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CityPoint One Ropemaker Street London EC2Y 9SS 
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The lowdown (in their own words...)Why did you choose this firm over any others? 'Strong base in financial work. Good reputation for training'; 'importance given to diversity in the workplace'; 'interviewers were cordial and exuded a sense of friendliness which was reflective of the overall culture of the firm'; 'I liked the firm's size as well as the size of my intake (35)'; 'friendly, open and honest' How does your training compare with peers' at other firms? 'Compared to friends at Magic Circle firms I enjoy it more and get better work'; 'we are well looked after'; 'with the market conditions as they are I think we're all experiencing ebbs and flows of work'; 'we can make seat choices as we go through the training contract'; 'more client contact. Longer working hours' Best thing about the firm? 'I count the other trainees as my close friends, we all get on really well so the social aspect of work is enjoyable'; 'fantastic balance between laid-back friendliness and serious business focus'; 'non-hierarchical way of working - almost everyone is approachable'; 'social events and developmental activities' Worst thing about the firm? 'Not seen to be up there with the highest-rated firms'; 'lack of a trainee social budget'; 'at present, too many trainees for amount of work'; 'training experience and assessment process varies wildly between departments'; 'some people (trainees, associates and partners) think that 'face time' is/should be important/rewarded' Best moment? 'Secondment for six months at an alternative investment fund in the West End'; 'being taken to Ascot to be wined and dined at a client day - not bad for my second week at work!'; 'traveling to Toulouse and Hamburg on business'; 'taking a client call in my first seat on my own and leading the call'; 'stories in the newspapers relating to deals that I've worked on' Worst moment? 'Page-turning a 10,000 page bible eight times'; 'lack of sleep'; 'not being able to go on the firm's hockey tour and having to work all weekend instead'; 'moving half way through my first seat to help out a department with a trainee shortage'; 'working weekends and 48hr stints without sleep' The firmSimmons & Simmons' strengths include M&A and hedge fund work. Energy, TMT, financial institutions and life sciences are key sectors and the firm completed 20 deals worth just under £100m each in 2008. Simmons & Simmons has a genuine specialist interest in the TMT sector and in IP, clients say, the firm has the 'gold-standard' practice. The star performersAdministrative and public law; Asset finance and leasing; Commercial litigation; Commercial property; Commodities and futures; Derivatives; Electricity, nuclear and renewables; Employment; EU and competition; Environment; Financial services; Flotations: small and mid-cap; Health & safety; Hedge funds; IT and telecoms; IP; Investment funds; M&A: upper mid-market and premium deals, £250m+; Pharmaceuticals and biotechnology; Private finance initiative; Rail; Securitisation. The dealsActed on Aon's £850m acquisition of Benfield plc; advising the Kier Group on OFT's investigation into bid-rigging; advising Kentz Corporation and TGE Marine on their respective admissions (£134m and £158m); acted for Lundbeck in House of Lords patent dispute. The clientsAlliance Medical; Bacardi; Bank of America; Barclays Bank; Coca-Cola; JPMorgan Cazenove; Telefónica; TfL; Virgin Media. The money(from Legal Business magazine) Turnover in 2008: £289.2m (+15% from 2007) Profits per equity partner: £647,000 (+22%) Highly commended Dispute resolution and CSR teams of the year and Management Partner of the year (Mark Dawkins). The Lex 100 verdict'Large City firm with major international clients but with a friendly and supportive atmosphere' is how one current trainee sums up the appeal of Simmons & Simmons. Other attractions are the firm's size, the more limited intake ('35 compared to the huge numbers at Magic Circle firms') and its 'reputation as a good place to work, backed up by my vacation scheme'. The extensive range of practice areas is also a great reason for applying here and current trainees were attracted by specialisations including employment, IP/life sciences, insolvency, 'the strong base in financial work' and its 'leading reputation advising hedge funds'. Some are not so keen on the focus on finance and corporate during the training contract, but for one 'attending an important meeting regarding the problems affecting hedge funds in the period immediately after the Lehman Brother administration' was a real highlight. There are good opportunities for client and overseas secondments, and decent amounts of responsibility - 'far more responsibility and client contact than friends at the Magic Circle, who may be working on front-page deals all the time, but in such limited capacity it doesn't matter what the deal is. I've had a happy balance'. There's praise for the quality of in-house training with, says one trainee, 'a fantastic balance between laid-back friendliness and serious business focus'. Whilst the firm tries to encourage work/life balance (and will offer time in lieu), it is 'not necessarily always achieved'. However, there is plenty of praise for the extra-curricular activities such as ski trips, departmental evenings plus developmental activities (including Mandarin lessons). A good choice for sociable types ('I count the other trainees as my close friends, we all get on really well'), Simmons is perfect for those in search of a top-ten City firm with blue-chip clients but with a friendly atmosphere to match. A day in the life of..... Meredith Ireland first-seat trainee, Simmons & Simmons University: Nottingham Departments to date: Financial services - funds Degree and class: Law with French, 2(1) 8.30am: I arrive at the office for my weekly Japanese class. It means getting up a bit earlier, but I really enjoy the challenge of learning a new language.10.00am: I get to my desk and quickly check my emails, flagging any that require follow up. I have a chat with my supervisor, Kirsty (an associate in the funds group), about my work for the day. I am currently helping out on the launch of a hedge fund and there is plenty for me to do. This is my first fund launch and I am pleased that I will be able to be so involved in the process.10.15am: After receiving instructions from Kirsty, I start work drafting the ancillary documents for the fund launch. I produce a first draft of the minutes for the launch board meetings and give them to Kirsty to check.12.15pm: I receive an email from a client in Dubai asking if I can draft some committee resolutions. I discuss this with Stephen, the associate responsible for the matter, and get to work. I give the resolutions to Stephen to review, incorporate his comments and email them to the client.1.00pm: I head down to Ampersands, the staff restaurant, and meet some of my fellow trainees for lunch. There is always someone around and I enjoy being able to catch up with trainees from other departments.1.45pm: Back in the office, I continue drafting documents for the fund launch and discuss my first draft of the board minutes with Kirsty. I email the updated minutes to Cayman Islands lawyers and ask if they can review them from a Cayman perspective (since this fund, like many others, is incorporated in the Cayman Islands). 3.00pm: I am asked by another associate to make the final checks of a prospectus before it is dated and sent out to the client. This involves ensuring that all of the page references are correct, the contents page is up-to-date and the formatting has not gone awry. I make a few changes, then create a PDF of the prospectus and email it to the associate.3.30pm: I start drafting the share dealing documents for the fund launch. These include the application forms, which are used by investors to subscribe for shares in the fund. I have to read sections of the prospectus carefully to ensure that the forms include the correct terms. Since starting work I have definitely learnt the importance of attention to detail!4.45pm: I continue drafting the forms for the fund launch and give one to Kirsty to make sure that I am on the right track. It is really useful to share an office with an experienced lawyer who can answer questions about any points I am not sure of.5.30pm: An associate asks if I will have time over the next few weeks to help him out with an upcoming matter. This will involve creating a new class of shares and applying for them to be listed on the Irish Stock Exchange. We discuss what will need to be done and the timescale that we will be working to.6.00pm: I receive Kirsty's feedback on the application form for the fund launch and incorporate it into the relevant documents. We need to ask the fund's administrator in Ireland for their comments so I am keen to send them over as soon as possible.7.15pm: I email the share dealing documents to the administrator and ask them to review various sections and let me know if they have any comments.7.30pm: I make a to-do list for the next day and then head off to meet some friends at a bar for a couple of drinks. About the firm Address: CityPoint One Ropemaker Street EC2Y 9SS Telephone: 020 7628 2020 Fax: 020 7628 2070 Email:
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Senior partner: David Dickinson, Managing partner: Mark Dawkins
Total partners: 237
Other fee-earners:600
Total trainees :157
Other offices: Abu Dhabi, Amsterdam, Brussels, Doha, Dubai, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Funchal, Hong Kong, Lisbon, Madrid, Milan, Moscow, Padua, Rome, Rotterdam, Shanghai, Tokyo. Who we are: Simmons & Simmons is a world-class law firm providing advice to financial institutions, corporate, public and international bodies through our international network of 20 offices. What we do: We offer our clients a full range of legal services across numerous industry sectors, with a particular focus on the world's fastest growing sectors, namely: energy and infrastructure, financial institutions, life sciences, and technology. What we are looking for: We are looking for ambitious, focused individuals with law or non-law degrees who have the ability to form excellent interpersonal relations and work within a team environment. What you will do: Our six-month seat system enables you to gain hands-on experience in four different areas of our business, working with other lawyers, gaining knowledge in different service areas and dealing with our all-important clients. Perks: 25 days' holiday, private medical cover, concierge service, pension contributions, childcare vouchers, future trainee loan, season ticket loan, fitness loan, gym subsidy. Sponsorship: We pay tuition fees for both the GDL and LPC for our future trainees, and also provide a maintenance grant - £5,000-£6,500 for the GDL (depending on where you study) and £7,500 for the LPC. Application processApply to: Anna King, graduate recruitment officer. How to apply: Online application via our website: www.simmons-simmons.com/graduates. When to Apply: By 31 July 2010. What is involved: Assessment day consisting of a document exercise, interview and written exercise. Facts and figuresTrainee places available for 2012 circa 40 Applications received pa 2,000 Percentage interviewed 12% SalaryFirst year £36,000 Second year £40,000 Placement schemesSummer: June and July 2010 (apply by 31 January 2010). |
