Firms

Edwards Angell Palmer and Dodge UK LLP

 

Web:  www.eapdlaw.com; www.trainee.eapdlaw.com 

Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

 

Web:  www.eapdlaw.com; www.trainee.eapdlaw.com 

Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

Survey results

Survey results

 

The lowdown (in their own words...)

Why did you choose this firm over any others? 

 ''Unstuffy'; 'American but still retains it medium-sized London feel'; 'friendly'; 'interesting practice areas'; 'offered high-level litigation work'; 'collegiate ethos of a smaller, older City firm'; 'the pay'; 'international nature of work'; 'being one of only eight trainees means you can't get lost in the crowd'' 

How does your training compare with peers' at other firms? 

 ''More contact with partners and clients'; 'better work/life balance'; 'more responsibility'; 'more depth and variety of work here'; 'far more client contact'; 'more mentoring'; 'firm arranges various in-house courses from staff and external lecturers'; 'more responsibility at an earlier stage'' 

Best thing about the firm? 

 ''The overall friendliness of the firm'; 'social side'; 'the Thursday cake trolley'; 'firm appears to have an expansion plan'; 'bacon rolls at breakfast'; 'most trainees receive work and supervision directly from partners'; 'merger and growth of firm means that there is a broader range of seats on offer'; 'firm invests a lot in its trainees'; 'work/life balance'' 

Worst thing about the firm? 

 ''Work quality dramatically varies depending on which seat you get'; 'the printers'; 'fact that few other lawyers have heard of it!'; 'the variety of seat choices is smaller, although this is improving'; 'low retention rates in the past.'' 

Best moment? 

 ''The opportunity to liaise with counsel and a client to finalise a witness statement'; 'assisting on a high-value and complex arbitration'; 'winning an interlocutory application'; 'receiving praise from leading counsel on a research point'; 'success in litigation'' 

Worst moment?

 ''Being stuck preparing bundles when the entire office had left for the evening'; 'very tedious PSC course'; 'some long days and nights '; 'finding mistakes in a court-filed document''

The Lex 100 verdict

 The Verdict

The firm

Kendall Freeman became Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge following its merger in January 2008 with the US firm. The firm now has around 80 lawyers in London, ten US offices and an associate office in Hong Kong. It is particularly well known for its strength in insurance work, including product liability and aviation insurance, and has an impressive niche in public international law. In June 2010, the largely disputes-oriented London practice moved to new offices in Old Broad Street. 

The star performers

Corporate and commercial; Dispute resolution; Insurance; Public sector; Transport.

The deals

Acted for Centre Re and Munich Re as reinsurers of T&N's £500m asbestos liability policy; advised the National Boundary Commission of Nigeria on matters of interpretation where significant issues remain unresolved on the maritime boundary relating to straddling oil deposits.

The clients

Allianz; Canada Life; Carlyle Group; Catalina; Citibank Coface; Enstar; Munich Re; QBE; Riverstone; Swiss Re; XL Bermuda.

The Verdict

'The combination of top-quality work and the collegiate ethos of a smaller, older City firm', said one current trainee when asked why Edwards Angell Palmer Dodge is a great place to work. The firm gives off an 'unstuffy and friendly' vibe, which immediately attracts trainees. Well known for its 'high-level' litigation work, EAPD manages to be a US firm with a distinctly 'London attitude'. The smaller intake means that it is a lot easier not to 'get lost in the crowd' than at larger firms and there is more contact with partners and clients. Another advantage of being in a smaller office is that plenty of social events are on offer and 'it is easy to get to know everybody'. Secondments are available and in-house training courses are regularly organised. Be prepared for the inevitable shift in work demands depending on the seat and retention rates are still a cause for concern for some trainees. The printers could also be upgraded! But the pay is good, there are some 'excellent' learning opportunities such as 'attending the Court of Appeal' and 'working on injunctions in the commercial litigation seat' and you are made to feel that your input is 'valued'. The 'Thursday cake trolley' and 'bacon rolls at breakfast time' also keep trainees happy. So if you are looking for a friendly US firm with a great litigation practice and 'enormous ambition' then take a closer look at EAPD.

A day in the life

A day in the life of.....

Riecha Sharma, first-year trainee solicitor, Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge UK LLP 
Departments to date:  Insurance litigation; commercial litigation
University: Nottingham 
Degree: Politics, 2(1) 

---

9.15am: I arrive at the office, grab a cup of tea and sit at my desk to catch up on emails and check my calendar. One of the matters I've been involved with has progressed to trial and we have been at the high court every day over the past two weeks so I have plenty to catch up on back in the office. I jot down a to-do list of tasks for the day, which is a particularly useful habit to keep up when you're working for a number of different people in the department.

9.30am: I head down to a weekly departmental meeting where I hear about developments in the work all the fee-earners are involved with. It's a good way to find out what everyone else is occupied with.9.45

am: Back at my desk I notice I have a message from a pro bono client I am advising. I call up the client and get an update from her, taking down a note of the call. After the call I make a few changes to a letter I was working on before sending it to the client for her approval. The firm is keen to encourage trainees to get involved with pro bono work and it's an excellent way for trainees to gain first-hand experience of advising clients as well as all the ancillary tasks like managing a file.

10.15am: Writing articles and pieces for the blog is a regular task for trainees and other fee-earners, something I didn't appreciate until I started working at EAPD. It's a useful way of increasing your knowledge about particular areas of law, some of which you may not have come across before. I have a deadline coming up for my article on anti-corruption enforcement so I start researching the topic in detail and draft an outline.

12.00pm: An associate asks me to assist her with a task. She gives me an outline of the matter - our client is settling a debt claim - and asks me to have a go at drafting a settlement agreement and consent order.

12.30pm: Lunch is usually spent down at our canteen with the other trainees, but today we have a trainee workshop on competition law. Trainee workshops are a good way to learn about an area of law we have yet to work in. The added bonus is the free lunch!

1.45pm: After the workshop I continue my research before moving on to draft the settlement agreement and consent order. I have a few questions that I ask the associate before finalising the agreement for her to review.

3.00pm: The evidence stage of the trial is complete but closing submissions are to be filed tomorrow, and delivered the day after. I attend a conference call with my supervisors and counsel. We discuss closing submissions and our strategy for weakening our opponent's case whilst presenting ours in the best possible light, based upon the evidence we have heard over the last two weeks. I have been involved in numerous calls and meetings with counsel and the client, culminating with my attendance at the trial. This has been a fantastic experience for me.

3.45pm Following the call, I receive an email from counsel asking me to complete the cross-references in his submissions and tidy up the document. As I was responsible for putting together the core bundles of documents for the trial, as well as managing all the inserts and amendments across all the trial bundles, I am very familiar with the documentation relating to this case. This is usually a trainee role, and if you're not organised it can be very embarrassing in front of the judge if anything goes wrong!

7.00pm: I send the finalised document back to counsel, then head to a local bar with a couple of the trainees for the day's debrief over a glass of wine before heading home.

About the firm

About the firm

Address: Dashwood, 69 Old Broad Street, London EC2M 1QS

Telephone: 020 7583 4055

Fax: 020 7353 7377

Website: www.eapdlaw.com; www.trainee.eapdlaw.com

Email:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Managing partner: Laurence Harris (London)

 

Other offices: Boston, Ft Lauderdale, Hartford, Madison, New York, Newport Beach, Providence, Stamford, Washington, West Palm Beach, Hong Kong. 

Who we are:  On 1 October 2011, the partnerships of Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge LLP and Wildman, Harrold, Allen & Dixon LLP will merge. The new firm will be known as Edwards Wildman Palmer LLP. We are an international commercial law firm combining the expertise of over 500 lawyers in 30 practice groups, across the US, UK and Hong Kong, offering a full array of legal services to clients worldwide.

What we do: Our work in London is expanding but currently includes: asset recovery; banking and finance, commercial litigation; competition; corporate; employment; energy and offshore engineering; insurance and reinsurance; IP; international arbitration; international law; private equity and venture capital; product liability; and restructuring and insolvency.

What we are looking for: Energy and enthusiasm are key, along with teamwork skills, initiative and a real driveto learn as much as possible. Common sense and a sense of humour are key, as is adaptability and thinking on your feet. Trainees need to be rigorous and committed to excellent client service. Trainees also need analytical skills and business awareness.

What you'll do:  Four six-month seats in London's key practice areas, combined with our comprehensive tailored training programme where technical and practice-based skills in litigation, corporate, business development and finance are developed.

Perks: 25 days' holiday per year, gym membership subsidy, season ticket loan, private medical insurance, stakeholder pension scheme, life assurance, childcare vouchers, cycle to work scheme.

Sponsorship: GDL/LPC fees, plus annual maintenance grant of £7,000 if studying in London and £6,500 if studying outside London.

 

Facts & figures

 Facts and figures

Trainee places available for 2014: Up to 8

Applications received pa: Approx 700 

Percentage interviewed: Approx 15-20% invited to assessment, 5-10% interviewed. 

Salary

First year: £38,000

Second year: £42,000

Newly qualified: £61,000

 

Total partners: 25 (London)

Other fee-earners: 34

Total trainees: 16

APPLY NOW

Application process

Apply to: Sarah Warnes, trainee recruitment manager

How: Online applications via www.trainee.eapdlaw.com 

When to Apply: By 31 July 2012 for 2014 training contracts. 

What is involved: For summer placement: interview and presentation. For training contract: assessment day and interview. 

 

 Vacation schemes

Summer: Late June/July 2012. Apply by 24 February 2012.