O’Melveny

Address: Warwick Court, 5 Paternoster Square, London, EC4M 7DX

Web: www.omm.com

Email: graduate-recruitment@omm.com

 

Survey results

The lowdown (in their own words...)

The verdict

Trainees at US firm O’Melveny get ‘greater responsibility at an earlier stage’ thanks to being part of a small intake. Work highlights such as ‘managing closing processes for several transactions involving multiple overseas counsel’ and ‘closing a deal entirely alone’ go some way to illustrate the degree of responsibility afforded to new recruits. As members of ‘smaller deal teams’, trainees benefit from ‘close supervision’ from ‘approachable supervisors’. The workflow was described as ‘uneven’ and ‘variable’: ‘when it’s busy, it’s very busy’, said one respondent, but this can be ‘followed by quieter periods’. Despite the occasional stint of ‘very long hours of document review’ however, we hear that the ‘hours are generally good’ and the ‘work/life balance is much better than that of peers at similar-level US law firms’. An ‘inclusive and friendly environment’ has led to O’Melveny scooping up a Lex 100 Winner medal for inclusiveness, as well as for its ‘great pay’. ‘Incredible experiences’ of overseas work placements has also elevated the firm to Lex 100 Winner status in the international secondments category. Respondents felt that there was ‘not as much structure’ in terms of training but perhaps this is a trade-off for being at the coalface on deals. Praise abounded for the firm’s pro bono initiatives, which are ‘actively encouraged by partners’ so that a ‘significant proportion of the office gets involved’. These range ‘from legal advice clinics to research projects from the firm’s US pro bono partners’. If working with ‘high-quality lawyers’ in a ‘collaborative atmosphere’ whilst keeping busy with ‘great work’ appeals to you, keep O’Melveny in mind.

 A day in the life of...

Vanessa Chukwukelu first-year trainee solicitor, O’Melveny 

Departments to date:  Investment funds, corporate

University:University of Kent, King’s College London 
Degree:LLB, 2(1), LLM, 1st 

9.00am:  On my way into the office, I quickly check my IPhone to see if any emails have come in while on the tube. I notice that we received a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) from one of our clients, with instructions to review the document; I therefore quickly make a mental note to add this to my to-do list and head into the office.

9.15am:  I add the NDA to my list and organise the tasks by way of priority. Then my supervisor arrives and we discuss the various tasks for the day. We have received instructions from one of our clients to help with a note transfer for a private company, so I start reviewing the note register which outlines the new and old noteholders. I then begin to draft the new notes in accordance with the transfer instructions which we have received from the client.

10.30am:  Once a week we have our corporate team meeting. I find this meeting very helpful as it gives everyone in the corporate team the opportunity to see what matters other people at the office are involved in. It provides a good overview of the matters that are time pressured and the projects that might require my help. I offer my help to one of the associates who is working on a private debt placement which is closing at the end of the week. She tells me to come to her office tomorrow morning to discuss further steps.

11.00am:  The NDA process is a very common task for the trainees at our office. After I have completed the mark-up, I send a redline against the original version to one of the associates for her review and comments. She gets back to me straight away and I head to her office to discuss any outstanding points. After discussing the guidelines for the NDA, I go back to my desk to incorporate her comments and send out the final mark-up of the NDA to the client.

12.30pm:  Lunch time! I email some of the other trainees to arrange lunch on the terrace (our ‘go-to’ place during the summer).

1.30pm:  My supervisor and I have a call with a client this afternoon who wants to set up an English private limited company, as a subsidiary to his German start-up business. Prior to the call, I decide to refresh my mind on the relevant forms to file at Companies House and the necessary requirements to incorporate a private limited company in the UK. I then draft a quick memo and send this across to my supervisor, ahead of the call. After the call, I write up an attendance note so we have a record of what the client has told us in case we are asked to assist further.

3.30pm:  I am meeting one of the associates for a coffee in the breakout room. We discuss the areas we are working on and one of the pro bono cases that we are both supervising. Pro bono is an integral part of the work in the London office and everyone takes it very seriously. It is a great opportunity to get experience in different areas of law and I personally find it very rewarding. I also check if the associate will be attending the external training on ‘The Fundraising Process’ tomorrow in Canary Wharf; she confirms she will be. Offering training sessions for junior lawyers is a big priority to the firm and the partners actively encourage everyone to attend these.

5.30pm:  The client due diligence process is taking longer than I expected due to the complex holding structure of the company. I put together a file note and head to see a senior lawyer to discuss the ownership structure of the client and next steps to take. We decide to contact the client directly and ask for some information regarding the holding structure of the company, thus I go back to my desk and send out the email.

6.30pm:  I go through my diary and update my to-do list for tomorrow.