Survey Results - Trainee feedback on Mayer Brown
Survey Results - Trainee feedback on
The lowdown - Trainees (in their own words) on Mayer Brown
Why did you choose this firm over any others? ‘The training we receive is very bespoke and you have great exposure to the actual work of a solicitor’, ‘the limited number of trainees that they take on each year’, ‘the trainee intake itself is very close, which is lovely – it’s a very supportive environment’, ‘it’s renowned for its excellent training’, ‘the smaller intake size and the quality of the training’, ‘great secondment opportunities (at the time!)’, ‘the training is second to none’, ‘the standard of work’, ‘I found the partners and teams very approachable’
Best thing about the firm? ‘The work. It is incredibly interesting, especially if you sit within one of the top-tier departments as you are involved in very cutting-edge work that is complex and challenging but extremely rewarding as a result!’, ‘The Hub (thank you, [partner] Sally Davies). Also the coffee is unreal and the food options are great’, ‘the people are so supportive and kind’, ‘the people – the majority are down to earth and reasonable’, ‘the autonomy we get over our training contract and the opportunity to do meaningful work’, ‘they let you do lots of work and take on lots of responsibility’
Worst thing about the firm? ‘The hours’, ‘lack of work-from-home [equipment] allowance can make things quite tight’, ‘socialising to network and meet people/partners often happens off-site which can get really expensive’, ‘the lack of secondment opportunities’, ‘the opaque qualification process’, ‘it can be quite gossipy!’, ‘the limited lunch options’, ‘the benefits aren’t the best’
Best moment? ‘Drafting witness statements’, ‘getting to know the team’, ‘attending a week-long trial. Seeing live advocacy of points I had helped form in the case was extremely memorable’, ‘attending a court hearing’, ‘positive appraisals’, ‘the pro bono work I’ve done’ ‘drafting a substantial section of a statement of defence’, ‘feeling proud of work I’ve done post-closing’, ‘pro bono matters I’ve worked on’
Worst moment? ‘Completely messing up an exhibit that we filed’, ‘being stuck with mundane tasks’, ‘closing on a financing where I had no understanding of the matter’, ‘associates disappearing in the midst of a very difficult transaction, leaving me to fend for myself’, ‘having to cancel annual leave to work’
The Legal 500 Future Lawyers verdict on Mayer Brown
Global firm Mayer Brown has many talents, but is particularly highly regarded in banking and finance, corporate and securities, and dispute resolution. Trainees form a ‘limited intake’ which sees them become ‘very well integrated into the firm’ from day one, and ‘despite being trainees, everyone knows who each of us is’. At MB, the work is ‘fast paced and exciting; you work on big cases and matters with lots of complex law involved’. Supervisors are happy to dish out ‘high-quality work if they trust you’, which leads to highlights such as ‘being a core part of the team on a matter and getting real responsibility’, and ‘drafting sections of a statement of case which were actually kept in and used for the proceedings’. It’s fair to say that Mayer Brown recruits are ‘never bored’! Trainees appreciate being allowed to work from home two days a week, but bemoaned the ‘lack of work-from-home tech allowance’ which ‘can make things tight’. That Mayer Brown ‘recently got rid of international secondments, having previously offered multiple’ also frustrated recruits, particularly those who had applied to the firm on that basis. Trainees ‘appear to get a lot more training than those at other firms’, which is made up of ‘formal training at the start of each seat to get you up to speed with the foundations you need to know, as well as regular informal training’. To top it off, the people at Mayer Brown are ‘exceptionally friendly’, with ‘everyone at every level making time for trainees’ so that they are ‘never afraid to ask for support or advice’. For a ‘great reputation, great pay, and lots of opportunities for pro bono’, take a closer look at Mayer Brown.
About the firm
The firm: Delivering top-level legal advice and service around the globe, Mayer Brown is the only integrated law firm with significant presence in the world’s five largest financial centres – New York, London, Singapore, Hong Kong and San Francisco – markets which are the backbone of the global economy.
The clients: HSBC, Barclay’s, UBS, Unilever, Nestle, Google, J P Morgan, Goldman Sachs, American Express, Mitsubishi, LG, Deutsche Bank, Societe Generale, Wells Fargo.
The deals: Advised Marcura on the acquisition of the world’s leading maritime procurement platform ShipServ Ltd; provided record-breaking support to Legal Aid DC’s 2023 Making Justice Real campaign, supporting the organisation to raise $3.49m; advised on a landmark US$67m investment for Cornish Lithium plc; advised on Hasbro’s sale of eOne film and TV business to Lionsgate; advised TC Energy Corporation on its agreement to monetise a 40% interest in its Columbia Gas Transmission, LLC and Columbia Gulf Transmission, LLC systems; assisted Intermarché in the challenge of the antitrust inspections carried out by the European Commission at its premises in 2017; represented Igneo Infrastructure Partners in its acquisition of US Signal; represented General Motors in investment with Lithium Americas; advised Chinachem Group on the purchase of One New Street Square, London, from Landsec; obtained a landmark settlement for the players on the US Women’s National Soccer Team (USWNT) in their equal-pay lawsuit against the US Soccer Federation (USSF), the parties agreeing to settle for $24m in backpay damages and a guarantee of equal pay going forward for all games, including for the World Cup.
Senior partner: Dominic Griffiths
Managing partner: Jeremy Clay
Other offices: Bangkok, Beijing, Brasilia (T&C), Brussels, Charlotte, Chicago, Dubai, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Los Angeles, New York, Palo Alto, Paris, Rio de Janeiro (T&C), Salt Lake City, San Francisco, São Paulo (T&C), Shanghai, Singapore, Tokyo, Vitória (T&C), and Washington DC.
Who we are: We’re a global law firm, whose signature strength is high-stakes litigation and complex cross-border work in financial services.
What we do: Our lawyers have expertise across a wide range of areas including corporate, finance, real estate, litigation, white-collar crime, investigations, employment, pensions, tax, restructuring and insolvency, financial services regulatory, and intellectual property.
What we’re looking for: We’re looking for people with the potential to be brilliant lawyers; candidates who not only have a consistently strong academic record including a minimum of a 2(1) (or equivalent) degree (predicted or obtained) in any discipline, but also who have a wide range of interests and achievements outside their academic career. Additionally, we would like to see innovative candidates with a drive for results, good verbal and written communication skills, resilience, and an ability to analyse, with good judgement and excellent interpersonal skills.
What you’ll do: You will be able to tailor your training contract across a broad range of seats, including our main practice areas in London: corporate and securities, banking and finance, and litigation.
Perks: Pension, private medical insurance, dental insurance, life assurance, employee assistance programme, onsite GP and physiotherapist, onsite subsidised canteen, free eye test, membership of Mayer Brown Advantage, membership of My Family Care, season ticket loan.
Sponsorship
The firm will cover the cost of the PGDL and SQE and provide a maintenance grant of £20,000 while studying the LLM SQE 1 & 2. The firm asks all students to complete their qualifications at BPP Law School in London.
Seat options
Corporate; finance; real estate; commercial dispute resolution; construction disputes and international arbitration; competition and antitrust; restructuring; employment; pensions; intellectual property; tax; client and international secondments.
Tips from the recruiter
- Thoroughly research the firm.
- Understand the role of a trainee solicitor.
- Identify the key skills needed to succeed as a trainee.