King & Wood Mallesons
How many partners and lawyers does your firm have? 500+ partners and more than 2,000 lawyers How many clerks are you intending to take on this summer? Our summer clerkship intake for Sydney is usually 30 – 35. How does your firm embody the notions of social and corporate responsibility? King & Wood Mallesons is proud of the ongoing contribution that we make to the community. ‘KWM Community Impact’ is the name of our pro bono and community program. It is a multi-faceted, national integrated strategy that uses the skills of our lawyers and non-lawyers. We give back to the communities in which we live and work through financial contributions, pro bono support and volunteering, and everyone in the firm is encouraged to get involved. Some examples of pro bono work our graduates have been involved in include attending the Street Law Clinic one day per week, and involvement with the National Children’s and Youth Law Centre. Our summer clerks are also able to get involved in pro bono initiatives, including volunteering at the Red Cross, Salvation Army and the Sydney Children’s Hospital. How does your firm strive to protect its junior lawyers’ work-life balance? At King & Wood Mallesons we have a range of practices and policies in place to support our people in integrating their personal and professional commitments. Central to that is maintaining a flexible approach to work patterns which allows our people to adjust their work days, hours or location. We recognise that flexible working will mean different things to different people and, for that reason, flexibility is discussed regularly between individuals and in team meetings so changing needs can be addressed. Our graduates are given multiple levels of support to not only ensure they are kept motivated and engaged, but also to assist them with managing their workload. Each graduate has a supervising partner, development coach and buddy per rotation, and the People and Development Graduate Team also act as a support network for the graduates throughout the Graduate Program. What opportunities does your firm uniquely offer that may be of interest to prospective clerks? Our ability to connect Asia to the world and the world to Asia, is our key differentiator. With all the facets of a world-class law firm and unique Asia perspective, we act as a bridge between East and West and help our clients cut through the cultural, regulatory and technical complexities of getting deals done in new markets.
King & Wood Mallesons is a unique employer for a number of reasons. As the only global law firm that can practice Chinese, Hong Kong, UK, European and Australian law, we offer real depth and local connections in China. Our Australian practice spans international, local and regional clients. With an ambition to help clients to shape their business for the future – we can help you to shape your world too. That’s because our people are our future and a significant source of pride to us at KWM. We have a legacy of excellence spanning more than 200 years, but we know that our future is in the hands of the next generation of lawyers. As such, at KWM we make your development our priority, and encourage our lawyers to be innovative and creative in meeting our clients’ challenges. Does your firm offer any opportunities to work overseas? The graduate program promotes and supports the mobility of our staff across our offices by giving you the opportunity to apply to go on exchange to one of our interstate or overseas offices. Similarly, as part of the program we also provide you with the opportunity to apply for various client and pro bono secondments. Through this, you can access a greater choice and variety of destinations and on-the-job experience. What makes your firm’s culture unique? King & Wood Mallesons is a firm with a community feel with room for everyone to make their mark. Our people are the difference and we believe the power of together delivers the best results for our people, our clients, and the firm. We are committed to supporting a culture that encourages and embeds diversity and inclusion, both within the firm and across the broader legal sector. We are results orientated and have a track record of high achievement and performance in life, not just in our professional and academic careers. We also have a strong focus on recognising and acknowledging our staff ’s contribution. We are client centric and work in our clients’ worlds, partnering with each client to help them to achieve their business goals. Many graduates tell us one of the main reasons they joined the firm was the people. We work hard together but we also enjoy spending time with each other outside the office. Each centre has social and sporting committees to help organise a wide range of activities for staff to enjoy, from themed Friday night drinks to free gym memberships. We also have a multitude of sporting teams including soccer, basketball, netball and cricket.
