Allen & Overy is a magic circle London based international law firm which currently employs approximately 5,000 staff in 31 offices worldwide. The firm is primarily involved in finance, although it has recently developed its corporate and commercial forces. Allen & Overy's annual turnover is over £1billion.
In recent months the fastest rate of growth at A&O was outside London, particularly in the emerging markets, Central and Western Europe.
Allen & Overy specialise in: Finance, Corporate; Banking; International Capital Markets; Dispute Resolution; Employment and Benefits; Real Estate; Tax.
The firm acts for private/public and national/international companies such as BAE Systems, Emap and Alliance & Leicester. It also acts for governmental agencies, banks, and other financial and commercial institutions.
Allen & Overy has offices in the following countries: Abu Dhabi, Amsterdam, Antwerp, Bangkok, Beijing, Bratislava, Brussels, Bucharest (associated office), Budapest, Dubai, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hong Kong, Jakarta (associated office), London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Mannheim, Milan, Moscow, Munich, New York, Paris, Perth, Prague, Riyadh (associated office), Rome, Sao Paulo, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo, and Warsaw.
Bishops Square
Allen & Overy LLP, One Bishops Square, London, E1 6AD.
Tel: 020 3088 0000
Fax: 020 3088 0088
Canary Wharf
Allen & Overy LLP, 40 Bank Street, London, E14 5DU.
Tel: 020 3088 0000
Fax: 020 3088 0088
On an open day you will get the opportunity to meet a number of partners, associates and trainees who work in various departments.
Your day will includes talks and workshops which provide details about specific practice areas, Allen & Overy's clients, the Allen & Overy training contract, and skills you will need to develop and improve, if you are to become a successful commercial lawyer.
You will also have the opportunity to spend some time in one legal department, where you will spend time shadowing a trainee.
There will also be time to socialise with other students and graduates who are interested in applying for a Training Contract at Allen & Overy and various opportunities to take coffee (and probably a nice lunch or sandwiches, cakes and biscuits) with members of the Allen & Overy graduate recruitment team and some lawyers.Trainees, Associates, Partners and Human Resources personnel attend careers fairs and specialist law fairs throughout the year. You should aim to meet as many different people as possible but tailor your questions so that they are relevant to the person you are talking to. For example, ask trainees about the work/life balance. Ask partners about the length of time it took them to reach partner status.
You should spend as much time as possible talking to trainees, as these people will provide you with the most honest and accurate information about what it's like to work in an entry level position at the company.
Spend five to 10 minutes talking to each law firm at a careers fair. Law fairs are a forum allowing candidates to have quick chats with key members of staff, many of whom will provide you with their contact information to email/call at a later date if you need more information.
Be professional throughout the day, wear a suit if you have one and treat every conversation with staff as a mini-interview. Give a firm handshake, make good eye contact and smile!
Take a note of all the people you speak to during the day, or if you can exchange business cards.
Since 2007 Allen & Overy has used its very own double-decker bus to attract undergraduates to events and campus activities. The bus is decorated in the same style as the firm’s Bishops Square headquarters. Students are able to board the bus for a 15-minute drop-in session with a selection of Allen & Overy’s graduate recruitment team and trainees. There may even be a chance to pick up A&O branded products.
By all accounts the training offered by A&O is some of the best available in the city. The firm offers 105 Training Contracts each year and the graduate recruitment team interview approximately 10% - 15% of the 2,500 annual applications.
The training is quite flexible, although you do have to do at least two seats in the core practice areas of Finance (banking or ICM) and Corporate (12 months total in two of the three departments). The rest of the training is up to you (within the needs of the business). You can do six months abroad, six months on secondment, two three-month seats in smaller departments such as employment or competition, or even three months at a local Legal Advice Centre.
A&O aim to recruit, train and develop successful lawyers who want to develop a long-term career with Allen & Overy and all the firm's future trainees take the Allen & Overy-specific LPC at The College of Law in London. The course has been specially designed to equip trainees with the skills and knowledge needed to be a successful solicitor, and is set in the context of the type of transactions Allen & Overy lawyers are involved in. The modules taken will focus on our core practice areas, to ensure that time at law school is the best possible preparation for the training contract with Allen & Overy. It will provide trainees with a sound technical and theoretical background for a career with the firm. Studying the Allen & Overy LPC also means that trainees will develop strong bonds with their new colleagues and build friendships from day one.
Allen and Overy trainees are able to acquire contentious experience during their training contract. From July 2007, trainees have been offered the option of completing a Litigation course, which means trainees will no longer need to sit in our Dispute Resolution or Employment departments to gain their contentious experience if they are sure their interests lie elsewhere. This course is run by the Nottingham Law School and consists of tuition for a block of five days and a monthly visit to a legal advice centre for a year, to gain practical contentious experience.
Your training will be based on three or six month rotations, known as 'seats' of which you will take part in four to six. On these seats you will learn about a number of departments or practice areas, where you will sit with a partner or an associate who will instruct you.
After joining Allen & Overy you will meet the HR Manager to form an individual seat plan, tailored to take your interests and aspirations into consideration. Additionally you will discuss the length of your seats, and explore the possibilities of international or client secondments. You'll also nominate a "priority seat" which means you'll be guaranteed experience in a chosen department.
Allen and Overy's core areas of expertise are Corporate, Banking and International Capital Markets. As a trainee you will spend at least twelve months of your training contract gaining experience in at least two of these key areas.
As a trainee you may be able to take three or six month seats at Allen & Overy offices in other countries. If you are able to speak the language of the country you wish to travel to, this will certainly make things easier for you.
Allen & Overy offer approximately 39 international seats in 22 of their offices. Trainees usually apply to undertaken secondments in the final six months of their training contract.
Trainees are also offered a number of client based secondments, which enable trainees to spend time in another working environment and experience the clients' side of business, working alongside client's staff in client's offices. These secondments normally take place in the second year of training.
As a trainee or fully qualified solicitor at Allen & Overy you will certainly travel internationally when working with European clients.
As a trainee you may be able to take three or six month seats at Allen & Overy offices in other countries. If you are able to speak the language of the country you wish to travel to, this will certainly make things easier for you.
Allen & Overy offer 39 international seats in 22 of their offices. Trainees usually apply for secondments in the final six months of their training contract.
Allen & Overy offer trainees a number of client based secondments, which enable trainees to spend time in another working environment and experience the clients' side of business, working alongside client's staff in client's offices. These secondments normally take place in the second year of training.
When you accept an offer of a training contract from Allen & Overy you will not only be entitled to a top job and good salary but also financial support for ALL law school studies.
Allen & Overy will pay your course fees for the GDL (Graduate Diploma in Law) at The College of Law (any location). They will also pay for all course fees associated with the LPC (Legal Practice Course) although you are forced to do the Allen & Overy specific LPC, at The College of Law London.
Allen & Overy also provide students with a maintenance grant. If you are studying for the GDL this means you will receive £6,000 (if living in London) or £5,000 (if living elsewhere in the UK). If you are studying for the LPC, you will receive an annual maintenance grant of £7,000.
Students who choose to take the two year LLB course are offered a maximum of £6,000 towards course fees. Future trainees taking this course also receive a one-off maintenance payment of £6,000 for courses in London, Oxford & Guildford and £5,000 for courses elsewhere in the UK.
If you accept your training contract after commencing the GDL, LPC or two year LLB Allen & Overy will pro rata your maintenance award, but your course fees will be refunded in full.
Allen & Overy recognise high achieving students by offering a cash award of £500 for anyone who collects a first class degree and/or a distinction in the LPC after accepting a Training Contract offer.
Future trainees who decide to take time off before joining Allen & Overy are warmly supported, especially those who plan to extend, develop or gain other skills or experiences that will be useful when working at A&O. Future trainees can apply for an award of £500 to contribute towards funds required for this time off, or other equally important activites such as purchasing a new laptop, completing a language study course, or undertaking a pro bono or community initiative.
The application deadline is typically around mid-January for non-lawyers. This coming year it is January 17th, 2010. Law students should apply from 1st June - 31st July 2010.
Hired trainees start work in September or March each year.
The current salary for first year trainees is £38,000 rising to over £42,200 in the second year of training. On qualification, your salary will be £60,000.
Applicants are invited to submit their application via the Allen & Overy website.
If your application for a training contract is successful, you will be invited to an assessment day which usually consists of two interviews with a partner or senior associate.
Now see - Allen & Overy Training Contract Interview Questions.
The Training Contract interview procedure at A&O is as follows:
Partner / Associate Interview
This is based on your application form. You will be interviewed by a partner or an associate who will assess your skills and knowledge, as well as your reasons for applying to Allen and Overy and your general commercial awareness.
You will be asked a series of difficult to answer interview questions and competency based questions.
Case Study Interview
This involves working with a case study. You will have 30 minutes to work through a brief and prepare a short presentation to deliver to your interviewer. The presentation is likely to be followed by a discussion with your interviewer about key points from your case study.
After both interviews, you will be given the chance to spend some time with a current trainee who will give you a tour of the offices, introduce you to other trainees and generally be available to answer any questions which you may be too scared to ask the partners!
Tip: Candidates need to show that thay are abolutely commited to a career in law and that a career with Allen & Overy would be one of their top (if not very top) choice.
Tip: Read newspapers and news websites everyday. Keep up to date with current affairs, global politics and economics. Make sure you develop your own opinions about issues and can stand up for yourself if questioned in debate.
Feedback
Allen & Overy give feedback to candidates who arrange this with the Graduate Recruitment team only after interview and not after the application stage.
Offer
Successful candidates with be contacted 7-10 working days after their interview by a member of the Allen & Overy Graduate Recruitment team who will congratulate them and explain the terms of their contract.
Candidates will not have to accept immediately, but will be given twenty-eight days to make a choice.
Acceptance
Successful candidates who wish to accept an offer to join Allen & Overy should call their HR contact and let them know they would like to start work on the previously agreed start date.
Candidates will then need to send back their signed offer letter which was delivered to them when they received the offer. Once this has been returned you have effectively become a staff member!
Rejection
Unsuccessful candidates will be emailed after their interview. A member of the HR team will explain where you went wrong in interview via telephone and will be able to tell you how to improve in future interviews if you ask them.Allen & Overy offer 65 Vacation placements each year. Allen & Overy placements offer current students and graduates the chance to experience life working as solicitors at the firm's London office. This period of experience is paid and offers excellent training, teaching and social benefits.
Vacation placements look fantastic on the CV of anyone aspiring to become a solicitor. They also enable canny students to build contacts within law firms and establish links that they may be able to use later, when applying for a Training Contract.
Candidates will need to demonstrate skills in communication, teamwork, interpersonal skills and commercial awareness, to be offered a vacation placement at Allen & Overy.
In each of Allen & Overy's placements you will assist a specially assigned trainer (usually a partner or associate) on real deals. You will work in two departments (one during the shorter winter programmes) which you will be able to chose, depending on your key areas of interest.
You will join other vacation programme students to work on a case study project designed to test your research skills and expose you to the range of Allen & Overy practice areas.
Placement students will attend workshops, practice area presentations and other talks designed to inform you about the company's work and help you to develop the skills you need to be a successful commercial lawyer.
Allen & Overy pair you up with a "buddy" for your Vacation placement. This is usually a current trainee who will be able to answer your questions, offer you advice and generally help you feel at home during your time with the company, or may not, depending on how busy the individual may be and how interested they are in helping out the new boys!
As well as a lot of hard, testing work, Vacation placements offer students the chance to socialise with other like-minded future solicitors. Expect to enjoy informal drinks with your department, lunches with other placement students and special social events organised by the Graduate Recruitment team.
Remember that the term "informal" really means "not as formal as usual, but still quite formal". For example, at an informal drinks event that involves placement students and Partners, you will not be expected to raid the Allen & Overy free bar and coerce your trainer, Associate or Partner to take a trip with you to Stringfellows.
You will be judged on your personality, performance and attitude by Allen & Overy's staff at all times and should exercise an element of restraint and maturity throughout your placement.There are several employee benefits to working at A&O:
Work/Life Balance
Of all the Magic Circle law firms, it's probably Allen & Overy who have made the most effort at addressing lifestyle issues and reducing associate attrition.
Insurance
Allen & Overy provide life, permanent health and private medical insurance for staff members.
Pension Scheme
A&O offer a contributory pension scheme for staff.
Season Ticket Loan
A&O provides a season ticket loan to all staff who require it.
Holidays
Everyone at Allen and Overy is entitled to 25 days a year holiday. Staff may be entitled to buy and sell further days.
Medical
Everyone who works for Allen & Overy is provided with private medical cover and access to the private onsite surgery, complete with its own GP, dentist physiotherapist.
Beauty Centre
Staff can also buy massages, manicures and pedicures at the specialist beauty centre in the Allen & Overy office.
Subsidised Lunch
All A&O staff are entitled to subsidised lunch provided in the company's restaurants. There are two restaurants, a bar and a gym on site for staff to use in their free time.
Sport
Allen & Overy has its own Football, Rugby and Cricket teams that play in London leagues (such as the London law league) and organise tours abroad.
There is a gym in the Bishops Square building, as well as a sports hall where you can play 3-a-side football, badminton and other sports.
Work in the Community
A&O runs a pro bono community affairs programme as part of its 'values into action' philosophy. The London office runs a secondary school mentoring programme, offers volunteering opportunities with the Prince’s Trust, and represents death row convicts in Jamaica and Trinidad.