubt that this is a challenging environment with long, unpredictable hours. Several trainees comment on 'the change from having nothing to do all day to having to work all night and drop your plans in the space of ten minutes'. Work/life balance is never going to win any prizes here. As long as you're prepared for this, then the upside of having 'the shining name on your CV' is well worth it for some. For a great international firm with first-class work and clients, and a real sense of ambition and capability, Freshfields remains a clear leader in its field. The firm is also a Lex 100 Winner in the 'confident of being kept on' category, indicating high levels of optimism despite the current economic uncertainty. A day in the life of..... Nick Ames First-year trainee solicitor, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP University: University of Manchester Departments to date: Corporate (Private Equity), Finance (Restructuring and Insolvency) and ACT (Antitrust, Competition and Trade) Degree and class: Law, 2(1) 8.45am: On the train into work I read my emails and absorb my bizarre daily mix of gossip headlines from the Metro and financial headlines from my work Blackberry. On arrival, I sneak several slices of marmite on toast from the canteen and head up to my desk. 9.30am: Like all of our practice groups, our Competition practice encompasses a broad spectrum of work. The department requires an awareness of economics and business as well as of the relevant law. I am currently working on a big project where our client, a global corporate, is facing a thorough investigation by the Competition Commission into whether a merger that took place at the end of last year has restricted competition in the UK. During a case as large as this you build a strong relationship with both your team and the client and it provides a great opportunity as a trainee to get some real client contact with often very senior people. Today I am going to be gathering data from the client and drafting lines of argument in response to an economics paper drafted by the Competition Commission which we don't agree with. 11.00am: A partner has just come to see me about preparing a pitch for one of the world's biggest global companies. He is flying off around the world with a team of partners for the pitch next week and wants to be fully prepared so would like me to prepare a note for him on the nature of the company's business. It is not just legal but commercial research which you do as a trainee. The commercial research makes the practical application of the law come alive. The great thing about this firm is you know the highest levels of support, whether it be, IT, Knowledge Management or Business Development, are always there for you. 12.15pm: Every week I participate in the number partners scheme at Redlands Primary School in Tower Hamlets, which forms part of the firm's pro bono and community investment programme. It is really rewarding to see the children's numeracy skills develop as the academic year progresses. The firm genuinely encourages and supports everyone in the firm to take part in these kind of activities. 3.00pm: This afternoon we have a trainee training session led by a partner on the criminalisation of cartel offences and directors' disqualification. One of the other really great things about the firm is the quality of the training sessions that are provided during your time in each department. The unique flexibility which the firm's training contract offers allows you to experience more departments than anywhere else and the training you receive in each team prepares you really well for the future. 4.00pm: I head back to my desk and work on my note of arguments responding to the Competition Commission's paper. I also check through all the emails I have received from the client and forward them to the internal team before reviewing the data myself.6.30pm: One of the skills you develop as a trainee is managing your time and workload. This evening I want to do a little more research on the pitch before I leave so I will be in a good position to have a discussion with the partner tomorrow. There are times where you have to stay late but we are encouraged to get out early when we can so, having got to a point where I am happy, I head off for the evening to play for the Freshfields' hockey team in Battersea Park where we are playing a client's team, and afterwards we go for a few drinks and discuss the evening's game. About the firm Address: 65 Fleet Street London EC4Y 1HS Telephone: 020 7936 4000 Fax: 020 7832 7001 Email:
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Senior partner: Konstantin Mettenheimer, Guy MortonChief executive: Ted Burke
Total partners: 460 (including principal consultants)
Other fee-earners:2, 197
Total trainees :298 (Worldwide), 196 (London)
Other offices: Abu Dhabi, Amsterdam, Bahrain, Barcelona, Beijing, Berlin, Brussels, Cologne, Dubai, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Madrid, Milan, Moscow, Munich, New York, Paris, Rome, Shanghai, Tokyo, Vienna, Washington DC. Who we are: We are a leader among international law firms, providing business law advice of the highest quality throughout Europe, the Middle East and the US. What we do: Provide first-rate legal services to corporations, financial institutions and governments. What we are looking for: Consistently first-rate academic record; excellent written and communication skills; high levels of determination and motivation; good organisation and problem-solving skills and an eye for detail. What you will do: Every training contract is unique to the trainee and great emphasis is placed on trying to meet trainees' preferences for seats. Our flexible training contract means you can spend 3 or 6 months in a seat, allowing you to see up to 8 different seats if you wish. Perks: Flexible benefits scheme including pension, private medical insurance, permanent health insurance, life assurance. Also interest-free loan, interest-free travel loan, gym, subsidised restaurant. Sponsorship: GDL and LPC fees paid; maintenance grant (GDL: £6,250; accelerated LPC: £6,000). Application processApply to:
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
How to apply: Online application form: www.freshfields.com/uktrainees. When to Apply: By 31 July 2010 for training contracts starting in February 2012 and August 2012. What is involved: Verbal reasoning test, written exercise and two interviews. Facts and figuresTrainee places available for 2012 c.90 Applications received pa 2,000 approx Percentage interviewed 12% approx SalaryFirst year £39,000 Second year £44,000 Newly qualified £59,000 Placement schemesSummer: 21 June-9 July, 12-30 July, 2-20 August (apply by 15 January 2010) |
