Find out about the practice areas, career progression opportunities, application process and more at Watson Farley & Williams in the firm’s 2018-19 brochure.
SEEKING EXCELLENCE
CONTENTS
01 Are we the firm for you ? 02 Welcome 04 What do we do ?
06 Our locations 08 Collaboration 10 How we work 12 Who we are 14 How we give back
16 What should you expect ? 18 What are we looking for ? 20 What is the journey through the firm ? 28 Vacation scheme 30 When do you apply ? 31 Top 5 tips
ARE WE THE FIRM FOR YOU ? Watson Farley & Williams (WFW) is an international law firm dedicated to client care, legal excellence, industry focus and investment in its people. The firm is highly respected for its sector expertise, in particular, energy, maritime, natural resources, real estate and transport. We are experts in managing complex cross-border transactions, projects and disputes, our skilled legal teams deliver valued advice to leading financial institutions, corporations and funds.
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WELCOME
The success of Watson Farley & Williams rests with the commitment, quality and expertise of our people. Unashamedly ambitious, the next generation of talent will help drive our continued growth. As a firm, we focus on high profile, complex international matters. This provides opportunities to be engaged in extraordinary variety, innovative thinking, and to be involved in our clients’ businesses on a global scale. We are committed to helping you develop the personal and professional skills needed to fulfil your potential. Our trainees are entrusted with real responsibilities from the moment they join, which means making an impact early on in their careers. As many of our people joined the firm as trainees, who better to tell you about what it’s like to train and work with us ?
Chris Lowe Managing Partner
Lothar Wegener Managing Partner
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WHAT DO WE DO ?
SECTORS Energy & Infrastructure Maritime Natural Resources Real Estate Transport
SERVICES Banking & Finance Capital Markets Construction Corporate Dispute Resolution Employment Mergers & Acquisitions Private Equity Competition, Regulatory & Public Law Tax
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OUR LOCATIONS
Across our international offices, we foster a supportive and down-to-earth environment designed to attract and retain the best and brightest staff. Our people best demonstrate our commitment to quality. The integration between our offices, consistent level of complex and challenging work and our varied and comprehensive training programmes all serve to develop our staff in terms of legal, client-facing and practical workplace abilities.
ATHENS
BANGKOK
DUBAI
FRANKFURT
HONG KONG
HAMBURG
LONDON
MADRID
MILAN
MUNICH
ROME
PARIS
NEW YORK
SINGAPORE
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COLLABORATION
Our teams work across borders to serve our global client base, collaborating within and across our offices, harnessing the combined strength of the firm’s expertise.
GERMANY + FRANCE UK + ITALY SPAIN + UK
UK + GREECE SINGAPORE + USA
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= = =
ENERGY DEAL MARITIME DEAL NATURAL RESOURCES DEAL REAL ESTATE DEAL TRANSPORT DEAL
= =
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HOW WE WORK
We are known for a friendly, collaborative work environment. Our supportive atmosphere is founded on mutual respect for colleagues, hard work, intelligence and ambition. You will be encouraged to find a path that complements your strengths and interests while also delivering outstanding client service. We pride ourselves on delivering consistently high levels of service on all matters, in each jurisdiction and in combination across borders. As a leading international law firm dedicated to client care, industry focus and investment in our people, our global Code of Conduct sets out the way we work at the firm to and ensures that we follow a consistent set of standards everywhere we operate. We set ourselves high standards and we expect to be held to them. Our reputation depends on each and every one of us taking personal responsibility for putting our Code into practice. In all our undertakings, we demonstrate the firm’s Core Values .
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OUR VALUES
Integrity in all interactions that is built upon trust, adherence to professional standards, acting ethically and accountably. Communication that is open, honest and two-way while maintaining discretion and confidentiality. Sharing our knowledge and time to collaboratively build strong relationships together. Respect for our clients, colleagues and those we have contact with by valuing diversity of backgrounds, viewpoints and experiences.
WHO WE ARE
With a global workforce and client base, we recognise the benefit of an inclusive environment that welcomes different knowledge, experience, perspectives and working styles. Embedding diversity and inclusion in our work culture not only enhances individual innovation and problem solving, it also makes good business sense. We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace so that we can attract and retain the most talented people from all backgrounds and cultures. It also means making sure that differences are celebrated and that people from any background can rise to the top, have access to opportunities to develop and progress from day one. We work hard to attract and retain the best and brightest talent – regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by law. Our commitment to diversity and inclusion runs throughout our working practices in our day-to-day office environment, training, career progression and personal and professional development. Our most recent Diversity & Inclusion Report , found on our website, details some of the recent initiatives we have undertaken to promote a diverse and inclusive workplace. These include hosting women’s networking events, making our Partner promotion process more transparent, and making mental health a priority through events and training designed to promote awareness in the workplace.
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Taking a proactive approach to diversity and inclusion helps us attract and retain the best people regardless of gender, race, age, religion, disability or sexual orientation.” LISA LAMBOURN BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
Given the recent reports on the scale of poor mental health in the workplace, I think raising awareness of mental health is important to remove stigma and encourage those suffering in silence to seek help.” GRAHAME FISCHER ASSOCIATE
...diversity and inclusion goes beyond the ability to tick boxes on a tender document. It can establish and demonstrate a firm’s values to those within it, as well as clients, referrers and potential recruits, and plays an important part in the development of those working
within a firm.” HETAN GANATRA PARTNER
International Women’s Day, Singapore
Mental health is as important as physical health. Just because you are suffering from something that can’t be seen, doesn’t mean that you should suffer from additional stigma.” KIMBERLEY SMITH ASSOCIATE
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HOW WE GIVE BACK
Hamburg Triathlon
The firm is committed to being a responsible business, and corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a valued element of our business strategy. Our approach to CSR takes three strands: community engagement, charitable giving, and environmental action. Supporting the communities in which we work includes employee volunteering at local schools and care homes, as well as clothing, food, toy and blood donation drives. In addition, lawyers across the firm are engaged in pro bono work for various causes; in recent years, we have worked with organisations involved in issues related to human rights, freedom of the press, immigration and refugees, and disability benefit claim appeals. We also give back to the legal community through our participation in the International Lawyers for Africa (ILFA) programme, which aims to build legal excellence and promote the rule of law in Africa by providing access to advanced legal training, networking opportunities and education for African lawyers. While employees across our offices raise donations for various causes, the main thrust of our charitable giving goes towards our Charity of the Year , which is selected by employees globally. In 2018, we are supporting WWF. We are committed to reducing our carbon footprint, adopting sustainable practices, and support activities which reduce the impact of climate change. These practices include recycling and efficient energy use throughout our offices globally.
London Legal Walk
London Legal Walk
Movember, Madrid
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Whitechapel Mission, London
Sailors’ Society Asian Challenge, Hong Kong
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WHAT SHOULD YOU EXPECT ?
Our two year training contract differs from many other firms. With us you will gain valuable insight from six four month seats – one of these will be in an overseas office.
OVERSEAS SEAT Current locations where London trainees do their
are Athens, Bangkok, Dubai, Munich, Paris and Singapore.
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We aim to give you hands on experience, with
CLIENT CONTACT
from the very start. It’s the only way to learn.
The firm has a reputation for challenging work. We will give you plenty of responsibility early on but we also offer plenty of SUPPORT & FEEDBACK.
Wherever you are in the world and whatever the practice area, you’ll quickly feel
– both in the office and socially. PART OF THE TEAM
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WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR ?
We recruit 18 trainees each year. Although there is no typical WFW trainee there are certain qualifications, skills and traits that we look for. You will need a 2:1 or above (predicted if you have yet to graduate), or equivalent, and a commendation or higher in the GDL if you have completed it. We also look for at least ABB from A-Level results, 34 points from IB or the equivalent if you have taken other qualifications.
TEAM PLAYERS WITH INITIATIVE, DRIVE AND CURIOSITY.
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EACH TRAINEE’S JOURNEY THROUGH THE FIRM IS DIFFERENT.
We are not interested in producing clones.
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WHAT IS THE JOURNEY THROUGH THE FIRM ?
Christian Anthony Bangkok Trainee Secondment My Corporate seat in Bangkok was an amazing experience. I was engaged in a wide range of work across a number of commercial sectors including transport, energy and real estate. This was reflective of the sector-specific work unique to WFW and which I undertook when I was
Highlights included assisting in the launch of the UberEats platform in Bangkok, working on cross-border M&A transactions and preparing a number of briefing notes for clients. Overall, the responsibility granted to me and the commercial understanding I gained during my seat was invaluable. I was able to develop a better understanding of the overall structure and material issues relating to commercial transactions by working closely with Partners and other senior fee earners. Nothing can be taken away from Bangkok being one of the most exciting cities in the world. The expat community is vibrant and I was able to form a network of good friends very quickly. It didn’t hurt that Bangkok has an amazing culinary scene and exploring new places was effortless. The travel opportunities were also fantastic: Japan, Hong Kong and islands in the South of Thailand to name a few of the destinations covered during my time in Asia. The only downside: having to return home after four months!
based in London. It allowed me to hit the ground running when I arrived in Asia.
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WHAT IS THE JOURNEY THROUGH THE FIRM ?
Natasha Shoult Associate
As a trainee during my Litigation seat I attended a two-week trial at the Royal Courts of Justice, acting for a Russian client. The claim concerned the non-payment of a series of loans and issues relating to loss of security. The Defendants were held liable for breach of contract, liability in tort and inducement by misrepresentation and our client obtained a judgment for US$35m. This was exciting work! It was a fantastic insight into the build-up to trial, with the team from WFW and Counsel pulling together to achieve a great result for the client. From these early experiences in the department, combined with time spent in our Bangkok office, I knew I wanted to qualify into Litigation at WFW. On joining the Litigation team my work on this case continued, including obtaining injunctive relief and further disclosure, investigating the Defendants’ assets, obtaining a committal order against one of the Defendants and issuing enforcement proceedings in a number of different jurisdictions.
WFW presents excellent opportunities for those who are interested in international work. More recently I have been working on a case for a Korean EPC contractor, in connection
with a sizeable insurance claim relating to the construction of a combined-cycle power plant in
Ghana. This has involved a visit to the plant to take proofs from witnesses, which was challenging, but truly brought the case to life!
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WHAT IS THE JOURNEY THROUGH THE FIRM ?
Kate Silverstein Senior Associate
At WFW, I’ve been involved in a wide variety of work. I recently assisted MSC Cruises with the delivery of a new luxury cruise ship, MSC Meraviglia . This is when the client takes possession of a vessel from a shipyard under a shipbuilding contract and becomes its legal owner. This was the culmination of a long-term transaction that had commenced a few years earlier when we assisted the client in the
negotiation of the shipbuilding contract and negotiated the export credit-backed loan facility agreement with a syndicate of lenders. At the delivery, it was important to follow pre-agreed closing steps closely to ensure that everything went according to plan as there were many parties with competing interests. This included the yard, which wanted to receive the purchase price, and lenders, which needed to ensure that any security over the vessel is registered. There was also pressure for the ship to be delivered on time, so that the official delivery celebrations could begin and the ship could set sail. Luckily, the delivery went smoothly and we then had a nice closing lunch on board followed by a tour of the entire ship, which was seriously impressive and included a bowling alley, multiple pools and an aqua park. The then President of France even attended the delivery ceremony to support the shipyard, as MSC Cruises announced that it was building four more vessels over the next 10 years.
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WHAT IS THE JOURNEY THROUGH THE FIRM ?
Lindsey Keeble Partner
After I completed my first two seats in the shipping finance department in London and Athens, I was convinced I wanted a career in shipping at WFW. The variety and cross-border nature of the work appealed to me, as well as working on high profile transactions in a team that is recognised worldwide as a leader in the field. Being a shipping lawyer at WFW, there are always fantastic opportunities to work abroad and I spent four demanding but enjoyable years in our Paris office running the English law practice. Due to the global economic crisis at the time, I was involved in complex restructurings of shipping finance loans for our clients; one such transaction involved advising the lenders on the implementation of a restructuring plan for loan facilities made available to an Italian tanker company, which required us to work quickly with our Italian colleagues to understand the impact of the relevant Italian legislation and how it affected the lenders’ rights.
I’m now back in London as the Sector Head of Maritime, which is an exciting and challenging role. Globally, the team continues to work on complex restructurings and always needs to keep abreast of the constant changes in the market such as private equity investors and new entrants providing debt finance. There is plenty of variety and deals to keep you busy.
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VACATION SCHEME
Our vacation scheme is the best way to familiarise yourself with WFW. The two-week placements are at our London office, either at Easter or during the summer. They give you a chance to experience the firm in more depth and us a chance to get to know you. To appreciate first-hand the kind of work trainees undertake day-to-day, you will work with associates and partners in one of our core practice groups for the whole period. To complement this focus on one area, you will also participate in a variety of training and social events designed to give you a good feel for the firm. These include informal lunchtime presentations to give you a broad understanding of all our different practice groups.
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The dates for our 2019 vacation scheme placements are: 1 – 12 April 10 – 21 June 8 – 19 July To apply please complete an application form on www.apply4law.com/WFW by 14 January 2019.
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WHEN DO YOU APPLY ?
For law students, the earliest point you can apply is in your penultimate year. For non-law students, the earliest point you can apply is in your final year. Non-law students spend a further year studying for a Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) before starting the Legal Practice Course (LPC). Graduates may apply at any time. In April 2017 the SRA announced that it would be introducing the Solicitors’ Qualifying Examination as a mandatory route to qualification for all future solicitors from a date not before 2020. There will, however, be some transitionary arrangements which mean that, provided you have at least started your law degree or your GDL by August in the year the SQE is first introduced, you will still be able to proceed with the current route to qualification.
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TOP 5 TIPS
1 Go beyond repeating back facts and figures about the firm.
2 Consider and explain your motivations for applying to WFW.
3 Be inquisitive. We don’t expect you to be experts just yet, but we admire those who are curious about finding out more about our work.
4 Tell us about the things you’ve done to further your interest in the profession.
5 Be yourself – on paper, at the assessment centre and during the interview.
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NOTES
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LONDON
Watson Farley & Williams LLP 15 Appold Street London EC2A 2HB Tel: +44 20 7814 8000 Email: UKTrainees@wfw.com Twitter: @wfw_UKTrainees wfw.com/UKTrainees
All references to ‘Watson Farley &Williams’ and ‘the firm’ in this brochure mean Watson Farley &Williams LLP and/or its affiliated undertakings. Any reference to a ‘partner’ means a member of Watson Farley &Williams LLP, or a member or partner in an affiliated undertaking, or an employee or consultant with equivalent standing and qualification. This brochure is produced by Watson Farley &Williams. The situation described may not apply to your circumstances. If you require advice or have questions or comments on its subject, please speak with your usual contact at Watson Farley &Williams.
© Watson Farley & Williams 2018
wfw.com/UKTrainees @wfw_UKTrainees
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