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Morrison Foerster

Morrison Foerster

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In their own words

Morrison Foerster is a destination law firm for talented, ambitious individuals who value collaboration, teamwork, and a commitment to excellence.

Snapshot

Firm type

International

UK offices

London

International offices

Amsterdam, Austin, Berlin, Boston, Brussels, Denver, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Palo Alto, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Shanghai, Singapore, Tokyo, Washington, D.C.

Training contract places

4

Vacation scheme places

14

First-year salary

£60,000

Second-year salary

£65,000

Newly qualified salary

$225,000

Trainee retention

Not disclosed

SQE support

Full SQE1 and SQE2 support and maintenance grant

Visa sponsorship

Not disclosed

International secondment

Yes

Client secondment

Yes

Guaranteed secondment

No

Visa sponsorship

Considered case by case

Recruitment route

Vacation scheme only

Rolling recruitment?

Yes

Seat structure

4 six-month seats

Can trainees repeat a seat?

Sometimes, depending on circumstances

Can trainees express seat preferences?

Yes, taken into account

Trainee salaries review

Annually

Non-law applicants

Actively encouraged

Career-changer applicants

Yes, case by case

Remote working

Standard hybrid only, minimum 3 days per week in office

Minimum academic requirements

AAB at A-Level and minimum 2:1 at undergraduate level (mitigating circumstances considered via Rare's Contextual Recruitment System)

Wellbeing support

Pension, PMI, dental plan, group life assurance, group income protection, EAP, Calm app, WONE app, Talkspace, mental health support, subsidised gym membership, maternity/paternity/shared parental leave, back-up dependants care, childcare vouchers, season ticket loan, cycle scheme, lifestyle coaching, Mental Health First Aiders, health

PGDL funding

Yes, full funding

Retrospective funding

Yes

Named affinity networks

Affinity Programme (12 cross-office, partner-led networks, 30+ affinity groups firmwide), MoFo Proud, MoFo Women, MoFo Access, MoFo Together
Before you apply

Before you apply, ask yourself:

Would you thrive in lean teams where trainees can receive substantial responsibility early, including substantive drafting, analysis and direct client contact?

Are you genuinely interested in technology and innovative businesses, given how strongly these sectors feature in MoFo's London client base and work?

Are you comfortable with demanding and sometimes unpredictable hours in return for exposure to complex, high-profile and cross-border matters?

Would you value working closely with partners and senior lawyers rather than within heavily staffed teams, while being expected to show initiative and take ownership of your work?

Are you comfortable with qualification opportunities depending on business need, rather than assuming that completing the training contract will lead to an NQ role at the firm?

Deep dive

Explore this firm in detail

What makes it different

We entrust our trainees with higher than typical levels of responsibility

What this could mean for you
You could develop quickly through hands-on work and close senior-lawyer exposure, but you will also be expected to show initiative and cope with the pressure that can come with lean staffing.

Morrison Foerster advises some of the world's most innovative companies

What this could mean for you
You could work with innovative and high-profile businesses while seeing how technology issues intersect with transactions, data, regulation and commercial advice.

Pro bono is stitched into the fabric of MoFo's culture

What this could mean for you
You could use pro bono work to take greater ownership of matters and develop client-facing skills while contributing to organisations and causes outside the firm's commercial practice.

Practice area strengths

Technology / IT & Telecoms

MoFo’s London technology practice advises on complex technology transactions, including licensing, outsourcing, commercial contracts and technology-related M&A. Its work frequently involves innovative and international businesses, connecting technology expertise with corporate, data/privacy and regulatory advice.

Data Privacy & Cybersecurity

The London practice advises multinational businesses on data protection, privacy and cybersecurity issues, including regulatory compliance, cybersecurity incidents, cross-border data matters and privacy issues arising from transactions. Its client base spans technology, financial services, life sciences and other highly regulated industries.

M&A / Private Equity

MoFo advises on significant domestic and cross-border corporate transactions, with particular experience involving technology, gaming, life sciences and healthcare businesses. The wider practice spans M&A and private equity, with transactions frequently drawing on the firm’s technology, IP and data/privacy expertise.

Litigation

MoFo’s London litigators handle complex national and cross-border commercial and corporate disputes, including corporate and capital markets claims, post-M&A disputes, international trust and insolvency litigation, and alternative dispute resolution. On the corporate crime and investigations side, the team advises public- and private-sector clients on international fraud and asset tracing, regulatory compliance and corporate investigations, working alongside colleagues in the United States and Asia on multi-jurisdictional matters.

All practice areas

AntitrustBanking and financeCapital marketsCommercial litigationCorporate / M&AData, privacy and cybersecurityEmploymentFinancial services and regulationIntellectual propertyInternational arbitrationInvestigations and white collar defenceLitigationPrivate equityTaxTechnology, media and telecommunicationsTrademarks, design and copyrightVenture capital
Who it may suit

Before you apply, ask yourself

  • Would you thrive in lean teams where trainees can receive substantial responsibility early, including substantive drafting, analysis and direct client contact?
  • Are you genuinely interested in technology and innovative businesses, given how strongly these sectors feature in MoFo's London client base and work?
  • Are you comfortable with demanding and sometimes unpredictable hours in return for exposure to complex, high-profile and cross-border matters?
  • Would you value working closely with partners and senior lawyers rather than within heavily staffed teams, while being expected to show initiative and take ownership of your work?
  • Are you comfortable with qualification opportunities depending on business need, rather than assuming that completing the training contract will lead to an NQ role at the firm?

This firm may suit candidates who…

  • Want substantial responsibility early and are comfortable taking initiative rather than playing a mainly supporting role.
  • Are particularly interested in technology and innovative businesses, including work that crosses corporate transactions, data, privacy and commercial technology.
  • Want to work closely with partners and senior lawyers on sophisticated, often cross-border matters.
  • Would value a relatively small London trainee intake and a collaborative, non-hierarchical working environment.
  • Want a training contract with strong exposure to complex client work, while keeping an open mind about qualification.

Things to consider

  • Lean teams can accelerate your development, but they can also mean significant individual responsibility and pressure when several matters become busy at once.
  • Technology is a major thread through the London practice, so consider whether MoFo's sector and client focus genuinely matches your interests.
  • The quality and responsibility of the work can come with demanding hours: surveyed trainees report typical finishes ranging from around 7pm to 10:30pm, depending on seat and workload.
  • Small teams mean junior lawyers can be highly visible, so you may be expected to contribute actively and develop independence quickly.
  • Qualification opportunities depend on business need and available NQ roles, and both trainee and NQ evidence suggest retention is something applicants should consider rather than assume.
What trainees do

M&A / Private Equity

What it involves:

Supporting corporate M&A transactions and private equity matters, often involving technology-focused and cross-border clients.

Example trainee tasks:

Drafting and amending transaction documents, including SPAs and ancillary documents; due diligence; preparing commercial analysis; and helping manage concurrent deal workstreams.

Who trainees work with:

Partners, associates, clients and other parties involved in transactions.

Early responsibility:

Trainees can take ownership of substantive workstreams and deal directly with clients. One respondent reports leading a smaller deal for an EC/VC client.

Support and supervision:

Trainees work in lean teams and sit directly with their supervisor or partner, giving them close access to senior lawyers while taking on responsibility.

A first month might involve:

Reviewing transaction documents, carrying out due diligence, preparing first drafts and analysis, and joining calls with the wider deal team.

Data Privacy / Technology Transactions

What it involves:

Advising on technically complex data, privacy and technology matters, including advisory work and data breaches.

Example trainee tasks:

Supporting complex advisory issues, working on data-breach matters, preparing DDQs and carrying out first-pass research and analysis.

Who trainees work with:

Supervisors and senior lawyers, alongside clients depending on the matter.

Early responsibility:

Trainees undertake substantive research and analysis while developing their technical understanding of the subject matter.

Support and supervision:

Trainees work closely with their supervisor, with guidance available as they develop familiarity with technically complex issues.

A first month might involve:

Researching privacy or technology issues, preparing DDQs, supporting data-breach work and producing initial analysis for a supervisor.

Litigation

What it involves:

Supporting ongoing disputes through research, drafting, document review and case preparation.

Example trainee tasks:

Legal research, document review, bundling, proofreading, drafting, case monitoring, preparing case-law updates and supporting ad hoc contentious tasks.

Who trainees work with:

Partners, associates and other members of the disputes team.

Early responsibility:

Trainees contribute directly to live matters through substantive research, drafting and analysis, with responsibility depending on the case and team.

Support and supervision:

Trainees sit directly with supervisors or partners and can approach senior lawyers with questions as matters progress.

A first month might involve:

Researching legal issues, reviewing documents, preparing bundles and case-law updates, and drafting initial documents for ongoing disputes.

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.

Predictability

Working patterns can be unpredictable and vary considerably by seat and matter. Some trainees can anticipate their workload reasonably well, while others have limited visibility over changing deadlines and new work.

Busy periods

Busy periods can be intense, particularly when several deadlines converge. Lean teams can mean significant responsibility during these periods, although trainees also report support from senior lawyers.

Late finishes

Late finishes are a regular possibility. All surveyed trainees report working beyond 8pm at least sometimes, with experiences ranging from occasional late nights to frequent later finishes.

Weekend work

Weekend work is less common than late-evening work. Trainees report working at weekends either rarely or sometimes, rather than as a routine expectation.

Seat variation

Hours and workload can vary significantly between seats. Some teams offer more predictable working patterns, while busy transactional or deadline-driven matters can result in substantially longer days.

Support

Trainees report support from supervisors and senior lawyers when workloads become demanding, although the pressure of working in lean teams can still be significant when several matters are busy at once.

Flexibility

Hybrid working is generally flexible outside the three core office days, with trainees reporting little pressure to attend additionally unless meetings, events or team needs require it.

Office attendance

Trainees are expected to spend at least three days per week in the office. Survey respondents consistently report following this three-day pattern.
Culture & support

Supervision style

Supervision is highly direct: all surveyed trainees sit with their supervisor or partner, giving them regular access to senior lawyers for questions and guidance. Formal feedback is typically provided at mid-seat and end-of-seat reviews.

Relationship with partners

Partners are generally described as approachable and accessible. Trainees work closely with them in lean teams, can receive work directly from partners and report being comfortable approaching senior lawyers with questions.

Upward feedback

Trainees generally feel their views are welcomed regardless of seniority, although comfort with giving upward feedback is more mixed than partner approachability.

Open plan or traditional offices

Trainees work in traditional offices with separate rooms rather than an open-plan layout.
Application process

Online application and CV upload

(1-2 hours)

First-stage interview

(45-60 minutes)

What happens

Interview with Graduate Recruitment and two associates

Second-stage interview

(3 hours)

What happens

Includes a pre-prepared presentation and case study presented to partners and associates

Summer Vacation Scheme

Reviews
"What surprised me - “I was very much thrown in the deep end (in a positive and encouraging sense).”" - Anonymous
"On the culture - “Pretty much the same, everyone is very nice and collegiate. I haven't had a negative experience with anyone - that being said, that may not be true for everyone.”" - Anonymous
Events
Inside the Morrison Foerster trainee experience
Hear from Morrison Foerster's Learning & Development team and current trainees about the training, support and development that shape the trainee experience.
Monday 23 November
Secure your place
Insights
MoFo London – Our Culture & Values
MoFo London – Vacation Scheme & Training Contract
MoFo Recruitment - London