Allen & Overy LLP

A CAREER IN LAW

Setting precedents, not following them... because tomorrow will not be like today.

Contents 02 Pioneers

12 Our global firm

20 Beyond qualification

04 A lawyer for tomorrow

14 Your route to qualification

21 Trainees’ views

06 Experts

16 Experience our firm

Always evolving, always advancing and always looking for new opportunities, we are lawyers on the front foot.

What skills will you need to be successful in the evolving legal landscape?

Being a lawyer is about delivering insight and driving results for our clients.

08 Advanced thinking

What does it mean to be innovative in law and why is it important?

10 Culture

In a challenging and demanding career it’s vital that you choose a law firm whose values, culture and people appeal to you.

How are we structured and what work do Allen & Overy lawyers do in each practice area?

Plot your journey from student to solicitor with our career planner.

The best way to make the right choice is to get to know our firm before you graduate.

18 Your training contract

With a uniquely supportive environment and international opportunities, training at Allen & Overy is designed to help you maximise your potential.

Your ongoing development and exposure to challenging opportunities are a priority as your career evolves.

Meet some of our trainees and find out why they chose Allen & Overy and how their careers are shaping up.

30 What we offer

Alongside great training and a variety of career opportunities, we offer trainees a comprehensive package of benefits to support your working lifestyle.

32 The application process

Learn how to stand out as you progress through our straightforward application process.

One firm

Welcome to Allen & Overy. We’ve designed this brochure to help you make what can be, understandably, two very difficult decisions – whether law is the right choice of career for you and, if so, whether Allen & Overy is the right law firm for you.

The practice of law is changing rapidly and so are our clients. As clients become more sophisticated, diverse and international, we increasingly need lawyers who are not just strong technically but who are also personable, can adapt quickly to new situations and can build relationships across different cultures. Crucially we aim for diversity in the people we recruit, so regardless of your background, degree subject or university, I encourage you to consider applying to Allen & Overy.

I think the culture at Allen & Overy is central to our success and, for me, two aspects of working here are key. The first is professionalism and a mindset to explore new and better ways of doing things. We pride ourselves on finding innovative and commercial solutions to the issues our clients are facing. The second is teamwork and a supportive working environment – our firm excels because our people enjoy working together to achieve results for our clients.

This brochure and our website will give you a sense of our culture and values. I encourage you to explore them both, and to see whether Allen & Overy may be as good a fit for you as it has been for me.

R ic h ar d Hough , Gra duat e R ecru it m e n t Part n e r

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Pioneers From our strateg y of counter-cyclical expansion to our vision of broadening access to the legal profession, Allen & Overy has a history of setting precedents. Our people find it natural to challenge convention, to look beyond what’s been done before and to focus on identifying new ways to help our clients – and we encourage this. Always evolving, always advancing and always looking for new opportunities, we are lawyers on the front foot.

Learn more about our pioneering spirit

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A lawyer for tomorrow Although the role of an Allen & Overy lawyer has developed significantly in recent years, our profession is set for further dramatic change. While the fundamental qualities required for a successful career remain the same, the lawyers of the future will also have to develop – and deploy – a new portfolio of skills.

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Being a lawyer, particularly at a firm like Allen & Overy, means advising clients on the most significant matters affecting their business.

Doing it well means delivering technically excellent and commercially astute advice. In itself this is no mean feat but, in today’s economic environment, clients demand better value, even greater expertise and lower costs. At the same time, the issues on which they need advice are becoming more complex and international. The role of a lawyer – and the range of skills required to fulfil it – is evolving at pace.

Adapting to clients

These days, we require lawyers who are not only able to deal with the increasing complexity of issues that our clients face but who are also able to apply different skills to a variety of situations. Advising, for example, a Chinese client on an M&A transaction in the telecoms sector requires a different style and tone to working on an Australian mining deal. As a lawyer today, the ability to switch seamlessly between different transaction types and client cultures is important.

The role of a trainee

Joining the firm as a trainee, you will have an important role to play and the tasks you handle will not only add significant value to our clients but will also help you to place the legal advice we give in a commercial context. You may, for example, be asked to set up the companies required for a transaction structure, to liaise with other offices advising on a deal or to have a first stab at drafting transaction documents. In addition, there's always research to be done to support the work of the team.

You will have a supervisor – a partner or senior associate – who will always be willing to answer your questions so that you have everything you need to contribute in a meaningful way. But, at the same time, your supervisor will set high standards and expect you to exceed them.

They will recognise your successes and highlight where you can improve.

Expanding horizons

The practice of commercial law has changed in recent years, especially for global firms advising the largest clients. Over 60% of our income now comes from outside the UK and a large proportion of our work involves more than two offices. While our lawyers and trainees previously benefited from some international exposure, now it is an everyday occurrence.

Transactions are increasingly cross-border, and our response has been to develop a global network of offices run by people who embody our international ethos. Since 2008, we have extended our network by 50%, most recently opening offices in Sydney, Perth, Qatar, Belfast, Washington D.C., Jakarta, Casablanca, Istanbul, Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. We now have 42 offices in 29 countries around the world – a truly global presence – and our plans don't stop there.

International travel is now commonplace and the mobility of our people – whether working on a deal or on an international secondment – has become increasingly important. Our lawyers, and perhaps you in due course, are increasingly spending time in other offices within our network. Having an international mindset is not just a useful quality – it has become, and will remain, an essential part of the job.

Finally, we are, and always will be, a firm that puts our clients first.

Our success stems from the quality of the support that we give clients to help them to meet their strategic objectives, not just as lawyers but as trusted advisers. Underpinning all of this is personality. Allen & Overy is a collection of interesting, and interested, people who are alert and alive to opportunities to help our clients and are excited by building these new relationships. These are the qualities we are looking for in the Allen & Overy lawyers of tomorrow.

Allen & Overy has created a global law community that covers 99% of the world’s economy, combining the strengths of our international, integrated firm with an extensive network of ‘best friend’ alliances.

50

%

increase in number of offices since 2008.

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Experts In commercial law, expertise isn’t academic or static; it’s practical, perceptive and, above all, commercial. We help our clients to create and exploit opportunities to protect their commercial interests. We understand their concerns and we use our expertise in law to address them.

From advising international businesses on groundbreaking deals, to working with governments and using innovative new financing structures, expertise goes beyond knowledge – it’s about delivering insight and driving results for our clients.

Learn more about our expertise

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Advanced thinking Following an extensive consultation with partners and staff across the world, Allen & Overy has crystallised its global strateg y into a simple but bold ambition – to be at the forefront of change, setting precedents, not only for legal markets but also for our clients.

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Allen & Overy has developed a track record of innovation and firsts.

From international expansion into new, as well as established, markets to introducing part-time partnerships and creating a 320-jurisdiction comparative law database, we are comfortable taking the lead within our profession.

Becoming ‘the world’s most advanced law firm’ is more than just an attractive phrase; it is an organising principle – an idea that everyone within the firm can use to shape and drive their work and the way they do it. From our Senior Partner to our newest of trainees, regardless of the task at hand, we have challenged our people to ask themselves; “Am I really doing this in the most advanced way possible?”.

By addressing this question, we aim to hardwire innovation throughout our firm. Already we have featured in the top three of the Financial Times’ Innovative Lawyer awards – more times than any other firm – and won the award in 2007, 2011 and 2012. Our focus on innovation is an ongoing evolution, rather than a revolution, and the process has been underway for some time.

Global reach, local depth

The firm’s global footprint is perhaps the most obvious external expression of our commitment to taking bold action and following our own path. With offices in 29 countries, Allen & Overy is adapting to a rapidly altering, more competitive landscape. Globalisation is the overriding theme of business today, and, allied to that, is the arrival and growth of new players in the world economy. Much of what we do as a firm is connected with the flow of capital around the world. Our strategy is to put ourselves at both the source and the destination of capital, as well as in the financial centres through which it passes.

Our view is that, to handle the biggest matters and the most interesting work, we have to build a reputation that resonates with globally-minded companies. In order to achieve this, we have set out to offer global reach and local depth – to combine presence in the key global locations with the expertise of a deeply-rooted local law firm. The balance of our revenues reflects this change of emphasis: around 69% of our work now involves two or more countries and 23% involves five or more countries.

In addition to our network of offices across 29 countries, we have invested heavily in an extensive network of relationship firms, which means we routinely operate in a further 118 countries where we have no offices of our own. This enables us to offer clients a complete global service at the very highest level, on laws and regulations relating to more than 270 jurisdictions. We estimate that the number of jurisdictions not covered by our international network represents less than 1% of the world’s economy.

In the last five years – since the global financial crisis first hit – Allen & Overy has opened 14 offices. This counter-cyclical investment has focused largely on high-growth markets – markets that now account for a 19% and rising share of the firm’s global business. Not surprisingly, India and China feature prominently in the firm’s plans and we are actively recruiting in these territories.

Globalisation is not an end in itself; it’s simply an example of innovation – a response to a fast-changing commercial landscape. Innovation in our business takes many forms, from delivering imaginative structures for headline deals to developing efficiencies for our clients through e-business and commoditising some legal services. Through our Innovation Panel, we also encourage and empower all of our people to come up with new ideas to improve how we do business. Allen & Overy employees can propose innovations and ideas and, if approved, our Panel provides the support to implement them.

There can be no doubt that the practice of law and the expectations of clients are changing. By embedding advanced thinking throughout our firm, and being prepared to move first and go beyond what has been done before, we are making sure that we are ready to tackle whatever the future holds. For aspiring lawyers thinking about joining Allen & Overy, that means just one thing – opportunity.

Our expansion has focused largely on high-growth markets – markets that now account for a 19% and rising share of the firm’s global business.

69%

of our work involves two or more countries

47%

of our work involves three or more countries

23% 5%

of our work involves five or more countries of our work involves more than ten countries

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Culture The spirit and ethos of a firm, the way it supports and nurtures its people and the tone and energ y that exists between team members – particularly between senior and junior lawyers – are the characteristics that really define a top law firm. At Allen & Overy, we believe in the fundamental importance of collaboration and teamwork, of giving lawyers and trainees tasks that will challenge and stretch them, and then supporting them to advance their careers. We believe that our people perform best when they are given the very best resources and facilities, opportunities and encouragement to explore their full potential.

Learn more about our culture

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Our global firm Allen & Overy is structured as seven global practices, each of which specialises in different aspects of international business. As a trainee, you will gain experience in at least three practice areas, including spending two of your training rotations, or ‘seats’, in our core business areas of Corporate, Banking and International Capital Markets. Lawyers and trainees work together across practice areas to develop solutions for our clients and it’s important, whichever area you go on to specialise in, to have an appreciation of the work of the wider firm.

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Corporate

The Corporate practice advises large multi-national corporates, leading banks and some individuals on the major transactions they are undertaking – helping them to buy or sell assets and companies, to raise funding or borrow through the financial markets, or to expand into new markets around the world. Corporate also advises investment banks on their role in underwriting major financial transactions, as well as financial institutions and private equity sponsors – organisations whose interest is investing in companies and perhaps buying and selling whole businesses. Trainees in Corporate tackle tasks such as writing memos on legal issues, drafting agreements, due diligence, managing the data room on transactions, communicating directly with clients and attending conference calls and meetings.

Banking

The Banking practice works at the heart of the world’s financial markets, supporting global corporate and financial institutions on a full range of domestic and cross-border financing transactions. A substantial part of the practice’s work involves drafting finance documents, advising on regulatory and other issues, and general transaction management. This means ensuring that all the paperwork for a transaction is accurate and is on the table at the right time.

Banking trainees are responsible for collecting and, in some cases, preparing some of the critical documents lenders need before they will lend – known as “conditions precedent”. In cross-border transactions, this often involves co-ordinating with lawyers in multiple jurisdictions to bring all of the required documents together.

International Capital Markets

The International Capital Markets (ICM) practice has been instrumental in nearly all the major developments in the modern financial markets, starting with the first-ever Eurobond issue in the 1960s. ICM advises issuers – organisations that are issuing debt and which are promising to repay it or, in the case of securitisation, the organisations whose assets are backing the debt. It also acts for parties arranging or underwriting debt, for those that are arranging the distribution of the product or providing services to transactions, such as trustees, and for counterparties to derivatives transactions. Lawyers in ICM focus on documentation and structuring – looking at how a financial instrument can be constructed to suit both the client’s goals and the legal and regulatory requirements of the relevant jurisdiction.

Litigation & Dispute Resolution

The Litigation & Dispute Resolution (L&DR) practice provides specialist advice and representation to clients around the world on litigation, arbitration and regulatory investigations, as well as on risk management. L&DR deals with a variety of disputes but mostly those with a commercial aspect, for example where a bank has a dispute with a counterparty over a contract, a loan agreement or some other financial product. On the corporate side, disputes may include those with service providers or relating to projects, such as the construction of an energy plant. The firm also tackles fraud cases. Trainees help to draft pleadings or requests for arbitration, and prepare evidence to be filed and served on the other side. Trainees can also expect to attend court for applications, for example for freezing orders, to attend meetings with clients and to interview witnesses – often in other jurisdictions.

Tax

Almost every assignment that Allen & Overy undertakes has a tax aspect.

The Tax practice acts predominantly for banks, as well as corporates, and much of the work is multi-jurisdictional. Clients may be looking at acquiring shares in a number of companies around the world or looking at securitising loans held by different branches of the same bank around the globe, so tax lawyers work closely with colleagues around the Allen & Overy international network. The work of a trainee in Tax will typically be researchdriven and lean towards the academic side of legal work. Trainees might be involved in drafting and negotiating tax indemnities, tax clauses in loan agreements and tax sections in public offering circulars.

Employment & Benefits

The Employment & Benefits practice works in partnership with clients to develop individual, practical and creative solutions for all aspects of modern workplace challenges, pensions issues and employee reward and compensation projects. It comprises three distinct practice departments: Employment, Pensions and Incentives. All three departments have gained market-leading recognition with partners praised as leaders in their field. They have a strong stand-alone practice, as well as providing essential support to the Corporate and Banking departments on transactions – looking at the transfer of employment contracts and benefit entitlements from one entity to another. Employees and their benefits are very often the most important part of a corporate transaction – when transactions go wrong, it’s very often because the employment issues have not been properly dealt with. The law behind these issues is incredibly complex, so the work is intellectually challenging. It also involves a very high degree of client exposure from the outset – trainees are, in effect, working as lawyers from day one.

Real Estate

On the face of things, real estate transactions may look straightforward.

However, the structures for ownership and financing mean that transactions are frequently not just about buying a property asset, but a company as well, so there are property, tax, regulatory, commercial and corporate issues to be considered. In many cases, while the real estate asset may be in the UK, the company holding the property and the purchasing vehicle may be offshore, requiring the teams to liaise with lawyers in other jurisdictions. Trainees in Real Estate are given a wide variety of tasks including drafting leases, negotiating contracts, writing notes of advice on rights or matters affecting a property, and researching sustainability and green issues, which are very topical at present.

Typically, trainees will be working on multiple transactions simultaneously.

As well as being heavily transactional, work in Real Estate also features a lot of research and technical expertise covering real estate statutes and case law.

Practice areas split by total number of lawyers globally

33%

Corporate

31%

Banking

17%

13%

International Litigation Capital & Dispute Markets Resolution

3% Tax

2%

1%

Employment Real Estate & Benefits

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Your route to qualification Winter Vacation Scheme Eight day work placement in December

Training Contract Application

Summer Vacation Scheme Three week work placement in June, July or August

Un d

Open Days Opportunity to visit our offices, meet our people and experience the realities of being an Allen & Overy lawyer

Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) You must complete the one year Graduate Diploma in Law at The University of Law

ent Stud e t ua ad r g er w La

I'm a law student

Qualify as a solicitor Qualify as a solicitor

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e

e

I'm a non-law student

ool Sch

A&O First Tailored opportunity for first year students only, an ideal foundation for a career in law

Legal Practice Course (LPC) You must complete the Allen & Overy specific Legal Practice Course at The University of Law in Moorgate

a Tr

in

Two Year Training Contract Divided into placements (called ‘seats’) and usually involving one seat either internationally or at a client

At Allen & Overy, we are a lot more interested in what kind of lawyer you can become than what you have studied at university. Around half of our trainees studied subjects other than law. This diversity of background and skill is vital for our business as the role of a lawyer evolves and our clients’ needs become ever more sophisticated. Whether you have studied law or not, there are a variety of work experience opportunities that we recommend you explore as part of your journey towards joining us as a trainee and, ultimately, to qualifying as a solicitor.

Our current trainees share their views:

Open Days

James Smallwood, History, University of York – Trainee, Third seat, London

"The Open Day that I attended while I was at university was a great first step into investigating whether law, and indeed Allen & Overy, was for me. Getting into the office, seeing the buzz of the people working and getting a feel for the culture at Allen & Overy was invaluable – I’d definitely recommend attending one if you are able to."

Vacation Scheme

David Laverty, Law, Queen’s University Belfast – Trainee, Second seat, London

“I was particularly impressed by the people I worked with and how inclusive and friendly the firm felt. The great working environment and getting to work on some of the most high-profile and important deals in the market meant I knew it was the firm I really wanted to come back to in order to start my career in law.”

Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL)

Rebecca Woo, Chinese and Economics, School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) – Trainee, Second seat, London

“As a non-law graduate, I was required to complete a GDL which I took at the University of Law. It was a challenge tackling seven different areas of law at once but the course is tailored to be as practical as possible. All in all the GDL was a great year and I made many good friends before joining my future colleagues on the A&O LPC.” Legal Practice Course (LPC)

Pavitar Singh Bhullar, Law, University of Leeds – Trainee, Third seat, London

“The LPC was very useful in gearing me up for my training contract. The course is tailored for Allen & Overy future trainees so that emphasis is given where needed to reflect Allen & Overy’s business. Also, the chance for me to get to know others in my intake was a massive help in facilitating a smooth transition from student to working professional.”

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Experience our firm As competition for training contracts intensifies, it’s more important than ever to find out as much as you can about the law firms you are applying to. We run a variety of events on campuses across the UK and Ireland to help you understand the work we do and to meet some of our people. Visit www.aograduate.com for details. Ultimately, the best way to see whether Allen & Overy is the right firm for you is to gain some experience in our offices, where you will see lawyers and trainees at work and gain a sense of our clients, practice and culture.

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A&O First

For first year students only, our A&O First programme provides a one day insight into life at Allen & Overy and the work you will do as a trainee solicitor. Designed specifically for those who have just started university, A&O First will help you decide whether law and law at Allen & Overy could be for you. With exclusive access to our recruitment team and opportunities to attend bespoke follow-up events, A&O First will give you an ideal foundation for applying for vacation programmes at the start of your second year.

Open Days

Open Days are available for non-first year undergraduates and graduates. They are designed to provide a detailed insight into our firm, our environment and the qualities and skills that we look for in our trainee solicitors. Running regularly throughout the year, these valuable all-day events feature interactive and practical workshops, informative presentations and the opportunity to shadow a trainee solicitor.

You’ll also pick up lots of advice on how to apply for vacation programmes and training contract positions. Dates are published on our website, where you can also apply to attend one of these events.

Vacation Schemes

A vacation scheme is a great way to get to know us better and experience first-hand our work and culture. We offer two schemes – Winter and Summer – and have 60 places available each year. On each of our schemes you will gain experience in one or two of our practice areas, where you will work alongside Allen & Overy lawyers on real deals and cases. Before you join us, we will ask you to choose the areas that most interest you (see page 13) – this is a great opportunity to get hands-on experience in an area of law that really appeals to you. Alongside your legal work, you will attend workshops and presentations about key elements of our practice while developing the skills you need to be a successful commercial lawyer, such as how to negotiate and present. You will work with fellow vacation students on a client pitch project designed to sharpen your research skills and expose you to major clients of the firm, and our broad range of practice areas.

There will also be plenty of time to socialise with Allen & Overy colleagues during your placement, which will broaden your knowledge of the firm.

Just as vacation schemes are a good way to get to know us, they are also a good way for us to get to know you. We gather feedback on all our students from their trainers and you can choose to have a training contract interview at the end of your placement. Many vacation students go on to secure a training contract offer and subsequently join the firm.

Winter Vacation Scheme

Our Winter Vacation Scheme is for finalists and graduates from all degree disciplines. This scheme runs for eight days in December and you will sit in one of our core practice areas for the duration of the placement.

Summer Vacation Scheme

Our three-week Summer Vacation Scheme is for penultimate year undergraduates (and second year undergraduates on four-year courses that feature a third year abroad) from any degree discipline. There are three placement periods to choose from, commencing in mid-June.

You will sit in two departments, at least one of which will be a core practice area of the firm.

International Vacation Scheme

As part of our Summer Vacation Scheme, approximately 12 vacation students will have the opportunity to spend an additional week in one of our international offices. Individuals interested in these international opportunities can apply after accepting a place on one of our London Summer Vacation Schemes.

For more information on opportunities to experience Allen & Overy, our application deadlines, or to complete an application, visit www.aograduate.com

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Your training contract We take your training very seriously at Allen & Overy. When you join us, you may have some idea of where you want to specialise, but we believe it’s important to give you as broad an exposure to our business as possible. We also think it’s important that what you do is real, practical and substantive. Don’t expect to be operating the photocopier – you’ ll be performing important tasks and taking on meaningful responsibility, with as much client time as possible. The standards and expectations are high but you’ ll be well supported by professionals who recognise that it’s people like you who represent the future success of our firm.

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Your training contract will be based on four six-month rotations – known in the legal profession as ‘seats’. You will sit with a supervisor – a partner or senior associate – and actively contribute to the day-to-day operation of that department, working on transactions and cases, taking real responsibility and gaining plenty of client exposure. You will spend a minimum of 12 months of your training contract in at least two of our three core practice areas (Corporate, Banking and International Capital Markets) and you can express your preference for your first seat – generally, in one of these areas – prior to joining.

Shortly after you start your training contract, you will attend an information evening where all departments are represented, so that you get the chance to meet Allen & Overy lawyers from all of the different practice areas. Following this, we will sit down with you on a one-toone basis to decide which seats you will do, and for how long. You can identify a ‘priority seat’ in which you have a particular interest and also discuss the possibility of an international or client secondment. These international and client-based seats will give you a different perspective on the work of a lawyer and enable you to broaden your experience.

They are ideal preparation for life as a qualified solicitor. Currently, at least 80% of our trainees take advantage of these opportunities.

Typically, international and client secondments take place in the final seat.

Before each seat, you will undertake department-specific training to ensure that you are able to make the most of your time there. In addition to your seat-based learning, you will also undertake our Professional Skills Course, which aims to build on the foundations you established during the Allen & Overy Legal Practice Course. The aim is to develop your commercial skill-set and to enhance your ability to contribute to the teams you work with during your training contract.

As you go through your training contract and gain experience, your level of responsibility will increase. Your development is key. Training and support is delivered in a variety of ways, including mentoring from your supervisor and attending department-specific courses. People in every part of the firm will help you; there is a good balance between support and supervision and being allowed to work independently. We want you to succeed and to develop a long-term career with Allen & Overy and our retention rates on qualification – on average 81% over recent years– reflect this.

Training contract YEAR 2

Induction

Seat 1

Seat 2

Seat 3

Seat 4

Allen & Overy internal legal training

Qualification

YEAR 1

Professional Skills Course* In some cases, trainees may elect to split one six-month seat into two three-month seats to broaden their experience further. *mandatory requirement of the Solicitors’ Regulatory Authority

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Beyond qualification Tobi Rufus Law, University of Oxford – Associate in Banking, London

“The training I have experienced at A&O is second to none and arguably the best in the City.

The grounding I received from my training contract, and the on-going development courses, has been extremely beneficial in my career – be it when I was the first ever trainee in our new office in Abu Dhabi, sitting on the trading floor of a large US investment bank in London on client secondment or when I took on extra responsibility as a banking associate supervising a trainee in our Budapest office.”

Qualifying as a solicitor, while an important milestone, is not the end of your professional development at Allen & Overy. Joining one of our practice areas as an associate, you will have access to a suite of Associate Development programmes designed to build the core non-technical skills that you will need to progress your career and meet the demands of your new role. The main elements, which have been designed to enhance the core competencies we value in our professionals, cover client skills, self-management, how to manage other people and how to manage deals with maximum effectiveness.

As an associate, you will continue to be given challenging experience on deals and, over time, will become responsible for increasingly complex elements of the transactions on which you work. Many of our people spend time working in another office – last year we placed over 300 people on either long or short-term international secondments.

These placements provide opportunities to increase your technical knowledge while learning more about other cultures and markets.

After around five years as an associate, you will be considered for promotion to Senior Associate.

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At this stage, you will take on a significant new responsibility – the supervision of trainees. Knowledge-sharing and developing others are fundamental to our firm’s culture and, as a trainer, you will be well-supported in refining the skills and behaviours necessary to help your trainees progress.

We have a strong tradition of promoting people into partnership and last year we promoted 19 new partners around the network. Alternatively, some Senior Associates choose the route of Counsel, which offers some of our most experienced people a way to continue to operate in the firm at a senior level and specialise in a technical aspect of law. Of course, not everyone can or wants to remain with the firm for their whole career – there are clearly fewer new partners each year than new trainees – and we are proud of the successes of our alumni. Many of our alumni are now general counsels of multi-national corporates and banks, senior executives on the business side of our clients and key influencers at regulatory bodies. Whichever route you choose, the experiences and skills you acquire during your time at Allen & Overy will play an important role in your career, whichever course it takes.

Trainees' views What’s it really like to train at Allen & Overy? We asked some of our trainees to give their perspective on the choices they’ve made, the experiences they’ve had and the way the firm has supported them in the early stages of their careers.

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Pravesh Lallah Trainee, Second seat, London Law and French Law, University of Warwick

I think that, to really develop as a trainee, you need senior and experienced lawyers who are ready to invest their time in guiding and mentoring you. You need a firm that is willing to let you develop your personal profile in a way that matches your personal ambitions. That’s what a supportive culture is and that’s what I’ve found at Allen & Overy.

What has impressed me most is the investment the firm makes in research and legal knowledge, covering every single jurisdiction and every field of global law. It definitely gives us an edge. There’s also huge investment in technology, whether that’s developing mobile phone apps for the client or internal software to facilitate our work and improve client service.

Today, for example, I’ve come in knowing that I have to draft board minutes for a client and now I’ve also been asked to help prepare for a client pitch, looking at a transaction for which we are hoping to become lead counsel. That’s typical – there’s always plenty of variety, from research or due diligence to drafting or liaising directly with clients. During my Banking seat I was allowed to manage a number of smaller transactions on my own – which shows the faith the partners have in trainees – and I did most of the drafting myself right through to the closing.

There are opportunities to explore your own professional interests. For example, I have a particular interest in international development and this is an area where Allen & Overy is very active and does a lot of pro bono work. I’ve advised microfinance institutions, worked on the first draft of a human rights article for a business law journal and I’m currently the lead adviser to one of our pro bono clients on some of its corporate law issues.

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James Bryson Trainee, Fourth seat, London, on international secondment in New York Economics, University of Bristol

One of the big attractions is the international nature of the firm, the work and the network. I was aware of it before I started but I don’t think I’d realised quite how international everything here is. I’m struggling to think of any work I’ve done in the past 18 months that has involved just one jurisdiction.

I am currently on an international secondment in New York.

It’s brilliant to be able to spend six months in an international office – not something that you get with every graduate job or with every law firm. I’ve been here for two months now, sitting in the derivatives regulatory practice. What I really look forward to each day is going in and working with great people. Because the work can be challenging, the hours long and the clients demanding, the quality of people I work with is an important factor. Of course, they can help me, but they are also just good to be around.

I’ve worked on several projects that were market leading in their own areas. I sat in International Capital Markets for six months

in London and during my time there the firm was involved in matters that were at the forefront of the market – the potential insolvency of sovereign states and the restructuring of those states’ debts. I worked directly on some pretty complicated policy developments at EU level, but that’s typical of the firm.

From the outset you are encouraged to take responsibility for your own parts of transactions and matters and have as client-facing a role as possible.

An economics background is perhaps not the obvious route into law. But, I did a vacation scheme at Allen & Overy while I was at university and the quality of the work, the people who I met and the international opportunities just really struck me. For me it was very important to get a sense of what Allen & Overy is about.

You can do all the research you like but there’s no substitute for coming through the door and experiencing it first-hand.

Hear more from our trainees @ www.aograduate.com/your-questions 24

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Annabel Young Trainee, First seat, London Biology and Pharmacology, University of Edinburgh

Having done a work experience year in the pharmaceutical industry as part of my degree, I decided that it wasn’t for me and I started looking at law. I did a Winter Vacation Scheme in my final year and was offered a training contract off the back of it. I really enjoyed being here and remember thinking ‘this really is the place for me’.

I think to be successful here you have to be someone who likes hard work – as a trainee you’ll be very busy. It also helps to be keen and proactive, to show initiative and get stuck in and help people out if they are getting snowed under.

Coming from a non-law background is not a problem.

The Graduate Diploma in Law is excellent for ensuring you know the essentials and with the Legal Practice Course there’s not much difference between people who have done law and those who haven’t. And being a scientist is no disadvantage – law is not just for humanities graduates. Law is also a technical field and there are

opportunities to do science-related work for clients such as technology, pharmaceutical and mobile phone companies – there’s a great demand for scientific and technically skilled people.

As a trainee you tackle a huge variety of work, especially in International Capital Markets, my current seat. It’s very transaction focused so I’m looking at conditions precedent, chasing clients for documents, drafting legal opinions, contracts and other agreements. You’ll be surprised at the responsibility that you are given – I was emailing clients and drafting documents from my second day at the firm.

Every day you’re surrounded by inspiring people doing really interesting work. My supervisor’s been working on very cuttingedge matters relating to the Eurozone crisis – technical work that will have a far-reaching impact. Everyone is trying so hard to excel, but in a very collegiate atmosphere, and that sets the tone for you as a trainee – you want to be like them.

Hear more from our trainees @ www.aograduate.com/your-questions 27

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Kaylee Lemieux Trainee, Third seat, London Multilingual Studies (French, Spanish and Italian), Royal Holloway, University of London

Before joining the firm as a trainee, I did a vacation scheme which was a fantastic opportunity to meet Allen & Overy people and really get to know the firm. You sit with a trainer, following what they do and helping where possible, and you attend presentations from people around the firm. There are also numerous social events where you get to meet people more informally.

Also, because you do an Allen & Overy-specific Legal Practice Course, when you start at the firm you’re joining with people you already know so the social side is very strong. We meet up at the Lavanda office bar and go out together – and because of where we are located in London there’s no shortage of things to do outside office hours.

As a trainee you can look forward to getting very involved in client work, attending meetings and calls, drafting documents and playing your part in the performance of the team. Every day I sit down with my trainer and discuss what needs be done and how to

plan the day. Of course, sometimes it can be challenging. There are late nights and tight deadlines but that’s when the teamwork really comes into play. Plus it’s exciting to see the deals you have worked on making it onto the pages of the Financial Times.

During the training contract you do a number of professional skills courses – they’re compulsory parts of your training contract – and there are seminars in each department about new developments and areas of particular interest. You also have the opportunity to attend client seminars downstairs in the auditorium and network with clients and learn about how certain issues are affecting them.

I recently worked on a Tunisian deal that involved me liaising closely with our office in Casablanca. In fact, almost every piece of work I have done has had an international dimension to it, so I’ve found the teamwork that Allen & Overy is renowned for extends across offices as well as practice areas.

Hear more from our trainees @ www.aograduate.com/your-questions 29

What we offer Our package of rewards and benefits will provide you with a range of financial benefits, facilities and services to help you develop a truly satisfying career, maximise your ability to support your clients, and enjoy a lifestyle that is as balanced as possible.

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Cash rewards and savings

– The current salary for first year trainees is GBP39,000, rising to GBP44,000 in the second year – On qualification, the current salary is GBP61,500

GBP

– Interest-free season ticket and bike loans – Childcare voucher scheme.

Health & wellbeing

– Private medical insurance

GBP

– Emergency childcare – free emergency childcare for children aged between three months and eight years – On-site fitness centre, gym, sports hall and a wide range of exercise classes

39,000 44,000 61,500

First year trainees

Second year trainees

– Fully integrated health and wellbeing centre with services including: in-house GP and nurse, physiotherapy, health assessments, dentist and dental plan

GBP

– Employee Assistance Programme – 24/7 helpline providing free access to specialist support, information and telephone counselling covering a wide range of issues including consumer rights and childcare

Our fee earners and training team work closely with The University of Law to deliver a bespoke LPC that reflects the particular requirements of a City law career with Allen & Overy. It features materials based on real examples of the work we do and talks by Allen & Overy lawyers about recent deals to put the LPC into context. It also features soft skills training and technical elements that will relate directly to the work you will undertake as a trainee at Allen & Overy. Attending our firm-specific LPC means that you can get to know your fellow trainees and future colleagues, build your networks and attend the social events organised by our recruitment and training team ahead of joining the firm.

– Support for cyclists – Allen & Overy provides cycle racks, changing rooms and showers – Beauty therapies in-house including reflexology, massage, manicure and pedicure.

Financial security

– Pension scheme – an occupational pension scheme, available on either a contributory or a non-contributory basis – Life insurance – Permanent health insurance – Personal accident insurance – Business travel insurance.

Time out

– 25 days’ annual leave – Holiday trading scheme – Opportunity to apply for flexible working hours once qualified.

Law school

We provide the accelerated Allen & Overy-specific Legal Practice Course (LPC) at The University of Law in Moorgate, London which all future trainees will study.

Newly qualified

We require all non-law candidates who have accepted a training contract prior to starting law school to study the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) at The University of Law. If you have any extenuating circumstances that may affect where you can study the GDL, we will discuss this with you.

If you have already completed the GDL or LPC with a different provider, we will recognise it.

Financial support during law school

When you accept our offer of a training contract, we will provide financial support during your law school studies, and pay your tuition fees. For candidates studying for the GDL, we will provide an annual maintenance grant of GBP8,000 in London (or GBP7,000 elsewhere in the UK). We will provide a maintenance grant of GBP7,000 while you take the Allen & Overy LPC. In addition, we award a GBP500 prize to future trainees who achieve a first-class degree and/or a distinction in every module of the LPC. You can also apply for an interest-free loan of up to GBP2,000 to be repaid by the end of your training contract. This can be used as additional financial support while you are undertaking your studies or for something worthwhile, such as a language study course or to undertake a pro bono or community initiative.

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The application process Competition for training contracts and vacation schemes can be intense but the key is extensive research before you apply. The online application form is your first opportunity to stand out, so make the most of it with thorough preparation, good examples that demonstrate the skills we are looking for and, above all, close attention to detail.

The same preparation should also go into your interview – use the opportunity to showcase your potential to be a great lawyer.

What we look for

There’s no such thing as a typical Allen & Overy candidate. We are open-minded and are interested in people who share that quality.

Naturally, we are looking for individuals who can demonstrate strong academic performance – we expect you to be heading for at least a 2.1 (or equivalent), in any degree discipline, and to have at least 340 UCAS points (AAB) at A Level (or equivalent). Beyond this, we want to see evidence of teamwork, motivation and drive, communication skills, planning and organisation, critical thinking, commercial awareness and commitment, both to a career in law and to a career with Allen & Overy.

We mean it when we say your university and degree subject don’t matter – around half of our trainees are from non-law backgrounds and we do not have a shortlist of preferred universities.

Your interview

If your application is successful – whether for a training contract or a vacation scheme – the next stage will be an assessment day comprising two one-on-one interviews. The first interview is based on your application form and will assess your skills and knowledge, your motivation for a legal career at Allen & Overy and your commercial awareness. The second interview is based on a commercial case study and you will have time to work through the brief and prepare a short presentation to deliver to your interviewer. The presentation will be followed by a discussion with your interviewer on the key points from the case study.

Top tips for your interview

– Revise and prepare – revisit your application form; we’re going to ask you about it – Stay up-to-date – track business and world events, form opinions and be prepared to explain them – Make the right impression – be confident, self-assured and enthusiastic – Ask us pertinent questions – it’s a two-way process, so ask insightful questions that will help you to decide if we are the right firm for you.

Top tips for your application

– Understand our requirements – prepare some examples to show that you have the skills we are looking for – Make the most of your experience – highlight what you’ve gained from your experiences, try to show your appetite for responsibility and capacity to influence events and outcomes – Be commercial – show an interest in the legal industry and what’s going on in the world and how it might affect us and our clients – Focus on this firm – of course we expect you to apply to other firms, but make sure you tailor your answers to demonstrate why Allen & Overy is right for you – Be accurate – attention to detail is a fundamental skill of a lawyer.

Apply online - www.aograduate.com

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At Allen & Overy we pride ourselves on delivering a three-stage application process that is straightforward and allows you to demonstrate your potential to become a great lawyer.

Apply

Interviews

Offer

Get in touch One Bishops Square, London E1 6AD United Kingdom T: +44 020 3088 3399 E: graduate.recruitment@allenovery.com W: www.aograduate.com www.facebook.com/allenoverygrads

Westminster Bridge, London

@AllenOveryGrads

www.aograduate.com Allen & Overy is an international legal practice with approximately 5,150 staff, including some 525 partners, working in 42 major centres worldwide. Allen & Overy LLP or an affiliated undertaking has offices in each of these locations: Europe

Amsterdam Antwerp Athens Belfast Bratislava Brussels Bucharest (associated office) Budapest Düsseldorf Frankfurt Hamburg

Istanbul London Luxembourg Madrid Mannheim Milan Moscow Munich Paris Prague Rome Warsaw

Asia Pacific

Bangkok Beijing Hanoi Ho Chi Minh City Hong Kong Jakarta (asssociated office) Perth Shanghai Singapore Sydney Tokyo

Middle East

Abu Dhabi Doha Dubai Riyadh (associated office) The Americas

New York São Paulo Washington D.C. Africa

Casablanca

Allen & Overy LLP 2013 Allen & Overy means Allen & Overy LLP and/or its affiliated undertakings. The term partner is used to refer to a member of Allen & Overy LLP or an employee or consultant with equivalent standing and qualifications or an individual with equivalent status in one of Allen & Overy LLP's affiliated undertakings. © Allen & Overy LLP 2013

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