Let your career take off Graduate careers with one of the world s most exciting law firms

Transcription

1 Graduate careers with one of the world s most exciting law firms

2 Contents Why Eversheds? 3 Why Eversheds Hong Kong? 4 Our practice groups 8 Benefits 11 Selection 12 Key dates and how to apply 14 2

3 Why Eversheds? Eversheds is one of the world s largest full service law firms, operating as one team, from 55 offices in 28 countries across Asia, the Middle East and Europe. Recognised as the leading innovators in the legal sector, we are a firm that understand what clients need today and what they will need tomorrow. We focus on creative and cost-effective solutions for our clients. It is an approach that makes Eversheds a distinctive and innovative force in the legal world. In Asia, we have offices in Hong Kong, Singapore, Shanghai and Beijing and we see Hong Kong as our regional hub for doing business. In Europe we are headquartered in the UK and have offices in most major jurisdictions, allowing us to provide a seamless service to clients across the continent. In the Middle East, we have become the first international law firm to establish offices in Iraq. We are now one of the largest international players in the region, with local lawyers based in Abu Dhabi, Amman, Doha, Dubai and Riyadh. Some of our achievements Eversheds China won Best in Cross-border M&A by Acquisition International Eversheds is ranked as one of the Financial Times Top 25 Law Firms Best law firm in three major areas voted by in-house counsel Legal Business Magazine (2013) Eversheds has also launched a Pan-African strategy that will focus on growing the firm s international operations in Africa. We have created five key hub offices and established Eversheds alliance firms, known as the Eversheds African Law Institute (EALI) - an organisation designed to share best practices and promote the highest standards of legal service across Africa. 3

4 Why Eversheds Hong Kong? Your career Our vision is to be the global law firm that sets the standards. To help achieve our goals, we are committed to finding and developing talented legal graduates interested in becoming a solicitor. Our people share a distinctive culture, which has deep client relationships at its core. Whether providing advice which is complex or straightforward, multi-national or local, an attitude of delivering only the very best, underscores everything we do. With a structured solicitor training programme, our legal training contracts, allow you to establish the skills you need to achieve your aspirations. That means giving you early exposure to real work for real clients. It means equipping you with the skills to be a good lawyer, while developing your commercial acumen, leadership potential and business expertise. In short, it means investing in your talent and giving you access to some of the best training, development and support in the industry - not just as a new graduate but throughout your career. So if you have the right blend of strengths and aptitudes to make your mark at Eversheds, we can promise you a career environment of exceptional variety, influence and potential. What we offer? Whatever you re looking for in your career - great training, intellectual stimulation, top quality work, innovation or international exposure - you will find it at Eversheds. Here are just some of our strengths: one of the largest full-service commercial law firms in the world a collaborative culture that fosters creativity and exceptional client service first-class training and the opportunities for fast-track career development multiple entry pathways for talented graduates; expertise in a multitude of sectors including financial services, energy and natural resources the chance to work with some of the world s most prestigious organisations in both the public and private sector an environment in which lawyers become trusted business partners an innovative approach that delivers measurable results, cost transparency and value for money one of the few firms tackling and discussing the changing face of law corporate responsibility and diversity are embedded in our culture a truly 21st Century law firm Training contract opportunities At Eversheds, we view our training contracts as the start of a long and highly rewarding legal career. We aim to give you the knowledge, tools and opportunities to make it a truly successful and rewarding career. During each seat of your training contract, you ll have a Supervisor who will give you regular feedback. You will also receive formal feedback through an appraisal system that takes place in the middle and at the end of each seat. Our Hong Kong training contracts consist of four seats of six months each over two years including litigation, banking, corporate and a secondment to one of our UK offices. Once you qualify, you will be able to apply for any of the vacancies on offer. Historically every Hong Kong Eversheds trainee has been offered a permanent position on qualification. Your support network We ll certainly stretch your capabilities and give you the chance to take on significant challenges throughout your training contract. But at Eversheds, we also give you some of the best support in the industry. There will be a Supervisor for each six month seat. Where possible a more experienced trainee, in the same office, will act as your buddy on all matters relating to your professional development. What s more, the Hong Kong Graduate Partner will be on hand to help and guide you through your seats, help you build on your strengths and - where necessary - address areas for further development. But that s just the start. As part of our collaborative environment you will learn a huge amount from more experienced colleagues within your practice area. Add to that the opportunity to work directly with clients and you ll understand why you will always be learning and developing. 4

5 Edinburgh Newcastle Manchester Leeds Nottingham Cambridge Birmingham Ipswich London Tampere Pori Turku Stockholm Jyväskylä Hämeenlinna Helsinki Tallinn Amman Erbil Baghdad Riga Hamburg Amsterdam Berlin Rotterdam Warsaw Vilnius Riyadh Doha Dubai Abu Dhabi Brussels Munich Paris Zurich Berne Geneva Milan Vienna Budapest Bucharest Rome Mardrid Tunis Beijing Shanghai Hong Kong Port Louis Johannesburg (Sandton) Johannesburg (Bryanston) Singapore Durban 5

6 Vishal Melwani is our Graduate Recruitment Partner for Hong Kong and a Partner in our Litigation Practice. Vishal is also a qualified Certified Public Accountant, an associate member of the Hong Kong Institute of Arbitrators, a Distinguished Professional Mentor of the Chinese University of Hong Kong Faculty of Law and an accredited mediator. Vacation scheme We run three week vacation placement schemes in our offices. Placements offer you a great opportunity to get a feel for what Eversheds is all about and most of our vacation students are amazed at the variety and level of work they can get involved in. You will typically have opportunities to: attend court assist with research draft documents spend time in all three of our different fee-earning departments meet partners, solicitors and trainees at social events attend a range of informal talks to discover more about Eversheds, our practice areas and our people We welcome applications from penultimate year law under-graduates, as well as candidates who ve already graduated or taken different career paths. Trainees are our future leaders and Eversheds considers graduate recruitment to be vitally important. We are looking for hard working and entrepreneurial students who have achieved academic excellence and who possess language skills of the highest standard. In return for these demanding expectations we offer solid training, international exposure, interesting cases and transactions and the chance to be part of a fastgrowing international law firm. 6

7 Secondments - clients and international Once you are six months into your training contract, you will have the freedom to apply for both client and international secondments. Given the exceptional quality and variety of our client portfolio, there are exciting and rewarding opportunities to develop and extend your experience across multiple industries and sectors. Secondments typically last between three and six months. We encourage all our Hong Kong trainees to apply for a secondment in one of our UK offices, as we see this as an important part of your development. The internship allows you to experience the different façades of work and life at Eversheds. It s tailored to allow you to bond and collaborate with peers and colleagues by working in teams and rotating in core practices at Eversheds. Eversheds friendly and social culture and a genuine opendoor policy also means that lawyers would always be available to make time to provide feedback and advice. The internship equipped us with invaluable and interesting hands-on exposure to the practice of a law firm. Although we were only here for three weeks, the internship at Eversheds was challenging and very enjoyable. It has enlightened me about the law, the industry and most importantly, myself and my personal capability. It will definitely help lay the foundation for both my future personal and professional development. Faith Lee, Summer Internship Programme 2015 Eversheds international secondment programme provides trainees with an excellent opportunity to gain authentic insights building on their mentality and versatility as a truly international lawyer. During my six months with the London office, I got to work closely with talented people across teams and offices. I was rewarded with the chance to develop knowledge of different markets and ways of doing business, and to embrace the various working and networking opportunities that come with training in an international capacity. I am certain that the solid exposure and meaningful relationship gained through this experience, have enabled me to realise both my professional growth and my role in Eversheds development with stronger confidence. Jocelyn Chow, Trainee Life in Eversheds as an intern has been amazing. Interns are offered real responsibilities and meaningful work, which have an impact on the firm. The hands-on legal training and experience we gain throughout the seat rotations, help us realise our potential. What I love most about Eversheds is its family-like culture. The firm is renowned for its open-door policy and highly supportive working environment. We receive constructive feedback from partners and colleagues, which aids our development. Social events, including a lunch with partners, allow us to create personal relationships with our colleagues and to understand more about the firm. A work-life balance is encouraged by the firm and it s an enjoyable experience to work in Eversheds. Steven Yuen, Summer Internship Programme

8 Our practice groups Corporate law The corporate group advises clients on high-level corporate activities. The main areas of focus are Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) (both public and private), Capital Markets including Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) and issuance of bonds, corporate reorganisations, venture capital transactions and joint ventures. We provide advice and support in areas such as finance and restructuring. We also have strong expertise in the financial services industry and significant M&A capability in our Hong Kong office and internationally. Our extensive coverage enables us to add value to our clients through in-depth local market knowledge, our multi-disciplinary expertise and our ability to effectively manage international teams on cross-border projects. Importantly, we offer our clients sector expertise, ensuring we can talk their language as well as provide legal expertise. Stephen Mok is the Head of Corporate for Asia. He has 21 years of corporate finance experience advising Chinese enterprises (including state-owned enterprises and privately-owned enterprises) and international investment banks. He has assisted over 30 companies to list successfully on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Stephen also specialises in crossborder mergers and acquisitions including private sales and purchases and public takeovers. Litigation and dispute management In today s fast moving, highly regulated business environment, disputes are inevitable. We help clients resolve them without damaging valuable relationships. The work we do is broad ranging and it includes business disputes between companies and between shareholders, court and arbitration proceedings, regulatory investigations, antitrust, IT, shipping, IP, employment and enquiries into corruption. You ll find yourself not just litigating but building relationships, developing sector based expertise, focusing on providing a great service and getting genuine satisfaction out of reducing the time and costs needed for a successful conclusion. We cover everything related to disputes: both dealing with them and avoiding them. Our international client base includes global household names, national giants, financial specialists, property developers, and even a pop star or two (we ve acted for the Beatles in their dispute with Apple Inc in the UK). That means you ll get the best cases to work on - the ones that will stretch your abilities and challenge you every step of the way. Mark Yeadon is the Head of Litigation for Asia. He has practised in Hong Kong for the last 23 years, having spent his early career in the City of London. He is admitted in both England and Wales and Hong Kong and he is a qualified mediator. He specialises in the resolution of commercial disputes by arbitration, mediation and court proceedings as well as advising on the conduct of and response to regulatory and other types of inquiry and investigation. He has acted for major banks and financial institutions, as well as corporates in many different industries. He is currently advising the Hong Kong regulator of broadcasting and telecoms on the key issues affecting these industries, including the application of rules against anti-competitive conduct. 8

9 Let your career take off Banking and finance Banking and finance is still the powerhouse of the global economy, despite the financial crisis of Eversheds strong international banking and finance law team has a wealth of experience advising leading corporates, funds and financial institutions on a full range of finance transactions, from highly structured debt arrangements to vanilla loans. In Hong Kong we can provide advice in the following areas: (a) Commercial banking, regulatory and compliance issues (b) Asset and project finance (c) International trade finance transaction structuring and trade dispute resolution Listed below are details about some recent transactions in banking and finance: (a) Revising various banking and trade finance documentation for over 15 international banks in the region (b) Advising on various real estate and loan transactions for PRC and HK corporates (c) Assisting various PRC and foreign banks in handling trade fraud and L/C injunction cases in China King Tak Fung is the Head of Banking and Finance for Asia. He advises on all kinds of commercial banking transactions and specialises in international trade law and practice. His experience includes advising on global trade transactions, commodities structured trade finance, international commercial terms, receivables finance, sale and purchase contracts, L/C and commercial dispute resolution without litigation. King Tak s clients include most international and PRC banks in Asia and he can offer an excellent understanding of how the system works in China as well as connections with the major players. Before becoming a lawyer he was the Vice President and Head of Trade Finance at Bank of America and his background very often helps in the amicable settlement of banking and trade disputes between foreign and Chinese parties. 9

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11 Benefits competitive salary private medical insurance life insurance generous leave allowances access to language courses with sponsorship six month secondment to undertake an international seat. 11

12 Selection What we are looking for Our firm attracts great people and we ve created an environment where they can achieve great things. So it will come as no surprise that Eversheds is home to some of the most innovative and inspiring lawyers in the industry - or that we look for trainees with the ambition and enterprise to keep us ahead of the competition in the future. True, you will need a strong academic background and proven ability to apply your intellect to complex problems. But that s just the start. Eversheds trainees need to be multi-faceted people who combine extreme professionalism with outstanding expertise, genuine approachability and real personality. While all trainees must have studied law, we also welcome applications from students with JD or CPE qualifications. The reason is simple. Trainees from a nonlaw background bring a wealth of alternative experience that can only benefit a growing and diverse firm like ours. Whatever your background - and our trainees are an incredibly diverse community of people - you will need to demonstrate a number of other skills and aptitudes to succeed as part of our team: Strong academic performance Have you achieved or are you on track to achieve a HKDSE score of mostly level 5*s or above (or equivalent), a 2:1 degree (or equivalent) or a GPA of 3.3, as well as a relevant law qualification such as LLB, CPE or JD. Language Applicants must have excellent language skills. Those who are proficient in written English and Chinese and trilingual (English, Cantonese, Mandarin) will be given preference. Nevertheless all qualified applicants are encouraged to submit applications because outstanding achievements in other areas may compensate for lower than expected proficiency. Outstanding problem-solving skills Do you have the mental agility and intellectual rigour to analyse problems and develop novel, unexpected solutions? Proactive mindset Are you naturally inquisitive with an openness to new ideas and the initiative to turn them into practical results? Commitment to excellence Do you hold yourself to the highest standards of performance even when the going is tough? And are you passionate about continuously raising and refining your own performance levels? Strong interpersonal and communication skills Can you communicate fluently, clearly and concisely? Persuade and negotiate with others in both group and individual situations? Make complex information understandable to clients? Working with others Do you have the confidence to collaborate, seek feedback, share ideas and build credibility through your interaction other people? Organised with an eye for detail Can you manage your own workload, stay organised under pressure, pay attention to detail and be relied on to complete each task accurately and completely? Commerciality Do you have the ability to see situations from a business or commercial perspective? Are you comfortable dealing with financial information and being accountable for achieving productivity goals? Motivation Are you passionate about a career as a Lawyer and a career at Eversheds? Is this you? Then you re likely to fit in perfectly as part of our highperforming, inclusive and meritocratic culture. 12

13 Application process Our online application form is holistic in nature, designed to focus on your academic history, work experience and previous positions of responsibility. You will be asked to detail examples of work experience that are relevant to a career in law and examples of positions of responsibility you have held. Please be sure to select the most relevant and most recent examples of these. We will also ask you some questions on why you want to work with us and what you feel are the challenges and considerations that the legal industry face. You can access the online application form via. Applications close on 31 January Interview and assessment process You will be interviewed face to face in our offices. This gives us both the chance to meet you in person as well as allowing you to get a feel for Eversheds culture. We will be using a structured interview with questions based on the information you give us in your application form and CV as well as the skills and behaviours we have identified as being necessary for our trainee solicitors. The interview will last approximately 45 minutes to one hour, and there will be time for you to ask questions. The dress code for the interview is smart business dress. You are likely to meet one partner and one associate at this stage. You will also need to complete a written assessment. You will be notified with further details when we invite you for an interview. The Law Society of Hong Kong We adhere to the Law Society s voluntary Code of Good Practice in the recruitment of Trainee Solicitors. Please consult your career advisor or speak to the Law Society for more information. 13

14 Key dates and how to apply Applications open Summer vacation scheme 2016 / Training contract October 2015 Eversheds open house 12 November 2015 Applications close Summer vacation scheme 2016 / Training contract January 2016 First interviews Summer vacation scheme 2016 / Training contract 2018 February / March 2016 Second interviews and assessments Summer vacation scheme 2016 / Training contract 2018 March 2016 Offers Summer vacation scheme 2016 April 2016 Summer vacation scheme 2016 (1) June 2016 Summer vacation scheme 2016 (2) July 2016 Offers Training contract 2018 in line with The Law Society of Hong Kong guidelines August 2016 Please visit our website at for more information. You will need to complete an application form and, if shortlisted, you will be considered for a face to face interview with an Eversheds Lawyer. You will then attend a second interview to meet more partners and associates, and complete some assessments in our offices. If you are successful at this stage, we will offer you a place on one of our summer vacation schemes. If you do well on the vacation scheme, you may be offered a training contract. 14

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