vacation schemes | Dechert llp | training contracts | work experience

• Dechert

  Dechert is a fast-growing international law firm with 2000 people across 19 offices throughout the United States, Europe and Asia.  London is the third largest office, after Philadelphia and New York.

  Dechert recruits up to 12 trainees a year in London. The highly personalised six seat rotation system allows trainees to structure their training contract to their interests and aspirations, and affords ample opportunity for secondments to Brussels, Munich, Hong Kong or the USA as well as to clients. Dechert pay market leading salaries, and pay future trainee solicitors a £10,000 maintenance grant during the LPC. 

  Legal Business, in naming the firm runner-up in the US Law Firm of the Year award 2008, said “as a business, Dechert is an outstanding performer”.

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  Due to the transactional nature of work, late nights at Dechert are occasional, but definitely not the norm. The pay at Dechert is among the best in the City so you'll be more than well compensated. Career prospects are also better than many others, although it is obviously a long way to partnership.
  
  In summary, if Dechert's work focus is of interest to you, then there really is no better place to practise. Overseas secondments are also a great bonus!

  In London, Dechert have particular strengths in Investment Funds and Corporate (including Hedge Funds and Private Equity); and smaller teams in Finance, Real Estate, Employment, IP, Litigation and Tax.  Most of the work has an international dimension. In addition, all Dechert’s lawyers, including trainees, are encouraged to undertake pro bono work.

  The firm’s Financial Services Group is recognised as a market leader in hedge and investment funds whilst the Corporate & Securities practice offers advice on AIM listings, M&A and private equity transactions, and stock flotations. The Finance & Real Estate group works on property financing, real estate and banking finance, servicing clients such as Waitrose, ING Fund Britannica, Marks & Spencer and Arcadia.

  Dechert recruit bright, ambitious individuals who have a genuine interest in the business world and who share their team-oriented approach. Dechert aim high and want to recruit people who share their ambition.

  Dechert recruits almost invariably have exceptional academic grades, generally at least AAB (or equivalent) in their A-levels (or equivalent), and undergraduate grades at 2.1 or 1st level. In exceptional cases Dechert may invite people to interview or assessment day when they have not achieved such high grades, perhaps because they had mitigating circumstances during a particular set of exams or because they have achieved a lot elsewhere in their lives.

  Dechert operate a six seat rotational system on their training contract and have seats available in many different legal specialisations. Trainees can sit in Corporate & Securities, Employment, Finance and Real Estate, Financial Services, IP, Litigation and Tax in London, and in Competition in Brussels. Dechert take the trouble to counsel trainees on their career goals so that they do seats that will suit them. Trainees help to choose their first seat, along with fellow first seat trainees, at the start of the training contract.

  The training contract is flexible and for this reason no two trainees have the same seat plan. Some trainees spend the six seats in six different areas; others choose to return to a practice area that they enjoyed in an earlier seat move, usually sitting with a different supervisor to gain exposure to a different part of that practice.

  Departmental training includes sessions on recent changes in legal practice, core knowledge and seat-introductory training sessions. At every seat on the training contract you will be supervised by a senior associate or partner, providing guidance and advice throughout the seat term. Feedback and appraisals are continuous throughout the duration of the seat and formal mid-seat and end-of-seat reviews are conducted in association with the training partner.

  For more information on the Dechert Graduate Scheme, further details are available via this link

  Dechert conducts vacation schemes during the summer & Easter vacations. The programmes are open only to penultimate year law students. Participants will be assigned to work with a senior associate or partner and participate in their daily activity, assisting with the management of cases and clients. Tasks could involve drafting documentation, carrying out case related research and attending client meetings and counsel conferences.

  There will also be several in-house training sessions conducted on various aspects of the firm’s practice and on soft skills such as legal drafting and negotiation, and a full programme of social and sporting events to enable the participants to get to know each other and the firm’s people better.

  In addition to the vacation scheme, the firm conducts two assessment days each year for some candidates who are unable to get into the vacation schemes. During an assessment day candidates hear talks about the firm and the opportunities on offer, and participate in a variety of assessed exercises.

  Dechert pay LPC fees and offer a maintenance grant of £10,000 during the LPC year.

  First year trainee solicitors currently receive a salary of £38,000 per annum and second years £43,000 per annum. Other benefits include 25 days annual leave rising to 28 on qualification, subsidised gym membership and all the other usual perks you would expect from a top level City firm.

  Applications should be made on-line through the firm’s website at cvmailuk.com/dechert/. Submission of forms for training contracts should be completed between 1 June and 31 July, two years before the actual commencement date.

  For summer vacation placements and assessment days, applications can be submitted from 1 October until 31 January. For any other queries and information you can send an email to: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

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