a law firm built around people 1 Manchester 00% Manchester Shanghai Palo Alto Paris Shanghai Paris 100% About us… About you… 2014 Trainee retention rate: Are you ambitious, bright and entrepreneurial – just like us? 268 e earners ainees p to 12 r intake ate: % ation form essed by assessors Palo Alto trainees 9 offices We are a European law firm that focuses on companies driven by technology and innovation and it’s our Brussels Hamburg entrepreneurial, tech-savvy thinking that makes us the law Dusseldorf firm of choice for innovators like you! But it’sLondon not just about providing award winning, cutting Munich Manchester edge advice, it’s about our relationships with our clients and with each other – we pride ourselves on our Fieldfisher We are a caring, sharing bunch Palo Altocommunity. Shanghai Paris involved in Corporate Responsibility. with huge numbers We promote diversity, encourage innovation and endorse collegiality every step of the way! You’ll work with some impressive colleagues too. We have 121 leading individuals in the Chambers Directory, 28 leading individuals in the Legal 500 and exceptional teams in diverse sectors such as TMT and Life sciences. 4 5 Telephone interview Assessment centre Training Contract Final partner interview Offered a training contract Vacation scheme 2 Invited to join the scheme 164 partners 268 fee earners 24 total trainees 12 per intake 100% 2014 trainee retention rate 9 offices Brussels Hamburg Dusseldorf London Munich Manchester Palo Alto Shanghai Paris Diversity We aim to recruit the right team for the job and treat all applicants and employees equally regardless of gender, marital status, race, colour, nationality, ethnic origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief. We are champions for inclusiveness and everyone in the firm is respected for the role they play and the contribution of every member of the team is highly valued. Our Diversity Action Group and Diversity Champions ensure there are a range of initiatives and networks for our employees to get involved in: LGBT Network & Straight Allies Group Women in law Black & Ethnic minorities (BEM) and International Group Our ranking as 15th in the Stonewall Diversity Index 2014 highlights our commitment to inclusiveness and diversity. 3 Our Sectors Technology, Media & Telecommunications Financial Institutions Hotels & Leisure Retail With a footprint across Europe to Silicon Valley and Shanghai, our work is not constrained to a single geography. Financial institutions are a key part of our national, European and global economies and account for a substantial and highly important, proportion of our clients. Our clients range from large multinationals through to entrepreneurs, brand owners, leisure operators, financiers, investors and hotel and leisure developers We support a wide range of domestic and international household-name retailers assisting them in expanding their businesses into new markets, at home and abroad, and re-engineer themselves in turbulent times. Advising the BBC on £560m license fee contract 4 Acted for a Californian bank in connection with syndicated term and revolving loan facilities of up to $61m Advised Manhattan Loft Corporation on the development of the Grade I listed, former Midland Hotel at St Pancras station, now refurbished to comprise 67 luxury apartments and a 244 bed five-star hotel. Advised Agent Provocateur on the restructuring of its global franchise interests, including the reacquisition of licensed rights in Scandinavia, and expansion into Greece, Switzerland and the Middle East. Energy & Natural Resources Life Sciences & Healthcare Government & Public Services Serious Injury We’ve been working with energy companies, governments, NGOs and investors in the energy sector for over 50 years helping them navigate their way through this constantly changing industry. We work with pharmaceutical, medical device and biotech clients, helping them to grow and operate their businesses in highly regulated environments. We advise a wide range of government departments and agencies, local authorities, regulatory bodies, Royal Charter bodies and non-departmental public bodies. As one of the UK’s leading personal injury and medical negligence law firms, over the past 25 years we have helped thousands of people recover compensation for their life changing injuries and illnesses. Advised BP Exploration on the sale of the largest onshore oilfield in Western Europe. 5 Advised Horizon Discovery Group on their initial public offering We advised the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority on the highest value civil public procurement in Europe – the Sellafield nuclear decommissioning contracts Acting for a father left hospitalised after drinking beer containing caustic soda Future Trainee Keon When completing my two week summer vacation scheme, I saw that diversity was not only reflected in the backgrounds of the staff but also in the array of work practised at the firm. Whilst all the tasks I was involved in were interesting and challenging, it was the fact that my potential was recognised and encouraged that won me over. Being a trainee at Fieldfisher isn’t about fitting a ‘type’ but receiving the right supervision, skills and support to be the best solicitor that you can be. 6 First Year Trainee Christopher The training programme at Fieldfisher appealed to me because of its unique mix of practice areas, numerous high profile clients and reputation as an open and friendly firm. After less than a month in the Public & Regulatory Law Group, I have already been involved in a variety of high profile cases and had the opportunity to draft my own legal advice and liaise directly with clients. On only my second day in the department, while helping out with the Hillsborough enquiry, I was invited by a partner to attend a hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice for the Litvinenko Inquiry – a pretty exciting start to my role as a trainee! 7 Second Year Trainee Charlotte I have been at Fieldfisher for over a year and it’s been great! So far I have sat within the firm’s Commercial IP Media team and the Banking and Asset Finance team and have been given an amazing amount of responsibility and worked on highly complex and fascinating deals. In terms of firm culture, I can honestly say that everyone at Fieldfisher is friendly and approachable. From the support staff to the Partners, everyone is willing to answer your questions, no matter how silly! And everyone is a teamplayer, clubbing together across departments to provide the best sector support to our clients. 8 NQ Sarim I originally applied to Fieldfisher because it was, and still is, one of the leading firms in the IP/IT sector. Following my training, I made the easy decision to qualify into Fieldfisher’s Technology, Outsourcing and Privacy Group which is one of the biggest and best in Europe. My experience as a trainee at Fieldfisher has been an overwhelmingly positive one. I was given exposure to a wide variety of work in the Technology, Outsourcing & Privacy, Dispute Resolution and Media practice groups as well as spending 6 months on secondment to our Brussels office working on competition matters. 9 Your training with us…. Early responsibility, access to clients and development – as standard! We believe in real work on real maters with real clients! You will not find yourself next to the photocopier all day. We expect you to have regular contact with clients from the beginning. Our client secondments to Amazon, BBC, MTV and BP will ensure that you are able to experience deals from the client’s perspective and gain invaluable commercial awareness! To support you in developing your skills and experience at speed, you will have an experienced, well-trained supervisor in each of your 4 six-month seats – usually a partner or senior associate. They will give you regular feedback on your performance (in addition to the more formal mid and end of seat appraisals.) as well as identifying strengths and areas of improvement while giving you plenty of opportunities to expand your knowledge, skills and experience. Our new open plan office also allows you to interact and learn from all members of your team as there are no offices to hide in! 10 Your Vacation Scheme with us… Vacation schemes are an integral part of the two way recruitment process. That’s why we aim to fill a high proportion of our Training Contract vacancies from the students who attend one of our Schemes. During one of our two week paid placements, at Easter or in the Summer, you have the opportunity to try us on for size and see if we fit! In terms of culture, work, career aspirations, etc. Taking your preferences into account, you will be allocated one practice area for the full two weeks. With a Senior Associate or Partner supervising you will carry out real client work and add value to the department. A Trainee buddy will also be on hand to answer all your questions. 11 Rewards We offer a salary and benefits package that reflects your commitment. Trainee starting salary Trainee year 2 salary Newly Qualified Salary GDL and LPC maintenance grants GDL £5,500 LPC £6,000 £35,000 £38,500 £58,000 All fees fully paid. Kaplan Law School, based near the office, is our preferred GDL and LPC provider. Additional benefits Flexible benefits - Life assurance/ Travel insurance/ Income protection/ critical illness cover/dental cover 12 Free wellman/ wellwoman checks Cycle to work scheme Interest free season ticket loan Pension scheme – matched contributions up to 7% Medical insurance Free local GP consultations Sports and Social Work life balance truly exists at the firm and whatever your interests, there will be something for you to get involved in. Our teams and societies include: Recent events: sailing, Summer BBQ football Karaoke nights netball Fun runs choir Charity pub quizzes hockey Softball tournaments music Wine tastings Curry evenings 13 Diversity Access Scheme The Diversity Access Scheme in conjunction with Kaplan Law School aims to help improve access to the legal profession. The scheme encourages and facilitates GDL and LPC students studying at the school from under -represented groups to apply for a vacation scheme with the firm. As the first generation of my family to attend university, the Diversity Access Scheme offered an alternative training contract application route. After submitting my covering letter and CV and a face-to-face interview at Kaplan, I was invited to an assessment day at Fieldfisher’s offices and then offered a place on the summer vacation scheme. I was immediately struck by how friendly people were, at all levels of the firm - from HR to the Partners. The Managing Partner, Michael Chissick, even took an hour out of his day to have afternoon tea with us and field any questions we had. This gave me a real, and very clear, sense of where the firm was going and how I could contribute. 14 CSR We believe that serving the community is not just a responsibility, but a privilege. Our corporate responsibility initiatives are key to our business and are governed by the same principles of innovation and commitment to excellence that we bring to all our work. Our trainees carry out pro bono work at the Queen Mary’s Legal Advice Centre and also volunteer to act as Reading Partners at a local primary school. Further afield, trainees sign up to pro bono projects from around the world via an online portal, iProBono, initially founded by one of our trainees. Each year the firm nominates a charity and employees can be found baking cakes, running marathons, climbing mountains and volunteering all in the name of charity and fun. 15 100% Application Process 1 2 Online application form 3 Two psychometric tests 4 Application form assessed by expert assessors 5 Telephone interview Assessment centre Training Contract Final partner interview Offered a training contract Vacation scheme Invited to join the scheme 16 Before you apply We’re looking for you to show that you would be a great asset to our community. Impress us with your skills and achievements and set yourself apart from other applicants. Let us know why you have chosen Fieldfisher and what interests you about the work that we do. Online application form TOP TIP Submit your application sooner rather than later. High volumes of applications mean that we often start reviewing applications and inviting applicants to assessment centres a few weeks before the deadline closes. Psychometric tests TOP TIP Spend time practising the psychometric tests so you are familiar with the format Test1 - Verbal reasoning - measures your ability to understand, analyse and interpret written information, often of a complex or specialised nature. Test 2 - inductive reasoning - measures the ability to work flexibly with unfamiliar information and find solutions. 17 You’ll need good academics with a minimum of ABB at A Level (or equivalent) and be on track for a 2:1 degree in any discipline. Application form reviewed TOP TIP Attention to detail is key. Ensure your application is clear, concise yet informative and checked thoroughly for grammar, spelling and typing errors. Telephone interview TOP TIP Brush up on your understanding of Fieldfisher as a firm, your commercial awareness, as well as your communication and research skills. Assessment Centre TOP TIP Through a group exercise, interview and presentation you will need to showcase your organisational, analytical, team working and communication skills. Good luck! Timeline 18 Your career with us..….. Once you’ve finished your training contract you can apply for a newly qualified position with the firm by submitting your cv and covering letter. The recruiting partners will interview applicants and successful candidates are offered a permanent position with the firm. We are very keen to retain our talented people, reflected in our 100% trainee retention rate in 2014. Many of our trainees take a period of qualification leave following their training before starting their new roles as newly qualified solicitors. 19 www. fieldfisher.com/graduates Fieldfisher @FieldfisherGrad FieldfisherGraduates Brussels / Düsseldorf / Hamburg / London / Manchester / Munich / Palo Alto / Paris / Shanghai / fieldfisher.com