Get the chance to go above and beyond at Herbert Smith Freehills, a truly international firm that offers exciting work with high-profile clients.
INTERNATIONAL GRADUATE CAREERS IN LAW SEARCH HSF GRADS
AND ABOVE BEYOND BE A PART OF EVERYTHING
CONTENTS
WHAT YOU’LL DO
04 06 08 10
A warm welcome
Service areas and sectors Where you could work
Prominent work Influencing the law
12 14 16 18
Pro bono and citizenship Culture, diversity and inclusion
Rewards and benefits
HOWYOU’LL LEARN
22 24 26 28 30
Your route to qualification Activities for first years Vacation schemes Your training contract
The skills and experience you’ll gain
MEET OUR PEOPLE
34 36 38 40 42
Damilola Onabowale
Laura Tyler
Steven Ramesh Rajavinothan
Anna Bewley George Clarke
HOWTOAPPLY
46 48
What we’re looking for Dates and deadlines
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AND THEINS OUTS WHAT YOU’LL DOAT HERBERT SMITH FREEHILLS
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WHAT YOU’LL DO
A WARM WELCOME We talk to our three graduate recruitment partners about what life at Herbert Smith Freehills is really like.
RUPERT LEWIS
Could you briefly describe your role at Herbert Smith Freehills? Mark: I’m a partner in our corporate division. I deal with a mixture of public and private mergers and acquisitions. Rupert: I’m a dispute resolution partner specialising in banking litigation. As well as a graduate recruitment partner, of course. Veronica: As well as taking care of graduate recruitment, I’m a competition partner, specialising in UK and EU competition law. What makes Herbert Smith Freehills different to other law firms? Mark: I’d say the culture of the place. We’re very open, very friendly and we give you a lot of freedom to choose your own development path and shape your own career. Our strength in depth across a whole variety of different fields means you can discover what you’re passionate about and specialise in it. Rupert: We rate individuality and diversity extremely highly. We’re not looking for clones – we’re looking for people with real strength of character and the ambition to achieve.
What excites you about coming to work? Veronica: That I never quite know what my day is going to be like! Even if I’ve got an idea of what I want to achieve, by the end of the day I’ll have ended up dealing with a new challenge, or even a new case. My area of law is constantly changing and it’s really fun when something totally new comes across my desk. Mark: I love working on big, high-profile transactions. It’s very exciting to see the relevance of the work you’re doing in the newspapers or on the 10 o’clock news. What made you choose Herbert Smith Freehills? Veronica: The interview process was really two-way. The partners were interested in what I could bring to the firm and I was interested in how I could contribute. Rupert: The people who interviewed me were smart, funny and self-effacing – it was a winning combination. Why should graduates choose Herbert Smith Freehills? Mark: You should choose Herbert Smith Freehills for yourself. It’s a great place to fulfil your own ambitions, better yourself and challenge yourself. It’s somewhere you can be everything you want to be.
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VERONICA ROBERTS
MARK BARDELL
Rupert: I’ve been at the firm for 16 years and, because of the people and the work, I still look forward to coming into the office each and every day. I can’t think of a better reason than that. If you could offer one piece of advice to graduates, what would it be? Veronica: Make sure you choose the law firm where you feel most comfortable. Mark: Be responsible for your own decisions. Try things out, see what interests you and decide what you want. Then, take ownership of your future and do what you need to do to get there. If you had to describe Herbert Smith Freehills What kind of people do law firms need more of? Veronica: More people with a genuine passion for the law who really enjoy using their problem solving skills to get the best possible results. Mark: An even greater variety of people rather than all being of a type and sitting in a particular cookie cutter shape. Only with this variety will we come up with the right answer for different clients in different places. in three words, what would they be? Veronica: Ambitious, international and approachable. Rupert: Ambitious, global and diverse.
What do you wish you’d known before you’d started your training contract? Mark: That I didn’t need to know everything on day one. What’s important is an understanding of how to research law and find an answer to particular problems. Veronica: I wish that I’d known how important it was to be yourself. There’s not one type here and in fact that’s why it works so well. If you hadn’t chosen a career in law, what would you have done with your life? Veronica: I would’ve been a violin teacher in the south of France. I used to teach violin as a part- time job at school and I’ve always loved French. Mark: I like to think that I would’ve been a novelist. I like reading and like to think that I could write a creative novel. In reality, however, I probably would have been a management consultant!
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WHAT YOU’LL DO
SERVICE AREAS AND SECTORS
As one of the world’s leading law firms, we advise many of the biggest and most ambitious international organisations across the globe. Our clients choose us for their most important transactions, disputes and projects because they trust us.
THE SERVICE AREASWE PROVIDE: Business and human rights Capital markets Competition, regulation and trade Corporate crime and investigations Corporate/M&A Crisis prevention and management Cybersecurity Dispute resolution Employment, pensions and incentives Finance Financial services regulatory Projects Real estate Restructuring, turnaround and insolvency Tax
THE SECTORSWEWORK IN:
Agribusiness Banks Consumer products Energy
Financial buyers Financial services Government and public sector Infrastructure Leisure and sport Manufacturing and industrials Mining Pharmaceuticals and healthcare Professional support and business services Real estate Technology, media and telecommunications
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INDUSTRY AWARDS AND RECOGNITION
We’re honoured to have had our work and people nominated for a host of professional awards in the last 12months.
Wewerenamed Global LitigationFirmofthe Year at the Who’sWho LegalAwards2016.
Threeof our lawyers havebeen shortlistedat the AmericanLawyer’s TransatlanticLegal Awards:ChrisParker for TransatlanticRising Star;ChristianLeathley for Transatlantic ArbitratoroftheYear; and RodFletcherandhis team for Innovatorof theYear.
We are inChambers Global 2016 Band1 global disputes league table, describingHerbert Smith Freehills as “a disputeresolution
powerhousethat consistentlytops therankingsacross theworld”.
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WHAT YOU’LL DO
26 OFFICES IN 20 COUNTRIES 485 AMONG 3,000 LAWYERS PARTNERS 5,116 EMPLOYEES WORLDWIDE
NEWYORK
With 26 offices in 20 countries around the world, we undertake a huge variety of international work. We offer our clients local insight and seamless cross-border service in all major regions and working with them means thinking and working globally. This means you’ll have the chance to work with our international teams in offices across Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East and the US, supporting major trade flows and helping clients thrive in the global economy. We have 22 international secondments available to trainees every six months across our extensive global network in places like Australia, Dubai, Hong Kong, Paris and Singapore. WHERE YOU COULD WORK
LATINAMERICAGROUP
HERBERT SMITH FREEHILLS
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NORDICGROUP
BELFAST
LONDON
BRUSSELS
MOSCOW
FRANKFURT
BERLIN
UKRAINEGROUP KAZAKHSTANGROUP
PARIS
BEIJING
SEOUL
DUSSELDORF
TOKYO
MADRID
IRANGROUP
ISRAELGROUP
DOHA
SHANGHAI
DUBAI
HONGKONG
RIYADH
INDIAGROUP
BANGKOK
SINGAPORE
AFRICAGROUP
JAKARTA
JOHANNESBURG
BRISBANE
PERTH
SYDNEY
MELBOURNE
Legal services are provided in Indonesia, in Jakarta, through Herbert Smith Freehills LLP’s (‘HSF’) association with Hiswara Bunjamin & Tandjung (‘HBT’). HSF and HBT are two independent firms that have a formal association in Indonesia.
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WHAT YOU’LL DO
PROMINENT WORK
Because we regularly advise our clients on high-profile matters around the world, a traineeship at Herbert Smith Freehills often means seeing your own work covered in the press.
FINANCINGFORVIRGINATLANTIC M&A FOR POLYUS GOLD
We advised long-standing client Virgin Atlantic on a secured bond financing deal that used the airline’s landing and take-off slot portfolio at HeathrowAirport as security for the debt – the first of its kind in Europe. It allowed Virgin Atlantic to raise finance on its own terms, opened up a new financing technique for the industry, and won Herbert Smith Freehills the Finance Teamof the Year honours award at The Lawyer Awards and Legal Business Awards.
We advised the independent directors of Russia’s largest gold producer, Polyus Gold International Limited, on a US$9 billion hostile takeover offer by Sacturino Limited (an affiliate of the company’s largest shareholder). It was the major public M&A deal in the mining sector for that year. The transaction involved our corporate teams in London and Moscow.
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A DEFERRED PROSECUTION
THE KINGDOMOF SPAIN
We acted for ICBC Standard Bank Plc as it entered into the UK’s first ever deferred prosecution agreement, one of the most significant corporate criminal cases for many years. A DPA is a voluntary agreement that suspends prosecution subject to the defendant’s compliance with the prosecuting authority’s terms. The case was one of the first in the UK to consider new Sentencing Council Guidelines for Corporate Offenders, and was hailed by David Green QC, Director of the Serious Fraud Office, as a “landmark” that will “serve as a template for future agreements”.
A cross-office team from London, New York and Madrid secured victory in the largest arbitration case in Spanish history, regarding alleged violations of the protections in the Energy Charter Treaty. This was an extremely important victory for Spain, which faces another 26 international arbitral tribunals based on similar facts. The lead partner was nominated as Transatlantic Arbitrator of the Year for his work on the case.
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WHAT YOU’LL DO
INFLUENCING THE LAW
The law isn’t static. And our people play a part in its continuous evolution as they offer advice to regulators and legislators in their areas of expertise. So we don’t just know the law inside out, we help to shape it and make it.
LEAVING THE EU
SEEING JUSTICE DONE
We set up a cross-practice task force 12 months before the referendum, looking into the likely legal implications of Brexit. As a result, we are very well positioned to advise our clients quickly on the impact of Brexit. We also worked with the Treasury and Law Society in the run-up to the vote; our CEO is a member of the Professional and Business Council set up by the Government to consider Brexit. We’ve shared our insights in a number of ways: a client briefing on the immediate impacts of Brexit on the morning after the vote; an in-depth publication analysing the legal implications for 20 different industry sectors; a series of webinars; and a hub page to keep clients up-to-date. We also continue to provide professional comment to the legal and national press. Members of our employment team sit on the Employment Lawyers Association Legislative and Policy Sub-Committee. They’ve put their expertise to work on government consultations in areas as diverse as EU directives on trade secrets and financial services regulations. Most recently they’ve worked with the Government’s Business, Innovation & Skills department on gender pay gap reporting. They’ve also been involved in changes to the structure of the employment tribunal system. ENSURING EQUALITY
As members of Commercial Court and Civil Justice Council working groups, we have been taking part in the ongoing debate over reforms to civil dispute resolution. This has included the high-profile Jackson reforms, plus more recent issues such as streamlining court procedure, introducing a specialist Financial List, and possible changes to the way applications for permission are dealt with. Our work has seen us consider the implementation of the reforms and their impact. We’ve also responded to key consultations and played host to client seminars featuring senior judiciary representatives, including Lord Justice Jackson himself. Our corporate and financial services regulatory teams have been involved in developing and shaping the newmarket abuse regime, through their membership of various City of London Law Society working parties and committees. As well as responding to various UK Government and EU consultations, our teams fed into a publicly available Q&A paper, which aims to help listed companies deal with the new requirements in the light of the new regime’s uncertainties. NEWMARKET ABUSE REGIME
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WHAT YOU’LL DO
PRO BONO AND CITIZENSHIP
Some of the most significant work we do is pro bono, on behalf of individuals, charities and national governments. Trainees at Herbert Smith Freehills have the opportunity to develop their skills and knowledge onmatters of global importance. Last year the value of our pro bono and citizenship contribution in London, including the time, financial and in-kind support, was approximately £3.3million, withmore than 15,000 hours of pro bono legal advice.
PRO BONO
COMMUNITY
Herbert Smith Freehills offers pro bono legal services to members of the public through our access to justice work with legal centres, and provides advocacy support ranging from first tier tribunals to the higher courts. Our International Development work sees us support governments of developing countries such as Sierra Leone, and our Human Rights work seeks to address humanitarian issues including forced labour and slavery. Meanwhile, our Social Enterprise work gives entrepreneurs the support they need to get their businesses off the ground.
In 2013 we launched the Roger Leyland Excel scholarship with Rare Recruitment, offering exceptional black and minority ethnic students financial support and practical help in accessing work experience opportunities at the firm from their first year at university. In February 2016, we were delighted to welcome two new scholars to the programme. We are a founding member of PRIME, a profession-wide initiative committed to providing high-quality work experience to young people from backgrounds under-represented in the legal profession. Thanks to support from across the firm, 160 students have now undertaken a placement with us. We host three placements a year, including a residential programme that has been specifically designed to support students living outside the reach of these opportunities to come to London to gain valuable work experience and to improve their soft skills. Our Networked Scholarship Scheme is an innovative five-year programme that offers experience, support and guidance to students from comprehensive schools in London. Every year, five new students from year 12 join the programme with the aim of becoming future business leaders.
£3.3M
SPENT ON PRO BONO AND COMMUNITY WORK IN LONDON DURING 2015
15,000
HOURSONPROBONOAND COMMUNITYVOLUNTEERING INLONDONIN2015
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HERBERT SMITH FREEHILLS
SUSTAINABILITY
GIVINGFREEADVICE
We recognise that we all have a part to play in ensuring that we balance our growth as a business with doing what we can to reduce our impact on the environment. We acknowledge our responsibility to ensure that our interactions with the environment are carefully managed, and that we minimise andmitigate any negative impacts from our activities. We seek to achieve this through a programme of continuous improvement, setting ourselves achievable objectives and targets. We are pleased to play an active role inmany business networks that are seeking to address the challenges of climate change and sustainable development. We are a founding member of the Legal Sustainability Alliance (LSA), an inclusive movement of law firms and organisations committed to working collaboratively to take action on climate change by reducing their carbon footprint and adopting environmentally sustainable practices.
We founded theWhitechapel Legal Advice Clinic in 2000. The goal is to provide high quality legal advice to residents of Tower Hamlets who can’t afford access to legal advice. It’s fast-paced and varied work, with each week bringing around six newmatters to tackle. That might mean drafting particulars of claim letters to employers, negotiating settlement agreements and acting as advocates in court. Whatever cases we take on, we see them through – and we’re the only City firm that does end-to-end pro bono case work in this way. For junior lawyers and trainees it’s a great way to learn and have the autonomy to run their own cases, with the support and guidance of more experiencedmembers of the team.
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WHAT YOU’LL DO
CULTURE, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
Our success as a world-class professional services business is built on a diverse and inclusive culture made up of high-performing teams and individuals. We are best able to serve our clients by attracting talent from every part of society.
RECOGNITION
NETWORKING GROUPS
We’re one of Stonewall’s Top Global Employers and a Top 100 Employer 2016
Our broad range of networks provide staff with an opportunity to strengthen their relationships with colleagues and clients through educational programmes, networking forums, speaker and panel events and workshops. Current networks includeWomen Lawyers, Women Trainee Lawyers, Women in Business Services, Multiculturalism, LGBT, Family, and Ability. InMarch 2013we set a 30%target for the promotion of women in our global partnership by 2019with an interim target of 25%by 2017. These targets are an important step in helping to create equal opportunities for bothmen andwomen aspiring to become partners. Gender targets are an important part of the firm’s overall approach to achieving greater gender diversity. We are a foundingmember of OnRamp – a programme that helps talented, experienced female lawyers return to private practice after a career break. Somewomenmay take a career break for personal reasons or family responsibilities, andOnRamp recognises the traditional challenges faced by female lawyers looking to return towork. OnRamp ‘fellows’ receive structured coaching and re-training to help support their return to practice. GENDER DIVERSITY
In 2016 we were named a Top 50 Employer for Women by The Times in partnership with Opportunity Now
We received the Transforming Cultures Award at the Gender Equality Awards 2016
Justin D'Agostino, Regional Head of Practice Dispute Resolution & Regional Managing Partner – Asia, was named LGBT Executive Sponsor of the Year 2016 at the Hong Kong LGBT Inclusion Awards
Sonya Leydecker, Chief Executive Officer, was named in City A.M.'s Power 100Women List
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WHAT YOU’LL DO
REWARDS AND BENEFITS Trainees receive a highly competitive salary, are eligible to join our bonus scheme, and receive a wide range of other benefits including...
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£8,000 GDL (LONDON) £7,000 LPC THE TOP THREE PERFORMERS ON THE LPC ARE ALSO GIVEN A PRIZE OF £1,000 EACH MAINTENANCE GRANTS: WE FULLY FUND ALL GDL AND LPC FEES AND OFFER THE FOLLOWING MAINTENANCE GRANTS TO ASSIST WITH LIVING COSTS: £7,000 GDL (ELSEWHERE INUK)
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WITH THE ABILITY TO BUY OR SELL UP TO FIVE DAYS DAYS’ ANNUAL LEAVE
PRIVATE MEDICAL INSURANCE
PERMANENT HEALTH INSURANCE
EMERGENCY DEPENDANT CARE
CORPORATE GP SERVICE
INTEREST-FREE SEASON TICKET LOAN HEALTH SCREEN AND DENTAL INSURANCE
CYCLE TO WORK SCHEME
TOTAL CASH POTENTIAL OF UP TO £90K UPON QUALIFICATION
£44K FIRST YEAR SALARY
£48K SECOND YEAR SALARY
CONFIDENTIAL EMPLOYEEASSISTANCE PROGRAMME
PENSION SCHEME
PROFIT-SHARE SCHEME
CHILDCARE VOUCHERS
RETAIL VOUCHERS
GIVE ASYOU EARN SCHEME
GYM MEMBERSHIP
TRAVEL INSURANCE
LIFE ASSURANCE
STAFF DISCOUNTS WITHOVER 1,500 RETAILERS
ANDCRITICAL ILLNESS COVER
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AND TODAY TOMORROW HOWYOU’LL LEARNWITH US
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HOW YOU’LL LEARN
YOUR ROUTE TO QUALIFICATION
Our trainees are the future leaders of our business, and providing themwith the learning and development they need is one of the most important things we do. We offer a varied training contract across contentious and non-contentious departments, and we give you the opportunity to submit preferences for the seats you’ll undertake on your journey to qualification. Follow this timeline to see how you can progress.
GETTING STARTED
ATTEND A FIRST-YEAR WORKSHOP Apply for a two-day workshop in your first year of university
BECOME A CAMPUS MANAGER
JOIN A VACATION SCHEME Apply in your penultimate year, final year or as a graduate
Apply to become a campus manager for your university in your first year and take on the role throughout your second year
Apply in your penultimate year, final year or as a graduate APPLY FOR A TRAINING CONTRACT
(non-law students only) Complete the GDL in London, Leeds or Manchester. We’ll pay your course fees and support you with a maintenance grant of £8,000 in London and £7,000 outside London TAKE YOUR GRADUATE DIPLOMA IN LAW (GDL)
Complete the 7.5month accelerated LPC in London. We’ll pay your course fees and support you with a £7,000 maintenance grant SIT THE LEGAL PRACTICE COURSE (LPC)
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A TAILORED APPROACH
INDUCTION
FIRST SEAT
SECOND SEAT
As well as a two-week general trainee induction, you’ll attend a departmental induction at the start of each seat. These inductions cover the technical requirements of the area of the firm you’re about to join
You will have submitted your preferences for your first seat before you join. You will also have had the opportunity to attend a careers fair at the firm to find out more about the different practice areas to help you decide where you would like to sit
YouwillmeetHR todiscuss your seat preferences prior to your second seat. This continues throughout your training contract, giving you theopportunity to tailor it as youprogress. During your training contract, youmust satisfy SRArequirements and gainexposure toboth contentious andnon-contentious elements of work. All traineeswill spendone seat in LondonCorporate andone in LondonDisputes QUALIFY AS A SOLICITOR Once you have completed the qualification process, you will join the relevant group as a qualified solicitor and attend the newly qualified associate induction, which will prepare you for the next step in your career. We will continue to invest heavily in your development as an associate and beyond
THIRD SEAT
FOURTH SEAT
If youhavenot alreadydone so, youwill have theopportunity to select finance, real estate or a specialist group, suchas employment, pensions and incentives or competition, regulationand trade, arbitrationor intellectual property. By your third seat youwill have alsoattended theTraineeDevelopment Centre, which is runby Learning and Development andwill ensure youget themost out of your training contract
The qualification process takes place during your fourth seat. If you have not already done so, you may get the opportunity to go on a secondment, either to a key client or to one of our international offices including Paris, Brussels, Dubai, Singapore, Hong Kong, Seoul, Tokyo or Australia
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HOW YOU’LL LEARN
ACTIVITIES FOR FIRST YEARS
It’s never too early to start thinking about becoming a brilliant lawyer. Get in touch during your first year of study and you’ll have a great opportunity to gain the skills you’ll need to apply successfully for a vacation scheme or training contract.
Attending a first-year workshop Every Spring we run two, two-day workshops at our London office, each for around 30 students. These are designed to give you an idea of what life at the firm is really like. You’ll hear from leading lawyers, take part in interactive workshops, discover the variety of the law we practise, and shadow one of our current trainees. Becoming a campus manager Our coveted campus manager positions are open to first-year students who go on to perform the role during their second year on campus. It’s a fantastic way to gain valuable work experience and find out more about the firm – plus you’ll earn £600 for the year. You’ll attend a training day at our London office, where you’ll meet the team and a number of partners, associates and trainees. You’ll be actively involved in putting together a campaign to promote Herbert Smith Freehills to your fellow students on campus – informing them about both the firm and the opportunities available to them.
We screen on a rolling basis so we advise you to get your application in as early as possible. CAMPUS MANAGERS Applications: 1 March – 21 April 2017 for students of any discipline FIRST-YEARWORKSHOPS 23 – 24 March 2017 12 – 13 April 2017 Applications: 1 – 31 January 2017 for students of any discipline
EVERYTHING
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HOW YOU’LL LEARN
VACATION SCHEMES
A vacation scheme at Herbert Smith Freehills is a chance to decide if the legal profession, and our firm, is the right choice for you.
On our vacation scheme you’ll sit with a partner or an associate and do real work for real clients. You’ll attend workshops and presentations that will give you an insight into the depth and breadth of our service areas. On top of that, you’ll be invited to a range of formal and informal social events where you’ll have the opportunity to network with other vacation scheme students, partners, associates and trainees. You’ll be paid £400 per week for the time you spend with us, and at the end of your scheme you’ll be interviewed for a training contract. International schemes We’re able to offer truly global work experience. So, if you accept a place on our spring or summer vacation scheme, we’ll give you the opportunity to spend a fortnight in one of our other offices. You can choose from Sydney, Melbourne, Brussels, Hong Kong, Madrid, Paris, Shanghai, Singapore or Tokyo.
SUMMER AND SPRING VACATION SCHEMES We welcome applications from: • students who are in their penultimate or final year at university • all graduates
WINTER VACATION SCHEMES
We welcome applications from: • students who are in their final year at university • all graduates
SCHEME DATES AND APPLICATIONWINDOWS Winter scheme: 5 – 16 December 2016 Apply between 1 – 31 October 2016 Spring scheme: 27 March – 7 April 2017 Apply between 1 October 2016 – 6 January 2017
Summer scheme 1: 19 June – 7 July 2017 Summer scheme 2: 10 July – 28 July 2017
For either scheme apply between 1 December 2016 – 6 January 2017 We screen on a rolling basis so we advise you to get your application in as early as possible.
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“I ENJOYED THE SHADOWING EXPERIENCE THE MOST – I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO PARTICIPATE IN A PHONE CALL BETWEEN A PARTNER AND A BARRISTER ON AN EMPLOYMENT DISPUTE. THE FACT THAT I WAS ENCOURAGED TO MAKE CONTRIBUTIONS WITH MY KNOWLEDGE FROM CONTRACT LAW MADE THE EXPERIENCE VERY ENGAGING.” Raza Nazar, first-year workshop participant 2016
BEAPARTOF
HERBERT SMITH FREEHILLS AROUND THE WORLD
26 20 OFFICES COUNTRIES
GLOBAL HEADCOUNT 5,116
485
PARTNERS
INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED GLOBAL CORPORATE AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION GROUPS
OUR RECENT MARKET RECOGNITION
BAND 1 GLOBAL DISPUTES FIRM IN THE CHAMBERS GLOBAL 2 0 1 6 R A N K I N G S
WINNER FINANCE TEAM OF THE YEAR AWARD AT THE LAWYER AWARDS 2016 GLOBAL LITIGATION FIRM OF THE YEAR AT THE WHO'S WHO LEGAL AWARDS 2016
*NUMBER 1 TRUSTED ADVISER FOR FTSE 100 COMPANIES
*Source: Lawyer.com 18 December 2015
OUR IMPACT IN DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
PROFESSIONAL NETWORKS FOR
WOMEN LAWYERS, WOMEN TRAINEE LAWYERS, WOMEN INBUSINESSSERVICES, MULTICULTURALISM, LGBT, FAMILY, AND ABILITY
15,000 PROBONO CITIZENSHIP HOURS OF PRO BONO LEGAL ADVICE GIVEN LAST YEAR
30 %
GENDER TARGET FOR THE PROMOTION OF WOMEN IN OUR GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP BY 2019
LOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR CAREER AVAILABLE TO TRAINEES EVERY SIX MONTHS INTERNATIONAL SECONDMENTS 22
OVER 90%
OF OUR TRAINEES GOON EITHER A CLIENT OR INTERNATIONAL SECONDMENT
128
HOURS OF LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS PLUS PRACTICE GROUP INDUCTIONS
£44k £48k £90k
FIRST YEAR
SECOND YEAR
TOTAL CASH POTENTIAL UP TO
UPON QUALIFICATION
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A VIEWFROM THE FLOOR
AbrahamWhitworth Vacation Scheme Student
Bristol University, studiedHistory I spoke to a lot of people and I was treated like a real colleague. I was expecting the scheme to be hard work, and it was, but we didn’t work ridiculous hours. We just made sure to get there nice and early and stayed as late as there was work for us to do. I got a real taste of what the actual job would be like. There’s a real mixture of work. I did a lot of research tasks but I know from speaking to other vacation scheme students that they were given a lot of drafting. I was given quite open tasks to do – like digging out contextual information to inform the work of a whole team. I was surprised how relevant academic law is to real work. There were lots of times when you had to look into case law when you were dealing with a client’s problem. It manifested itself in lots of different ways. You get out what you put in. This is the best opportunity you get tomake an impression on the firm, so getting involved is important. My advice is to keep saying yes to everything – whether it’s going to a meeting or going for lunch.
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HOW YOU’LL LEARN
YOUR TRAINING CONTRACT
Our two-year training programme gives you the opportunity to develop skills across a range of service areas – rotating through four, six-month seats in different practice groups.
INTERNATIONAL SECONDMENTS 22 18 CLIENT SECONDMENTS 2 YEARS 4 SEATS BE IN A TEAM WITH SOME OF THE WORLD’S BEST LAWYERS
Once you’ve accepted your offer, you’ll be invited to attend events and networking days at the firm before you start. You can apply for a discretionary grant to fund further study or volunteer Over 90% of our trainees go on either a client or an international secondment. You’ll spend time in corporate and dispute resolution and could also choose to experience finance, real estate or a specialist service area like employment, pensions and incentives, competition, regulation and trade, tax or intellectual property. You’ll discuss your seat interests with our HR team before you join, so we can make sure we give you a training contract that’s perfectly tailored to your particular career aspirations. As a trainee, you’ll be a valued member of the team straight away, working alongside some of the world’s best lawyers and directly contributing to the success of our clients. work. You may even be able to undertake paralegal work here.
OVER 90%
RETENTION RATE UPON QUALIFICATION
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HOW YOU’LL LEARN
THE SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE YOU’LL GAIN Everybody at Herbert Smith Freehills plays a part in our success, and to get the best out of our people, we support them at every stage of their career.
YOUR EXPERIENCE
YOUR TRAINING
You’ll be given a wide variety of challenging work across a broad range of service areas. You’ll work alongside some of the world’s best lawyers, who will guide and support your development. On top of that, you can take part in our integrated client business development programme, which will see you allocated a specific client for the duration of your training contract, working with the client relationship teamon objectives, research and events.
At the start of your training contract you’ll take the Professional Skills Course exam. The course will be delivered by the University of Law covering subjects like advocacy and communication, financial and business skills, client care and professional standards. In your second seat, you’ll benefit from a programme delivered by our Trainee Development Centre. This covers subjects like professional profile building, influencing skills and project management. You’ll also have access to one-to-one coaching throughout your time at the firm.
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YOUR FEEDBACK
YOUR MENTOR
We make sure you’ll get regular feedback from the people you work with as you progress through your seats. In addition, you’ll have formal mid and end-of-seat performance reviews.
Before you start your training you’ll be assigned a mentor who will be your point of contact while you complete your legal studies. Once you join the firm, a partner mentor will advise you throughout your training contract. As a trainee, you’ll also share an office with a senior associate or partner supervisor with whom you’ll build a strong relationship and get help from, whenever you need it.
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AND HEARTS MINDS MEET THE PEOPLE YOU’LLWORK ALONGSIDE
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MEET OUR PEOPLE
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TRAINEE, DURHAMUNIVERSITY STUDIED LAW DAMILOLAONABOWALE
I needed to work somewhere I’d be challenged and stimulated. Sometimes at Herbert Smith Freehills I feel like I’m a bit out of my depth, but that’s a good thing. It’s pushed me to discover things about myself and what I’m capable of. I wanted to work where I’d feel comfortable about who I am. Herbert Smith Freehills has blown my mind with the initiatives it has. Some of my friends and I are planning the next Multiculturalism in the City event – talks from high-performers about what being from a minority background has meant to them. I plan on staying with the Black Asian Minority Ethnic (BAME) initiatives as my career goes on – it’s important to me, and something I really enjoy doing. I’ve had the chance to mentor candidates through their applications. The firm held a competition called Above and Beyond and the winner, who subsequently won a trip to Australia, was one of my mentees. That was a real high point for me. Being able to connect with people like that, and have that kind of positive effect on their lives, is just amazing.
You need to make the most of the opportunities available to you. I studied French at A level, so I’ve got involved in conversation classes with children from the local school and I’m taking classes to build on my own proficiency. All of this is organised by Herbert Smith Freehills. I don’t know of another firm that does it. I want to develop into an outstanding technical lawyer. I’m half-way through my second seat and I’m not 100% sure what I want to do when I qualify, but I work hard to leave a good impression on every department I pass through. Excelling doesn’t mean being better than everyone else – it means delivering the best quality of work you can, regardless of what it is you’re working on.
HERBERT SMITH FREEHILLS HAS BLOWN MY MIND WITH THE INITIATIVES IT HAS
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MEET OUR PEOPLE
TRAINEE, UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE LAURA TYLER
STUDIED FRENCH AND SPANISH
YOU CAN PICK UP ON SOMETHING YOU WANT TO LEARN AND REALLY GO AFTER IT to ask lots of questions because people don’t expect you to knoweverything on your first day. I can’t express howmuch support you get; the constant collaboration makes everything somuch easier – you can pick up on something youwant to learn and really go after it. I’mgoing to spendmyfinal seatworking in our Singapore office before I hopefully qualify into corporate. I’m really excited about experiencing life in Singapore and about working in one of the firm’s overseas offices. I wish I’d known not to be scared. I was very nervous when I started, but it’s natural
I did languages at university and I initially thought I might want to go into PR or marketing. But then I spent a year working in themarketing teamat a lawfirm in Paris and thought, why domarketingwhen I could beworking on the deals?My parents are lawyers, so I guess it runs in the family. Because I did languages everyone said I’d be reallywell suited to international arbitration, but I’ve actually enjoyed the transactional workmore since I got here. There are always things going on that I want to get involved in. I was interested in an event being held at the firmas part of the workwe do for theGovernment of Sierra Leone, so I volunteered to help organise and threwmyself into it. I dealt with the logistics and programming, andwas one of the only trainees there on the day. It wasmy first networking event and I got some great feedback onmy contribution. Onmy disputes seat I spent sixmonths preparing for a trial, working on every step of the process. In the last week, the company on the other sidewent into liquidation and suddenly it was all hands on deck to settlewith the liquidator. It was very exciting – the end of this huge case I’d been working onwas suddenly in sight, with the best result for our client in the offing. It was a great way to finish off in that seat.
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MEET OUR PEOPLE
TRAINEE, UNIVERSITY OFWARWICK STUDIED PHILOSOPHY, POLITICS AND ECONOMICS STEVEN RAMESH RAJAVINOTHAN
I really enjoy debating, and I wanted a career path where I could use my analysis and advocacy skills. Having the opportunity to work at a firmwith an in-house advocacy group was a big draw for me. Yes it can be a challenge but the support is fantastic; I feel like I can always talk to my peers and to my supervisors, who are excellent. Some of them have won awards in their field and they’re all very approachable and likeable. One of them said to me early on that I should never feel worried at work because whatever happens, between the two of us or with the help of someone else at the firm, we’ll find the answer. You become very close to people in your department. Although you hope to be friends with your fellow trainees – and we meet up a lot socially – you get to know people you work with very well. Strong relationships are struck up between people at all levels of seniority.
I’d like to go on an international secondment. It’s a fantastic learning experience, and a great chance to meet people from other offices. On a personal level I’ve never lived abroad, so it would be something I’d really enjoy. You get responsibility very early on. You hear this kind of thing a lot, but it was still a pleasant surprise. If you show genuine interest in a particular area, you’re given the opportunity to run with it, even if it’s something that would usually be handled by an associate. This could be drafting a witness statement, or project managing a big transaction, or contacting a client directly. I feel as though I’ve learned a huge amount; it’s been a privilege.
THE SUPPORT IS FANTASTIC; I FEEL LIKE I CAN ALWAYS TALK TO MY PEERS AND TO MY SUPERVISORS, WHO ARE EXCELLENT
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MEET OUR PEOPLE
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ANNA BEWLEY
TRAINEE, UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS STUDIED LAWWITH EUROPEAN LAW
When I was growing up, I wanted to be an actress but I wasn’t the best singer or dancer and thought you needed all three. I thought it would be a good idea to get an academic degree behind me because when I was applying for uni I had good grades. I first became interested in law as a career when I went along to career events at uni and then I got on really well with the people I met during my vacation scheme at Herbert Smith Freehills. So that’s how I ended up here. I did four vacation schemes before I decided I liked Herbert Smith Freehills. You don’t have a clue what a firm is like before you go there, so I’d encourage anyone to do the same. In the end you get a gut feeling – about the people on the scheme and the lawyers themselves. I felt happy and at ease here, like I could really be myself. You’re not expected to know everything on day one. I think everyone puts a lot of pressure on themselves, but getting good at this job depends on learning and gaining experience. You have a lot of opportunity to learn from all the people around you, and to connect with people all over the world.
I FEEL HAPPY AND AT EASE HERE, LIKE I CAN REALLY BE MYSELF on the importance of mental health and wellbeing, and I was encouraged to develop the idea myself. We worked with the Guide Dogs charity to create an event, with people booking time to spend with puppies. It was a lovely day… a bit mad, but everyone really enjoyed it. People might expect a law firm to be very corporate, but Herbert Smith Freehills is a place where you have the freedom to organise something like that. I’m going on international secondment to Paris. The secondment opportunities at Herbert Smith Freehills were really appealing when applying, so I am very excited to become a Parisienne for six months! I’ve just organised a Guide Dogs in the Office day with an associate in my current group. There’s a real focus here
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MEET OUR PEOPLE
GEORGE CLARKE
ASSOCIATE, UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE STUDIED LAW
I’ve always been interested in puzzles and working with other people to solve problems. I studied a wide range of subjects at school, but I knew that I wanted to work in the City and law was the profession that appealed to me the most. It’s important to make a strong commitment to the law and to Herbert Smith Freehills. The firm provides excellent legal and technical training, but the hours can be long and if you just fall into it you’re likely to resent it. The key is to be enthusiastic and to try and speak to as many people as possible. The firm provides a huge number of opportunities, whether it’s with pro bono work, client or overseas secondments; it’s your responsibility to take advantage of these and tailor your training contract to suit your interests and ambitions. I get great satisfaction when a deal completes. Everything you’ve worked on for the last fewmonths comes to an end and something truly tangible has come out of it. It’s a very rewarding feeling. I spent most of my qualification leave sailing across the Atlantic. I went from a glass office in London to 26 days of nothing but blue sea and blue sky. It gave me time to reflect on my training contract and the next stage of my career.
I’m about to transfer to our Tokyo office. It’s going to be a totally new experience. I want to immerse myself in a new culture and find out how different working life is. It’ll also be a chance for me to develop my corporate expertise across a number of countries and continue my transition from trainee to associate.
IT’S IMPORTANT TO MAKE A STRONG COMMITMENT TO THE LAW AND TO HERBERT SMITH FREEHILLS
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AND ONWARDS UPWARDS HOWTOAPPLY
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HOW TO APPLY
WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR
Complex cross-border deals. Amarket-leading disputes division. International secondments. If you’re ready to be a part of it all, we’re looking forward to hearing from you.
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GOTWHAT IT TAKES?
HOWTOAPPLY
You don’t need to have studied law to apply – we recruit from a whole range of academic backgrounds. What we’re after is exceptional people with the desire and ability to become truly brilliant lawyers. There’s more to that than just a great academic record – like perceptiveness, empathy and diligence. And there’s the drive to not only experience everything, but to be a part of it.
it is about your life experiences that makes you a good fit for Herbert Smith Freehills. We’re looking for individuals. We don’t have a fixed idea about what a trainee should be ‘like’. It’s very important at Herbert Smith Freehills that people feel as though they can be themselves, so we try and bring that out in the application process. Remember to relax and be yourself. And don’t forget to look for typos! Check and double check before you apply. Our application process is simple and quick. It involves just three steps. 1. Complete a simple application form–we want to knowyour academic credentials, language skills, work experience and what you do in your spare time. 2. Take an online verbal reasoning test. 3. Visit our assessment centre. You’ll take part in a group exercise, be interviewed, and tackle a case study exercise. You’ll also have the opportunity to tour our offices, meet some of our trainees, and have lunch with a senior partner.
MAKING A GREAT APPLICATION
Emma Clements Senior Graduate Recruitment Adviser Themost important thing in an application ismotivation. Make it clear why you want to work for Herbert Smith Freehills, andmake sure everything in your application supports this. Applications that seem generic – as though they could be submitted to any firm – are a red flag. Learn about us, our values and our background in advance. Remember it’s a two-way process. Think about who you’ll be meeting and what questions you could ask them. This is your chance to get to know us andmake sure the firm is right for you. Asking partners about their experiences can give you a real insight into what might be in store for you here. Remember to practise the online test. It’s just one test, but it’s designed to assess your verbal reasoning, so it’s important that you do well. There are plenty of practice papers available on the internet for you to familiarise yourself. Extra-curricular interests are of real interest to us. We want to know about what you’ve experienced and what you’ve learned from it. But remember to keep it relevant – rather than a long list of accomplishments, we’re looking for what
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COMPLETE OUR APPLICATION FORM TAKE AN ONLINE VERBAL REASONING TEST COME TO OUR ASSESSMENT CENTRE
We screen on a rolling basis so we advise you to get your application in as early as possible.
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HOW TO APPLY
DATES AND DEADLINES
We value inclusivity, fairness and equality, so if you need any adjustments made to enable you to participate in the recruitment process, please contact Mary Carpenter or Annabel Hale from the graduate recruitment team at mary.carpenter@hsf.com or annabel.hale@hsf.com
TRAINING CONTRACTS Applications open (finalists and graduates only) 1 October 2016 – 6 January 2017 Assessment centres: (finalists and graduates only) November 2016 and January – March 2017 Applications open (penultimate-year students, finalists and graduates)
FIRST-YEARWORKSHOPS 23 – 24 March 2017 12 – 13 April 2017 Applications: 1 – 31 January 2017 for students of any discipline VACATION SCHEMES Winter scheme (finalists and graduates only): 5 – 16 December 2016 Apply between 1 – 31 October 2016 Assessment centres: November 2016 Spring scheme (penultimate year students, finalists and graduates): 27 March – 7 April 2017 Apply between 1 October 2016 – 6 January 2017 Assessment centres: November 2016 and January – March 2017 Summer vacation schemes (penultimate year students, finalists and graduates):
1 June – 31 July 2017 Assessment centres: July – August 2017
CAMPUS MANAGERS 2017–18
Apply between 1 March – 21 April 2017
We screen on a rolling basis so we advise you to get your application in as early as possible
Summer scheme 1: 19 June – 7 July 2017 Summer scheme 2: 10 July – 28 July 2017
For either scheme apply between 1 December 2016 – 6 January 2017 Assessment centres: November 2016 and January – March 2017
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