Survey Results - Trainee feedback on Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton

The lowdown - Trainees (in their own words) on Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton

Why did you choose this firm over any others? ‘The staff make-up was more diverse than at other firms I saw’, ‘collegiate atmosphere and small trainee intake’, ‘exposure to international work’, ‘the culture, colleagues and quality of work offered’, ‘it had great quality of work and the pay was/is very competitive’, ‘the vacation scheme was incredibly impressive and demonstrated the quality of work available at the firm’

Best thing about the firm? ‘The general attitude and way of doing things. The idea that any lawyer in the office can do any piece of work so long as they are genuinely competent – this means we always have interesting work coming in’, ‘the quality of the work and quality of lawyers’, ‘the friendliness and talent of the people I work with’, ‘it takes a ‘broad approach to each department, rather than highly-specialised practice areas’

Worst thing about the firm? ‘The lack of legal tech used for time-consuming tasks’, ‘the hours and the lack of transparency in relation to seat selection’, ‘although not unmanageable, the workload is high’, ‘the hours can be a bit draining, but they are similar to those at other firms, and we are compensated well, so I don’t necessarily feel like it would be any better elsewhere’

Best moment? ‘My first client meetings, where I was responsible for speaking and giving advice. This was early on in my first seat, and it really helped develop my confidence going forward’, ‘being complimented by a very senior partner for the work I did’, ‘working directly with a partner on a complex piece of client advice’, ‘being part of an in-person negotiation for three days where all parties flew into London’, ‘securing visas for a client’s family and providing for their reunification as part of a pro bono project. The whole firm congratulated us (even the managing partner in New York)’, ‘getting to take part in delivering a client presentation at our client’s offices as a first-seat trainee’

Worst moment? ‘Being brought onto a matter I had little knowledge of at the last minute, with tight, important deadlines. This was incredibly stressful’, ‘working until 5:30am on a Competition Markets Authority request for information’, ‘working on bank holidays’

The Legal 500 Future Lawyers verdict on Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton

At Cleary Gottlieb ‘each practice group has such a wide range of matters that it’s possible to try lots of different things without feeling pigeon-holed’. This leads to ‘more varied and interesting work’ across the firm’s key areas, which include corporate, litigation and arbitration. Trainees found the vacation scheme at the US firm ‘incredibly impressive’, and were enticed by the ‘high quality of the work on offer’, even at a junior level. ‘Excellent remuneration’ is the cherry on top of the already delectable cake. Trainee work at Cleary tends to be ‘more advanced than at firms with larger intakes’. Training is ‘a bit more on the job’ and ‘hands on’, and involves ‘greater opportunities to draft’, as well as ‘high levels of direct client contact’. ‘I really enjoy leading on transactions and being proactive’, elaborated one respondent. In fact, Cleary trainees think that the best thing about the firm is ‘the responsibility you are given; it is not forced on you, but if you want to take the lead on something, then seniors are happy for you to do so, as long as you keep them in the loop’. Cleary staff are ‘extremely supportive and helpful’, with ‘all lawyers willing to take time out of their day to help you’. Nonetheless, as is common with firms headquartered over the pond, Cleary has ‘lean teams’, which can ‘cause stress for the lawyers staffed on matters when they get busy’. The ‘hours can be a bit draining’ too, especially when you might have to ‘wake up at 4:30am three days in a row to manage the workload’. To train at a firm where there is ‘such a large variety of work to get involved in that most people find something they find interesting’, with fantastic pay and early exposure to high-quality international work, research Cleary Gottlieb.

About the firm

The firm: Cleary Gottlieb is a pioneer in globalising the legal profession. Since 1946 our lawyers and staff have worked across practices, industries, jurisdictions and continents to provide clients with simple, actionable approaches to their most complex legal and business challenges, whether domestic or international. We support every client relationship with intellectual agility, commercial acumen and a human touch.

Managing partner: Michael Gerstenzang

Other offices: New York, San Francisco, Sao Paulo, Silicon Valley, Washington DC, Beijing, Hong Kong, Seoul, Abu Dhabi, Brussels, Cologne, Frankfurt, Milan, Paris and Rome.

Who we are: We have offices located in 16 major financial and political centres around the world, but we are a single, integrated firm. This ‘one firm’ approach means we can better collaborate and deliver all our resources to all our clients, wherever they may be.

Diversity and inclusion: We place a premium on leveraging the unique perspectives of individuals with a range of backgrounds, beliefs and life experiences. The wide-ranging diversity of people and viewpoints makes Cleary an open and exciting place to work.

Groundbreaking work: For more than 70 years, clients around the world have entrusted us to seamlessly handle their most challenging assignments, from large corporate transactions to cases of first impression. Our work is rarely easy, but our lawyers get the opportunity to work on high-profile cases and innovative deals, where the stakes are high and each lawyer’s talents can make a difference.

Culture: Our firm is arranged around an informal structure that is democratic and participatory. As your practice evolves and your interests expand, your career path will grow in tandem.

Professional development: Cleary is a firm where lawyers at all levels talk to each other frequently and freely, so working and training go hand-in-hand.

What we do: Core areas of practice in London are M&A, financing and restructuring, capital markets, international litigation and arbitration, and competition. In addition there are successful self-standing practices in tax, financial regulation, employment, and IP and IT.

What we’re looking for: We look for candidates who are enthusiastic about the practice of law in a challenging and dynamic international setting. While academic excellence is a prerequisite, we place particular emphasis on recruiting candidates with whom we and our clients enjoy working. A sense of humour is as important as the ability to think critically.

What you’ll do: By recruiting 16 trainees each year we are able to offer bespoke training that is tailored to our trainees’ interests, experience and aptitudes. We encourage our trainee solicitors to accept increased responsibility as soon as they are ready to do so.

Perks: 25 days’ holiday, employer pension contribution, gym membership subsidy, private healthcare, life insurance, long-term disability insurance, dental insurance, employee assistance programme, Bright Horizons back-up care and subsidised staff restaurant.

Sponsorship

PGDL and SQE funding. A maintenance grant of £12,000 for PGDL and £20,000 for SQE is paid for each year of professional study.