Paul Hastings

Next deadline

December Insight Day 2026 · 29 Nov 2026

(33 days)

In their own words

With lawyers serving clients from 24 worldwide offices, we provide a wide range of services across Europe, Asia and the US. We are client-focused professionals with a commercial mindset and a collaborative approach to delivering value in everything we do.

Snapshot

Firm type

US firm in London

UK offices

London

International offices

24, including: Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Washington DC, Beijing, Seoul, Shanghai, Tokyo, Abu Dhabi, Paris

Training contract places

Vacation scheme places

First-year salary

£60,000

Second-year salary

£68,000

Newly qualified salary

£173,000

Trainee retention

Not disclosed

SQE support

Yes - full funding and maintenance grant

Visa sponsorship

Yes

International secondment

Client secondment

Yes

Guaranteed secondment

Typical secondment locations

Client offices in the UK

Office attendance policy

No formal scheme, but expected 3 days minimum in the office

Recruitment route

Direct training contract only

Seat structure

4 six-month long seats

Can trainees repeat seats?

Yes, sometimes depending on circumstances

Can trainees express seat preferences?

Yes, but preferences are not guaranteed

Non-law applicants

Actively encouraged

Career changer applicants

Actively encouraged

Minimum academic requirements

High level in A-level and degree (usually ‘majority As’ and a 2.1 at university)

Holiday allowance

25 days

Pro bono

Formal pro bono programme

Remote working

Standard hybrid only

Typical start time

9:30am

Typical finish time

18:00pm

Average working hours

Varies

PGDL funding

Yes - full

Retrospective funding

Considered on a case-by-case basis

Before you apply

Before you apply, ask yourself:

Are you prepared to work across time zones on complex matters, even if it requires waiting on the other offices?

Are international secondments something that you value too highly to give up during your training contract?

Do you have the resilience, academic and analytical skills required to take on a high level of responsibility from the start of the training contract?

Next deadline

December Insight Day 2026

29 Nov 2026

(33 days)

View job

Deep dive

Explore this firm in detail

What makes it different

We are a close knit team in London.

What this could mean for you

You will have plenty of exposure to senior members of the team from the moment you start, which means you will get the opportunity to learn directly from very talented and experienced lawyers early on.

We encourage and reward entrepreneurial flair, original thought and new ideas.

What this could mean for you

Lawyers at Paul Hastings are expected to understand business and act as advisors to their clients, as well as being skilled lawyers. As you develop as a lawyer, you will be expected to think not only about the legal complexities, but also understand the commerciality of your clients.

Practice area strengths

Corporate M&A

The firm works on both public and private M&A deals. This area of the firm has been consistently growing in the London office, and has recently been recognised in the Legal500 rankings. The firm will typically work on large matters, valued over £750m.

Private equity

Described as a ‘market leader’ in the space, working on ‘bespoke structures’, Paul Hastings works on a breadth of matters, from opening funds to assisting in transactional and management matters. Typically this practice will work with the investor side and also works with private credit funds. Typical fund targets will include companies operating in life sciences, manufacturing and healthcare businesses.

Leveraged finance

Working largely on the creditor-side, Paul Hastings deals with a range of high-value, complex and often cross border deals, giving trainees the chance to work on some of the highest value transactions. Recently, the team assisted on financing of the acquisition of Techem for a staggering €6.7 billion.

All practice areas

Mergers and acquisitions (M&A)Private equityLeveraged financeInvestigationsCorporateEmploymentLitigationDispute resolutionTaxData, privacy and cybersecurityReal estateFinancial services and regulationRestructuring and insolvencyCollateralised loan obligationsCredit fundsSecuritisationPrivate investment fundsReal estate fundsReal estate finance

Who it may suit

Before you apply, ask yourself:

Are you prepared to work across time zones on complex matters, even if it requires waiting on the other offices?
Are international secondments something that you value too highly to give up during your training contract?
Do you have the resilience, academic and analytical skills required to take on a high level of responsibility from the start of the training contract?

This firm may suit candidates who...

Are looking to work in a top US firm, with a growing London practice, where you may need to take on increased levels of responsibility over time.
Are comfortable working flexibly with other time zones, collaborating on fast paced deals.
Want to be surrounded by other motivated professionals, pushing themselves academically on challenging matters.

Things to consider

Unlike many other US firms, Paul Hastings boasts a strong presence in Asia, with two offices in China, and offices in Japan, Hong Kong and South Korea, offering trainees the chance to work on matters other US firms do not.
Trainees are encouraged to ask questions and receive feedback at mid- and end-of-seat evaluations.