Firms

SJ Berwin

 

Web:  www.sjberwin.com 

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

 

 

Web:  www.sjberwin.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? 

 ''Strong corporate focus'; 'commercial attitude and European presence'; 'flagship for private equity'; 'very interesting and focused application form'; 'variety of departments'; great roof terrace'; 'entrepreneurial and dynamic spirit'; 'small enough to have good responsibility and access to senior people but big enough to get the big City law firm experience'' 

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

 ''Not an overly-large trainee intake'; 'enjoyed the vacation scheme'; 'liked the people'; 'more responsibility'; 'more hands on'; 'massive responsibility'; 'lots of legal training and soft skills i.e. speed reading'; 'seats a lot more broad'; 'I am set realistic goals and targets to achieve'; 'the training is very good'' 

Best thing about the firm? 

 ''Free lunch'; the lunch is pretty epic'; 'the people and the work'; 'great people '; 'its energy'; 'the building is great'; 'every single matter I have been involved in has been interesting'; 'its hungry, commercial and aggressive attitude'' 

Worst thing about the firm? 

 'Unpredictable hours'; 'poor communication from decision makers and to some extent within teams'; 'fewer social events/no xmas/summer party'; 'the firm cultivates a hard-working culture, sometimes a little too hard-working;' 'sometimes there is no room for a sense for humour'; 'corporate attitude'' 

Best moment? 

 ''Leading conference calls with foreign counsel'; 'attending a client pitch, which we won'; 'a deal I have been working on makes the front pages of a few national papers'; 'secondment to our Paris office'; 'going to court on a number of occasions'; 'negotiating documents with lawyers on the opposite side at a client meeting - all by myself'' 

Worst moment?

 ''Working the weekend before Christmas'; 'forgetting to deliver bundles to a QC before a hearing'; 'not sleeping for five days (literally) and still having to be at my best'; 'being treated like a fly by a supervising partner who lacks social skills and clearly has forgotten that working can be fun too'; 'when you do a good job and don't get recognition for it''

The Lex 100 verdict

 The Verdict

The firm

SJ Berwin has a great name in private equity, with its market-leading funds practice combining with a strong transactional practice, and it is a go-to firm for hedge funds and investment banks facing litigation. Other strengths are commercial property, planning and property litigation, M&A, venture capital and competition. The firm also has a well-regarded, cross-practice media group, drawing on the firm's transactional and regulatory expertise. 

The star performers

Arbitration; Commercial litigation; Commercial property; Corporate tax; EU and competition; Financial services; IP; IT and telecoms; Investment funds; M&A: upper mid-market and premium deals, £250m+; Media and entertainment; Pharmaceuticals and biotechnology; Planning; Private equity; Private funds; Property litigation; Venture capital.

The deals

Advised AXA Sun Life on developing a 215,000sq ft building at 60 Holborn Viaduct; advised Amcor on selling its Spanish business; advised London City Airport on its lease grant to Shell for a fuel farm development; acts for Quintain Estates on its Wembley City regeneration; advised Evans Randall on its £242.5m acquisition of the Drapers Gardens office complex.

The clients

Axa; BSkyB; British Land; CBRE Investors; Coin Street Community Builders; Crown Estate; Gazeley UK; Hilton Hotels; Honda; Lion Capital; Logica; Macquarie Bank; Marks and Spencer plc; Schroders.

The winners

Legal Business Awards 2011

Highly commended Private Equity team of the year. 

The Verdict

With a 'strong corporate focus', SJ Berwin is also considered a 'flagship for private equity' and dazzles candidates with the prospect of some seriously challenging work. With a solid European presence it is an 'exciting and ambitious' place to work. Current trainees report that the firm encourages an 'entrepreneurial and dynamic spirit' and the people and offices are very pleasant (especially the 'great' roof terrace). There is plenty of legal and soft skills training and 'realistic goals and targets' are set. Prepare to be given a 'massive' amount of responsibility and there is plenty of 'visibility with partners' if you have any questions. The seat choice options are 'flexible' and due to the type of work that trainees handle there is a great sense of job satisfaction. Sometimes it can feel a little too 'serious' and there are also fewer social events than in the past but hopefully that will change in the future. Current trainees also say that communication can be poor at times. However, with the free lunches that everyone raves about, the opportunity to go on secondment to the Paris office or others within the network and the very real possibility of seeing the deal that you are working on appearing on the front page of the national newspapers, trainees report that SJ Berwin is a firm that seems 'prepared to break the mould'.

A day in the life

A day in the life of.....

Mark England, second-year trainee, SJ Berwin LLP 
Departments to date:  Commercial litigation, intellectual property, corporate finance (Madrid)
University: University College London 
Degree: Law with Spanish law, 2(1) 

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8.50am: My alarm rings and I drag myself out of bed to face yet another sunny day. I have a quick shower, iron a shirt (one of my hobbies since my working life began) and get ready for my usual walk to work.

9.15am: I live in the Malasaña area, which is in the heart of Madrid and has an endless number of bars and restaurants. The Madrid office is located in the Salamanca area, which is a 15 minute walk from the apartment. If I'm feeling extremely lazy, or if the weather is too warm to walk in (this tends to be the case in August), another option is to catch the air-conditioned Metro.

9.30am: I arrive at work and stop by the kitchen to help myself to a hot chocolate (the popular Cola-Cao, which is actually served cold) and biscuits. My desk is located in an open-plan part of the office, where I sit next to the junior associates. We tend to have a quick chat whilst we go through our emails, usually about our plans for the weekend or to review Real Madrid's performance in their last match. One of the benefits of being an English trainee is that you get to work with a variety of people across all departments, especially if your Spanish is good. Whilst I am officially assigned to the corporate finance department, where I support the associates and partners in a variety of transactions, I regularly assist the employment, litigation and funds departments. This gives me significant exposure to the work undertaken in the Madrid office and allows me to work with most of the associates.

2.00pm: Lunch is an important part of the day in Spain, which is why people get two hours to enjoy their meal and have a siesta if they're feeling tired. Many Madrileños live relatively close to the office and go home at lunchtime. However, if you're feeling more adventurous, other options include going to the Retiro (Madrid's main park), meeting friends and colleagues for a very affordable three-course meal (most restaurants have a daily menu for around €10) or going to the gym (this rarely happens).

4.00pm: The afternoons are usually slightly busier than the mornings, except on a Friday when people try to leave shortly after lunch. I will generally attend meetings, draft corporate documentation, send emails and carry out research on contentious points of the law. This week I have been working on an assignment agreement and I finalised a power of attorney in relation to an upcoming deal. I have also amended a share transfer deed, reviewed a memorandum of understanding, translated an investment agreement and drafted provisions in a counter-indemnity agreement in relation to two separate transactions. Like all Spanish lawyers here, I work in both English and Spanish, which is great for improving my technical legal vocabulary and adds another dimension to the job.

8.30pm: This is when my working day usually comes to an end and the Madrid lifestyle really kicks in. The city is bursting with energy every evening. You will find that most bars, restaurants and squares are filled with people enjoying a drink and some tapas as the sun goes down. From Wednesday to Saturday, things don't tend to wind down until the early hours of the morning! You soon get used to it, though.

About the firm

About the firm

Address: 10 Queen Street Place, London EC4R 1BE

Telephone: 020 7111 2268

Fax: 020 7111 2000

Website: www.sjberwin.com

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

Senior partner: Jonathan Blake

Managing partner: Rob Day

 

Other offices: Berlin, Brussels, Dubai, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Madrid, Milan, Munich, Paris, Shanghai. 

Who we are:  SJ Berwin is a leading international firm with a corporate focus.

What we do: The firm's main areas of practice are corporate finance, real estate, litigation, commercial, EU and competition, intellectual property, financial markets, finance, tax and employment. Of these, corporate finance is the largest.

What we are looking for: A strong academic record, an interest in law in a commercial context and a self-motivated team player with good analytical skills.

What you'll do:  Training consists of four six-month seats in a variety of departments, including two corporate seats. Trainees will spend two seats (which may include a seat abroad) within the following areas: finance, mergers and acquisitions, equity capital markets, private equity, venture capital and investment funds.

Perks: Health insurance, season ticket loan, gym membership, pension scheme, subsidised catering on-site, bicycle loan.

Sponsorship: Full fees paid for both GDL and LPC and a maintenance grant of up to £7,250 depending on location.

 

Facts & figures

 Facts and figures

Trainee places available for 2014: 40

Applications received pa: 1,600 to 2,000 

Percentage interviewed: approx 20% 

Salary

First year: £37,500

Second year: £41,500

Newly qualified: 

 The money

(from Legal Business magazine)

Turnover in 2010: £171m (-7% from 2009) Profits per equity partner: £443,000 (+8%)

Total partners: 171

Other fee-earners: 344

Total trainees: $$$$$ change heading to "Trainee places available for 2014/15:" 78

APPLY NOW

Application process

Apply to: Sharon Doberer, Head of Graduate Recruitment.

How: Online application via website. 

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

What is involved: Two interviews, a case study and critical reasoning test. 

 

 Vacation schemes

Spring: One week. Apply by 31 January 2012. 

Summer: Schemes throughout June and July. Apply by 31 January 2012.