Start your career journey at Herbert Smith Freehills, a leading, full-service international firm that works on some of the most important cases and deals for the world’s biggest organisations.
THE FUTURE OF LAW IS HERE
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THE BROCHURE
INTRODUCTION
We are Herbert Smith Freehills, a leading, full-service international law firm that works on some of the most important cases and deals for the world’s biggest organisations. Our focus is on the future and we want you to be a part of it. As the world continues to evolve at an unprecedented pace, we are continuing to build a law firm ready to lead into the future. Defined by our inclusive culture and commitment to innovation, we will give you the platform and responsibility to make an impact from day one. We are inviting you to build your career, help lead us into tomorrow and shape the legal industry’s future.
OUR PEOPLE 14 INCLUSIVE RECRUITMENT 16 PEOPLE 20 CULTURE OUR WORK 22 WORK 23 INNOVATION 24 PRO BONO & CITIZENSHIP
01 INTRODUCTION 02 THE FUTURE OF LAW IS HERE
YOUR JOURNEY 04 CAREER JOURNEY 06 OPPORTUNITIES 07 DEVELOPMENT 08 BENEFITS 09 LOCATIONS 10 TRAINING CONTRACT 12 APPLY 13 ADVICE
Catherine Howard
TimWest
Chris Parker
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THE FUTURE OF LAW IS HERE
In this brochure, you will find everything you need to start building your future at Herbert Smith Freehills. For an in-depth, interactive experience of what life here is like, visit our website: careers.herbertsmithfreehills.com/uk/grads
CORPORATE TEAM OF THE YEAR THE LAWYER AWARDS 2019
MORE CHAMBERS RANKINGS THAN ANY OTHER FIRM LEGAL EVOLUTION 2019
BEST FOR COMMERCIAL DISPUTE RESOLUTION THE TIMES BEST LAW FIRMS 2018
ONE OF THE BEST EMPLOYERS FOR RACE BUSINESS IN THE COMMUNITY 2018
M&A TEAM OF THE YEAR (LARGE DEAL) BRITISH LEGAL AWARDS 2018
GLOBAL LAW FIRM OF THE YEAR INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTOR’S GLOBAL AWARDS 2018
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CAREER JOURNEY
At Herbert Smith Freehills, our exceptional lawyers come from a variety of backgrounds. We are committed to recruiting a diverse group of trainees and building on our inclusive culture. Our application and qualification processes are designed with this in mind. The infographic below outlines the steps you can take to start your journey to join our firm.
QUALIFY AS A SOLICITOR
THE SQE The route to qualification as a solicitor is changing from autumn 2021, with the introduction of a centralised assessment by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE), in place of the GDL and LPC programmes. We will continue to work with a consortium of other law firms, designing programmes which will prepare future trainees for the SQE, while ensuring they have the knowledge and skills required for practice in a City law firm. Future trainees can expect a fit-for-purpose programme that is improved and modernised in comparison to the current offering. It is currently proposed that we will ask prospective trainees to sit the SQE 1 assessment from November 2022 (a year after the introduction of the SQE by the SRA). LPC LEGAL INNOVATION MODULE You will learn about the cutting-edge technology affecting our industry and start developing an understanding of the fundamentals of project management, including elements of systems analysis and design thinking. Our aim is to prepare you to work closely with specialised teams within Herbert Smith Freehills to provide bespoke and innovative services for clients. SUPPORT We understand that life in a commercial law firm can seem daunting. That is why we provide you with plenty of support. Whilst still at law school, you will be invited to attend four training days at the firm, designed to support you in your transition from student to professional. Once you join, you will benefit from a two-week induction, department inductions at the start of each seat, trainee and partner mentors, regular feedback, plus extensive on-the-job support from associates and partners. All of our trainees attend a trainee development centre, a two-day course that develops on the soft skills you need to build relationships with clients as well as providing an opportunity to discuss your career aspirations:
SEAT ONE
SEAT TWO
SEAT THREE
SEAT FOUR
STUDY FOR YOUR GRADUATE DIPLOMA IN LAW (GDL)
SIT THE LEGAL PRACTICE COURSE (LPC)
JOIN THE FIRM
NON-LAW STUDENTS
LAW STUDENTS
ATTEND A FIRST YEAR WORKSHOP
BECOME A CAMPUS AMBASSADOR
JOIN A VACATION SCHEME
APPLY FOR A TRAINING CONTRACT
2-WEEK INDUCTION
128 HOURS LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT
REGULAR FEEDBACK
UNIVERSITY
PARTNER AND TRAINEE MENTORS
LPC INNOVATION MODULE
PLUS EXTENSIVE ON-THE-JOB SUPPORT FROM ASSOCIATES AND PARTNERS.
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OPPORTUNITIES & DEVELOPMENT
We have a number of opportunities for you to engage with our people and see what life looks like at our offices day-to-day. We want to offer you the chance to get to know us throughout your university career and our first year workshops and open days give you a taste of what our vacation schemes will feel like. Now that we are recruiting all our future trainees from our vacation schemes, we think it is helpful to give you an insight into what your future at Herbert Smith Freehills could look like.
All of our opportunities are open to students of any discipline with the exception of our Intellectual Property (IP), Cyber and Technology Open Day which is open to Science, Technology, Engineering, Electronics or Maths (STEM) students and graduates. For those who are unable to attend a vacation scheme, please get in touch with Anna O’Dwyer at anna.odwyer@hsf.com to discuss your individual circumstances, which we will consider on a case- by-case basis. FIRST YEAR WORKSHOPS Every spring, we run two workshops at our London office, which take place over two days. During this time, you will develop key skills through interactive activities run by highly experienced lawyers such as: • • Corporate negotiation workshop • • Alternative dispute resolution workshop • • An insight into our pro bono work • • Careers fair (at which you will meet partners, associates and trainees from each of our practice areas) • • Trainee work shadowing APPLICATIONS OPEN 1 January – 31 January 2020 (open to first-year students and second-year students on a four-year course). CAMPUS AMBASSADORS First-year students can apply to become a Campus Ambassador at their university during their second year of study. This invaluable experience gives further insight into the firm, preparing you for the vacation scheme application process, and involves: • • Planning activities and organising events • • Growing your professional and personal network • • Sharing information and amplifying our impact on your campus APPLICATIONS OPEN 1 January – 31 January 2020 (open to first-year students). WORKSHOP DATES Workshop one: 6 – 7 April 2020 Workshop two: 20 – 21 April 2020
OPEN DAYS Experience a personal introduction to Herbert Smith Freehills and experience what work and life is like as part of our world through two focused open days: Disputes and IP , Cyber and Technology . The Disputes open day focuses on our market-leading approach to complex disputes. The IP, Cyber and Technology open day involves interactive sessions that will show you the potential of your scientific and technological skills when applied to a legal career. Both days will give you the opportunity to meet our lawyers with similar academic backgrounds to you and discuss their experiences. Apply between: 16 September – 11 October 2019 (open to students of any discipline in any year). INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, CYBER AND TECHNOLOGY OPEN DAY 6 December 2019 Apply between: 16 September and 8 November 2019 (Open to STEM and computer science students and those involved in technology-driven projects in any year). DISPUTES OPEN DAY 26 November 2019
The responsibility you are given on a vacation scheme is challenging but so exciting. During my IP seat, I started an infringement analysis of a patent and had to outline my findings to a partner and senior associate. I felt like a valued member of the team even though I was only there for one week.
VACATION SCHEMES We recruit all our future trainees from our vacation schemes and every candidate has the opportunity to interview for a training contract. These schemes are designed to build and test the unique combination of skills and potential required to succeed at Herbert Smith Freehills. This will also enable you to become a better lawyer, build stronger connections with our team and hit the ground running when you start your career here. You will gain a deeper understanding of life at the firm and what your future could look like if you join us. Some key features include the opportunity to: • • Sit with a partner or a senior associate, delivering real work for key clients. • • Attend workshops and presentations covering all our practice areas. You will also spend time working on a pro bono research project. • • Apply to spend time in one of our international offices in addition to the London vacation scheme. This is a great opportunity to experience first-hand the truly global presence of our firm. • • Various networking events with partners, associates and trainees. • • A guaranteed training contract interview at the end of the scheme.
JESSICA ROSETHORN, TRAINEE
IT’S NEVER TOO EARLY TO START BUILDING YOUR FUTURE IN LAW
APPLICATIONS OPEN Winter (finalists and graduates): 16 September 2019 – 14 October 2019. Spring and summer (penultimate-year students, finalists and graduates): 16 September 2019 – 18 December 2019. SCHEME DATES Winter: 2 – 13 December 2019 Spring: 14 – 24 April 2020 Summer: 15 June – 3 July 2020 and 6 – 24 July 2020.
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BENEFITS
LOCATIONS
Our global network
UPON QUALIFICATION UP TO
FIRST YEAR SALARY
SECOND YEAR SALARY
£45k £50K £100K
INCLUDING SALARY AND BONUS
PERMANENT HEALTH INSURANCE
PRIVATE MEDICAL INSURANCE
EYE TESTS
CORPORATE GP SERVICE
ACCESS TO A MORTGAGE BROKER
25 DAYS’ ANNUAL LEAVE
CYCLE TO WORK SCHEME
International business permeates through almost everything we do. We could be acting for or against an international party, or the events in dispute might have taken place outside the UK or the case might be contested in foreign jurisdictions (or several jurisdictions). The nexus can range from Europe and the US, to the Middle East, Africa or the Former Soviet Union. I’ve even found myself in a courtroom in Tanzania.
GROUPS AFRICA INDIA IRAN ISRAEL LATIN AMERICA KAZAKHSTAN NORDIC UKRAINE
OFFICES BANGKOK BEIJING BELFAST BERLIN
LONDON MADRID MELBOURNE MILAN* MOSCOW NEW YORK PARIS PERTH RIYADH* SEOUL SHANGHAI SINGAPORE SYDNEY TOKYO
DENTAL INSURANCE
GADGET INSURANCE
TRAVEL INSURANCE
CORPORATE DISCOUNTS
BRISBANE BRUSSELS DUBAI DUSSELDORF FRANKFURT HONG KONG JAKARTA*
LIFE ASSURANCE AND CRITICAL ILLNESS COVER
SUBSIDISED RESTAURANT AND CAFÉ FACILITIES
RETAIL VOUCHERS
SUBSIDISED GYM MEMBERSHIP
JOHANNESBURG KUALA LUMPUR
AJAY MALHOTRA, SENIOR ASSOCIATE
PENSION CONTRIBUTIONS FROM HERBERT SMITH FREEHILLS
INTEREST-FREE SEASON TICKET LOAN
*Associated offices
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TRAINING CONTRACT
Our two-year training contract gives you the chance to start shaping your future and hone your skills in a range of practice areas – providing you with a broad-based training and ensuring that you are ready to become a qualified lawyer.
2 YEARS 4 SEATS
TRAINEE CASE
15 16 1 32 SECONDMENTS INTERNATIONAL CLIENT PRO BONO
TRAINEE CASE: VIRGIN & FLYBE Emily had just arrived back from a client secondment to join the Corporate team when they began advising long-term client, Virgin Atlantic, on its bid to buy rival airline Flybe as part of a wider consortium. Flybe’s status as a public company meant that it was subject to the UK Takeover Code and as with all public deals, the timelines were tight. BUT JOINING THE TEAM AT AN ESPECIALLY EXCITING TIME MEANT THERE WERE PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR EMILY. She was initially responsible for the due diligence process, combing over all the relevant information and communicating it to the other teams involved in the deal to help improve decision-making. She helped identify potential issues that needed to be resolved before they negatively impacted the transaction. As the takeover continued, it became clear that Flybe’s financial position meant it would be necessary to conclude the deal quickly and so the consortium bought all of Flybe’s assets as a private acquisition whilst the takeover continued. This gave Emily experience of both public takeover and private acquisition processes.
DIVERSE As well as ensuring that we recruit from a range of backgrounds, we take a roughly equal number of law and non-law students. This diversity of experience and perspectives allows us to develop creative solutions to
our clients’ problems. CHALLENGING
During your training contract, you will undertake over 128 hours of structured learning and development, from interactive workshops to a Professional Skills Course. A partner will mentor you as you progress through your training contract, and in each seat you will share your office with either a senior associate or a partner. PROGRESSIVE You will get the opportunity to submit seat preferences before every rotation, including before your first seat, enabling you to tailor your training contract to your specific interests. You can also discuss your preferences with our dedicated trainee HR team. If you are keen to develop client relationship skills and business growth strategies, you can join our entrepreneurial Trainee Business Development Committee (TBDC). The TBDC is a trainee-run initiative that empowers trainees to contribute to our business development strategies through networking with clients and building business development skills. GLOBAL Over 90% of our trainees go on either a client or an international secondment. There are also opportunities to qualify into one of our international offices. INNOVATIVE You will be directly exposed to the work we do and the way we do it. As well as harnessing the latest technology in the industry, some of our trainees are involved in creating those innovations that are changing the way we work. All our lawyers are able to apply for up to ten days per year to work on initiatives that drive innovation and create lasting benefits for the firm and our clients under our Innovation10 programme.
It was a fascinating deal to work on. Not only was it a combination of public takeovers and private M&A, but every step was reported in the press as we worked.
EMILY THOMAS, (VIRGIN & FLYBE) CORPORATE
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APPLY
ADVICE
Three simple steps:
PERSONALISE YOUR APPLICATION Tailor your application by conducting thorough research. Our brochure, website and social media channels are good places to start. You can then think about what stands out about us. The more you learn about us, our values and our areas of expertise, the more helpful it will be for your application: this proactive approach will demonstrate your motivation. REMEMBER, IT IS A TWO-WAY PROCESS Meet us at events, come to law fairs and get to know our people. Think about who you will be meeting in advance and what you would like to ask them. Our lawyers can give you a real insight into who we are, what we do and how we do it. This is your chance to get to know us in a more informal environment and find out whether we are right for you. If you realise afterwards you have some more questions, or are not able to meet us in person then visit the ‘Questions’ section on our website to ask questions that our ambassadors will answer. LINK EXPERIENCE TO LAW When talking about your experience, explain how the skills you have gained are relevant to a career in law – and to Herbert Smith Freehills specifically. Consider the way we work and the skills and abilities we look for to deliver high-quality services to our clients. WE ARE LOOKING FOR INDIVIDUALS We recognise and value the differences that make us unique. By embracing diverse views, we can provide our clients with innovative solutions. Be yourself throughout the application process and emphasise the qualities that make you stand out. SHOW YOUR POTENTIAL We are not looking for the finished product and we know that gaining legal work experience is increasingly difficult. What we are looking for is your potential to become a Herbert Smith Freehills lawyer. Demonstrate the transferable skills you have gained through the experience you have, legal or non-legal. PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT We use just one online assessment, designed to assess a number of key skills. You can find example questions on our website. We highly recommend you visit these to prepare for your assessment. CHECK AND DOUBLE-CHECK Before you apply, don’t forget to double-check your application for typos. We expect a high level of attention to detail.
COMPLETE OUR ONLINE APPLICATION FORM Tell us about your academic credentials, the skills you have gained from extra-curricular activities and work experience, and why you have the motivation and potential to become a great Herbert Smith Freehills lawyer. TAKE A BLENDED ONLINE ASSESSMENT Demonstrate your problem-solving and verbal reasoning skills, as well as your approach to scenarios relevant to the work at Herbert Smith Freehills. Don’t underestimate the importance of this stage: it is a strong indicator of good future performance as a Herbert Smith Freehills lawyer. You can find a practice test on our website to help you prepare. COME TO OUR ASSESSMENT CENTRE Our assessment centre comprises three elements that are designed to give you the opportunity to showcase your potential to be a future lawyer at Herbert Smith Freehills – you can find out more about what to expect on the day by watching the Engage with a case study based on work that our lawyers do at Herbert Smith Freehills, and present your thoughts to a partner. A SCENARIO-BASED INTERVIEW Demonstrate your ability to think on your feet when discussing with a partner how you would have approached a project they have worked on recently. A COMPETENCY INTERVIEW Discuss your motivation for a career in law at Herbert Smith Freehills and show you have the key skills to become a part of our team. assessment centre video on our website. A CASE STUDY INTERVIEW
QUERIES ABOUT ADJUSTMENTS
We are committed to working with all candidates to enable them to demonstrate their potential through our assessment process. If you have any disability-related queries or would like to have a conversation with our experienced team about adjustments, please contact:
Olivia Ponton at olivia.ponton@hsf.com or Anna O’Dwyer at anna.odwyer@hsf.com
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INCLUSIVE RECRUITMENT
HERE ARE JUST A FEW WAYS WE ARE LIVING OUR VALUES:
At Herbert Smith Freehills we celebrate the differences that make us unique. We understand the importance of building a culture that reflects and embraces the diversity of our people, our clients and the communities in which we do business. Embracing a diversity of backgrounds allows us to attract and retain the best talent. When our people bring their authentic selves to work and our teams harness diverse perspectives, we can provide the most considered and innovative advice to clients. Here are just a few ways we are working to recruit a diverse trainee cohort to further the firm’s values:
Our Women Lawyers and Women Trainee Lawyers networks both run events within our firm. Our Women Trainee Lawyers Network has also run a number of events on various university campuses across the UK. We are committed to achieving our gender targets in relation to increasing the proportion of women in the partnership and in key leadership roles. As of May 2019, 26% of our global partnership is women and 36% of those made partner this year were women.
GENDER
We are committed to improving access to the legal profession for all and we aim to ensure we give under-represented groups the chance to shine. We are proud to be ranked 15 in the top 50 UK employers by the Social Mobility Employer Index 2018. We sponsor the Rare Discuss programme for talented students from disadvantaged backgrounds who are interested in commercial law. Our partnership with Rare
Our Ability Network works closely with MyPlus Consulting to shape our workplace adjustments and ensure that everyone is supported in their role if they are affected by a physical or mental disability. We hold events for students with a disability through MyPlus and Aspiring Solicitors, where we explain the adjustments we can make to the assessment process to ensure everyone has equal access to our firm and to build confidence in talented students with a disability. We also run talks across multiple campuses to promote mental health awareness throughout the year.
ABILITY
Vantage also helps us to connect with exceptional candidates from lower socio-economic backgrounds. We use a contextual data system to allow us to understand the context in which a candidate has gained experience, so we don’t miss out on recruiting talented individuals. We also collaborate with Aspiring Solicitors to increase diversity throughout the legal profession through mentoring, coaching, workshops and application advice to students from lower
SOCIAL MOBILITY
socio-economic backgrounds. We have a dedicated Social Mobility Partner panel and we are also a founding member of PRIME, an alliance of UK law firms that aims to improve young people’s access to the legal sector.
We partner with Rare Recruitment who offer an introductory programme for top BAME students to the world of commercial law through ‘Articles’ and ‘Rare Foundations’. Our Roger Leyland Memorial Scholarship (in memory of Roger Leyland, the first black partner of the firm) provides exceptional black and minority ethnic students with a high level of financial support throughout their university studies, as well as work experience. We offer mentoring programmes for BAME future joiners and trainees and we have expanded on our relationship with Aspiring Solicitors to launch an industry-first mentoring scheme specifically for black students interested in a career in law. We will also be participating in the Aspiring Solicitors Culture event. We are a sponsor of Bright Network’s Black Heritage event, the University of Warwick’s Multicultural Scholars programme and The University of Cambridge’s MCL African-Asian Bursary. Outside of the UK, we offer penultimate-year law undergraduates studying at a university in India the opportunity to join our summer vacation schemes.
BAME
We have a market-leading and longstanding commitment to LGBT+ inclusion; we have been a Stonewall Top 100 Employer for the past 9 years, as well as a Top Global Employer. Our IRIS network co-founded DiversCity, a cross-firm organisation set up to encourage members of the LGBT+ community to apply to City law firms and to build confidence among these students. Each year we take part in an event to give students the chance to talk to representatives from some of the top firms about what it is like to be out in the City. We will also be participating in the Aspiring Solicitors’ Pride event this year and hosting our own insight day for aspiring LGBT+ lawyers.
LGBT+
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PEOPLE
See our world, through our eyes. Our ambassadors are here to give you an insider’s view into life at Herbert Smith Freehills. Working in different areas, at different stages of their career, you can see what their day-to-day life here looks like and how they got to where they are. Below you can see what they are focussing on this year.
NAOMI OFORI ASSOCIATE
AJAY MALHOTRA SENIOR ASSOCIATE
MY FUTURE FOCUS Giving associates a voice in how our firm grows. I’m re-launching the Associate Discussion Group (ADG). It is a forum for associate representatives from all of the London practice groups to provide feedback directly to the firm’s US/UK Regional Managing Partner. It gives associates a platform to influence the strategic issues facing our firm.
MY FUTURE FOCUS Making us the firm people call first in a crisis. Helping clients respond to a crisis involves going far beyond the traditional role of a lawyer. You need to advise on protecting your client’s reputation, its financial position, its relationships with government bodies and politicians, its employees and a whole range of other issues. We are already market-leading lawyers with a broad range of specialists. My focus now is on bringing them together to help guide our clients through their crises.
STEPHEN NEWBY PARTNER
ROSIE WATTERSON FUTURE TRAINEE
MY FUTURE FOCUS Building on an inclusive culture for students with disabilities and learning difficulties. to connect with students with disabilities and learning difficulties. I want to encourage students across the UK to attend firm events, and boost their confidence by highlighting Herbert Smith Freehill’s support and mentoring. I want to work with the Graduate Recruitment team and the Ability Network to explore new ways
MY FUTURE FOCUS Using the law to create a sustainable society. investment and incentive processes. It is an area of real focus for the industry and the regulators, so now is the opportunity to help frame that legislation and guide clients through it as it develops. My focus is developing our practice in sustainable investment work. That includes impact investment and the broader push for asset managers to incorporate sustainability measures in their
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PEOPLE
KINGSLEY BOATENG TRAINEE
RACHEL LIDGATE PARTNER
MY FUTURE FOCUS Harnessing new technology to improve our work. There is huge potential for disruptive technology to revolutionise the practice of law. I want to take advantage of initiatives such as Innovation10 to harness the potential of technology to transform the service we provide to clients.
My focus is on developing our digital law practice. We are already developing smart legal contracts, which include code as well as natural language. We have started automating contractual processes and in the future we will be able to improve the performance of our clients’ contracts by making them dynamic. This is the future of commercial law and we will need dynamic lawyers to make it a reality.
MY FUTURE FOCUS Developing our digital law practice.
JESSICA ROSETHORN TRAINEE
SCOTT WARIN ASSOCIATE
My focus is on showing STEM students how exciting a career in law is and demonstrating how the skills you gain from a STEM degree are of value when approaching legal problems. I strongly believe that a STEM background provides a great basis for a career in commercial law and STEM students are an integral part of the future of law.
MY FUTURE FOCUS Building the foundations of the career I want; whilst trying to make a difference in the process. As well as primarily focusing on developing my career as an associate and building the skillset necessary for success in the early stages of my career, I am also focused on making sure that diversity and inclusion go from strength to strength. I endeavour to do this by championing and advancing LGBT+ rights nationally and internationally through a number of projects that the firm is involved in, as well as internally at the firm.
MY FUTURE FOCUS Bringing more STEM graduates into law.
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CULTURE
Our diversity networks are at the heart of our firm and our Leading for Inclusion strategy. They are a vibrant part of our inclusive culture, influencing key decisions, educating teams and driving change through innovative events, campaigns and initiatives. Joining our networks unlocks a supportive group of role models and peers committed to creating a more diverse and inclusive profession – you will have the opportunity to be involved in some exciting projects from day one. Trainees are offered a partner mentor throughout their training contract and can ask to be paired with someone from a network of their choice. GENDER Leading the profession, we are proud of our progress in this space. Since setting our first gender targets in 2014, the number of women in our partnership has increased by over 50%. We recognise there is more to do, which is why we have recently set new bold and ambitious targets to have women comprise 35% of partners and partner leadership roles, by 1 May 2023. LGBT+ IRIS (our global network for LGBT+ colleagues and allies), connects and engages LGBT+ and ally colleagues across the regions, driving change and education across the firm. The network’s global chair, Justin D’Agostino, has been named in the Financial Times’ OUTstanding list of 100 LGBT+ executives every year since the list’s inception. We have been recognised as a top 100 employer for LGBT+ inclusion by Stonewall since 2016. We actively support a number of LGBT+ initiatives on a pro bono basis. We advise the Human Dignity Trust to help challenge anti-LGBT+ laws across the world and our associates have visited a number of countries to meet and advise local activists. In 2018, we became the first law firm to provide trans-inclusive private medical insurance. FAMILY We are committed to supporting all our people who have caring responsibilities. We provide enhanced parental leave pay and offer coaching for individuals returning from parental leave. Our Family Network fosters a community for colleagues with a range of caring needs and hosts educational seminars on parenting topics. ABILITY Our Ability Network is focused on supporting our people with long-term health conditions or disabilities, as well as those with caring responsibilities and has specific groups focused on topics such as Mental Health, Dyslexia and Autism. We teamed up with PurpleSpace to build disability confidence within the firm and beyond, offering a networking and professional development hub for individuals within our Ability group. We hosted a ‘Recruitment Roundtable’ with Autism Forward, focused on helping autistic people nd paid or voluntary employment and reach their full potential. ARMED FORCES Our Armed Forces Network raises awareness of the unique skills of those who have served in the military and is focused on striving to recruit people from a military background and influencing the firm’s policies to support those who continue to serve as reservists and their families. It creates collaborations with other UK military networks amongst our clients – strengthens relationships and shares best practice in this space. To best serve our clients – as well as ensuring that our recruitment process is inclusive and open to all – we continue to provide an open, dynamic and inspirational working environment.
MULTICULTURALISM Our global MulticulturalismNetwork supports our commitment to driving racial and cultural diversity in the firm and the sector more broadly, and hosts religious and cultural celebrations throughout the year, such as Africa Day, Chinese New Year, Ramadan and Black History Month. The Multiculturalism Network also invests in the recruitment and retention of individuals from diverse backgrounds through various initiatives such as hosting its annual “Multiculturalism in the City” student conference, contributing to NOTICED’s pioneering “Best Practice Report” and proudly sponsoring community fundraisers such as Black British City Group’s “City Generosity”. In the UK, we were recognised as one the best employers for race by Business in the Community 2018. This year, we will be mentoring students through Aspiring Solicitors and launching reverse mentoring programmes across regions. In Asia, we launched a video series exploring the importance of cultural diversity and new perspectives, including an interview with our Greater China Managing Partner. MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING Supporting our employees to prioritise their mental health and wellbeing is more important than ever. We have made a global commitment to enable this and launched an internal hub providing support across a range of areas, including physical, mental, financial, occupational and social wellbeing. We are committed to proactively supporting the mental health of our people, providing awareness sessions, specific training for those with people responsibilities and a mental health champion network (individuals across all areas of the business who are supported to provide effective sign-posting for their colleagues and to raise awareness and communication). This includes signing up to the Mindful Business Charter, an industry-wide collaboration between clients and firms to promote mental health and wellbeing. Two of our partners, Samantha Brown and Chris Parsons, were named in InsideOut’s inaugural list of senior leaders championing mental health within the workplace. SOCIAL MOBILITY We want our people to be proud of their background. We have a dedicated Social Mobility Partner panel and committee, responsible for driving our social mobility strategy. Our Social Mobility Network is focused on supporting individuals from all socio-economic backgrounds to progress through the firm and to share stories about their own backgrounds. We are proud to be ranked 15 in the top 50 UK employers by the Social Mobility Employer Index 2018.
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WORK
INNOVATION
As international leaders in multiple fields of law, we are continually working at the cutting edge of the issues shaping our world. We advise some of the world’s most influential organisations, undertake pioneering work on the biggest cases and deals and develop innovative approaches on international pro bono and citizenship initiatives. But whether it is the work we are doing or how we are doing it, we are continually redefining what the future of law will be. LAW, FROM THE INSIDE OUT On our website, you can discover in-depth case studies that examine our work from multiple angles, including text, videos and podcasts. To explore these ground-breaking matters from the perspective of the market and our people, go to the ‘Work’ page on our website. OUR FIELDS OF EXPERTISE • • Alternative legal services • • Business and human rights • • Capital markets • • Climate change • • Competition, regulation and trade • • Corporate • • Corporate crime and investigations • • Crisis prevention and management • • Cyber security • • Dispute resolution • • Employment, pensions and incentives • • Finance • • Financial services regulatory • • Impact investment • • Mergers & acquisitions • • Projects • • Real estate • • Restructuring, turnaround and insolvency • • Tax • • Technology, media and entertainment and telecommunications
THE FUTURE OF LAW IS HERE
As trusted advisors, we need to be ahead of the curve. At Herbert Smith Freehills, innovation is a key part of our global strategy and we are focused on building a progressive organisation ready to do truly pioneering work. THE WORK WE DO Our role as a leading, international law firmmeans we are often working on matters which require innovative minds. From technology to tax, you will work at the frontier of a wide variety of legal areas that break new ground. For example, Herbert Smith Freehills has a global Connected and Autonomous Vehicles Group that advises clients on the various business and legal issues arising from the development and commercialisation of emerging driving technology. Additionally, when working on high-stakes litigation, we offer a ‘Decision Analysis for Disputes’ service that uses specialist software to combine legal analysis and an evaluation of probabilities to help clients to quantify the risks inherent in their disputes and make informed, commercial decisions. We supplement this analysis with the ‘Solomonic’ database, which provides hard data and analytics of all the sitting judges in the Commercial Court. This allows us to advise on tactical decision making around the approach to a matter. THE WAY WE WORK The role of a lawyer is rapidly transforming and our lawyers are at the forefront of change. We are continually adopting new technology, building software in-house and defining new ways of working to provide a better service to our clients. We provide the focussed training our people need to harness new technology and thinking for our clients. We have developed our own software to help clients respond to data leaks quickly and reduce the financial impact of a cyberattack. One of our associates was also recently seconded to a major client to build Neota Logic Apps for their in-house legal team. In addition, our focus on digital law has led to a new client portal being created in collaboration with lawyers, technologists and clients. This portal is a customised, secure online space for our clients to confidentially access key information relating to live matters. We are currently piloting the portal with a small group of clients who volunteered as pilot participants. We always want to use time with our clients to better understand them and their business. With up-to-date billing information accessible anytime in just a few clicks, we are hoping that the Herbert Smith Freehills client portal will allow us to focus our client conversations on the issues that really matter to them. THE WAY WE THINK A key part of our strategy is to embed a culture of innovation and new ways of working across our business. As an organisation we are committed to embracing diversity of thought and empowering our people to challenge the status quo and develop pioneering practices. Innovation10 is a key example of this. This initiative allows our staff to spend 10 days a year working on innovation projects.
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PRO BONO & CITIZENSHIP
Whether it is a multi-jurisdictional pro bono legal matter, fundraising for a worthy cause, or working with our own supply chain to embed best practice, we focus on building relationships so that we obtain the best possible result for everyone involved. Our work was recognised this year with the firm winning the Pro Bono Award in the LexisNexis Legal Awards 2019.
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS Whether we are supporting a charity through fundraising, or providing mentoring or scholarship opportunities for disadvantaged high school students, we offer multiple ways to facilitate and support the relationships our people develop with community partners. SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS PRACTICES 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. Our sustainability strategy has four pillars: reducing our environmental impact, engaging our people in sustainability issues, leadership and supporting charities acting on climate change through our pro bono and community work. BUSINESS AND HUMAN RIGHTS As a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) we are committed to being a responsible business. As a participant in the UNGC, we are explicitly committed to respecting internationally-recognised human rights and to ensure that we are not complicit in human rights abuses through our supply chain and stakeholder relationships.
TRAINEE CASE
PRO BONO CONTRIBUTION LONDON 2019 £7.2m
TRAINEE CASE: BEAM Warren joined Herbert Smith Freehills as a trainee and began advising BEAM, the UK’s first online platform used to crowdfund employment training for the homeless. The project presented many complex legal and commercial issues, but for Warren, this made it all the more exciting. AS A TRAINEE, WARREN WAS HEAVILY INVOLVED IN KEY AGREEMENTS AND HELPED BUILD INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS TO HELP MAKE THE CONCEPT OF BEAM INTO A REALITY. Many of the problems he and his team faced lacked precedents, but this drove him to be creative in his approach to understanding the wider crowd-funding sector. This included drafting agreements with BEAM’s key stakeholders, producing pitches to potential investors and applying complex areas of company and charity law to BEAM’s framework as a technology start-up. Warren soon became one of BEAM’s main points of contact, attending board meetings and supporting negotiations with third parties, where he was able to flex his legal and client skills. Joining BEAM’s team was a great experience for Warren. He developed as a lawyer and made an impact with an organisation that has helped change lives. Warren qualified at the end of his training contract into our Corporate division and has been able to continue his work with BEAM in his role as an associate.
CONTRIBUTION
22,869 HOURSOF ADVICE
And while today’s business environment presents complex challenges, it is also an exciting time to be a responsible global professional services business. We are uniquely placed to respond to a range of needs that exist in the communities and regions in which we do business. We are rising to the challenges and opportunities of an interconnected world in which human rights abuses and climate change have the potential to affect every community. We are also committed to the process of creating a truly sustainable professional services business. Our initiatives fall broadly within the following four areas: PRO BONO LEGAL SERVICES All lawyers are encouraged to participate in the firm’s pro bono programme – whether internationally or closer to home, it is up to you which projects you get involved with. We focus on five key areas: access to justice, international development, social impact investment, not-for-profit advisory work and human rights (particularly anti-trafficking and anti-slavery).
Not only has this helped me to develop as a lawyer, but it has also been rewarding to be involved in such an impactful project.
WARREN WELLINGTON, (BEAM) – PRO BONO
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