Open plan office, team nights out and annual ski trip set the tone, RPC rookie tells Legal Cheek Careers

Jonathan Greenway, a second seat trainee in RPC’s tax litigation team believes that students don’t always pay sufficient attention to the culture of individual law firms. In particular, the interaction between those at junior and senior levels is “incredibly important”, to the extent that “everyone should take it into account when they apply for a training contract”, he says.

Often wannabe trainees think about work hours, international opportunities and salary rates before they consider partner approachability.

Greenway (pictured above) was no different. “I must admit, partner approachability wasn’t something on my radar,” he says of his time applying for training contracts. Instead he targeted RPC on the basis of its “excellent reputation in litigation and the fact that it’s such an innovative firm”. Since then partner approachability has become more closely analysed, with RPC one of a handful of firms to score an A* in the Legal Cheek Trainee and Junior Lawyer Survey.

Now Greenway, a History graduate from Oxford University, is of the view that he wouldn’t have had the opportunities he’s enjoyed if it wasn’t for the ease with which he could approach his superiors. In his first weeks as a trainee, he was doing mediation work and asked a partner to help him untangle a complex aggregation issue. This led to an invite to come along to the mediation itself, which led to more invites. He explains:

I showed an interest because I felt the partner was friendly and engaging — perhaps I wouldn’t have pursued these interests if I didn’t feel that the partners were approachable.

To get the most out of your training contract, Greenway advises trainees to approach partners to ask for work that reflects their interests. No doubt the progressive open plan office and mixed pods system at RPC has a part to play in enabling this level of interaction.

Personally, Greenway says he likes it: “You can learn a lot from a lot of people”. The open plan offers a “flat hierarchy”, where everyone “is in there together” and “can see what everyone is doing at all levels” in the firm. You get to brush shoulders with “different people at all times”, and this is a useful opportunity to learn on the job.

Within this setup partners are “a direct touch stone”. The best pieces of advice that an RPC partner has given Greenway are “to be a consummate professional at all times”, and to “be switched on and engaged”. Greenway adds:

Not everyone will trust you with complicated work, so show interest and do your work with enthusiasm, and you’ll be given better work in the future.

He also urges future trainees to “take care of whatever work is given to you because it’s always important to someone”. No doubt the shared office helps trainees to listen in on partner’s words of wisdom.

That’s not to say that the open plan system doesn’t present its challenges. Greenway says “you’re a visible resource” at all times and “always available to take tasks, so the challenge is managing work load”. This can be more difficult when you “want to get your head down and do a solid few hours of work”.

But the perks outweigh the downsides. Partners are “very happy” to give feedback on an “informal basis” and “invite questions”. Greenway says that he regularly meets his supervising partner for a coffee to review his work. Trainees also go for lunch with partners and there’s even a drinks trolley that comes round the office once a month.

The fun doesn’t stop at the office. This year Greenway got the chance to go to London’s swanky Hilton hotel for the Tolley’s Taxation Awards, where he enjoyed a four course meal with the partners and then went out with them to celebrate winning an award.

Greenway somehow bagged himself the opportunity to organise the firm’s annual skiing trip this year, which includes trainees and partners alike. He says that where they’ll be jetting off to is “still under negotiation” but that he’d like to go back to Italy, where they hit the slopes last year. They even had party goodie bags that included “face paint, neon pink costumes and glow sticks”. If this doesn’t make partners more approachable back at the office, we don’t know what does!

Greenway adds that one day he’d like to become a partner himself and reports that the RPC partners have provided him with a “wealth of inspiration”. He says that the partners don’t conform to a particular type and that this just goes to show that “you can reach the top and still be yourself — you don’t have to fit the cookie cutter mould”.

Get an insight into the life of RPC trainees through their uncensored Twitter account, @LifeInALawFirm.

Cocktail making with the vac schemers. Lesson 1: mojito… (?) #ripuptherulebook pic.twitter.com/a3zF5SbvsD

— Life in a Law Firm (@LifeinaLawFirm) July 4, 2017

RPC’s training contract application deadline is on 31 July. Find out more.

About Legal Cheek Careers posts.

The post How approachable partners can make all the difference during your training contract appeared first on Legal Cheek.

Grass skirts at the ready

An invitation to a “Hawaiian themed” beach party, purportedly from the attorney general and solicitor general, has surfaced online.

The email invite — which we were able to screenshot below thanks to Guido Fawkes — says the “Summer Beach Party” will be taking place next Monday at “the Law Offices”.

Two government lawyers are mentioned on the invite. They are attorney general Jeremy Wright QC, whose elevation to the post in 2014 was met with plenty of ‘who the hell is he?’ remarks. Wright — as the government’s trusty legal advisor — recently fought tooth and nail to defend the Tories’ position on Brexit in the well-publicised Miller case. He lost.

Also appearing on the invite — which, excitingly, includes what looks like the top of a limbo pole — is Robert Buckland QC. The criminal law barrister juggles a career in law with a career in politics: he is a door tenant at London’s 23 Essex Street Chambers and MP for Swindon South. Most notably for Hawaiian party purposes, Buckland is solicitor general for England and Wales. Neither Wright nor Buckland has responded to our request for comment.

Though government lawyers are not the sort of people we imagined frolicking around in grass skirts and lei garlands, we hope they have an excellent time at their summer party. Looks like Madge the Jack Russell, a barrister’s dog spotted at this year’s London Pride, is already ready to go:

#LegalPride Your Ladyship is right, as always. pic.twitter.com/ExJlbwBXOQ

— Andrew Langdon QC (@westcrct) July 8, 2017

Presumably Legal Cheek’s invite will arrive shortly.

For all the latest commercial awareness info, and advance notification of Legal Cheek’s careers events, sign up to the Legal Cheek Hub.

The post Attorney General to throw Hawaiian ‘Summer Beach Party’ at government law offices appeared first on Legal Cheek.

Pissed-off postgrads instruct top London law firm

Students are gearing up to take legal action against the London School of Economics (LSE) over allegations poor living conditions created major “health crises” at one of its student halls.

Postgrads at the top university claim “severe rodent infestations”, “widespread black mould”, and “non-functional ventilation systems” at Sidney Webb House (a student accommodation block near Borough Market) created “health crises, distraction and distress.”

Over 215 students — collectively known as the ‘Sidney Webb House Group Action’ — are now preparing to bring legal action against LSE and the halls management company, Unite Students, over claims the poor conditions amounted to “breaches of tenancy contract”.

According to a recently launched CrowdJustice page, the pissed-off postgrads have instructed London law firm Edwin Coe and are initially seeking £5,000 to cover basic legal fees. Continuing, the appeal — which has already received over £2,300 in donations — says:

We came here to study law, human rights, governance and economics, and we sincerely wish that this could have remained our primary concern. Due to the health challenges provoked by substandard conditions at Sidney Webb House, not all students will graduate on time and will be forced to incur additional expenses to take missed exams next year.

David Greene, a senior partner and head of litigation at Edwin Coe, has agreed to represent the students. Speaking to Legal Cheek earlier today, he was sympathetic towards their situation and was hopeful of a positive outcome. He said:

I would like to see LSE take sensible and reasonable steps to help resolve this matter. Discussions regarding a possible settlement have not yet concluded. The university has shown a degree of arrogance in the way it has handled this matter. It thought the problem would go away, but it won’t.

Elsewhere on the CrowdJustice page, it’s claimed that back in March a “noisy construction project invaded the residence” during a busy exam period. This allegedly created further “psychological distress and physical illness”, so students began filming their experiences and posting the clips on YouTube. Several, including one embedded below, appear alongside the fundraising appeal.

A spokesperson for LSE told Legal Cheek that Sidney Webb House “is to be newly refurbished over the summer.” The Russell Group uni noted it’s aware of a number of complaints made by its students about accommodation and that these are being investigation as per its complaint procedure. Continuing, the spokesperson said:

We take student welfare issues in our halls seriously. Onsite pastoral care is provided to students by an LSE warden, who is an academic member of staff, and a team of LSE sub wardens. The building is also staffed 24 hours a day by Unite staff and night security who are able to respond to issues as they arise.

Denying that the accommodation had been the direct cause of any illness, a spokesperson for Unite Students told The Guardian:

We are always sorry to hear that any student is experiencing poor health. Unite Students does not accept any suggestion that the accommodation is the cause of any medical ill health poor health. Any class action being prepared by a student against LSE is a matter between those two parties and not for us to comment on.

The students aim to hit their £5,000 target by 5 August.

For all the latest commercial awareness info, and advance notification of Legal Cheek’s careers events, sign up to the Legal Cheek Hub.

The post ‘Mould and mice’: Students launch crowdfunding campaign to take legal action against LSE halls of residence appeared first on Legal Cheek.

Trainees also receive modest salary boosts

A host of mid-sized London law firms have upped their young lawyers’ pay.

Farrer & Co, a prestigious outfit nestled among the barristers’ chambers of Lincoln’s Inn, has confirmed that year one trainees will now receive £37,000 — a rise of £2,000 or 6%. Meanwhile, those a year ahead will now pocket £40,000, again an increase of £2,000 (or 5%).

The firm, which specialises in private client work and has represented our country’s kings and queens, has also chucked extra cash at its newly qualified (NQ) lawyers. Newbie associates will now earn £60,000, a modest uplift of £1,000 (2%). Farrer & Co, a law firm with roots dating back as far as 1701, offers around ten training contacts per annum.

Next up, Mayfair-based Harbottle & Lewis. Young lawyers in the first year of their training contract at the communication and media outfit will now walk away with £34,000, up from £32,500, while those a year ahead will take home £36,000, up from £34,000. NQs have also had pay upped by a grand (2%) taking final salaries to £55,000. According to the firm’s website it offers “five or six training contracts per year”.

Finally, Collyer Bristow. The firm — which hands out around five training contacts each year — has increased pay for year one trainees by 3% to £32,000. Legal Cheek understands year two trainee pay will remain unchanged.

Newbie associates at the firm will now earn £53,000, up from £52,000, an improvement of £1,000 or 2%. Collyer Bristow specialises in a mixture of commercial and private client work and has just two offices, one in London and one in Geneva.

For all the latest commercial awareness info, and advance notification of Legal Cheek’s careers events, sign up to the Legal Cheek Hub.

The post Mid-size money movers: Farrer & Co, Harbottle & Lewis and Collyer Bristow increase junior lawyer pay appeared first on Legal Cheek.

They will strengthen your applications

As we hurtle closer and closer towards training contract deadlines (law student D-Day), it can be all too easy to find yourself in a copy and paste application glut.

Unfortunately, the fierce competition for aspiring solicitor positions means recruiters can afford to be picky, so you have to make sure your application is on point. We’ve scoured the Legal Cheek archives to find 13 articles that training contract seekers should absolutely read before they apply — it’ll do wonders.

1. What you need to know before you apply for a training contract

“The winners of this Hunger Games-style process will emerge with TC offers in their back pockets, and, because of big law firms’ penchant for recruiting two years in advance, plenty of time to enjoy life guilt-free and safe in the knowledge that they have a well-paid job waiting for them. As for the losers… well, they have to go through the whole vac scheme and TC application process again in the autumn.”

[Read the article]

2. Training contract applications, they’re a two-way street

“We’ve all been there — ‘submitting applications to lots of law firms and crossing fingers that someone will get back to you’, as Gillian Jaravaza, a second seat trainee at Norton Rose Fulbright’s banking team, remembers it. For the many students who have faced rejections, Gillian has some tips to help put you back on track.”

[Read the article]

3. Training contract numbers soar to highest level since financial crash

“In 2008, training contract numbers went from a pre-crash high of 6,303 to just 4,784 the following year. With overall figures continuing to fluctuate post-crash — dropping to 5,001 in 2013-14 and then increasing to 5,457 in 2014-15 — today’s continued growth will come as welcome news for wannabe lawyers.”

[Read the article]

4. I did a BTEC instead of A-levels — can I still get a training contract?

“Do I still have a chance at securing a training contract at all? Or should I give up?”

[Read the article]

5. How to get a training contract when you’re from an ordinary background

“While students from non-traditional backgrounds aren’t necessarily more commercially aware, the higher likelihood of them having jobs while at uni means that they will have had more exposure to the business world — even if it’s just on the till at Tescos.”

[Read the article]

6. Last-minute training contract applications are a waste of time

“Legal Cheek has spoken to a clutch of top law firm recruitment bosses, and the consensus view is that an 11th-hour rush to apply is a waste of time for students.”

[Read the article]

7. Is a training contract the only way?

“I have done some research and am considering going down the CILEx route. I don’t want to take the risk of doing the expensive LPC and not getting a TC. Although you become a Chartered Legal Executive, is this really any different to being a solicitor?”

[Read the article]

8. Open thread: How do I get a training contract?

“Uncertain that you are approaching training contract applications in the right way, or maybe just lacking inspiration to come up with something that will help you stand out from the crowd? RPC trainee solicitors Charlotte Thompson and Joe Byrne (pictured above) are on hand to answer your questions.”

[Read the article]

9. A dozen law-related tunes to beat the training contract application blues

“You’ve set yourself a target of one a day for 10 days. It’s a marathon — and there is no guarantee of any euphoria at the end. So you need some sort of tonic to dull the pain. Well, there’s nothing like music to raise the spirits.”

[Read the article]

10. 6 ways candidates who don’t fit the mould can boost their chances of landing a training contract or pupillage

“How can you become a lawyer if you don’t quite fit the profile of the consistent high-achiever beloved of law firms and chambers?”

[Read the article]

11. 9 surprising historical facts about training contracts

“A new blog on English legal history contains some fascinating titbits of information.”

[Read the article]

12. Law firms are not looking for ‘the polished, finished article’

“Having spent 16 years at Simmons & Simmons, where he also trained and later assisted with the recruitment of trainees, BPP University Law School lecturer Charlie Radcliffe knows a thing or two about training contract applications and interviews. ”

[Read the article]

13. Do I stand a better chance of getting a training contract if I look like Kim Kardashian?

“I’ve been told that appearance goes a long way in the City. Commercial firms like employing attractive young ladies who clients will want to spend time with.”

[Read the article]

For all the latest commercial awareness info, and advance notification of Legal Cheek’s careers events, sign up to the Legal Cheek Hub.

The post 13 articles you must read if you’re applying for training contracts this summer appeared first on Legal Cheek.

Ahead of the training contract application deadline, a Macfarlanes NQ, associate and partner discuss what they do on a deal

During Legal Cheek’s recent Commercial Awareness Question Time, ‘Inside the acquisition of Visa Europe’, Macfarlanes partner Nicholas Barclay, associate Alice Fuller and newly qualified (NQ) associate Alex Evans discussed their work on one of the biggest deals of last year.

Here are some of their reflections from life on the M&A frontline…

Due diligence

Due diligence is the staple task of trainees and junior corporate lawyers on large transactions. It boils down to “scrutinising every aspect of the target company from a legal perspective to ensure that your client knows precisely what it is buying and the associated legal risks,” reports Alex Evans, who was a trainee on Visa Inc.’s $18.375bn (£14.23bn) acquisition of Visa Europe in 2016.

His colleague, Alice Fuller, defines due diligence as “finding out the key facts your client needs to know about the business that they might be acquiring”. She adds that “the work you’re doing is extremely important because it can go straight to the value of the business”, potentially leading to a price adjustment in the deal depending on the significance of the liability that junior lawyers uncover.

Evans and Fuller both highlight the fact that corporate M&A due diligence means interaction with many different parties, including most of a law firm’s different departments, the client company and the target company, plus co-advisers (Macfarlanes acted on the Visa deal alongside US firm Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz). As an M&A lawyer “you’re at the hub” of the deal, says Evans.

From a trainee’s perspective, it’s a great opportunity to gain an insight into what other departments are like, adds Evans. Fuller, meanwhile, emphasises the importance of good communication and coordination during due diligence to spot any “red flags”.

Negotiation

Negotiation is a skill that M&A lawyers learn gradually over the course of their career. Fuller, who qualified as a solicitor in 2014, describes it as “attempt on behalf of your client to discuss the points with the counterparty and to reach an agreement”.

She impresses the importance of putting egos to one side (“it’s not about winning every point,” she says), while urging aspiring solicitors to have the confidence to be themselves:

Developing your own style shouldn’t be underestimated. And actually that will give you more confidence … If you are naturally quite quiet you don’t necessarily need to start trying to be louder and more dramatic.

Evans echoes Fuller’s sentiment, while noting that real-life negotiation “might not be the sort of dialogue that you get in a Suits drama very often”. He says he has learnt largely by watching partners in action, and most admires the thoughtful ones “who consider the points, and who are perhaps not necessarily the loudest voice in the room, or the most aggressive.” It is these individuals, who “tend to have the most success,” adds Evans.

Barclay, meanwhile, emphasises the value of experience. He explains:

Inevitably as you do more of the same types of deal you understand the points better, you become more comfortable in the arguments, and so you get a natural confidence, and then you can use that confidence to develop the style that you want to have.

The growing role of technology

Automation and artificial intelligence (AI) is changing M&A. Barclay thinks it’s inevitable that in the relatively near future machine learning will do some of the more administrative work currently done by junior lawyers on big transactions like Visa Europe. For a firm like Macfarlanes that already operates fairly lean teams, this is an opportunity, he adds, explaining: “Having huge teams of people on deals … doesn’t go to the crux of what we like to do, which is the complex value added work. We want to get people in the position where they can be doing more interesting work more quickly.”

Barclay also highlights agile working as an area to watch, as technology enables it to be done more smoothly. He continues:

Being able to work remotely efficiently, so we all feel like we’re in the same room and all working together collaboratively, you can only really do that with the proper use of technology. I think it will clearly have an impact, and I think it will be a good thing.

Further reading

The acquisition of Visa Europe, from a trainee’s perspective [Legal Cheek Journal]

Why lawyers need to be good listeners [Legal Cheek Careers]

Find out more about training contracts with Macfarlanes ahead of the application deadline at the end of this month.

About Legal Cheek Careers posts.

The post What you don’t learn watching Suits appeared first on Legal Cheek.

Competition litigation expert Jon Lawrence is Brick Court bound

One of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer’s most experienced lawyers has revealed he’s leaving the magic circle outfit to pursue a career at the bar.

Jon Lawrence (pictured), who joined Freshfields way back in 1984 and currently heads up its competition litigation team, confirmed he will join Brick Court Chambers next autumn. However, like any budding barrister, Lawrence will have to complete pupillage at the London set before he can become a fully-fledged tenant.

How does baby barrister pay stack up against City lawyer salaries? Legal Cheek’s Chambers Most List shows Brick Court Chambers’ pupillage comes with an award of £65,000, one of the highest in the country. Meanwhile, 2016-17 financials released by Freshfields earlier this month show the average partner pockets a whopping £1.5 million.

But don’t feel too sorry for Lawrence. Once qualified, the Cambridge-educated lawyer will likely see his earnings rocket, thanks in part to his 30 plus years experience at one of the world’s leading law firms.

Speaking to Legal Business, the soon-to-be barrister revealed the move was about taking on “a new challenge”. Continuing, he said:

I’ve always wanted to do some advocacy. Brick Court is a tremendous set of chambers and if I am able to take up the tenancy in autumn 2018 they will give me the opportunity to do so whilst not letting down my existing clients.

Lawrence isn’t the first Freshfields lawyer to be lured to the bar. Last year litigation partner Raj Parker joined Matrix Chambers as an associate member, while former managing partner Ian Terry joined One Essex Court as a mediator.

For all the latest commercial awareness info, and advance notification of Legal Cheek’s careers events, sign up to the Legal Cheek Hub.

The post Freshfields partner who joined the firm in 1984 reveals he’s quitting to pursue pupillage dream appeared first on Legal Cheek.

Being commercial can make up for a lot, but only if you understand what lawyers are selling

Dear training contract applicants,

Speaking to many of you at our events I’m often struck by your patchy understanding about what’s needed to get a training contract at a top City firm. Sometimes you seem inclined to overcomplicate things. Actually, bagging a TC is all about doing the simple things well. I’ve attempted to get rid of the noise and cut to what matters in the following seven points…

1. Be good at law

That requires intelligence. You prove intelligence with the grades you achieved at university and the quality of your application responses. Those of you with middling academics have a chance to redeem yourselves if you can show that you are commercial and appreciate risk (see below).

2. Be commercial

Being commercial means understanding that law isn’t the only thing in business, and grasping that there are other factors which can often be way more important than legal technicalities.

This is a major weak point for people who are good at law, precisely because they tend to cherish the law so much and find it to be a comfort zone. Commerciality is also a quality lacking among middle class people in their early 20s because they usually haven’t had much exposure to being under pressure to make money.

If you are only OK at law, but can genuinely see how it fits into a bigger commercial picture, many law firms will be tempted to take a chance on you. But don’t overplay this card…

3. Appreciate risk

Applicants who think they are commercial, and present themselves as wide-boy wheeler-dealers, misunderstand what corporate lawyers are selling.

One of the main reasons that big companies hire elite law firms is as a kind of insurance. If they have instructed the magic circle on a deal, the company is to a large extent protected from blame if something goes wrong.

Accordingly, it’s important for aspiring solicitors to exude the appropriate levels of caution, good judgement and general wisdom expected of people who only very rarely make mistakes. Those interviewing you will be highly attuned to this.

Combine commerciality with appreciation of risk (and consciousness of the importance of presenting yourself appropriately), and you’ll stand out.

4. Have the right attitude

This boils down to a basic appreciation of the dynamics of the City. Being a very highly-paid service industry, law requires extreme levels of responsiveness. The burden of this tends to fall on the junior members of firms, with one of the most common complaints among rookies being how unpredictable the hours are and how little control they have over their time.

Law firms need people who accept this arrangement without complaint and then keep going, month after month, year after year. The term they use is “resilience”. They are good at spotting the difference between the true grit of a candidate who knows what they are getting themselves in for and the pumped-up enthusiasm of someone just in it for the money and status.

5. Look through the gimmicks

Law is constantly being swept with trends. This year it’s tech, which is creating a pressure for graduates to sell themselves as not only all the above but also as the next Mark Zuckerberg.

Resist this unless you have something genuine to say. For example, if you are converting to law from a science degree, and as a result will bring some proven transferable skills to the firm at a time when it is more than usually focused on technology, this will be worth emphasising.

But if your interest in tech is relatively new, avoid re-arranging your application around the week-long coding course you’re planning to complete. Instead, focus on showcasing which of your human skills will make you irreplaceable by artificial intelligence.

6. Bother to find out about individual firms

Law firms may do similar work but each has its own history, culture and unique quirks. If you can’t be bothered to research them to find out why, you don’t deserve a training contract.

7. Appreciate that this is a numbers game

Too many training contract hunters take rejection personally, become dejected and then fail to make enough quality applications to give themselves a real chance. Some of you are so caught up with yourselves that you forget the people in charge of graduate recruitment are only human. It’s also worth noting that even at very big law firms the graduate recruiters are often just a small team. How would you handle it if every day had to make tough decisions about which excellent candidate to give a job to over someone similarly impressive?

So push on, and remember, as a wise speaker at our recent ‘How to make it as a City lawyer’ event pointed out, you only need one successful application.

All the best,

Alex

Applying for a training contract? The Legal Cheek Firms Most List has all the key figures, from money to diversity stats, plus a scorecard for each firm on key factors like training, quality of work and average arrive and leave times.

The post An open letter to training contract applicants everywhere appeared first on Legal Cheek.

NQs will be based in London, Bristol and Hong Kong

RPC has unveiled an autumn 2017 retention score of 82%.

The international law firm, best known for its high-end insurance work, has confirmed that 14 of its 17 trainees due to qualify this September have put pen to paper on permanent deals.

According to RPC, 12 of its newbies will be based in its London office, while one will be based in Bristol. The final newly qualified (NQ) lawyer will be jumping on a flight to RPC’s Hong Kong office in January on a permanent basis.

RPC has confirmed three NQs will join its insurance practice (two in professional and financial risks and one in property and casualty), three will be heading to its commercial disputes arm, while commercial contracts, IP and technology, and the corporate group will receive two lawyers each. Media will gain one new associate, as will construction and projects.

RPC is one of the few firms which does not disclose what it pays its lawyers post-qualification. Legal Cheek’s Most List shows its new associates will receive a “merit-based” salary.

Simon Hart, RPC partner and training principal, said: “Like all law firms, our trainees work very hard to secure their training contracts and then throw themselves into two years of training. It is incredibly satisfying for the firm to see our junior talent mature and to see such a high number ultimately qualifying into roles across the departments this year, including our first London based NQ moving to our office in Hong Kong.”

Continuing, he said:

Whilst we were unable to accommodate a small number of our qualifying trainees due to certain departments being heavily over-subscribed with applicants, every single one of our trainees has made a positive contribution to life at RPC over the last two years.

RPC was a star performer in Legal Cheek’s 2016 Trainee & Junior Lawyer Survey. The firm scored an A* for partner approachability and As for, among other things, training, perks and work/life balance. RPC went on to scoop the gong for ‘Best Commercial Awareness Blog 2017’ at Legal Cheek’s glitzy awards ceremony earlier this year.

For all the latest commercial awareness info, and advance notification of Legal Cheek’s careers events, sign up to the Legal Cheek Hub.

The post RPC posts solid 82% autumn retention result appeared first on Legal Cheek.

A partner was also fined a further £50,000

White & Case has been hit with a mammoth £250,000 fine by the regulator after it accepted it had breached rules in relation to conflict of interest and client confidentiality.

The financial penalty — set by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and later approved by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) — is the largest ever dished out to a single firm.

The fine is connected to White & Case’s handling of a multi-billion dispute between Ukrainian businessmen. In 2014, the High Court blocked the firm from acting for Ukrainian client Victor Pinchuk over fears of a conflict of interest, Mr Justice Field concluding: “White & Case will be enjoined from acting for Mr Pinchuk in the Commercial Court action.”

On this, an SRA notice published yesterday afternoon states White & Case allowed work to be carried out without taking “adequate steps” to ensure that “no conflict or significant risk of conflict existed between the interests of clients.” Moreover, it reveals the global giant accepted instructions without taking steps to ensure “the confidentiality of information provided to the firm by clients was protected.” In doing so, White & Case admitted it “acted recklessly”.

In addition to the hefty firm fine, the SRA also hit White & Case partner David Goldberg with an individual sanction of £50,000.

Goldberg — a solicitor-advocate specialising in international commercial law — admitted acting for clients where there was a “significant risk” of a conflict of interest. Furthermore, he accepted that he: “provided confidential information concerning the work being undertaken on behalf of a client in one matter to a partner in the firm involved in acting on a matter giving rise to a significant risk of a conflict of interest between clients.”

The notice then adds:

For the avoidance of doubt the SRA did not allege that the firm or Mr Goldberg acted dishonestly. Further, the SRA, having considered the evidence submitted by and on behalf of Mr Goldberg and the firm, did not pursue allegations of lack of integrity against either Mr Goldberg or the firm.

A spokesman for White & Case said:

While it would not be appropriate to comment until the SDT has published its judgment, we have been cooperating fully with the SRA and accept the orders which will be made by the SDT. We are committed to upholding the legal industry’s highest standards at all times, in all of the jurisdictions where we operate.

Until yesterday, the highest ever financial sanction handed out to an individual firm was to Clyde & Co. In March, Legal Cheek reported that the City outfit had been slapped with a £50,000 fine for breaching money laundering and accounting rules.

For all the latest commercial awareness info, and advance notification of Legal Cheek’s careers events, sign up to the Legal Cheek Hub.

The post White & Case hit with record £250,000 fine over conflict of interest breaches in Ukrainian oligarch case appeared first on Legal Cheek.

Firm’s soon-to-be lawyers will earn £105,000 during their TC

Vinson & Elkins, one of the first US firms to open a London office, has increased its London trainee and newly qualified (NQ) pay.

First year trainees will, from this year, earn £50,000. This is a pay hike of £5,000 on last year’s £45,000. Pay for second year trainees has been moved from £48,000 to £55,000, up £7,000. Percentage-wise, these increases equate to 11% and 15% respectively.

NQ salaries are up even more — by a whopping 20%. Those starting lawyer life at V&E’s Fenchurch Street office will now earn £120,000, up from £100,000.

So where do these pay boosts put the firm on the trainee and NQ pay league table? Unsurprisingly, right at the top.

V&E — which takes on about four trainees a year — is now on a first year pay par with Davis Polk & Wardwell and Sullivan & Cromwell. These two US firms sit at the very top of the Legal Cheek Most List for trainee salaries.

The same is true for second year trainees. The Texas-headquartered firm now pays the same as Davis Polk and Sullivan & Cromwell, meaning aspiring solicitors at this trio of firms will earn £105,000 over the course of their training.

Turning to NQs, V&E’s latest offering is certainly not to be sniffed at. It’s double a whole host of City firms’ NQ salaries, and exceeds all magic circle pay by at least £35,000. However, today’s big money move isn’t enough to see V&E trouble outfits at the very top of our Most List. Kirkland & Ellis (£147,000), Akin Gump (£140,000), Latham & Watkins (£124,000) and Milbank (£124,000) all chuck more cash at their new associate talent.

Alex Msimang, managing partner of V&E’s London office, said:

This is a highly competitive market, and we believe these compensation adjustments exemplify our appreciation for the hard work and excellent service that our associates and trainees provide to our clients every day.

For all the latest commercial awareness info, and advance notification of Legal Cheek’s careers events, sign up to the Legal Cheek Hub.

The post US outfit Vinson & Elkins rockets to very top of trainee pay table appeared first on Legal Cheek.

‘Bruv I’ve been up 20 hours’

A magic circle trainee has been given a lesson in social media etiquette after her brilliantly candid tweets about lawyer life appeared on the pages of a legal blog.

The “first seat trainee” made the decision to set up the tell-all Twitter account in her real name. Offering a unique insight into life at a top City firm, it would appear our loose-lipped newbie’s first day on the job was action-packed.

Fortunately, RollOnFriday, a weekly legal blog that first spotted and subsequently republished the tweets, has chosen not to name her. And probably just as well — her comments aren’t going to appear in the firm’s graduate recruitment brochure anytime soon…

This tweet shows she is fluent in legalease and street slang:

Our trainee really hates Excel.

Our anonymous lawyer should have checked out our law firm average arrive and leave the office times article.

Magic circle outfits only recruit the best graduates, right?

Cringe.

Our budding lawyer — who appears to have now deleted, or at least made private, her account — has also revealed titbits from her own personal life. First up, a vagina that smells like a Mexican restaurant.

Next, a vagina with alopecia.

Dildos and Brexit, what a combo.

Having been approached for comment, the trainee told the legal blog the account was intended “to be tongue in cheek”. Social media lessons aside, you can’t deny the tweets are pretty funny.

For all the latest commercial awareness info, and advance notification of Legal Cheek’s careers events, sign up to the Legal Cheek Hub.

The post A magic circle trainee’s ultra-sassy tweets have been exposed for all the legal world to see appeared first on Legal Cheek.

Last minute TC application gold

At ‘How to make it as a City lawyer’ last month, four solicitors who’d entered the profession via a range of different routes told their stories to over 250 students.

In the Question Time-style session — hosted at BPP University’s Holborn centre — students listened before picking the speakers’ brains for training contract application advice. Legal Cheek features editor Katie King fielded the questions.

We have selected four key moments below…

Hogan Lovells’ Chris Hutton: Make your own networks

BPP University’s Charlie Radcliffe: Could I share a room with them?

Mayer Brown’s Emma Sturt: STEM students are just as suited to law as arts and humanities students

Herbert Smith Freehills’ Sid Shukla: Remember to listen and think at interview

Prior to the event, the speakers were interviewed or wrote articles for Legal Cheek about their career journeys to date.

Hogan Lovells‘ Hutton talked about his route into law as the first person into his family to go to university. Mayer Brown‘s Sturt reflected the transferable skills she had gathered from her previous career as a civil engineer. BPP University’s Radcliffe, who was previously a lawyer at a City firm for ten years, recalled the often underrated softer skills that can make all the difference in practice. And Herbert Smith Freehills‘ Shukla picked five qualities that he believes, more than anything else, make a good corporate lawyer.

About Legal Cheek Careers posts.

The post Four key moments from ‘How to make it as a City lawyer’ appeared first on Legal Cheek.

The biggest law firm in the world just got bigger

Global colossus Dentons has announced it will be swallowing up yet another law firm, this time in Scotland.

Dentons, already the largest law firm in the world by headcount, has today confirmed it will combine with leading Scottish outfit Maclay Murray & Spens. The tie-up is due to be completed later this year and will see Dentons gain new offices in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow. It will also bolster Dentons’ already sizeable London headcount, as Maclay has one office in the Barbican.

The merger has been given the green light by Maclay’s partners and Dentons’ UK, Middle East and Africa (UKMEA) partners. However, final approval from the Dentons’ global partnership is still required and is expected to come through in the next few weeks.

So what do we know about Maclay? The firm, founded in 1871 and headquartered in Glasgow, is a commercial all-rounder with roughly 250 lawyers on its books. Maclay’s 2015/16 financials (it hasn’t released its latest results) show that net profit at the firm stands at £10 million, a decrease of 20% on the previous year, while profit per equity partner (PEP) dropped by just over 12% to £248,000.

Meanwhile, Dentons has over 7,600 lawyers across 120 offices. The firm was created in 2013 following a three way merger between: Anglo-American outfit SNR Denton, Canadian firm Fraser Milner Casgrain and French-headquartered Salans. Dentons’ 2016/17 UKMEA financial results revealed revenue increased to £166 million, a rise of 1%, while PEP slumped by 9% to £481,000.

Commenting on today’s tie-up, Dentons’ global chief executive officer, Elliott Portnoy, said:

Combining with strong, independent and well-established firms is central to Dentons’ ‘in and of the community’ ethos, and with its rich history in the Scottish market Maclay Murray & Spens fits very much into this category.

The deal comes almost two years after industry rumours suggested Maclay was engaged in cross-border merger talks with northern giant Addleshaw Goddard. The combo chatter was eventually put to bed three months later when a spokesperson for Maclay revealed it was not in discussions with any firm about a possible merger.

For all the latest commercial awareness info, and advance notification of Legal Cheek’s careers events, sign up to the Legal Cheek Hub.

The post Dentons enters Scotland with Maclay Murray & Spens tie-up appeared first on Legal Cheek.

Ahead of Pinsent Masons’ training contract application deadline on Friday, five lawyers and technologists at the famously tech-savvy firm consider how innovation is helping them

At our recent ‘Lawyers and the fourth industrial revolution’ event at Pinsent Masons’ Birmingham office, students were treated to an hour and a half of insights from the frontline of law and technology.

If there was a dominant theme, it was how much innovation had benefited the speakers, who were drawn from across the firm. We’ve distilled the session into eight key insights…

1. Being innovative generates interesting new work streams

Pinsent Masons’ director of knowledge and innovation delivery, David Halliwell, has been delighted to see the hard-work that he and his colleagues have put in over the years increasingly yield new instructions from clients. He explains:

We have gained a reputation in the market for being quite creative and innovative in the way we solve problems. And now clients are coming to us and saying, ‘We have this problem, we have no idea if you have a solution, but can you apply some of your best brains to it — some of your lawyers, technologists and knowledge engineers — and see what you can come up with?’

2. The technology doesn’t mean that the firm needs fewer lawyers

Senior banking associate Jen Marshall has been one of the lawyers at the forefront of technology being applied to finance work.

Building on Halliwell’s message, she adds that her experience of AI to date has been “that we are generating fees that we have never provisioned for because we’re getting work and instructions that we could never have imagined getting because of the use of these systems, and what we can deliver for clients through the use of these systems.” Marshall goes on:

And actually, our experience has not been this is reducing lawyer numbers. It’s not about doing away with trainees, it’s not about ‘let’s have a really small business and just everyone relies on technology’. That’s not what it’s about. It’s a case of developing new skills and new areas of work for our lawyers.

3. Tech offers UK-headquartered law firms a way to mitigate the risk of Brexit

Over the next couple of years, Halliwell expects English law is going to be “flexible” as “bits of European legislation get discarded and other things get put in their place”. In this environment, there is a short term risk that New York law may get a boost in some international commercial discussions.

This will be mitigated, forecasts Halliwell, by the fact that the English legal market is “probably the most advanced in the world in terms of innovation and use of technology to improve processes”.

He explains further:

So I think, yes we may be losing a little bit [in terms] of risk around the certainty of English law, but the way the English legal profession is innovating I think makes us a natural place for clients to come to solve their toughest problems.

4. An openness to new skills is making law firms more interesting places

As Pinsent Masons has embraced innovation, it has created new roles, including 25 legal knowledge and software engineering positions. Paven Sharma, a Keele University law graduate with a passion for computers, is one of them. Sharma’s hybrid skills make him a perfect link man between the firm’s solicitors and technologists.

He advises graduates entering the profession to concentrate on what they are good at. So if you have the tech skills already, as a STEM student converting to law or a law student with a longstanding interest in technology, then it makes sense to emphasise them. If not, bear in mind that Pinsent Masons has an ethos of employing “lawyers who are really good at being lawyers and coders who are really good at being coders.” Sharma adds: “And we all work really well as a team.”

5. Areas like smart contracts are turning lawyers into pioneers

Recently Halliwell has been exploring ideas around using smart contracts for projects such as construction. This would see lawyers and technologists utilise blockchain technology to automate the advancement of the various stages of a project. For example, someone on site could take a photo of a window that has been built and automatically payment would flow from the person who commissioned that window to the person who fitted it.

Currently, this is some way off, with just one blockchain-enabled smart contract transaction having been trialled. But it’s just the beginning, says Halliwell:

In the future blockchain is likely to have a whole range of different applications. We will look back in 5-10 years time and say, ‘Why on earth didn’t we think of that as a potential application?’

6. Millennial lawyers have the chance to be at the forefront of the changes

It is the likes of Pinsent Masons junior associate Alexandra Simon, and trainee Ben Roach, who will ultimately see new developments like smart contracts evolve into established parts of corporate legal life.

Now, as the fourth industrial revolution sweeps the law, these rookies find themselves amid a wealth of opportunities. Simon herself is currently involved in rolling out document automation software for clients to use within their businesses. It relies on the completion of a questionnaire by the client, and then automates a standard contract for the client which includes the appropriate clauses in accordance with the answers provided.

“Drafting the questionnaire causes you to be more commercial in your thinking – you are not just drafting a clause [in a contract], you are thinking of all the possible variants to that clause based on the response to the question as it occurs to the person reading it,” she says, adding: “It’s an exciting time to bring together law, commercial expertise and technology.”

Roach, too, has relished getting to grips with new technology as it has been introduced across departments. “Trainees over the next couple of years will probably have more exposure to it,” he predicts.

7. Tech is allowing law firms to recruit more widely

Technology is also shaking up recruitment, with the contextual recruitment tool developed by diversity recruiter Rare that has been adopted by Pinsent Masons and other firms helping broaden the talent pool.

It works by matching up candidates with a vast database of schools, and then places their A-levels and other qualifications in the context of the background to their education.

Simon, who herself made it into the law from a humble background, is a big fan. Her message to those seeking to follow a similar path is that “law is an option and you can do it”. She continues:

Just go for it. You will come up against people who seem to be from backgrounds which are conducive to a legal career. You’ll come across statistics which tell you that training contracts are like gold dust. You will come across these challenges that may or may not make you think ‘is too much of a challenge for me to take on’. But the answer to that question is no – if you want this as a legal career then go for it.

8. Innovation is helping to smash the glass ceiling

This year Pinsent Masons reached its ‘Project Sky’ 25% target for women partners a year early and plans to keep improving that percentage over the years ahead. A statement of intent came in May, when women made up 68% of the lawyers promoted to partner at the firm.

Agile working has played a big part in this, freeing up solicitors with young children to work remotely to a much greater extent. Simon says that cutting-edge systems allow everyone at the firm to manage their time more effectively.

“The other day I was able to work on a due diligence project while sitting in my garden,” she reports.

Find out more about training contracts with Pinsent Masons

About Legal Cheek Careers posts.

Further reading

Where will corporate law firms be ten years from now? [Legal Cheek Careers]

The post 8 tangible benefits that technology is bringing to law firms appeared first on Legal Cheek.

International outfit posts perfect 100% retention score

Watson Farley & Williams (WFW) has confirmed that all of its 15 trainee solicitors have opted to stick around post-qualification.

After trumpeting a perfect autumn retention score of 100%, the firm revealed that four newly qualified lawyers (NQs) will join its energy department. Three are asset finance bound, while a further three will join its corporate team. Employment, litigation, real estate and tax are all gaining a new associate, and the final NQ will start life as a lawyer at WFW’s finance division in Singapore. All 15 are on permanent contracts.

Legal Cheek’s Most List shows that the outfit’s new legal talent will earn a salary of £68,000, having previously trousered £46,000 as second year trainees. This equates to a rise of £22,000 or 48%.

Commenting on the retention result, WFW’s graduate recruitment and development manager, Lucie Rees, said:

We have always been pleased that we have kept on a high percentage of our qualifying trainees over the years, offering a variety of NQ roles across our different practice areas and offices. It is particularly exciting this year that we have been able to offer roles which have been accepted by all 15 of our qualifying trainees.

The firm — which dishes out around 18 training contracts each year — has 14 offices across 11 countries, most recently in Dubai. For City law history buffs out there, WFW actually began life in the early 80s as a breakaway from Norton Rose’s (now Norton Rose Fulbright) shipping practice. The outfit has since developed a solid reputation in a number of key corporate areas including: aviation finance, renewable energy and shipping law.

Turning to WFW’s performance in the Legal Cheek Trainee and Junior Lawyer Survey, the firm scored A*s for its canteen and its international secondment opportunities (around half of the firm’s staff are based overseas). It also gained As for quality of work, peer support, partner approachability and perks.

For all the latest commercial awareness info, and advance notification of Legal Cheek’s careers events, sign up to the Legal Cheek Hub.

The post Watson Farley & Williams keeps all 15 autumn NQs appeared first on Legal Cheek.

Face down those procrastination demons

Fresh from his recent viral revision video success, Keele University law graduate Adam Mawardi is back with some last-minute training contract application advice.

Further reading

Four key moments from ‘How to make it as a City lawyer’ [Legal Cheek Careers]

An open letter to training contract applicants everywhere [Legal Cheek]

13 articles you must read if you’re applying for training contracts this summer [Legal Cheek]

The post A law student shares his last-minute TC application pain appeared first on Legal Cheek.

As Stephenson Harwood keeps 90% of its NQs

Mishcon de Reya has confirmed a not so impressive 2017 autumn retention figure of 64%.

The firm revealed that from a trainee cohort of 14, just nine have put pen to paper on permanent deals. This gives Mishcon, which acted in the Article 50 case on behalf of Gina Miller, an autumn retention score of 64%.

Traditionally, the litigation and private client specialist is a strong retention performer. This time last year the outfit racked up a perfect 100% score (11 out of 11), while in 2015 it posted a result of 85% (11 out of 13).

Commenting on the “disappointing” outcome, the firm said:

We are constantly testing and improving our recruitment procedures. It’s disappointing that retention is lower this year — in the previous three years it has been over 80%. But we are confident that our evolving strategy will help ensure that the matching of trainees to the firm works well on both sides.

Mishcon’s profile on the Legal Cheek Most List shows that it offers around 14 training contracts each year and pays its fresh faced associates a starting salary of £63,000. The firm boasts a healthy profit per equity partner (PEP) of £1 million, and has just two offices: London and New York.

The retention news comes just days after it emerged Keir Starmer QC had said thanks, but no thanks, to a lucrative job at the firm. Shadow Brexit Secretary Starmer had been in talks to become an advisor to the Mishcon Academy (an arm of the firm connected to learning and leadership), but eventually decided against it. He said:

I am grateful to Mishcon de Reya for discussing a possible role advising the Mishcon Academy with me, but given my other commitments, I have decided not to further the discussions.

Back to retention rates and City outfit Stephenson Harwood has trumpeted a solid 90% result.

The firm, which offers roughly 18 training contract positions annually, confirmed that nine of its ten autumn newly qualified lawyers (NQs) were offered, and subsequently accepted, permanent associate positions in its London office.

The new recruits will join Stephenson Harwood’s corporate, marine and international trade, commercial litigation and finance practice areas. Legal Cheek’s Most List shows that NQs at the firm start on a salary of £65,000.

Neil Noble, partner and trainee principal at Stephenson Harwood, said:

As we look to achieve our ambitious growth strategy, and to build on the success of recent years, developing a strong pipeline of talent is more important than ever. We aim to attract and retain the very best lawyers and these figures reflect the firm’s ability to provide a supportive environment in which they can thrive in their legal careers.

For all the latest commercial awareness info, and advance notification of Legal Cheek’s careers events, sign up to the Legal Cheek Hub.

The post Mishcon de Reya’s autumn retention figure slumps to 64% appeared first on Legal Cheek.

MP complains to profession bigwigs

Diane Abbott has claimed that “ambulance chasing” lawyers are leaving victims of the Grenfell Tower disaster feeling “intimidated”.

In an email received by the Law Society and the Bar Council, Abbott said survivors of the Kensington blaze had complained to her office about the “disgraceful” behaviour exhibited by some lawyers. She claimed survivors have reported feeling pressured into signing deals with particular lawyers “on the premise that success depends on them (a group of survivors) all instructing one legal professional and/or firm.”

Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary continued:

Whilst at this stage it is not clear on which matters these individuals have been advised that they need legal representation, it is evident that legal representation will be required at some point and to this end, it is entirely for those affected by this tragedy to instruct the legal professional of their choice without being coerced into instructing firms who are clearly misleading people whilst they are extremely vulnerable.

The email, which has been seen by the Press Association, also references the recent allegations involving two Leigh Day paralegals, accused of “touting” for business at the site of the disaster. Abbott, MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington, said:

We are aware that two paralegals have been suspended following such allegations and I had initially believed that this was the end of the matter, however complaints have persisted and I offered to send this letter in an attempt to ensure that those affected by this have support and a voice where their concerns are raised at the highest level.

Legal Cheek reported on 12 July that both paralegals — despite backing from some of the profession — have since resigned.

Both the Law Society and the Bar Council have commented on Abbott’s email. Law Society president Joe Egan said:

There are strict rules governing how all legal professionals work. Under no circumstances would a legitimate solicitor make unsolicited approaches in person or by telephone. If anyone has concerns about the behaviour of a solicitor they should immediately report them to the regulator.

A Bar Council spokesperson added: “so far as we are aware no barrister has behaved in the way described.”

For all the latest commercial awareness info, and advance notification of Legal Cheek’s careers events, sign up to the Legal Cheek Hub.

The post Grenfell Tower fire: Diane Abbott claims survivors are being harassed by ‘ambulance chasing’ lawyers appeared first on Legal Cheek.

Top paying global mega-firm sees autumn rate drop

The London office of US outfit Kirkland & Ellis will retain just over half of its lawyers due to qualify this September.

From a trainee cohort of nine, the firm confirmed to Legal Cheek this afternoon that just five will start associate life at its Gherkin office (pictured top). This equates to a disappointing autumn retention figure of 56%, particularly when contrasted with Kirkland’s perfect 100% retention score from this time last year.

Legal Cheek understands that the low retention figure is a result of NQs being unable to qualify into their department of choice. Beyond confirmation of the 56% score, Kirkland has declined to comment.

Legal Cheek’s Most List shows that Kirkland’s five new lawyers are set to become some of the highest paid in the City.

Off the back of last year’s MoneyLaw movement in the US, a host of firms, including Kirkland, raised US year one associate pay to $180,000. Opting to chuck the same rises at its London lot, Kirkland’s NQs saw their dollar-tied salaries rise to a high of £147,000. Today, it’s £137,000 based on current exchange rates. First year trainees are on £46,000, rising to £50,000 in year two.

Remuneration aside, Kirkland experienced mixed fortunes in Legal Cheek’s 2016 Trainee & Junior Lawyer Survey. It scored A*s for quality of work, office and perks, and a mixed bag of As and Bs for categories including canteen, peer support and social life. The firm went on to scoop the gong for ‘Most Impressive Law Firm Office’ at our awards ceremony earlier this year.

The Kirkland news rounds off a day of retention rate reports. This morning Legal Cheek noted that Mishcon de Reya had posted a retention figure of just 64% (nine out 14), while Stephenson Harwood revealed a solid 90% autumn result (nine out of ten).

Comments on this article are now closed.

For all the latest commercial awareness info, and advance notification of Legal Cheek’s careers events, sign up to the Legal Cheek Hub.

The post Kirkland & Ellis reveals 56% NQ retention result appeared first on Legal Cheek.