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Skadden

Skadden

Next deadline

2027 Vacation Scheme and 2029 Training Contract · 1 Dec 2026

(35 days)

Apply now
In their own words

Built for what’s next.

Snapshot

Firm type

US firm in London

UK offices

London

International offices

Abu Dhabi, Beijing, Boston, Brussels, Chicago, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Houston, Los Angeles, Munich, New York, Palo Alto, Paris, São Paulo, Seoul, Singapore, Tokyo, Toronto, Washington D.C., Wilmington

Training contract places

20

Vacation scheme places

70

First-year salary

£58,000

Second-year salary

£63,000

Newly qualified salary

£177,000

Trainee retention

Not disclosed

SQE support

Full SQE1 and SQE2 funding

Visa sponsorship

Yes

International secondment

Yes

Client secondment

No

Guaranteed secondment

Not disclosed

Recruitment route

Vacation scheme only

Rolling recruitment?

No

Seat structure

4 seats of 6 months each

Can trainees repeat a seat?

No

Can trainees express seat preferences?

Yes, but not guaranteed

Non-law applicants

Actively welcomed

Career-changer applicants

Considered case by case

Remote working

Minimum 4 days per week in the office

Minimum academic requirements

2:1 at University

Wellbeing support

Mental health first aiders, subsidised gym, private health insurance, access to Lyra

PGDL funding

Yes, full funding

Retrospective funding

Yes

Formal pro bono programme

Yes

Named affinity networks

PRIME Commitment, Aspiring Solicitors partnership
Before you apply

Before you apply, ask yourself:

Are you comfortable taking on meaningful responsibility early, given Skadden's small trainee intake and lean-team model?

Do you want your training to have a strong transactional focus, with at least one first-year seat expected to be in the Corporate group?

Would you enjoy working on complex cross-border matters where you may need to coordinate across different jurisdictions and legal teams?

Are you comfortable with a minimum four days per week in the office rather than a more flexible hybrid arrangement?

How important is an international secondment to you, given that opportunities in New York, Brussels, Abu Dhabi, Palo Alto and Hong Kong are available but competitive rather than guaranteed?

Next deadline

2027 Vacation Scheme and 2029 Training Contract

1 Dec 2026

(35 days)

View job

Deep dive

Explore this firm in detail

What makes it different

Small trainee intake, big responsibility

What this could mean for you
You may take ownership of substantive tasks relatively early, so you will need to be comfortable learning quickly and contributing directly to live matters.

Elite cross-border work

What this could mean for you
You could work across jurisdictions from the start of your career, coordinating with international colleagues and counsel on transactions or disputes rather than focusing only on UK matters.

Lean teams, direct partner exposure

What this could mean for you
You could have regular exposure to experienced lawyers while taking on meaningful work, rather than being one of a large number of trainees within a bigger team.

Practice area strengths

M&A

Skadden's London corporate practice handles complex, high-value and cross-border transactions. Trainees contribute meaningfully within lean teams, including conducting due diligence, preparing first drafts of ancillary documents, supporting signing and closing processes, managing conditions precedent, coordinating overseas counsel and tracking issues across multiple workstreams.

International Arbitration

International Arbitration is one of Skadden's standout London practices. The team handles major commercial and investor-state disputes, including matters arising from M&A, shareholder agreements, joint ventures, tax, competition, technology, licensing and other commercial arrangements. The work is highly international, with matters spanning multiple jurisdictions and legal regimes.

Capital Markets and Finance

Skadden's London offering spans debt and equity capital markets, high-yield financing, bank lending and acquisition finance. The capital markets team combines UK and US law capability and works for corporates, financial sponsors and investment banks on transactions including IPOs, secondary offerings and other international financings, with a particularly strong cross-border and transatlantic dimension.

All practice areas

AntitrustCapital marketsData, privacy and cybersecurityEmploymentFinanceFinancial institutionsFinancial services and regulationSponsor solutionsExecutive compensationInvestment managementIntellectual propertyTechnologyLitigationInternational arbitrationMergers and acquisitions (M&A)RestructuringTaxWhite collar defence and investigationsForeign Direct Investment
Who it may suit

Before you apply, ask yourself

  • Are you comfortable taking on meaningful responsibility early, given Skadden's small trainee intake and lean-team model?
  • Do you want your training to have a strong transactional focus, with at least one first-year seat expected to be in the Corporate group?
  • Would you enjoy working on complex cross-border matters where you may need to coordinate across different jurisdictions and legal teams?
  • Are you comfortable with a minimum four days per week in the office rather than a more flexible hybrid arrangement?
  • How important is an international secondment to you, given that opportunities in New York, Brussels, Abu Dhabi, Palo Alto and Hong Kong are available but competitive rather than guaranteed?

This firm may suit candidates who…

  • Want meaningful responsibility early and are comfortable working in relatively lean teams.
  • Want high-value, cross-border transactional work, particularly across M&A, private equity, finance and capital markets.
  • Are interested in complex international disputes as well as transactional work.
  • Prefer spending most of the working week in person and value regular contact with colleagues and senior lawyers.
  • Would value the possibility of gaining experience in another major international office during their training contract.

Things to consider

  • A smaller trainee intake and lean-team model can mean greater responsibility, so you should be comfortable learning quickly and contributing directly to live matters.
  • Skadden aims for first-year trainees to complete at least one Corporate seat, so consider whether substantial transactional exposure fits your interests.
  • International Arbitration is a standout London strength, but seat availability and preferences are not guaranteed, so you should be open to gaining experience across different practices.
  • Trainees spend a minimum four days per week in the office, which offers less remote-working flexibility than some peer firms.
  • International secondments to New York, Brussels, Abu Dhabi, Palo Alto and Hong Kong are available in the second year, but they are competitive rather than guaranteed.
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 four six-month seats. In the first year, Skadden aims for each trainee to complete at least one Corporate seat, with other seat options spanning transactional, disputes, regulatory and specialist practices.

Flexibility

A standard hybrid arrangement is available within the four-day office requirement.

Holiday allowance

25 days

Office attendance

The firm requires trainees to spend a minimum of four days per week in the office.
Culture & support

Supervision style

Trainees are assigned a qualified solicitor who provides mentoring, advice and guidance throughout the training contract. Skadden also uses small teams and on-the-job training, with formal feedback and performance reviews at the end of each seat.

Relationship with partners

Skadden's lean-team model is designed to give trainees exposure to senior lawyers.
Application process

Online application form

Behavioural and cognitive test

(30 minutes)

Written exercise

(1 hour)

Video interview with two lawyers

(30 minutes)

Vacation scheme

(2 weeks)

Opportunities
2027 Vacation Scheme and 2029 Training Contract

Skadden

Skadden

35 days leftCloses 11:59pm, 1 Dec 2026

View job
Graduate recruitment events

Skadden

Skadden

35 days leftCloses 11:59pm, 1 Dec 2026

View job
Insights
About Skadden London
London Graduate Recruitment Process & Tips
Skadden’s Trainee Solicitor Program
Why Skadden London