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AllAboutLaw
Dechert

Dechert

Next deadline

London Training Programme · 31 Dec 2026

(65 days)

Apply now
In their own words

Global opportunities, broad experience and structured support across a six-seat training contract.

Snapshot

Firm type

International

UK offices

London

International offices

Austin, Boston, Brussels, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Dubai, Dublin, Houston, Los Angeles, Luxembourg, Munich, New York, Paris, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Singapore, Washington

Training contract places

10

Vacation scheme places

24

First-year salary

£55,000

Second-year salary

£61,000

Newly qualified salary

£165,000

Trainee retention

Not disclosed

SQE support

Full SQE 1, SQE2 and PGDL funding, and maintenance grant

Visa sponsorship

Yes

International secondment

Yes

Client secondment

Yes

Guaranteed secondment

Not disclosed

Recruitment route

Vacation scheme only

Seat structure

6 four-month seats

Can trainees repeat a seat?

Yes

Can trainees express seat preferences?

Yes, these are taken into consideration

Non-law applicants

Actively welcomed

Career-changer applicants

Actively welcomed

Remote working

Standard hybrid working

Holiday allowance

25 days

Minimum academic requirements

AAB at A-level and on track for, or achieved, a 2:1 in any degree

Wellbeing support

Gym membership/subsidy; private health and dental care; Mental Health First Aiders

SQE1 and SQE2 maintenance grant

£20,000 per year

PGDL funding

Fully funded

Retrospective SQE or PGDL funding

None

Diversity networks and partnerships

Asian Affinity Group, Black Professionals Alliance, Dechert Family Network, Disability Affinity Group, First-Generation Affinity Group, Global Women’s Initiative, Greater Middle Eastern Alliance, Latino Affinity Group, LGBTQ+ Affinity Group, London Inclusion and Diversity Committee, Aspiring Solicitors and Mansfield Plus
Before you apply

Before you apply, ask yourself:

Would you value completing six four-month seats, giving you the opportunity to explore a broad range of practice areas before deciding where to specialise?

Would a working pattern where trainees typically spend Monday to Thursday in the office suit you?

Would you value working in relatively small teams, with close day-to-day supervision and support from a personal partner mentor?

Would you value the opportunity to apply for an international or client secondment during your training?

Would Dechert’s Vacation Scheme-only recruitment route suit you, with the scheme forming part of the process for securing a training contract?

Next deadline

London Training Programme

31 Dec 2026

(65 days)

View job

Deep dive

Explore this firm in detail

What makes it different

Six-seat training structure

What this could mean for you
Trainees complete six four-month seats, with opportunities to experience a broad range of practice groups. They can express seat preferences, these are taken into account, and seats may be repeated. You could explore a wider range of practice areas before deciding where you want to specialise, while having some input into the direction of your training.

Close supervision and partner mentoring

What this could mean for you
Trainees work in small teams with a supervisor providing day-to-day guidance. Each trainee also has a personal partner mentor, with additional development support from the Graduate Recruitment team. You could develop through close day-to-day supervision while having a partner mentor who provides additional support across your training contract.

International secondment opportunities

What this could mean for you
Trainees can apply for international secondments, with opportunities including Dublin, Dubai, Singapore and Luxembourg. Client secondments may also be available, with opportunities allocated competitively. You could gain experience outside the London office and develop an understanding of how legal work is handled across different jurisdictions or from a client's perspective.

Practice area strengths

Investment funds

Investment Funds is a significant strength for Dechert, with particular expertise across hedge funds, private equity funds and credit funds. The team advises asset managers ranging from emerging firms to large international institutions on matters including fund formation, fundraising, investment structures, regulation and ongoing compliance. The practice has a strong international dimension, working with managers and investors across the US, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. External recognition is particularly strong for hedge funds and private equity credit funds, alongside wider recognition for private funds and fund finance. For trainees, the breadth of the practice could provide exposure to both the transactional and regulatory sides of investment management.

Private equity

Dechert has a substantial international Private Equity practice, advising private equity sponsors, portfolio companies, asset managers, sovereign wealth funds, family offices and institutional investors. The practice spans both fund-related work and transactions, giving it a role across different stages of the private capital lifecycle. External recognition covers private equity funds as well as buyout and high-value transactional work.

Finance

Dechert's finance work spans areas including leveraged and acquisition finance, CLOs, derivatives, securitisation, debt capital markets, property finance and fund finance. The practice advises on sophisticated financing and structured transactions, often involving financial institutions, investment managers and other participants in the private capital markets. Dechert has particular strength in CLOs and mid-market leveraged finance, alongside recognition for derivatives, structured products, acquisition finance, securitisation and other financing work.

All practice areas

Accountant and auditor liabilityAntitrustCompetitionArtificial intelligenceAppellate and constitutional lawCapital solutionsCorporateCrisis managementData, privacy and cybersecurityEmployee benefitsExecutive compensationInvestigationsRestructuringBusiness restructuringFinancial services and regulationInvestment managementGlobal financeGovernment contracts and grantsIntellectual propertyArbitrationLitigationMergers and acquisitions (M&A)Global risk and national securityPrivate clientPrivate equityProduct liabilityEnvironmental litigation and mass tortReal estateSustainabilityTaxSovereign wealth funds
Who it may suit

Before you apply, ask yourself:

  • Would you value completing six four-month seats, giving you the opportunity to explore a broad range of practice areas before deciding where to specialise?
  • Would a working pattern where trainees typically spend Monday to Thursday in the office suit you?
  • Would you value working in relatively small teams, with close day-to-day supervision and support from a personal partner mentor?
  • Would you value the opportunity to apply for an international or client secondment during your training?
  • Would Dechert’s Vacation Scheme-only recruitment route suit you, with the scheme forming part of the process for securing a training contract?

This firm may suit candidates who…

  • Want to explore a broad range of practice areas through six four-month seats before deciding where to specialise.
  • Value close supervision, with support from both a seat supervisor and a personal partner mentor throughout their training.
  • Are interested in international work and would value the opportunity to spend part of their training in another Dechert office.
  • Want structured development beyond legal training, including communication, leadership, management and client-relations skills.
  • Want to train in a relatively small annual cohort with opportunities to take on increasing responsibility within small teams.

Things to consider

  • The six-seat structure means rotations are relatively short at four months each, so trainees move between teams more frequently than on a four-seat training contract.
  • Trainees are expected to work in the office from Monday to Thursday, with remote working generally available on Fridays.
  • International and client secondments are competitive rather than guaranteed, so availability will depend on the application and selection process.
  • Training contract recruitment takes place through Dechert's Vacation Schemes, rather than through a separate direct training contract route.
  • The nature of the training experience can vary across six different practice groups, including the type of work and level of responsibility available in each seat.
Work-life reality

Work-life balance varies by team, seat and transaction cycle. This section is designed to help you understand the pattern, not reduce the experience to a score.

Seat variation

Trainees complete six four-month seats, providing opportunities to experience a broad range of practice areas. Seat preferences are taken into account and trainees may be able to repeat a seat.

Flexibility

Trainees can work remotely on Fridays, with the remainder of the standard working week spent in the office.

Holiday allowance

25 days

Office attendance

Trainees are expected to work in the office from Monday to Thursday.
Culture & support

Supervision style

Trainees work in small teams with a supervisor providing day-to-day guidance and feedback throughout each seat.

Relationship with partners

Each trainee has a personal partner mentor who provides support and guidance throughout the training contract, alongside opportunities to work with senior lawyers within their teams.
Application process

Online application form

(More than 1 hour)

Online assessment

(1 - 2 hours)

What happens

This includes a critical reasoning test and written exercise.

Telephone interview

(15 minutes)

What happens

Interview with Graduate Recruitment.

In-person interview

(2 hours and 15 minutes)

What happens

This includes interview with a partner and senior associates, followed by an office tour and coffee chat with a current trainee.

Vacation scheme

(Two weeks)

What happens

Participants will experience two practice areas and complete real work, including research, drafting and attending meetings.
Opportunities
London Training Programme

Dechert

Dechert

65 days leftCloses 11:59pm, 31 Dec 2026

View job
Insights
Dechert: An Introduction