Survey Results - Trainee feedback on Vinson & Elkins RLLP
Survey Results - Trainee feedback on
The lowdown - Trainees (in their own words) on Vinson & Elkins RLLP
Why did you choose this firm over any others? ‘Type of work, type of training, exposure to partners and clients, the opportunity to second to Houston’, ‘for the unique training contract structure, which is a mixture of traditional and non-rotational’, ‘my vacation scheme made me want to work with the people here and I haven’t been disappointed with the results so far. The combination of this culture and the strengths in the industries I was interested in working in solidified V&E as my first choice’, ‘the energy sector specialism and the opportunity to work with clients in this sector’
Best thing about the firm? ‘We’re genuinely treated as a member of the team, given great visibility over the whole deal/case and everyone is in it together’, ‘the people and how hands on we are with the work. Everyone is approachable and genuinely invested in your development. They take learning on the job seriously, always teaching us as we do live tasks’, ‘the London office has rebuilt its social life post-Covid, we often have trainees/associates/partners at the pub on Thursdays’, as long as the work gets done, no one is interested in how long you are in the office’
Worst thing about the firm? ‘Clearer communication is needed on strategy of the firm’, ‘the work is not well distributed’, ‘sometimes the communication/assignment of work’, ‘the mismatch of work available across departments’, ‘late nights, weekend work, and dinners at my desk in the office’, ‘the unpredictability of the work – the nature of the work means that things can pop up unexpectedly’, ‘the IT equipment/systems can be a bit useless and seem a bit dated’
Best moment? ‘Being trusted to mark up an entire agreement and attending a client dinner’, ‘going on secondment to Houston. I loved absolutely every moment of my six months there’, ‘going for after work drinks with the V&E team and a client, which led to the client inviting me out to Panama for a work trip’, ‘attending a hearing’, ‘the satisfaction of getting a deal over the line’, ‘feeling fully integrated into the team’
Worst moment? ‘Feeling like I let my supervisor down’, ‘working over weekends unexpectedly’, ‘receiving an email at 8pm on a Friday or midday on a Saturday without forewarning, and being expected to drop everything and pick up the “urgent” task’, ‘my seat rotation; I wasn’t expecting it, but I found it really difficult. It was hard to move to a different end of the office, away from everyone I had been working with for six months, and having to give up the work that I really enjoyed and was genuinely excited to be a part of’, ‘a high-pressure filing’
The Legal 500 Future Lawyers verdict on Vinson & Elkins RLLP
Vinson & Elkins’ ‘strong focus on energy and infrastructure work’, ‘lean teams’ and ‘small trainee intake’ were ‘non-negotiables’ for the current cohort. The US firm offers ‘exposure to complex work’ from the get-go, and recruits ‘feel a sense of ownership over our careers’. A unique ‘non-rotational training structure’ means that trainees can ‘seek out transactions and cases that we’re genuinely interested in, rather than simply being assigned work’, which ‘leaves us in a stronger position for qualification’. You ‘definitely get out what you put in’ at Vinson & Elkins! There is a ‘welcoming, inclusive and collaborative culture’ at the firm, which can be attributed to a ‘focus on hiring people who fit V&E’s ethos’. Said one respondent: ‘everyone on my vacation scheme was welcoming and genuinely interested in getting to know me and my background’. Another added: ‘there’s very little hierarchy and I feel comfortable chatting with any member of the London team, whether it’s in the café or by heading into their office (the doors to which are nearly always open)’. More frustrating is that ‘there’s a lack of transparency re the future of the office and where management see us expanding. I think this stems from a misunderstanding of how aware trainees are when it comes to the firm’s strategy, and how much it can impact us when thinking about qualification’. On the plus side, there’s a great social life, and the ‘recently resurrected V&Ski trip’ in particular excited trainees. For a firm with ‘energy sector specialism’ and an inclusive culture, where you’ll have the opportunity to ‘learn from a truly exceptional group of lawyers’, research Vinson & Elkins.
Life as a trainee…
Afzaal Abidi, newly qualified associate, Vinson & Elkins LLP
Departments to date: Complex commercial litigation; Energy, transactions and projects; Mergers and acquisitions and capital markets; Employment
University: University of Nottingham University of Kent
Degree: Senior Status LLB, 2(1), American Studies, 1st
How does the summer vacation placement programme link into the training contract process?
The summer vacation scheme is an integral part of the recruitment process at Vinson & Elkins, with most, if not all, of our trainees being hired through the scheme. The firm prides itself on its collegiality; finding the right fit in terms of culture is therefore vitally important, and the vacation scheme provides an invaluable opportunity to do so. More importantly, the scheme gives participants the chance to establish whether or not the firm is right for them. There are numerous opportunities to do so right from the get go, with participants quickly being engaged on substantive client work across different departments, and regular drinks events and lunches interspersed throughout the week.
How is the training programme structured at Vinson & Elkins?
The unique structure of Vinson & Elkins’ training programme was, for me, one of the strongest draws. The first year is structured much like the ‘traditional’ training contract – trainees sit in two different departments for six months each, working only for their respective department. Things get a bit more interesting in the second year; trainees are non-rotational, and may pick up or carry forward the work that most interests them. This is a fantastic opportunity to tailor your training contract, and offers the chance to develop a deeper understanding of each practice area as you experience deals and disputes from cradle to grave. International secondments are also available to those who express interest, with trainees having been seconded to the firm’s Houston, Tokyo and Dubai offices in the past.
What does a typical day as a trainee at Vinson & Elkins consist of?
During my time in the energy, transactions and projects practice, our lawyers are equally at home advising across project development, project finance or energy M&A matters. As such, the work is incredibly varied; an M&A deal may see me liaising with counsel in Equatorial Guinea in relation to the acquisition of offshore exploration and production assets, whereas projects work may involve drafting contracts for the engineering and construction of a major waterways project in Central America. I have also been actively involved with the firm’s diversity council – we’ve got some really exciting initiatives underway!
How much involvement do trainees have in the deals and transactions they are assisting on at Vinson & Elkins?
Our deals and disputes are generally staffed in a lean fashion, which means that trainees play an integral role in each team, and are actively encouraged to take on meaningful work. This could be anything from drafting documents, conducting research, attending meetings or interacting with clients. It’s exciting to feel like you’re making a real contribution, and to have the opportunity to work closely with everyone from associates to partners. The learning curve can be steep at times, but I’ve never felt unsupported, and I’ve enjoyed getting progressively more responsibility as I’ve advanced through each seat.
What is the culture like at Vinson & Elkins?
We’ve got the best of both worlds at Vinson & Elkins: the opportunity to get involved in multi-jurisdictional deals and disputes with some of the best lawyers in the market, coupled with the collegiality and intimacy of a smaller office. It’s clear to see how our Texan roots have shaped the firm’s values; the sense of community and support are apparent as soon as you set foot into the office. Everyone’s down to earth, and it’s a very open environment, with associates and partners always willing to take time out to talk through complex issues or walk you through their work. Hours can be long, but there’s a fantastic sense of camaraderie, and people are always appreciative of the time you put in. There are plenty of opportunities to blow off steam, too, with social events held throughout the year, and of course the famed Christmas party. In 2019 we booked out Nobu, after which most of the firm took over the local karaoke bar – where things probably went on longer than they should have done – looking forward to the return of a Christmas party, hopefully this year!
About the firm
The firm: Vinson & Elkins’ London office opened in 1974, making it one of the oldest of any US firm. Its clients are predominantly in the energy, finance and infrastructure sectors and the London office specialises in M&A, private equity, construction, project development and finance, international arbitration and dispute resolution, corporate and structured finance, and tax.
The clients: Equinor; Saudi Aramco; SOCAR; Saipem; Apollo; Panama Canal Authority.
The deals: Advised STAR Rafineri AS, a subsidiary of the state oil company of the Azerbaijan Republic, and its sponsors on the financing and development of a US$6.3bn greenfield oil refinery in Turkey on the Aegean Sea; advised The Panama Canal Authority in relation to the construction and engineering aspects of the Panama Canal Expansion Program in Panama; advised Woodside Petroleum Ltd on its merger with BHP Petroleum with an approximately US$43bn merged entity value; advised a US private equity fund on its €3.17bn carve-out acquisition of a global construction chemicals business from a public company.
Training principal: Andrew Nealon
Managing partner: Nick Henchie
Other offices: Austin, Dallas, Dubai, Houston (head office), Los Angeles, New York, Richmond, San Francisco, Tokyo, Washington.
Who we are: Vinson & Elkins is a leading US-based international law firm with more than 700 lawyers located in 11 cities across the globe.
What we do: Vinson & Elkins advises clients that are predominantly in the energy, finance and infrastructure sectors and the London office specialises in M&A, private equity, construction, project development and finance, international arbitration and litigation, corporate and structured finance, and tax.
What we’re looking for: We are looking to recruit ambitious individuals with exceptional academic results, sound commercial awareness and rounded personalities. The ability to think laterally and creatively is essential, as is a need for common sense and a willingness to take the initiative.
What you’ll do: The firm operates a partially non-rotational training system; during their first year trainees work primarily within the departments in which they sit and during their second year trainees work across all practice areas and have more freedom to tailor their training.
Perks: Medical insurance, dental insurance, travel insurance, life insurance, Simply Health cash plan, subsidised gym membership, access to private GPs, employee assistance programme, pension, cycle scheme and interest-free season ticket loan.
Sponsorship
V&E will fund the preparatory course(s) and examinations for the SQE and offers a maintenance grant for courses commenced after the date of a training contract offer.
Diversity and inclusion
Louise Woods
Partner, Complex Commercial Litigation (CCL)
Head of International Disputes – Europe
At V&E, our inclusion commitment starts at the top with members of our leadership who oversee our firm-wide diversity and inclusion initiatives. I hold an office lead role for a number of the firm’s diversity initiatives to support participation and progress in London, as I believe strongly in the work we are doing to achieve equality — inclusive of diverse interests, backgrounds, perspectives, race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, religion, and physical ability.
We recognise that being a more diverse firm with a truly inclusive culture will help drive our long-term success, both in retaining our top talent and in serving our clients’ needs. Our participation in diversity-focused career fairs and recruiting programmes allows us to identify top-notch legal talent. We have made progress in London with our entry-level trainee recruitment over recent years, and we strive for our partnership to one day look like our incoming trainee cohorts. We are committed to sustaining our focus on diversity and, in particular, the retention of our women and diverse lawyers, and to do so we work to ensure our initiatives permeate our structure, policies and programmes.
As a trainee in London you have the opportunity to be involved in our programming. Our initiatives include diversity-focused events, our schools outreach mentoring programme, and our book club which is focused on thought-provoking texts designed to educate and promote frank and honest discussions with colleagues. The Women’s Initiative in London works to create and sustain a variety of programmes that support our women lawyers, nurture their development, and promote their advancement to all levels of leadership within the firm. The initiative benefits all of our lawyers as the programming includes business development training, mentoring programmes and family-friendly initiatives. Other V&E diversity initiatives include our LGBTQ+ Alliance and our New Parent Mentoring Programme, which have both seen a rise in members in our London office.
I hope you will make time in your schedule to get to know Vinson & Elkins!
For further information on V&E’s commitment to equality please see our dedicated page at www.velaw.com/about-us/diversity-inclusion.