I then arrange payment of the stamp duty and draft the cover letter to HMRC, which I send to the senior associate in the team to review. For some, and certainly in my case, starting your training contract will be unlike any other professional experience you may have had. We think its important to offer equal access to opportunities for all students regardless of location, Catherine tells us. Practice Areas Full service corporate law. However, we are happy to consider applications from final year students and also graduates. After a general catch-up, he asks me to help him with a new corporate matter. You need a 2:1 degree or above, though we do take account of extenuating circumstances. Vacation Scheme 2022 - Macfarlanes | Bright Network The collegiate and friendly culture, great work/life balance for the prestige of work you are afforded, the opportunity to do private client and corporate work during the training contract, reputation, financial remuneration, culture (learnt via vacation scheme), really enjoyed the vacation scheme, diversity of top-quality work, a great reputation for top-tier work, strong private client practice, the inclusive culture and community feel, The people you work with, there is a culture of inclusivity and it is supportive, my supervisors, levels of responsibility given to trainees, size you have more and better-quality contact with your colleagues than you might in larger firms, the existence of strong private client and corporate practice areas, and the people, quality of work, the fact senior lawyers are approachable, fantastic culture, The lack of diversity, the free dinner in the office is often inedible, work/life balance, the food, the limited number of minority partners and senior associates, food choices at dinner!, inclusiveness, lack of secondment opportunities, it is struggling to compete on the corporate front in the M&A rush, possibly work/life balance, but that is due to the legal industry rather than the firm itself. Please visit www.macfarlanes.com/who-we-are/inclusion-and-community/inclusion. If you have any questions about this opportunity please contact graduate.recruitment@macfarlanes.com. Our opportunities are not just for those looking to become a qualified solicitor, says Catherine. Macfarlanes Graduate Jobs and Schemes - beetroot.com Our Graduate Recruitment Partner Committee consists of Tom Canning (Chair), John Goldfinch, Jacqueline Ingram and Sarbajeet Nag. Create new account. Getting a personal thank you from a senior partner for the work I did on a deal, completing a deal after working 26 hours in a row, working on a successful mediation and getting great feedback from the client and internally, being allowed to lead a client call, signing a big deal in my first month, What has been the worst moment of your training to date? Why did you choose this firm over any others? We encourage you to include as much information as you can, so that we can understand your needs. Candidates will need to be ambitious, intellectually curious and have a genuine interest in our practice areas. Life at Macfarlanes for graduates. Now Im just waiting to receive payment confirmation before being able to submit the stamp duty application to HMRC. The dates for our first year insight scheme are: Monday 3 April - Thursday 6 April 2023 If there are any topics that have particularly grabbed my attention from the team meeting, I make a note of them to research them further or to catch up on them with someone else from my team. As well as that, all our trainees are divided into small constituency groups to give you direct and regular access to your own Trainee Solicitor Committee partner, who can discuss any issues you have. The programme has been developed in-house, and all tasks have been modelled on real work and created by our associates and trainee . We will also continue to provide additional financial assistance in the form of a non-repayable grant during this time. On the vacation scheme, I saw how the firms collaborative culture allows trainees to take early responsibility and accelerate their professional development. Person in charge of recruitment: Catherine Morgan-Guest, Senior graduate recruitment and trainee development manager. Our Insight Day is open to all first years (and second years on a four year course) of an undergraduate degree who are interested in a career as a solicitor in a leading city law firm. 1.00pm: I go to The Kitchen (the firms canteen) to grab lunch with colleagues who are in the office today. If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to reach out the Macfarlanes graduate recruitment and trainee development team via email ( gradrec@macfarlanes.com) or on Instagram (@macfarlanesgrad). You will have the opportunity to experience four practice areas over a two year period. If you have any questions about this opportunity please contact graduate.recruitment@macfarlanes.com. A lot of students are put off from applying to London firms if they reside elsewhere and cannot afford accommodation for the duration of the programme, continues Catherine. I then make sure to submit my recorded time for the day. Log In. PDF macfarlanes.com/careers Each trainee in the tax team is given the opportunity to improve their public speaking skills by helping to prepare one of the team training sessions during their seat and presenting to the wider group. Latham & Watkins: Mergers & Acquisitions Virtual Experience Programme, Latham & Watkins: Emerging Companies Virtual Experience Programme, Latham & Watkins: White Collar Defense & Investigations Virtual Experience Programme, Clifford Chance: Global Virtual Internships, White & Case LLP: Virtual Learning Programme, 7 Kings Bench Walk: Pupillage London 2023, Essential cookies to make this website work, Third party cookies used for personalised ads and content. You will find yourself working alongside a partner, solicitor or trainee. 7 things that make Macfarlanes 'meaningfully different' In addition to full coverage of their university tuition fees and paid work experience, Macfarlanes will offer each scholar a paid placement year at the firm. We are very particular about whom we take on for a simple reason: only the right people can do what we ask of them. Our unrivalled blend of expertise, agility and culture means we have the flexibility to meet their most challenging demands and adapt to the changing world around us. Applications for our 2018/19 training contracts close on 31 July 2016. You can connect with her via LinkedIn. You can find out more in our privacy policy at any time by going to the link in our footer. Macfarlanes wants to form long-lasting relationships with clients and be entrusted with their most difficult and complex problems in the areas where it practises. Check out the LawCareers.Net solicitors practice area profiles. We welcome applications from candidates with either a law or non-law background. Having conversations with your peers can provide great insight into how other firms may work, developments in the legal market, how clients may think, and in general, equip you with the skills necessary for business development. How confident are you that you will be kept on at the end of your training contract? Explore our graduate training programmes HERE. Were looking for candidates who not only have strong academics but who also possess excellent interpersonal and problem solving skills. First . During the year when you are completing your SQE preparation course you will also attend regular seminars from the firm when you will hear from our practice areas. At Macfarlanes, graduates are seen as more than just potential trainees. 9:20am: I get into the office, grab some breakfast and most importantly a coffee! The talent at the firm today, and the excellence of legal advice and service that we set, offer our clients something quite exceptional. If more things come up that I need to work on/address, I add them to my list throughout the day so I dont accidentally forget anything. The application process therefore also includes an assessment day with a business case study, a written exercise and an interview, explains Catherine. We invest a great deal in the process: our partners attend law fairs and review applications and, on assessment days, it is our partners who will interview you. Assessment days for the training programme will run in August. Applications will open on 1st November 2022 for next years vacation schemes and the deadline to apply is Sunday 8th January 2023 at midnight. We are proud to be usingRare Recruitment's Contextual Recruitment System (CRS)which allows us to consider your achievements in the context in which they were gained. Hear from our trainees about life at Macfarlanes via Chambers Student Guide - Careers in the Law independent review. This LCN Says will flesh out three key milestones that a trainee at Macfarlanes should focus on achieving in their first three months at a law firm. As a newly qualified solicitor, I acted as sole associate for the majority of a 60m cartel damages case, which we saw right up to trial. Summer vacation scheme one: Monday 26 June - Friday 7 July 2023. Access to technology is a hurdle we witnessed first-hand while running our vacation scheme virtually during the pandemic, says Catherine. Once selected, the students undertake a week-long work placement with Macfarlanes in the summer between their first and second year of university. The form itself is simple and is designed to give you every opportunity to impress us. Closing is coming up at the end of the week so we need to get things finalised, especially as we hold the pen on a number of documents (and so need to manage the signing process). As such, we have a multitude of staff networks that anyone can get involved in. I email the corporate team for details of the transaction and request the documents on this matter, so I have what I need. After this has finished and I have caught up with everyone, I head home for the day. Legal Cheek Hub 2023 | Legal Cheek Hub is the recruitment and event site of Legal Cheek. I hope the above advice has provided some insight life as a trainee at Macfarlanes. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. It means your training contract at Macfarlanes will combine hands-on experience with a first-class education programme. Work hard, play hard, contribute! The vacation scheme at Macfarlanes is designed to give you an insight into life as a trainee over the course of two weeks. At Bright Network we use cookies and similar technologies to help deliver you the best possible experience. The firm is very good at encouraging pro bono work and I have been enjoying helping out on a couple of different pro bono matters since joining Milbank last year. Why did you choose this firm over any others? The first year insight scheme is designed to provide you with an insight into city law and to give you the opportunity to meet trainees, solicitors and partners within the firm. DEADLINE 27th January 2023 Milbanks friendly and collaborative atmosphere left a lasting impression on me during the vacation scheme and continues to as I now join the Corporate team as an associate. Macfarlanes early legal careers senior manager Catherine Morgan-Guest speaks about the firms initiatives to broaden their recruitment pool. Contact our Recruitment team today Email: Recruitmentteam@eversheds-sutherland.com for general enquiries or for an update on an application you have made. Macfarlanes, overseas counsel and the client. Contact Macfarlanes Graduate Recruitment Team. After the call, I quickly catch up with our deal team (there are four of us working on this deal myself, my supervisor, a senior associate and a partner). Macfarlanes Interview Questions (2023) | Glassdoor One of our international clients is proposing a merger of some of the groups U.S. companies and they have asked us to advise on the UK tax implications for their UK shareholders. Each of your seats will feature a mid-seat and end-of-seat review. Departments to date: Tax and reward, Private client. Latham & Watkins: Mergers & Acquisitions Virtual Experience Programme, Latham & Watkins: Emerging Companies Virtual Experience Programme, Latham & Watkins: White Collar Defense & Investigations Virtual Experience Programme, Clifford Chance: Global Virtual Internships, White & Case LLP: Virtual Learning Programme, 7 Kings Bench Walk: Pupillage London 2023, Essential cookies to make this website work, Third party cookies used for personalised ads and content. Training programme written exercise, in-tray exercise and application interview. In each seat, you will be personally supervised by a partner or senior solicitor whowill support you in your work. I leaned towards the Corporate team because of the breadth and latitude of its practice areas and its market-leading practice advising in complex cross-border transactions. Something which frustrates recruits particularly when working in the corporate and M&A departments is that is that the hours are very similar to those of top-tier US firms but without the same level of remuneration or perks. Hear from our trainees - Macfarlanes Graduate Recruitment - Facebook First, we are known for the quality of our work; not just in dealing with the full range of corporate and commercial matters, but in advising our clients on their private affairs as well. Macfarlanes is inclusive and supportive there is a collegiate culture, which really does exist! and the firm is small enough to be friendly, yet large enough to offer interesting work. Our Summer Vacation Scheme will run from 26th June 7th July 2023. Business Service. How would you rate the international secondment opportunities available? We also aim to have a positive impact through our four main themes of Corporate Social Responsibility activity: pro bono legal advice; community action; environment; and charitable giving. The two weeks will be split across two different practice areas to maximise your exposure. Working directly with associates and partners, our trainees are an integral part of the team in every seat. These sessions will help to build your legal knowledge and inform your seat choices. By clicking, I acceptcookies, you agree to our use of cookies. Who we are: We are a distinctive London-based law firm with a unique combination of services built and shaped around the needs of our clients. You will be allocated a partner principal who is personally responsible for you for the duration of your training programme. Use The Beginners Guide to a Career in Law to get started, Find out about the various legal apprenticeships on offer and browse vacancies with The Law Apprenticeships Guide, Information on qualifying through the Solicitors Qualifying Exam, including preparation courses, study resources, QWE and more, Discover everything you need to know about developing your knowledge of the business world and its impact on the law, The latest news and updates on the actions being taken to improve diversity and inclusion in the legal profession, Discover advice to help you prepare for and ace your vacation scheme, training contract and pupillage applications, Your first-year guide to a career in law find out how to kickstart your legal career at this early stage, Your non-law guide to a career in law everything you need to know about converting to law. Salary at Macfarlanes LLP. Summer/Autumn 2023 Begin studying for the SQE with BPP. Given the different time zones, we often receive comments overnight. Will you be our next remarkable recruit? If you did a vacation scheme with your firm, how would you rate it? We are a distinctive law firm with a straightforward, independently-minded approach. There can sometimes be a misconception in the City that knowledge sharing isnt as valued from trainees but that cannot be further from the truth at Macfarlanes. We are conscious of the financial pressures faced by working students and do not want to put them in a position where they have to choose between meeting us and earning money. Applications for the participation grant are open throughout the year. You will need to be in either the first year of your undergraduate degree or second year of a four-year undergraduate degree. The work undertaken by the Financial Restructuring team is very multi-jurisdictional, so you are always working with legal counsel from different countries. Today marks the 140 - Macfarlanes Graduate Recruitment | Facebook . Vacation Schemes Vacation Schemes 2023 We will be running our Easter Vacation Scheme 2023 from Monday 13th March - 17th March 2023 inclusive. On this matter, we are working with U.S. counsel who is providing tax advice on the arrangement from a U.S. perspective. We are a distinctive law firm with a straightforward, independently-minded approach. A 13,000 maintenance grant is also provided. For example, in tax and reward (as well as other practice areas in the firm), weekly education and training sessions are held at which trainees are given the opportunity to present on a topic in the group. 11am: Im back at my desk after our team meeting. You will also be invited to attend social events at the firm so you can start building your network before joining us. We have 87 partners and over 220 solicitors. You can find out more in our privacy policy at any time by going to the link in our footer. She briefs me on the matter and asks me to find any relevant case law. The clients: Derwent London, Improbable, Omnicom Group, Superdry, Virgin. Macfarlanes Bursary - Macfarlanes | Bright Network This is why professional development and training, including the firms ground-breakingMilbank@Harvardprogramme, is a key priority. As a trainee you could be working on major corporate transactions or commercial litigation, and then working for private clients on their most sensitive affairs. Over half of our partners trained with the firm, a fact we are very proud about. Macfarlanes LLP Recruitment Team | AllAboutLaw Above all, we have an enduring commitment to the development of trainees because they are intrinsic to what we do and the future of our firm. Macfarlanes is recruiting final-year students and graduates for its September intake. I do some initial research and spend an hour reading through various cases before we discuss my findings. To address socio-economic barriers that might discourage students from accessing the legal profession, Macfarlanes also has three types of grants available as part of its bursary, designed to address some of the financial demands of being a student. Macfarlanes has launched a new training scholarship which provides financial support, mentoring and paid work experience to three Brunel University students each year. Firstly, it allows you to carry out in-depth research about a topic, but it also shows your enthusiasm towards learning, and allows you to generate conversations based on what you know. During this work placement, students get a chance to develop the skills they need to succeed in vacation scheme and training programme applications. I then finalise my changes to the structure paper and send an email to U.S. counsel with our outstanding queries. In short, we have a formidable, and unique, combination of expertise and culture; and we rely on remarkable individuals to shape the firm for the future. What has been the best moment of your training to date? The hours can be long and the work is hard, but we will support you. We discuss our next steps. Applications for the 2022 spring and summer vacation schemes are open from 27 September 2021 to 3 January 2022. We welcome applications from everyone who meets our minimum academic requirements irrespective of what or where you have studied. Thebigchoice.com has rebranded! 3:30pm: I grab a quick coffee with one of my colleagues from my previous seat now that were in the office its so nice to catch up with people in person! I chose to train to Milbank because the firm has a leading reputation for big ticket deals and a small trainee intake. Networking is important, both for professional and personal reasons. Read the Legal Cheek Macfarlanes profile here. How satisfied are you with your financial remuneration? Secondly, our size and partner-led approach enables us to give our clients a more personal and higher standard of commitment and care than is typical elsewhere. We offer one of the most competitive trainee salaries in the London market, in addition to an array of helpful benefits. Deadline to apply is Sunday 8th January 2023 at midnight. We're looking forward to hosting the competition tonight at our offices at 7pm. Find out more at Virtual Assessment Day 2020 on Vimeo. 6.00pm: Before I head off, I pick up any further emails that have come through and make a list of my tasks for tomorrow. At Bright Network we use cookies and similar technologies to help deliver you the best possible experience. Successful candidates get a chance to spend two years in the firms lawtech team. Legal Cheek Hub is the recruitment and event site of Legal Cheek. Through close partner support, we enable you to deal directly with clients, assisting on complex transactions. Macfarlane Group is a family of growing businesses and we are a natural home for talented, imaginative and ambitious people looking to grow successful careers. We recruit. Our Summer Vacation Scheme will run from 26th June - 7th July 2023. We have a formidable, and unique, combination of expertise and culture; and we rely on remarkable individuals to shape the firm for the future. As a trainee at Macfarlanes you will be expected to work hard, but there will also be plenty of opportunities to have fun and get to know your colleagues around the firm. This LCN Says is intended to provide an insight into my first three months at Macfarlanes and provide key advice that a Macfarlanes trainee should take on board. You will then start your two years qualifying work experience in September 2024 or March 2025 after you have sat SQE2. Spring 2024 - Sit the SQE2 examination. You can apply no matter what or where you have studied. Summer/Autumn 2023 - Begin studying for the SQE with BPP. We look for a rare combination of character, drive and intellectual curiosity. The 32-week course will include all elements needed to ensure that you are fully prepared to work in City practice. Working with a supervisor who did not provide support or assist with my development, working 26 hours in a row, getting to grips with tricky IT systems, two months of consistent midnight finishes, feeling overwhelmed, working with some difficult characters, working the occasional weekend, stressful deadlines, some of the harsher deadlines and overwhelming amounts of work, late nights, 2023 Legalease Ltd. All rights reserved, Registered company in England & Wales No. We're delighted to announce the launch of the Macfarlanes' trainee experience, allowing you to complete mock trainee tasks whilst gaining an insight into our unique culture. We are confident that our trainees are of the highest quality so when we ask them to undertake secondments we know they will make the best impression. As with the SQE preparation course, the firm will cover your fees and you will receive a non-repayable grant. Equally, you can have frequent conversations with your supervisor about the opinions you may be forming following a task or reading a news article. Applications for the 2022 spring and summer vacation schemes are open from 27 September 2021 to 3 January 2022. Want to keep up-to-date - Macfarlanes Graduate Recruitment - Facebook A comprehensive range of benefits including 23 days holiday, private medical insurance, life insurance, permanent health insurance, dental plan and a season ticket loan will be confirmed when candidates receive their formal offer. London, United Kingdom Waitress/Receptionist . At Macfarlanes, curiosity is highly regarded. This is an opportunity to help gauge your progress. 5.45pm: In the meantime, I receive an email with some comments from the associate on my draft stamp duty cover letter to HMRC, which I incorporate into the main document. The vacation scheme at Macfarlanes is designed to give you an insight into life as a trainee over the course of two weeks. We're looking forward - Macfarlanes Graduate Recruitment | Facebook We wanted to develop another way to reach talented students from non-Russell Group universities, says Catherine, and the Macfarlanes first-year skills development programme does exactly that. 2427356 VAT 321572722, Registered address: 188 Fleet Street, London, EC4A 2AG. Macfarlanes is recruiting final-year students and graduates for its September intake. What has been the worst moment of your training to date? What we do: Commercial, brands, IP and IT; competition/antitrust; construction; corporate and M&A; derivatives and trading; employment; finance; financial services and products; lawtech; litigation and dispute resolution; private client; private funds; real estate; reward; tax. Partners and Graduate Recruitment were both friendly and made sure that I felt comfortable on the day. Latham & Watkins: Mergers & Acquisitions Virtual Experience Programme, Latham & Watkins: Emerging Companies Virtual Experience Programme, Latham & Watkins: White Collar Defense & Investigations Virtual Experience Programme, Clifford Chance: Global Virtual Internships, White & Case LLP: Virtual Learning Programme, 7 Kings Bench Walk: Pupillage London 2023, Essential cookies to make this website work, Third party cookies used for personalised ads and content. Registered in England and Wales with Company Number 08037587, Applications for Macfarlanes' 2025 training contract close on, Applications for Macfarlanes' 2023 lawtech graduate programme close on, Macfarlanes first-year skills development programme, Applications for Macfarlanes' 2023 first-year skills development programme close on. It demonstrates your enthusiasm and dedication to a legal career. The firm: Macfarlanes is a unique firm: an unrivalled blend of expertise, size and culture means it has the flexibility to meet clients most challenging demands and adapt to the changing world around us. 6:00pm: I send out a couple of emails and prepare a draft invoice email for a deal Im working on we send these out every two weeks. That means there is always a different group of people in the office to chat to on my lunch break. Catherine Morgan-Guest - Senior Manager, Early Legal Careers - LinkedIn Our Graduate Recruitment Partner Committee consists of Tom Canning (Chair), John Goldfinch, Jacqueline Ingram and Sarbajeet Nag. Perks: Flexible benefits package including life assurance, pension scheme and private healthcare, in addition to a discretionary performance-related bonus scheme, subsidised restaurant, season ticket loan and gym membership. Some are necessary to help our website work properly and can't be switched off, and some are optional but support Bright Network in building and running the service that we provide to you. Networking also feeds back to the idea of knowledge sharing. You should also have (or be predicted) a 2.1 or above in any degree discipline. I listen to the latest FT News Briefing podcast on my walk (the podcasts are only 10 minutes long and quite interesting would recommend). We bring thoughtful solutions to the complex legal challenges faced by our clients around the world. We typically recruit all of our trainees from our easter and summer vacation schemes. This will be completed in the year between receiving your training programme offer and commencing your studies for the SQE. You can find out more in our privacy policy at any time by going to the link in our footer. Summer One: Monday 27 June - Friday 8 July 2022 Summer Two: Monday 11 July - Friday 22 July 2022 Application To apply for the vacation scheme you will need to be in at least the penultimate year of your degree. Summer One:Monday 27 June Friday 8 July 2022 A Corporate M&A partner will be judging the final and you will also have the opportunity to meet a variety of. The programme is 'front-loaded' to develop your knowledge and skills from the start. Working with a supervisor who did not provide support or assist with my development, working 26 hours in a row, getting to grips with tricky IT systems, two months of consistent midnight finishes, feeling overwhelmed, working with some difficult characters, working the occasional weekend, stressful deadlines, some of the harsher deadlines and overwhelming amounts of work, late nights. There was minimal technical hiccups and I felt welcomed at the firm. Making it to a top City firm is not easy. 4:00pm: I return to my desk and work on a pro bono project that I have been involved in over the last couple of months I am currently drafting board resolutions that will be used by the company.