United Kingdom

Latham represents investment banks, financial institutions, private equity houses, corporates, governments and other organizations, and the firm handles some of the largest and most complex cross-border deals and cases in the London market.

The firm’s London practice and global English law platform are now as large and full service as many well-established UK firms, but with the added advantage of a powerful international network. Lawyers in the London office handle work all over the world, alongside each of our other offices. While Latham originated in the United States, often a significant advantage, the firm’s practice is genuinely global, which means that our lawyers don’t typically work around US hours in London or rely on our offices in the United States for deal flow.

As well as the outstanding professional opportunities Latham offers, we believe our “one firm” culture makes us stand out as an excellent place to grow as a lawyer. The firm is run by consensus, and almost all of the committees which are responsible for running the business are staffed by associates and partners from across all of our offices. This includes our unique Associates Committee, which makes significant decisions, including the selection of new partners.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Latham recruits only the highest calibre candidates, both in terms of academics and personality. That is because we pride ourselves not just on the standard of our work, but also on our collegiate atmosphere and collaborative style, which the firm works hard to maintain. Latham is comprised of people from a variety of backgrounds and with a diversity of opinions, but we all value originality and creative thinking, and put a strong emphasis on client service, innovation and teamwork.

We are looking for candidates with a strong academic background, which means we expect a minimum 2:1 degree and grades of at least AAB at A-level or equivalent. We look for excellent communication skills and a consistent record of personal and/or professional achievement. Above all, people do well at Latham if they have an entrepreneurial spirit, take initiative and aren’t afraid to put their hands up.

Latham carefully select all of its trainees because we hope that they will play a vital role in the future growth of the firm. We think it is important to establish a reciprocal and long-term relationship straight away, focused on developing their potential and ensuring we offer them a successful, rewarding and prosperous career.

If you’re proactive about your career, expect to work hard and want to stand out from the crowd, we would love to hear from you.

Latham hires approximately 20 trainees in August each year. The training contract consists of four, six-month seats, including mandatory corporate, finance and litigation seats. There is also an opportunity to spend six months in one of our overseas offices such as Hong Kong, Singapore, Dubai, Paris or Moscow.

Trainees share an office with their supervisor in each seat and are also assigned a mentor as an extra means of support. They are also encouraged at all stages to communicate with their supervisor and with the office’s Recruiting Committee to make sure their career is following the path that they wish to pursue.

As far as possible, training is bespoke and tailored to an individual’s preferences. It is a two-way process, developing as a result of ongoing dialogue and consultation. In addition to learning on the job, there is a formal training programme providing trainees with the fundamentals of the group they are joining on rotation, as well as more specific skills such as drafting and networking.

Trainees are given plenty of responsibility, but the Latham culture means you will never feel like you are out on your own, because you can always talk to an associate or a partner to get any support you need. Above all, our trainees are treated as members of the team who are able to make a meaningful contribution from the start, which means you get very good exposure to client work as well as building relationships with individuals at all levels within the firm.

Latham offers two-week placement schemes twice a year for candidates considering applying for a training contract with the firm, one during Easter and one during the summer. The dates for our 2013 vacation schemes are 8th – 19th April and 24th June – 5th July.

As the firm recruits predominately from these schemes, we encourage candidates to apply for these rather than applying directly for a training contract. For the Easter scheme, we invite applications from candidates who are in their final year of university, who have graduated, or who are completing their GDL or LPC. The summer scheme is primarily aimed at law undergraduates in their penultimate year of study.

If one accepts an offer to participate in one of the firm’s vacation schemes, he or she will spend a week in two separate departments. Before arriving, participants are invited to tell us their preferences in terms of practice areas, and we will do our best to accommodate these. During each seat, participants are treated like any other Latham trainee and share an office with a supervisor who is a qualified lawyer.

During the scheme, candidates are asked to produce two pieces of written work and deliver a short presentation to a group of their peers about one of the firm’s practice areas. Participants also attend presentations given by lawyers from across the office in order to gain a thorough view of the work Latham does. Candidates are all assigned a mentor before the scheme starts, usually a current trainee, who is a friendly face throughout the scheme.

Candidates enjoy plenty of social events, where they have the opportunity to meet lawyers and trainees who are available to answer questions and communicate what life as a Latham lawyer is all about.

To join Latham’s Easter vacation scheme, please apply online between 1 October and 31 December, and to join the summer scheme, please apply by 31 January.

The deadline for applications for training contracts is 31 July.

We encourage anyone who is interested in pursuing their career at Latham to apply for a place on one of our vacation schemes in the first instance, as the majority of our training contracts will go to people who have participated in one of these schemes. We accept around 20 students on to each of our two vacation schemes annually, and we pay £350 per week vacation scheme remuneration.

Want to know more? Download our full brochure, which tells you more about the fantastic opportunities we offer our trainees and qualified lawyers.

Already decided? If you have already made up your mind to apply for a place on one of our vacation schemes or for a training contract, please apply online.

We look forward to hearing from you!