Picking a firm for its overseas opportunities
anchor[Table of overseas seats]
The idea of the international law firm is far from new; UK firms have ventured overseas since the 19th century. What has changed is the number of firms with offices overseas and the increasing desire to plant flags around the globe.
The big firms are canny operators. They understand that to thrive in a competitive international legal market they need a network of overseas offices (or relationships with overseas firms) in regions with strong economic growth. China and India are of real interest at present, as is the Middle East, Africa and resource-rich parts of Central Asia. The downturn in the world economy has accelerated this process, with firms becoming ever more determined to invest in developing countries where growth has been affected less. It’s all about following the money and building a presence in the jurisdictions that big business clients are hoping to exploit or are already exploiting. Essentially, wherever commercial interests go, law firms will follow. Similarly, when a country begins to look stale, firms start to lose interest and scale back their offices.
There are so many firms with overseas networks that keeping track of the office openings and closings is almost a full-time occupation. Wherever possible, we have mentioned the main changes from the past year in our True Picture reports. What we can’t predict is which firms will open new overseas offices and who will merge with who. Anglo-American mergers seem to be particularly in vogue with Hammonds, Lovells and Denton Wilde Sapte all securing transatlantic tie-ups in 2010 and 2011. Other firms – Simmons & Simmons, SJ Berwin – have openly courted, but so far failed to net, an American suitor. Several firms – Ashurst, Norton Rose, Clifford – have been using mergers in a similar way to move into the Australian market.
The following table summarises exactly what the overseas seat opportunities are this year. As for international work back in the UK, the nature of a firm’s clientele and worldwide office footprint often determine what trainees do day to day. At White & Case there is a considerable amount of project finance work conducted in conjunction with Eastern European and Central Asian offices. CMS Cameron McKenna’s superb energy practice brings in lots of work, and at the likes of Dewey & LeBoeuf and SNR Denton, African LNG deals have flowed from the firm’s energy clientele. Trowers & Hamlins’ predominance in the Middle East brings work back to London, as does Wiggin’s relationship with major film studios in Los Angeles and Lawrence Graham’s Indian relationships.
If international work interests you then consider whether you would want to remain at home during your training or have the guarantee of an overseas seat. If it is the latter then pick a firm where you can be certain of securing an overseas posting. The competition at some firms is tough, while at others everyone who wants to go does. The True Picture reports should help you here. One other thing to bear in mind is your ability to speak another language. If you’re fluent in Russian you may be collared for Moscow instead of the New York opening you had your eye on. It also follows that where language skills would be useful – say in Italy – those who possess them are more attractive at a training contract interview. Some firms actively recruit with language needs in mind. International private client firm Withers, for example, likes to have a couple of fluent Italian speakers in each intake to fill its coveted corporate seat in Milan.
Although time abroad gives you experience of working in another jurisdiction, you’ll not normally practise foreign law. An overseas seat is without doubt a very rewarding and challenging experience. It will usually be taken in an office that is smaller than your home office, and you will normally have greater responsibility. The trick to securing the most popular overseas seats is often to wage an effective campaign of self-promotion. Sometimes you'll also need to gain experience in a certain department in the UK office before you go.
On arrival in a new country you don’t need to worry about feeling isolated as the local lawyers and staff invariably give a warm welcome to newcomers. In some cities with a large influx of UK trainees there is a ready-made social scene and it’s likely that the first thing to pop into your inbox will be an invite to meet other new arrivals. In Singapore trainees make the most of the region by jetting off for group weekends on Malaysian or Indonesian islands. In Brussels they hook into the social scene attached to the vast EU machine. Another big plus is the free accommodation provided by law firms. Usually, trainees are housed in an apartment of their own in smart areas close to a city’s centre. It may be some time before they can afford such plush digs and domestic help back home. For more on life as a trainee in an overseas seat, check out these features where we report from the most frequented training locations around the world. And visit our table of overseas seats to see where individual firms send trainees.