Lex 100 - Salans

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Salans

Millenium Bridge House 2 Lambeth Hill London EC4V 4AJ

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The trainee verdict

The lowdown (in their own words...)

Why did you choose this firm over any others? 'Genuine international presence'; 'London office is fairly small so I thought I would get a better quality of work and not be an unknown face'; 'significant presence in Eastern Europe and the CIS'; 'less strenuous working hours'; 'interesting cross-border international work'; 'great reputation in key areas'

How does your training compare with peers' at other firms? 'My hours have been a lot more reasonable'; 'more responsibility'; 'social life at other firms is perhaps more apparent'; 'more exposure to better-quality work'; 'good work/life balance'; 'you are not expected to stay late when there are no urgent matters to deal with'

Best thing about the firm? 'Friendly working environment'; 'work/life balance is very good'; 'opportunity for secondments'; 'international element'; 'diverse client base'; 'work is varied'; 'trainees are given plenty of opportunities to get involved and use their own initiative'

Worst thing about the firm? 'Lack of general organisation'; 'lack of facilities post 6pm'; 'the social life is not great'; 'canteen'; 'lack of secretarial support to trainees'; 'no way of getting food other than take out after 6pm'; 'not as well known as it should be'

Best moment? 'Attending a five-day hearing at the High Court'; 'being taken out for drinks with the client after a successful court hearing'; 'being involved in an extremely high-profile employment litigation case'; 'secondment to a well-known international steel trader'; 'attending trial at the Royal Courts of Justice'; 'going to client meetings occasionally alone'; 'complete responsibility for my own matters'; 'direct client contact'

Worst moment? 'Having to correct mistakes made by others on the last week of my seat'; 'photocopying'; 'dealing with an urgent matter by myself without guidance'; 'staying late by the photocopier is never fun - thankfully it doesn't happen often!'

The Lex 100 verdict

The firm

Salans has a commanding presence in Russia and the CIS, and Central and Eastern Europe, and these regions remain a leading source of deals for the firm, which regularly acts on multimillion-pound transactions. Deal sizes on UK-only deals tend to be smaller, often for AIM-listed companies. In June 2009 Salans and Pinsent Masons launched a strategic alliance aimed at strengthening both firms' international reach and capacity to service large cross-border projects.

The star performers

Bank lending; Commercial litigation; Commercial property; Corporate and commercial; Debt recovery; Employment; M&A: lower mid-market; Property finance.

The deals

Advised Sahaviriya Steel on its $468m acquisition of Tata Steel's steelmaking business in Redcar, Teeside; advised Stemcor on the restructuring of $85m in debt owed to it by Estar Group; handled a £155m borrowing facility for Stemcor.

The clients

Banks and major traders.

The Verdict

For those looking for a US firm with a 'significant presence' in Eastern Europe and the CIS then Salans is definitely worth considering. As well as having strong banking and finance, corporate and dispute resolution practices, candidates are impressed by the good work/life balance and 'friendly working environment' at the firm's offices. There will be lots of cross-border work to get stuck into and current trainees rave about the 'diverse client base'. Trips to the RCJ and the chance to go on secondment to high-profile companies are other potential opportunities. You should also expect to have 'complete responsibility' for your own matters and plenty of client contact and you may even find yourself leading meetings under a partner's supervision. Thanks to the small intake the social life at the firm 'isn't great' and there are times when there is a general lack of organisation, particularly after 6pm when the canteen is closed meaning takeaways are the only option for latestayers. However, if you are looking for a firm with an international reputation, interesting clients and an understanding of the importance of the work/life balance then Salans is a great option.

A day in the life of.....

Jamie Feldman, trainee solicitor, Salans LLP
Departments to date: Litigation, client secondment, employment, real estate
University: University of Manchester
Degree: Law 2(1)

9.20am: On arrival I log on, check my emails and write my to-do list so that I have a clear idea of what my day will be like. Every Tuesday we have the employment departmental meeting which includes discussing workloads, any upcoming marketing events and a discussion on recent legal updates. We will be hosting a seminar on 'Talent, Reward and the Equality Act' next Thursday, so we spend some time reviewing the presentation material.

10.50am: We successfully settled a claim relating to sexual discrimination on the grounds of pregnancy last week and have now received the COT3 agreement from the other side. I review this document carefully, making any necessary amendments before showing it to the associate who I am assisting. He approves my amendments and so I send this back to the other side.

11.30am: The head of department asks me to carry out a very quick research question on whether an individual can enter the country on an 'investor's visa'. I know that by referring to the UK Border Agency website I will be able to answer his question.

12.45pm: A group email is circulated among the trainees for lunch so we decide to go downstairs to the canteen. The trainees tend to meet for lunch most days as it is a good chance to catch up with each other.

1.30pm: I have two client meetings to attend this afternoon. I spend the next 30 minutes reviewing both files so that I am prepared for when the clients arrive. In this department, trainees are often encouraged to participate in client meetings, providing it is appropriate. It is therefore very important that I have a full understanding of the facts so that I can comfortably interject.

2.05pm: The client arrives. This is the second meeting we have had with this client. We believe that she has been sexually harassed at her workplace and spend a short time discussing the strategy that we should take in writing to the other side. I take an attendance note of the meeting.

3.00pm: The second client arrives very shortly after the first has left. She has been suspended from her current workplace on suspicion of gross misconduct pending an investigation. She asks about the merits of any unfair dismissal claim she may bring in the event she is dismissed. Following a discussion between the three of us, we decide the best course of action would be for us to try and write to the other side and ask that she is paid her notice period.

4.25pm: I get back to my desk and catch up on any emails and voicemail messages. I have a reply from the other side's solicitors regarding my amendments to the COT3 agreement I sent this morning.

4.30pm: I dictate both attendance notes while they are fresh in my mind so the team secretaries can type them up. I make the necessary amendments and then these are placed on the file.

4.50pm: A reminder from my calendar tells me I have a meeting with the partner tomorrow to discuss a claim for rolled up holiday pay and an unpaid car allowance. I ask the associate that I am assisting if he has time to discuss this. We make an agenda for the meeting with the partner so that we have a clear idea of what points we need direction on.

5.30pm: The associate mentioned instructing counsel for the hearing so I gather a list of chambers and make some calls to the clerks. Having spoken to three separate chambers, I compile the list of names with respective hourly rates ready for the meeting tomorrow.

6.10pm: After doing a quick check that I am up-to-date on all my files and emails, I make a to-do list for the next day. I have football training this evening which for me is a great way to end the day!

About the firm

Address: Millennium Bridge House, 2 Lambeth Hill EC4V 4AJ

Telephone: 020 7429 6000

Fax: 020 7429 6001

Website: www.salans.com

Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Managing partner: Howard Cohen

Total partners: 30

Other fee-earners: 45

Total trainees: 10

Other offices: Almaty, Baku, Barcelona, Beijing, Berlin, Bratislava, Brussels, Bucharest, Budapest, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Istanbul, Kyiv, Madrid, Moscow, New York, Paris, Prague, Shanghai, St Petersburg, Warsaw.

Who we are: Salans is a full-service international law firm with over 750 fee-earners worldwide, and is renowned as a pioneer in the CIS and Central and Eastern Europe, with a particular emphasis on emerging markets.

What we do: Banking and finance, corporate and commercial, competition and antitrust, dispute resolution, employment, reorganisation, restructuring and insolvency, and real estate. The firm is embracing a global practice group structure due to the cross-border nature of a large percentage of its work.

What we are looking for: Apart from strong academics and a well-rounded personality, we look for trainees who can approach complex problems in a practical and commercial way and who will enjoy working in an entrepreneurial, fast-moving and international environment. Language skills are helpful but not essential.

What you'll do: Our trainees spend six months in four different practice groups with the possibility of secondment to a major client or one of our global offices. Trainees take an active part in their department from day one, with the opportunity of exposure to high-quality work and of interacting with colleagues from the firm's global offices. In addition to the PSC course (attended externally), trainees attend our in-house training programme.

Perks: 25 days' holiday pa, non-contributory pension, interest-free season ticket loan, private health insurance, critical illness cover, life assurance, childcare vouchers, subsidised on-site canteen.

Sponsorship: LPC fees paid.

Application process

Apply to: Human Resources.

How: Letter and CV (please refer to website).

When to Apply: By 12 July 2012 (for Sept 2014 intake).

What is involved: Full-day assessment, including interview, short presentation and written tests.

Facts and figures

Trainee places available for 2014: up to 4

Applications received pa: up to 500

Percentage interviewed: ca 5%

Salary

First year: £33,000

Second year: £35,000

Newly qualified: £58,000