Distinctively Dechert Graduate opportunities in London

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1 d Distinctively Dechert Graduate opportunities in London

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3 Starting a career at Dechert The Graduate Recruitment Team in London Jonathan Angell and Corinna Mitchell, Partners All law firms are the same, right? Looking at law firm graduate recruitment materials, they are: every law firm is entrepreneurial; works on the most complex cross-border transactions for big, glamorous clients; provides trainees with challenging, exciting and varied work; promises you responsibility from an early stage, but with cutting-edge training and support; oh, and always with a smile and an open door? Like you, our common sense tells us that not all law firms are the same. We recognise that it can be difficult, if not impossible, to differentiate between firms. We certainly believe that the law firm description above is true of Dechert, but for us the difference will always be the people. Our people are the reason why Dechert is successful, and why clients rely on us for their most important matters. Whilst our people are very much individuals, we work together as a team. We have deep expertise, understand both the law and business, and are very client-focused. We hope that you will want to learn more about Dechert. This brochure and our other materials are a starting point, but to truly understand us and the opportunities a career at Dechert offers, we hope you will talk to our people. Our people are the difference. We are distinctively Dechert. Why choose Dechert? We invest in the future we constantly strive to make our firm better tomorrow than it is today. Six seats = flexibility, depth and variety We can help you tailor your training contract whether you re enjoying a seat and wish to repeat it to get to know that practice better, or whether you want to get the broadest possible experience across a range of practice areas. Our six-seat system means that no two trainees have the same experience. Quality work = responsibility and breadth As you acquire new skills throughout each seat, we will ensure that you take on greater responsibility in line with (and to help further) your development. We endeavour to ensure that, in each practice area, you are exposed to a broad range of work and legal issues. As an entrepreneurial firm, we will encourage you to develop our and your business relationships. We think that working in smaller teams, which is a Dechert hallmark, helps us and you to achieve all of that. Mentoring = continuous support Although we encourage you to take on more responsibility, we do so in a supportive environment. Your supervisors provide continuous support, but your professional development is also monitored on a regular basis by the graduate recruitment and development team as well as your personal panel partner all of whom are available to help with any concerns you may have. Secondments = a wealth of opportunities We believe it is helpful for our trainees to be able to gain a different perspective on the services we provide. Our trainees are therefore encouraged to consider spending some of their training contract in other Dechert offices, on secondment to clients or even a judicial secondment working with a High Court judge. Training = ongoing development We take your training seriously, both before and after you qualify. We have a full and lively training programme that covers the whole range of skills you need, from technical legal issues and substantive skills training in each practice area to what we call the Critical Skills Institute, which is focused on leadership, management, communication and client relations.

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5 Every day provides an opportunity to work, share ideas with and learn from partners ranked Tier 1. What our people have to say Jason Butwick Managing partner, London office I joined the firm as a trainee in Throughout my training contract and at every subsequent stage of my career I have faced new and exciting challenges: preparing my first research paper, my first advice letter, my first letter before action; running a client meeting; managing my own caseload; conducting my own advocacy; writing my first article; delivering my first client seminar; supervising a trainee; pitching to a prospective client; and, since April 2012, performing a wider management role. To meet these challenges successfully, I have had to adapt and learn. Sometimes very fast. But never alone. As with all our trainees, I was given significant responsibility very early in my career but I also had all the guidance and support I needed from our partners, associates and staff. This is the mark of our firm. I now face more challenges every day, not fewer, but I continue to have the support and guidance of my colleagues in the office at every level to help me navigate those challenges. Rachel Fenwick Associate, Financial services The wide range of clients I deal with across the globe means that no two days at work are ever the same. My clients include small asset managers who are just starting out, as well as some of the biggest banks in the world, and they all have very different needs. My recently completed secondment to our New York office enabled me to work with a greater number of US-based asset managers, and I enjoyed getting to understand the differences (and similarities) between the industries in Europe and the United States, which is proving useful now that I am back in London. Lloyd Firth Associate, White collar and securities litigation The white collar crime team in London affords huge early responsibility to its junior associates in one of the fastest growing areas of law in the world. We advise a wide range of clients on some of the largest, and most high-profile corporate investigations and prosecutions undertaken by UK, US and EU regulators. Every day provides an opportunity to work, share ideas with and learn from partners ranked Tier 1 for corporate crime and investigations by Chambers UK.

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7 A highlight of my career so far has been the opportunity to undertake a secondment to our Dubai office. Saba Ghadimzadeh Associate, Corporate and securities I trained with Dechert and qualified into our corporate group earlier this year. So far I have had the opportunity to work on a broad range of corporate matters including private M&A transactions, public company takeovers, corporate restructurings and investments in the private equity domain. This wide variety of work, which we carry out for clients in diverse business sectors and jurisdictions, ensures that every day brings its own challenges, as well as opportunities to learn from partners who are knowledgeable and passionate about their practices. A highlight of my career so far has been the opportunity to undertake a secondment to our Dubai office, and experience the exciting world of oil and gas transactions in the emerging markets. Edward Holmes Associate, Employment Dechert s employment department has a fast-moving and buzzy feel. Clients constantly ask us to resolve new and challenging problems, often at short notice. My clients range from huge investment businesses to tiny start-ups. You soon learn that different clients require different approaches. I often need to explain UK employment law to incredulous US businesspeople. The partners consult the team on big decisions. We are all involved in things like running client seminars. I like the fact that I can give my opinion to the partners on any issue, and they listen. Sam Aldous Trainee, Durham University Law I chose to train at Dechert as I wanted to join a reputable firm with a smaller trainee intake and the opportunity to experience a wide range of seats in the course of my training. In my first year, I completed seats in the tax, white collar crime and investigations, and international trade and government and regulation practices. My experience has been varied and has ranged from grappling with complex research questions to assisting on international corruption investigations and the related preparation of litigation claims and reports to regulators. During each seat, responsibilities have grown and have ranged from document and file management, to drafting deeds and clauses in Sale and Purchase Agreements, to being the sole representative of the London office on telephone conference calls with lawyers in our Moscow and Dubai offices! In each seat, I have had the opportunity to meet clients and have also been encouraged to attend firm networking events. Work is interesting, varied and can be highly topical for example, this summer I helped to draft client updates and attended client conferences related to the recent EU sanctions imposed against Russia.

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9 Virtually every matter that I have worked on has been fully international or had international aspects. Dylan Balbirnie Trainee, Durham University Modern languages I studied modern languages at university and spent time studying and working abroad as part of my degree. It was important to me to train at a firm that operated internationally. A year into my training contract, I have spent time in the white collar crime, intellectual property and corporate practices. Virtually every matter that I have worked on has been fully international or had international aspects. Dechert s six-seat training system offers trainees flexibility. This system is advantageous both to those who have a good idea from the start of their training contract into which department they would like to qualify, as it is possible to spend multiple seats in the same department, and those trainees who (like I did) start their training contract wanting to get experience in a broad range of practice areas. Lisa Foley Trainee, University College Dublin Law I first joined Dechert as an intern in 2012, and it was the international element inherent in the work I was involved in, coupled with the small trainee intake, that led me to make a training contract application. Dechert s international footprint has played a recurring theme during my training contract, and I have spent time working in both the Dublin and London offices. Dechert s six seat rotational system allows trainees to experience a varied training contract, with the option to return to seats that trainees particularly enjoy. I have spent time working for some of the world s largest asset managers and financial services businesses as part of the financial services group, whose practice spans across the key global fund centres in Europe, the US, Asia and the Middle East. Similarly, working in the white collar and securities litigation team, in the midst of the changing global regulatory landscape surrounding corporate crime, has been very exciting. Alex Hillback Trainee, London School of Economics Law Since joining the firm, I ve assisted on incredibly varied international matters, including closing US$2 billion of debt in the Middle East and US in one week, incurred via an asset tracking borrowing base facility and PIK toggle note issuance, respectively; the acquisition of mining assets in the DRC by an entity listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange; and the management buyout of a collection of very luxurious hotels across Asia. An attractive consequence of the smaller intake at Dechert is that trainees can t just play a bit-part in the wide-ranging work they are exposed to; trainees are encouraged to act on their instincts, volunteer their views and frequently be responsible for discrete areas of a transaction. The more informal training structure also means experience is acquired by doing, (e.g., running due diligence or liaising directly with clients), rather than via classroom sessions.

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11 It is great to be at a firm which encourages trainees to take such an active role in business development and supports initiatives such as Dechert Uncorked. Fred Kelly Trainee, University of Cambridge Classics One of the reasons I chose to join Dechert was because of the size of the firm. Although Dechert is an international law firm with high-profile clients, the London office is relatively small for a City firm. This means that it is possible to get to know everyone in the office. This gives the firm a very friendly atmosphere that encourages you to interact with and learn from more senior lawyers. This friendly atmosphere is not restricted to the confines of the office. Since starting at the firm, I have played in a number of Dechert s many sports teams. From football in the winter to softball and cricket in the summer, there are opportunities to participate in the firm s sporting activities all year round, and players of all abilities are welcome. I have particularly enjoyed the fact that taking part in these activities has allowed me to get to know other lawyers at the firm who I would otherwise not have come into contact with during my regular working week. Jessica Mutton Trainee, King s College London English law and French law From all the law firms I had experienced, Dechert stood out as one with real personality and this was a huge factor in choosing to train at Dechert. Employees are friends as well as colleagues and there are frequent opportunities to socialise outside of the office, from softball and netball to pub quizzes and barbeques. In addition, Dechert is supportive of trainees business development ideas. Since joining Dechert in September 2013, I have helped run an initiative known as Dechert Uncorked, a scheme run by committee of trainees who organise networking events for Dechert junior lawyers and young professionals in London. The idea behind this is firstly to provide a forum for junior lawyers to practice their networking skills and begin to build up their own contact base and, secondly to raise Dechert s profile and help young professionals learn more about what a fantastic firm Dechert is and which industries it specialises in. It has been extremely rewarding to be involved in such a scheme. I manage a budget and, with a team of around eight other young lawyers, organise and host events throughout the year to which trainees invited guests from industries likely to be clients of the firm. Dechert lawyers and guests alike have commented on the success of the events and noted that they made useful connections. In addition, I have set up a LinkedIn group to help enhance the connections made at the events. It is great to be at a firm which encourages trainees to take such an active role in business development and supports initiatives such as Dechert Uncorked.

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13 A global specialist law firm Focused on sectors with the greatest complexities, legal intricacies and highest regulatory demands, Dechert excels at delivering practical commercial judgement and deep legal expertise for high-stakes matters. In an increasingly challenging environment, clients look to us to serve them in ways that are faster, sharper and leaner without compromising excellence. We are relentless in serving our clients delivering the best of the firm to them with entrepreneurial energy and seamless collaboration in a way that is distinctively Dechert. The firm s origins date back more than 125 years. We now have 27 offices throughout Europe, the United States, Asia and the Middle East, providing top-ranked services to major corporations, financial institutions and private funds worldwide. Dechert in London Our London office first opened its doors in 1972, though Dechert s roots here stretch back to the 1930s. Ranked among the top 10 largest global firms in London by headcount by Legal Business Global London and hailed as a real force in the City, Dechert s London office has more than 160 lawyers and other legal professionals. We pride ourselves on combining a collaborative working environment with a determination to provide the highest quality professional services. Practice groups in London Corporate and securities Our corporate and securities lawyers handle complex cross-border transactions relating to mergers and acquisitions and private equity, as well as London market transactions, in each case, across a broad range of industry sectors. Our capital markets work covers all types of capital markets transactions, including the full range of international equity, debt and preferred offerings and listings. The service they deliver has been consistently excellent. Corporate and Securities, Chambers UK, 2014 Employment The employment team is experienced in all aspects of employment and benefits, both domestic and international, across a wide range of sectors. The team assists in the smooth management of restructurings and executive departures, as well as complex disputes and litigation. We also provide comprehensive advice on partnership matters, particularly in the financial services sector. They put themselves in our shoes very well in order to provide us with commercial advice. The advice is practical and promptly delivered and the individuals involved are highly approachable. Employment, Chambers UK, 2014

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15 Finance Dechert s finance lawyers represent our clients on all types of complex and innovative financing transactions and restructurings, including real estate finance, acquisition finance, senior, mezzanine and junior debt finance, structured finance and securitisations, cross-border leveraged, infrastructure and project financings, loan restructurings, workouts and recapitalisations. Dechert LLP is noted for its sound, diligent advice and partner involvement with a first-class team: prudent, efficient and real-world. Finance, The Legal 500 (UK), 2013 Financial services Our top-ranked team is one of the largest practices in the London market, advising clients from investment management boutiques to global financial services businesses. Our international practice spans all the key European fund centres, as well as the United States, Asia and Middle East, providing a unique reach and jurisdiction neutral advice. We offer a one-stop shop for investment funds work and cover the full range of asset classes, strategies and structures. I think they are excellent.... They know what we want to achieve and they get it done. Financial Services, Chambers UK, 2014 Intellectual property Our London intellectual property group focuses on litigation, counselling and transactional IP matters. With years of experience managing high-profile IP matters in relation to brands and designs in the technology, consumer goods, leisure and other sectors, we aim to solve, settle and assert our clients IP rights in the UK and around the world in order to maximise their business objectives. They re very easy to work with and very good for the tricky stuff.... Sources acknowledge the team for its client-friendly service and straightforward approach. Intellectual Property, Chambers UK, 2014 International trade and government regulation Dechert s international trade and government regulation lawyers advise on a wide range of matters, including export controls, economic sanctions, trade embargoes, anti-corruption, customs procedures, trade defense measures and national security reviews of foreign direct investment. Impeccable individuals... an excellent team. EU & Competition, The Legal 500 (UK), 2013 Litigation Our litigation practice encompasses international dispute resolution and investigations, white collar crime and compliance. The international dispute resolution team handles high-profile, high-value domestic and international litigation and international commercial and investment treaty arbitration, regularly coordinating large scale cross-border, multi-party actions for international clients. Our white collar crime and compliance team handles sensitive cross-border corporate investigations and supports companies in areas including anticorruption, commercial corruption, accounting restatements and insider trading, money laundering, asset-tracing and recovery, tax and cartel investigations. Everything was superb: the turnaround time, their commitment, their diligence and their care. White Collar Crime and Securities, Chambers UK, 2014 Real estate Our real estate team has a long-established reputation for handling real estate development and management from every angle, as well as acting for major developers on every type of scheme, major landlords in managing their portfolios, and providing a full real estate management service for clients. Dechert has strength in investment, development, tax-efficient real estate structuring, real estate private equity, and UK retail and fund formation. Commercial Property, The Legal 500 (UK), 2013 Tax Dechert s tax lawyers advise on corporate, finance and financial services matters. In particular the tax team advises investment managers and funds and in relation to financial services taxation, but also has extensive experience on all aspects of UK and international corporate tax, and on the tax aspects of mergers and acquisitions and other corporate transactions. This team has carved out a significant niche in the market place... has a mastery of hedge fund taxation. Tax, Chambers UK, 2013 Learn more at dechert.com/london

16 Pro Bono: A World of Good We have a longstanding commitment to pro bono and community service work, which is an important part of our professional responsibility. Our pro bono hours are equivalent to more than 5% of our billable hours annually. From 2014, all Dechert lawyers in all our offices are required to perform at least 25 hours of pro bono work a year. Every year, we handle hundreds of pro bono matters covering a broad range of issues, including civil rights, international human rights, child advocacy, special education, access to public benefits, asylum, criminal law and the representation of nonprofits. The London office s pro bono committee works with and takes referrals from many local, national and international legal services organisations and pro bono clearing houses that regularly send pro bono opportunities to consider. Alexis O Farrell Trainee, The University of Nottingham English law with American law During my first year at Dechert I have particularly enjoyed getting involved in many interesting pro bono projects. Some examples include drafting an anti-bribery and corruption policy for a humanitarian aid charity operating in high-risk areas and working on a complex employment tribunal claim for a medical research charity. These projects were interesting and a great opportunity to develop my skills; I was involved in drafting witness statements and was able to observe submissions and cross examination of witnesses at the fiveday tribunal hearing. At Dechert we also provide advice at the Islington Law clinic, which is great interviewing and advising practice and involves aspects of law that we may not experience in the office. I have now taken on the role as trainee representative on the Pro Bono committee and hope to get involved in more projects during my second year.

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18 Important information for applicants What are we looking for? We recruit up to 12 trainee solicitors each year. There is much more to being a successful lawyer at Dechert than just knowing the law, so we also look for: A genuine interest in business. All our work is related to the business world. We want people who understand, and want to learn more about, our clients businesses, objectives and concerns and are enthusiastic about helping them succeed. Commitment. A training contract represents our initial investment in our recruits future and provides many opportunities. We look for people who are keen to make a reciprocal investment (of their time and effort) in order to maximise those opportunities and the resulting benefits. Personality. We place great emphasis on working together in teams and recognise the importance of doing so effectively. We want people who will get on with colleagues and clients alike. Ambition. Our diverse and talented team of lawyers excels in delivering practical commercial judgement and deep legal expertise for our clients highest-stakes matters. We look for people who share our and our clients ambition. Vacation and insight days We run vacation schemes and insight days throughout the year. Please visit our website for further details. How to apply? Visit dechert.com and go to our Careers page to apply online. For vacation placements and/or insight days, apply from 1 November to 31 January. For a training contract, apply from 1 March to 31 July. Sponsorship We pay all Law School fees for all of our future recruits, and pay 10,000 maintenance for each academic year. We currently send all our recruits to The University of Law, at the London (Moorgate) branch. Salaries Our current salaries are 42,000 for first year trainees and 46,000 for second years. Benefits include subsidised gym membership, staff restaurant, health and life insurance and a season ticket loan. For more information contact our Graduate Recruitment Team at application@dechert.com.

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