Firms

Latham & Watkins

Web:  www.lw.com 

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

 

Web:  www.lw.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? 

 ''The vacation scheme'; 'I liked the idea of a relatively small trainee intake and high level of responsibility whilst gaining exposure to some of the highest-quality clients and work in the City'' 

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

 ''Secondments, friendly people, good pay, smaller departments, teams and trainee intake which translates into more responsibility and better-quality training'; 'much more independent and learn-on-the-job-type training'; working as part of smaller teams has enabled me to take on more responsibility and learn more than my peers at Magic Circle firms'; 'more responsibility and contact with partners'; 'high level of visibility in your department'; 'less formalised and structured - more hands on'' 

Best thing about the firm? 

 ''Non-hierarchical structure'; 'does not get overwhelmingly stressful, and when there is no work it is entirely possible to leave at a very decent time'; 'being encouraged to deal with clients without being micro-managed'' 

Worst thing about the firm? 

 ''The hours can be unpredictable'; 'early responsibility and high expectation of trainees can make the work stressful'; 'not enough holiday, and the time you do have off, you're still expected to be switched on'; 'target hours being so high'' 

Best moment? 

 ''Training weekend in Italy'; 'working on a large IPO'; 'running part of a deal with a very famous client on my own'; 'working with associates and partners to find a solution to a client's problem'; 'the ability to do different types of work within the department and take on as much responsibility as I would like/can manage'' 

Worst moment?

 ''Missing my own party due to all-nighter in the office'; 'not being given the seat that I wanted'; 'having very little sleep for several weeks on end'; 'working weekends''

The Lex 100 verdict

 The Verdict

The firm

US firm Latham & Watkins has a growing London office and an extensive global network. It excels in structured finance and international transactions, specialising in private equity, M&A, capital markets, leveraged finance and project finance. The firm has an excellent disputes practice, receiving instructions on some major claims arising from the financial crisis. It is also well regarded for public international law. 

The star performers

Acquisition finance; Corporate restructuring and insolvency; Corporate tax; EU and competition; Emerging markets; Equity capital markets (UK and US capability); High yield; Mergers and acquisitions; Private equity; Project finance; Securitisation; Venture capital.

The deals

Advised Qatar Holding on its acquisition of the Harrods Group; acting for ArcelorMittal in the Commission's Prestressing Steel cartel investigation, where the fine was reduced from €276m to €45.7m; representing the RTL Group and others in the landmark CISAC case regarding anticompetitive practices by music collecting societies; advised Swiss software company Esmertec in its IPO and listing on the Swiss Stock Exchange.

The clients

Barclays; Carlyle Group; Charterhouse Capital Partners; JP Morgan; Lloyds Banking Group; Onex; SAB Miller; the Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board; Vedanta.

The winners

Legal Business Awards 2011

Highly commended US law firm of the year. 

The Verdict

Latham & Watkins attracted its current trainees from the word go: 'I really enjoyed the vacation scheme and didn't meet anyone who I wouldn't want to work with' said one. Praised for its welcoming atmosphere, the US firm is a Lex 100 Winner for confidence of being kept on . As well as its 'pre-eminent' reputation and 'amazing' pay, trainees rave about the quality of work that they get their hands on ('working on a large IPO was a highlight') and the amount of client contact ('we are encouraged to deal with clients without being micro-managed'). Staff are 'extremely approachable and friendly' and trainees regularly work alongside associates and partners. Be prepared for some late nights ('I have spent 38 hours straight in the office') and the 'early responsibility and high expectations of trainees' can make the job stressful at times. You will be expected to give a lot of time and energy ('when you do have time off, you're still expected to be switched on'), however the quid pro quo is 'extremely high-quality' training and generous remuneration. With 'training weekends in Italy' and plenty of secondment opportunities abroad, Latham & Watkins sounds like a very attractive option allowing its trainees to feel like 'individuals within a fully integrated team'.

A day in the life

A day in the life of.....

Emily Cridland, trainee, Latham & Watkins 
Departments to date:  Corporate (M&A), litigation (PIL), secondment in Singapore (finance)
University: University of Sussex 
Degree: Law 

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9.30am: I arrive at my desk in the M&A department and catch up with my supervisor, a senior associate, over breakfast and a cup of tea. I go through my emails and my calendar to see what the day has in store.

10.00am: I check my 'to do' list that I made the night before and see what needs to be done first. My supervisor is heading the corporate aspects of an international multi billion-pound acquisition of a mining group which I am helping out with. The deal is heading towards the completion date and we have a conference call scheduled at 11.00am to discuss how matters are progressing. I go through the agenda for the call with my supervisor and see what issues need to be raised.

11.00am: The conference call is with all parties involved in the acquisition, including representatives from the buyer and seller and lawyers from around the world. Latham is representing the buyer on this deal so we need to make sure that all the documents agreed between the parties are favourable to the future development of the companies being bought.

11.45am: Our client phones to discuss the outcome of the call and to target what needs to be done this week. I've enjoyed having a lot of client interaction on this deal and I discuss the completion agenda with them. I need to update the draft of an assignment agreement so I review the comments that have come in from our client and our foreign counsel. Once I have updated it I give the draft to my supervisor to check before I send it over to the lawyers on the other side.

1.00pm: Lunch is with a few of the other trainees at one of the local lunch spots to catch up with the latest gossip. There's a night out planned with the corporate department next week so we talk about venues and what can be expected from the partners' dance moves!

2.00pm: A call comes in from a trainee at the law firm who is acting for the seller on the acquisition. We are working together to create the timetable for completion, and because there are so many jurisdictions involved in the transaction, the timing and location of everything is proving to be quite tricky to organise.

3.00pm: I receive an email from a regular corporate client in the US who needs some help with a share issue for their UK subsidiary. After doing a bit of research online I fill out the necessary Companies House forms and draft an advice email detailing the filing deadlines and what needs to be done. After my supervisor has checked it I send it out to the client along with the forms for them to sign.4.30pm: I meet one of the other trainees for a cup of tea to find out how he's getting on with the deals he's working on. It's useful to find out what life is like in other departments as it helps shape my preferences for my next seat.

5.00pm: A partner asks me to do a bit of research for him on precedents for expert determination clauses. I have a look through our document database and email him a draft based on the examples I found.

6.00pm: Another acquisition I had been working on over the last few months closed recently and I have been tasked with putting the bible together of all the signed documents. I check the documents we have against the checklist that I kept as the deal was progressing to make sure we aren't missing anything before sending it all off to be printed.

8.00pm: I send out the last few emails and update my 'to do' list for tomorrow before heading out to a local bar for a drink with some friends.

About the firm

About the firm

Address: 99 Bishopsgate, London EC2M 3XF

Telephone: 020 7710 1000

Fax: 020 7374 4460

Website: www.lw.com

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

Managing partner: Nick Cline

 

Other offices: Other offices: Abu Dhabi, Barcelona, Beijing, Boston, Brussels, Chicago, Doha, Dubai, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Madrid, Milan, Moscow, Munich, New Jersey, New York, Orange County, Paris, Riyadh, Rome, San Diego, San Francisco, Shanghai, Silicon Valley, Singapore, Tokyo, Washington DC. 

Who we are:  Latham & Watkins is an international corporate law firm with more than 2,000 lawyers and 31 offices in the EU, US and Asia.

What we do: We have strong capabilities in all areas, including banking and finance, corporate, litigation, real estate, employment and tax. Many of our practice groups are award-winning industry leaders, as are many of our partners.

What we are looking for: Candidates should be entrepreneurial and thrive on early responsibility. Applicants with a strong academic background, excellent communication skills and a consistent record of personal and/or professional achievement will be rewarded with first-class training in a stimulating environment.

What you'll do:  Trainees have four six-month seats and may have the opportunity to spend six months in one of our overseas offices. Each trainee has meaningful responsibility from the outset and significant legal experience on qualification.

Perks: Healthcare and dental scheme, pension scheme and life assurance.

Sponsorship: GDL and LPC course fees are paid by the firm and reimbursed in full if a successful applicant has completed their studies. A maintenance grant of £8,000 is paid in each year of study.

 

Facts & figures

 Facts and figures

Trainee places available for 2014: 20

Applications received pa: 1,000 

Percentage interviewed: 20% 

Salary

First year: £42,000

Second year: £45,000

Newly qualified: £96,970

 

Total partners: 53

Other fee-earners: 

Total trainees: 28

APPLY NOW

Application process

Apply to: Alex Mitchell, Graduate Recruiter.

How: Online application form at www.lw.com. 

When to Apply: 31 July 2012. 

What is involved: Three 30-minute interviews. 

 

 Vacation schemes

Spring: Apply by 31 December. 

Summer: Apply by 31 January.