13 minute read
Herbet Smith Freehills
Areas of Legal Practice
At Herbert Smith Freehills, you’ll be given the opportunity to develop the skills you need to help solve our clients’ most complex challenges in thoughtful and innovative ways. Here’s a breakdown on our areas of expertise, many of which you can get exposure to both as a vacation clerk and a graduate. • Alternative legal services • Business and human rights • Capital markets • Climate Change • Competition, regulation and trade • Corporate M&A • Corporate crime and investigations • Crisis prevention and management • Cyber security • Data protection and privacy • Dispute resolution • Employment, pensions and incentives • Environment, planning and communities • Finance • Financial services regulatory • Impact Investment • Intellectual property • International arbitration • Real estate • Tax • Technology, Media and Entertainment, and Telecom munication
Number of lawyers & partners
We have +140 Partners and +780 Solicitors in Australia. We have +940 Partners and +5740 Solicitors Globally.
What specific qualities does your firm look for in a potential Clerk?
Great lawyers are both curious and creative. We encourage you to challenge assumptions and open yourself up to new ideas. It’s this growth mindset that creates opportunities for you and your clients. So, what exactly are we looking for?
There’s no single path to becoming a commercial lawyer. We look beyond your academic record and your technical aptitude. We’re focussed on finding people who have the curiosity to explore all the angles and the empathy to place themselves in their client’s shoes. Building great relationships takes a certain understanding and as our global village gets ever smaller, we look for graduates who think of themselves as citizens of the world.
What kind of responsibilities/tasks can a Clerk expect at your firm?
We select many of our graduates through our vacation clerkships. During this immersive experience, you’ll receive hands-on practical experience, actively contributing, as you work on some of the diverse challenges facing the team you’re collaborating with. You’ll truly discover what it’s like to work at Herbert Smith Freehills, working alongside lawyers and partners. We’ll support you throughout your time with us with extensive training, touching on all aspects of the firm. We’ll also invite you to an exciting range of workshops and events, giving you the opportunity to network with people across the firm and the diverse groups we engage with. This is your unique opportunity to show us who you are.
Clerkship Applications Opening and Closing Dates Sydney Clerkship Intake
Projected intake for the Sydney 2020/21 Vacation Clerk Program: 30-35 clerks
After becoming a clerk, what are the prospects of obtaining a graduate role?
We select many of our graduates through our vacation clerkships.
How does your firm value Corporate Responsibility?
Whether we’re supporting a charity through fundraising, or providing mentoring or scholarship opportunities for disadvantaged high school students, we offer multiple ways to facilitate and support the relationships our people develop with community partners. Our practice groups provide many of our long-standing clients with a range of advice including partnership agreements, structuring, property, employment issues and governance. These include: Canteen, CareerTrackers Indigenous Internship Program, Cure Brain Cancer Foundation, Foodbank Victoria, McIntyre Centre, Médecins Sans Frontières, Mission Australia, National Breast Cancer Foundation, Ronald McDonald House, Save The Children Australia, Starlight Foundation, St Vincent de Paul, The Big Issue, Yalari and Youngcare.
What is unique about your firm’s culture?
We’re proud of our culture. It’s supportive and it’s non-hierarchical. When you join us as a graduate, you’ll find that your growth is supported at all levels across the firm – whether you’re working on a high-profile takeover, catching up with an overseas client or taking on some challenging pro bono work. It’s an environment that will give you the skills you need to become a brilliant lawyer. And it’s an environment in which your perspective, ideas and experiences will make a real difference.
What is your firm doing about gender equality in the workplace?
We have a range of global networks focussed on Gender Equality Matters (GEM). Gender diversity is a critical component of our firm’s past, present and future. We are proud that Herbert Smith Freehills was the first major Australian law firm to appoint a woman partner. We have public targets in relation to our women in partnership and leadership positions, ensuring we have a full and robust pipeline of women.
Is there support for the LGBTI community at your firm?
We want you to bring your whole self when you come to Herbert Smith Freehills. We place great value in our people’s life experience and we’re hiring more graduates from diverse backgrounds than ever before.
Working this way, we’re able to attract and retain the very best talent and provide our clients with the most considered and innovative advice. Our approach to diversity encompasses gender, ethnicity, age, religion, sexual orientation, disability and social inclusion.
“Our vision is that we are a world class firm bringing together the best people to achieve the best results. Fundamental to our vision is embedding a culture where we are truly inclusive – diverse people, perspectives, ways of thinking and skill sets – and where this diversity permeates throughout all levels.”
Danielle Kelly, Head of Diversity & Inclusion
We're looking for those who see things differently, the kind of people who bring new ideas and create innovative opportunities for our clients.
ABOUT US
With over 25 offices spanning Asia, Europe, Australasia, and the Middle east, we can show you exactly what a world class commercial law firm has to offer, giving you the chance to work as part of an international team, on high-profile matters, for some of the most significant organisations in the market. Our focus is on the future: the future needs of existing and new clients, the future of the legal profession and investing in our future lawyers. That’s why we aim to attract the best talent from a broad range of backgrounds, ensuring we are optimising our position as a progressive, forward thinking professional services business. At Herbert Smith Freehills, you’ll be given the opportunity to develop the skills you need to help solve our clients’ most complex challenges in thoughtful and innovative ways.
WHAT WE LOOK FOR
Great lawyers are both curious and creative. We encourage you to challenge assumptions and open yourself up to new ideas. It’s this growth mindset that creates opportunities for you and your clients. So, what exactly are we looking for? There’s no single path to becoming an exceptional commercial lawyer. We look beyond your academic record and your technical aptitude. We’re focussed on finding people who have the curiosity to explore all the angles and the empathy to place themselves in their client’s shoes. Building great relationships takes a certain understanding and as our global village gets ever smaller, we look for graduates who think of themselves as citizens of the world.
CLERKSHIP PROGRAM
We select many of our graduates through our vacation clerkships. During this immersive experience, you’ll receive hands-on practical experience, actively contributing, as you work on some of the diverse challenges facing the team you’re collaborating with. You will gain a deeper understanding of life at the firm and what your future could look like if you join us. Some key features include the opportunity to: • Sit within a specific team, delivering real work for key clients • Before you join, submit a preference for a team to tailor your experience • Navigate the first step of your career with partner and graduate mentoring support • Attend workshops and presentations covering all our practice areas • Contribute to our pro bono practice • Work with cutting edge technology through our innovation projects • Networking opportunities to meet people across the firm
JOINING US
We offer a range of summer and winter clerkships across our Australian offices. If you have queries about graduate or vacation clerk positions, please visit our website: careers.herbertsmithfreehills.com/au/grads/ vacation-clerkships or contact one of our graduate recruitment consultants.
KEY DATES/DEADLINES
SYDNEY
Approximate number of positions 30-35
Clerkship programs
Applications for all 2019/20 programs open
Applications for all 2019/20 programs close 1 Summer
9 June 2020
12 July 2020
Offers made 16 September 2020
Please note: An application should only be submitted to the office where you intend to start your career as a graduate. Multiple applications will not be considered.
Our global practice groups • Alternative Legal Services (ALT) • Competition, Regulation and Trade • Corporate • Dispute Resolution • Employment, Industrial Relations and Safety • Finance • Projects and Infrastructure • Real Estate
Contacts
James Keane Graduate Recruitment Manager T +61 2 9322 4313 james.keane@hsf.com
TOP TIPS
WE ARE LOOKING FOR INDIVIDUALS
We recognise and value the differences that make us unique. By embracing diverse views, we can provide our clients with innovative solutions. Be yourself throughout the application process and emphasise the qualities that make you stand out. If you are invited to a first round interview, we will also ask you to complete our online psychometric assessment beforehand. There are no right or wrong answers to the questions – your responses simply provide insight into where your likely strengths lie.
PERSONALISE YOUR APPLICATION
Tailor your application by conducting thorough research. Our brochure, website and social media channels are good places to start. You can then think about what stands out about us. The more you learn about us, our values and our areas of expertise, the more helpful it will be for your application: this proactive approach will demonstrate your motivation.
REMEMBER, IT'S A TWO WAY PROCESS
Meet us at events, online and get to know our people. Think about who you will be meeting in advance and what you would like to ask them. Our lawyers can give you a real insight into who we are, what we do and how we do it. This is your chance to get to know us in a more informal environment and find out whether we are right for you.
LINK EXPERIENCE TO LAW
When talking about your experience, explain how the skills you have gained are relevant to a career in law – and to Herbert Smith Freehills specifically. Consider the way we work and the skills and abilities we look for to deliver high-quality services to our clients.
WE ARE LOOKING FOR INDIVIDUALS
We recognise and value the differences that make us unique. By embracing diverse views, we can provide our clients with innovative solutions. Be yourself throughout the application process and emphasise the qualities that make you stand out.
SHOW YOUR POTENTIAL
We are not looking for the finished product and we know that gaining legal work experience is increasingly difficult. What we are looking for is your potential to become a Herbert Smith Freehills lawyer. Demonstrate the transferable skills you have gained through the experience you have, legal or non-legal.
HOW TO APPLY
You can apply online by visiting careers.herbertsmithfreehills.com/au/grads Tell us about your academic credentials, the skills you have gained from extra-curricular activities and work experience, and why you have the motivation and potential to become a great Herbert Smith Freehills lawyer. We’re committed to working with all candidates to enable them to demonstrate their potential throughout our process. If you have any disability-related queries or would like to have a conversation with our team about adjustments, please contact your local Recruitment Contact.
Contacts
James Keane Graduate Recruitment Manager T +61 2 9322 4313 james.keane@hsf.com
CLERKSHIP EXPERIENCE MY VACATION
Jane Wang Vacation Clerk 2019/20
My name is Jane Wang and I was a 2019/2020 Vacation Clerk at Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF). I am currently a student at the University of Auckland studying a LLB(Hons)/ BA majoring in Economics and Politics and International Relations. My pathway to HSF was a lot longer than most other students’. I left high school wanting to be a film producer but quickly realised that I preferred an academic over a creative challenge. I found my way to law school almost by accident and have never looked back since.
My pathway is also long in the literal sense as I came from New Zealand. I am currently studying at the University of Auckland where I am set to finish my degree at the end of this year. I ended up applying to HSF due to its exceptional litigation practice. In addition, it made sense as I loved Sydney and was tempted by the bigger cases across the ditch. Over my nearly three months at the firm, I was surprised at how much the firm valued kiwis. I was constantly being barraged with recommendations of the best day trips and the incredible cheap eats that Sydney has to offer.
A typical day at the office
A typical day as an HSF clerk would begin at 9am in the office. You would come in and check in with your buddy or coach who was in charge of assigning work. Shortly after, the morning often involved a coffee with the team or fellow clerks before getting launched into the work. We would normally have a clerk presentation during the day. This gave us an opportunity to explore different practice groups at the firm as well as various pro-bono and innovation programs. At lunch, it was standard for all the clerks to meet at 12:30pm to eat together. Aside from the work from my team, I was also lucky enough to work on an innovation project around wellbeing and even present it to a member of the Australian regional executive. I also had a graduate in my first team who was proactive in getting me involved with the work HSF does with Shopfront. The day would also include coffee catch-ups with my buddy or coach. As I was not from Sydney, they were very proactive in arranging coffees with solicitors from other teams so I could get an idea of graduate rotations. The day would normally end between 5 and 6pm. If we didn’t have clerk sports on, more likely than not, you would find the clerk group at a local pub or restaurant debriefing about our day!
Expectations before joining
I didn’t really know anything about HSF before starting in November. I expected the classic corporate environment where people were only interested in getting the job done and where the standard was 80 hour weeks. I quickly learnt this was not the case. Everyone made it clear that HSF was somewhere where you could be yourself at work. Excellence was clearly valued, but people were not afraid to have a laugh along the way. It felt like an environment where people were genuinely interested in your life and wanted to form real friendships. For someone who came to Sydney without any friends or foundation, this helped me settle and helped form my support base in a new city.
The most interesting thing I learnt was how diverse the occupation was. At law school, the primary skills you learn are research and applying law to fact scenarios. I found these skills to be most relevant within litigation. But even within that practice, I found that questions with carefully selected answers (like those in law school) were far too convenient for actual practice. The reality of research was that there was often no answer. I found this to be an incredibly interesting and challenging introduction to the legal practice. When I did my corporate rotation, the skills required and the work that we were doing was unlike anything I had ever done in law school. Research was scarce, legal knowledge was relevant but it was business acumen which dominated. During my time in private equity, I worked on a restructure, private M&A deals and even sat in on client calls. This helped me realise that law school is only fractionally representative of a career in a diverse industry.
