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Exchange House Primrose Street London EC2A 2HS 
Favoured by 8 users
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The lowdown (in their own words...)Why did you choose this firm over any others? 'Strong both on transactional and contentious work'; 'very collegiate atmosphere'; 'had a great vac scheme and was impressed with the secondment opportunities'; 'reputation for being a good all-rounder'; 'pre-eminence in litigation'; 'most diverse firm I've come across'; 'blue-chip clients'; 'its CSR policies' How does your training compare with peers' at other firms? 'It sounds like trainees here get a better deal - treated well and with less tedious work'; 'generally more relaxed, but then you only hear the horror stories from your peers'; 'more interesting work and larger cases in litigation'; 'greater hours with less client contact but better quality of work and resources' Best thing about the firm? 'The Veuve Cliquot drinks trolleys and the karaoke that ensues'; 'used to be the pens - after my vac scheme I gave them as gifts to friends back home. Then they changed them and the bottom dropped out of my world'; 'partners are very approachable - never being made to feel stupid for making an error' Worst thing about the firm? 'Unpredictability of working hours'; 'the very few old-school partners who are socially challenged'; 'substandard catering and cheap loo roll'; 'you're often required to finish work by the next morning at short notice. But this is more due to client demands'; 'the new pens'; 'seat allocation process not transparent' Best moment? 'My corporate seat - top-level ECM work'; 'going to the Court of Appeal'; 'flying to Jakarta to take witness statements'; 'secondment to Tokyo/New Zealand/Hong Kong'; 'working on high-profile, big-ticket arbitrations'; 'secondment to Virgin Atlantic'; 'serving a S146 notice on Lehman Brothers'; 'doing a comparative analysis of English and Indian corporate laws' Worst moment? 'Working all weekend on a deal that collapsed Monday morning'; 'being asked to do a time summons, being half way through my submissions and being told by the Master to tuck my shirt in'; 'sending a pitch to the wrong client (revealing discounted fees)'; 'urgent work last thing on Friday' The firmA great all-rounder, Herbert Smith is outstanding in dispute resolution, regulatory and energy matters, its 'always responsive' practice remaining the one to beat in litigation. The corporate team is underpinned by notable US-law capability, a transatlantic offering that translates to a credible equity capital markets practice. The firm completed 38 UK deals for over £3bn each last year The star performersAdministrative and public law; Arbitration; Bank lending; Banking litigation; Commercial litigation; Commercial property; Construction; Contentious trusts and probate; Corporate restructuring and insolvency; Corporate tax; Electricity, nuclear and renewables; Employment; Environment; Equity capital markets; EU and competition; Financial services; Fraud; IT and telecoms; Insurance; Intellectual property; Investment; Investment funds; M&A: upper mid-market and premium deals, £250m+; Partnership; Pensions; Pensions litigation; Pharmaceuticals; Planning; PFI; Professional negligence; Property litigation; Public international law; Rail; VAT and indirect tax. The dealsRepresented BSkyB in High Court proceedings against Virgin Media; acted for EDF on £12.5bn purchase of British Energy; advised on Tata Motors' $2.3bn acquisition of Jaguar and Land Rover; advising the US Department of Justice in two disputes; represented Chevron in proceedings arising from Buncefield explosion. The clients3i; ABN Amro; Citi; Deustche Bank; Goldman Sachs; JJB Sports; JPMorgan Cazenove; Merrill Lynch; TfL; UBS. The money(from Legal Business magazine) Turnover in 2008: £421.8m (+26% from 2007) Profits per equity partner: £1,036,300 (+26%) Highly commended Insurance and Energy teams of the year. Highly commended International office (Paris). The Lex 100 verdictFew firms offer excellence in both contentious and non-contentious work but Herbert Smith is definitely one of them. According to one trainee, the 'twin specialism in corporate and litigation means that you have a choice between two world-class departments'. Add to the mix size ('not so massive as to be unapproachable'), blue-chip clients and the fact that the firm seems to be acting on most major deals and cases and you've got yourself a great all-round place to train. The firm is winning would-be trainees over early ('positive contact through sponsorship of university events') and its vacation scheme, particularly because 'they arranged dinner for us, arranged a tab at the bar and just left us to it.' Several trainees speak of there being no one 'type' here, another praises the firm for its diversity - 'the only firm I know of which monitors the progress of its ethnic minority workers' - and its CSR policies ('able to give back to my local community'). Training itself is well-structured, with an 'excellent series of training programmes' in an 'intellectually-stimulating environment - both in terms of work and people'. There are somewhat mixed reports on responsibility ('less exposure to deals than some peers') and client contact ('less client contact but better quality work and resources'), but another states that there is 'a great deal more client contact and I am trusted to undertake small client matters by myself'. The systems for seat allocation and qualification are 'more transparent than at other firms' and the options for secondments, client or overseas, excellent. If you've got stamina and want a top-notch City training, it takes some beating. A day in the life of..... Rebecca Cochrane fourth-seat trainee, Herbert Smith LLP University: Exeter University Departments to date: construction litigation, corporate, finance in the Singapore office, client secondment to Pearson Education Degree and class: Law, 2(1) 9.00am: I am currently on a six-month secondment to the legal department of Pearson Education. When I arrive I check my emails and grab a coffee. I'm currently working on some post-acquisition matters in China so I fire off a few emails to the team there in order to get a response before they go home. 10.00am: I have a meeting with other members of the business on a matter I have been dealing with since I arrived. The in-house legal team is much smaller here than at Herbert Smith, so you are given a lot more responsibility and as a result I am the only representative from the legal team. This was quite daunting at first but after one meeting you realise you know more than you thought you did and it is a great way to build your confidence as a lawyer. 11.15am: I get back to my desk and I have an email from my supervisor asking me to go on a call with her this afternoon. She has attached some background information.11.30am: I have received a response to one of my earlier emails from a colleague in China. I have a weekly call on this matter so I update my legal issues tracking table and distribute it in advance of the call tomorrow. 12.00pm: Start marking up an agreement I have been asked to draft for a large project overseas. I send an email to one of my friends back at Herbert Smith asking if she can send me a precedent, as I know she worked on a similar agreement in her last seat. 1.00pm: I get some lunch and check my Herbert Smith emails with my remote access fob. I have an email from the professional support team highlighting recent changes to company law as a result of the Companies Act 2006. The learning support you get is great and there is plenty of opportunity to attend lectures and workshops on black letter law or more practical issues such as drafting and negotiating tips. 2.00pm: Spend half an hour reading up on the background material I have for the call this afternoon. 2.30pm: A colleague asks me to summarise a couple of cases for her. One of the best things about being on a client secondment and working in-house is the variety of work you are given; it is like doing a corporate seat, a litigation seat and an IP seat all at the same time!2.50pm: I go into my supervisor's office to discuss the call. I listen and take notes. After the call my supervisor asks me to draft a list of all the legal issues we will need to consider for our next call. It is great to be involved in a deal in the early stages as it really gives you a feel for the commercial drivers behind a transaction.4.30pm: I start working through a list of the legal issues while the call is still fresh in my mind.5.45pm: Herbert Smith has a formidable hockey team and I have always enjoyed playing team sports. I arrange to meet one of the other trainees at the pitch and head off for the big game! About the firm Address: Exchange House Primrose Street EC2A 2HS Telephone: 020 7374 8000 Fax: 020 7374 0888 Email:
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Senior partner: David GoldManaging partner: David Willis
Total partners: 256 (worldwide)
Total trainees :249 (worldwide)
Other offices: Abu Dhabi, Bangkok, Beijing, Brussels, Dubai, Hong Kong, London, Madrid, Moscow, Paris, Shanghai, Singapore, Tokyo. Associated offices: Amsterdam, Berlin, Budapest, Frankfurt, Jakarta, Munich, New York, Prague, Saudi Arabia - Jeddah, Dammam and Riyadh, Stuttgart, Warsaw. Who we are: Herbert Smith LLP is an international legal practice with over 1,200 lawyers across Asia, Europe and the Middle East. It also has a major focus on emerging markets. What we do: Alongside Herbert Smith's outstanding reputation in dispute resolution and corporate work, the firm has leading practices in finance, real estate, competition and employment, pensions and incentives. It is also acknowledged as a leader in several industry sectors, including the energy and natural resources and financial institutions sectors. What we are looking for: As well as a strong academic record, applicants require a strong level of commercial awareness and the common sense to make their own way in a large firm. What you will do: The strength and breadth of the firm's practice areas, including corporate, dispute resolution and finance, guarantee excellent training and development opportunities for trainees. You will rotate around four seats of six months each, which can include a seat in a specialist area such as IP, tax, trusts, EU/competition, employment, pensions and incentives or the advocacy unit. Trainees can also apply to go on secondment to a client or to one of the firm's international offices. Perks: 25 days' holiday (rising to 27 after qualification), pension scheme, profit share, private medical insurance, permanent health insurance, season ticket loan, life assurance and interest-free loan. Sponsorship: All GDL and LPC fees paid. Maintenance grants as follows: £5,000 GDL outside London; £6,000 GDL inside London; £7,000 LPC. Application processApply to: Graduate recruitment team. How to apply: Online at www.herbertsmithgraduates.com When to Apply: By 31 July 2010. What is involved: Application form and interview with case study. Facts and figuresTrainee places available for 2012 up to 100 Applications received pa up to 2,000 Percentage interviewed up to 30% SalaryFirst year £37,500 Second year £42,500 Newly qualified £60,000 Placement schemesSummer: Please see website for details. |
