Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP - True Picture

Something Gottlieb started – and way before US firms set foot in the London market en masse. Cleary has since set the standard for a training contract on the global stage.

Cleary training contract review 2025

The Firm 



“The international nature of the work” is always the draw for Cleary trainees. Where a lot of US firms have piled in on the London market over the last decade, there’s a heritage with Cleary’s half-century in London that’s felt by everyone who works there. The office is a hub for its 16-strong global network, so “it feels very interconnected globally,” thought trainees. The firm’s New York and DC offices set the tone for the high-end, cross-border work – our sources found that “quite a lot of deal teams will be staffed across other offices.”  

It’s an “exciting time for the firm right now,” shares co-training principal Chrishan Raja. In recent years, the London office has been making headlines, with a series of high-profile lateral hires in competition and private equity. “Capital markets was a big draw,” felt one trainee. Others picked Cleary for the strength of its competition work. Alongside these two practices, the firm also picks up rankings in Chambers UK for corporate and banking & finance.  

“Immediate client contact from the start.” 

The training contract’s “non-departmentalised structure” was a hit with Cleary’s trainees. “We’re not pigeonholed into aviation litigation or something very specific,” noted one source.A few other elite US firms run similar structures, echoing a more entrepreneurial style from the New York market that new lawyers find empowering. Flexibility is important for these trainees: “We’re able to flow between different types of work.”  

Also typical of US firms at this level, teams have a “very lean” structure. For the applicants selecting Cleary, gaining “responsibility early on was key,” which manifests itself in “immediate client contact from the start.” Prestigious clients – we’re talking sovereign states and global banks – abound here, and trainees liked that even at their stage they were helping clients find “a solution to non-standard problems.” 

As co-training principal Naomi Tarawali tell us, “trainees still get that very personal, hands-on, learn-by-doing training style.” Fostering early responsibility is baked into the training, says Tarawali: they’re “creating an environment where, by the time they get to be an NQ, on day one it’s not all that different.” 

The Seats 



Trainees have regular conversations with HR to discuss their seat preferences and the firm “seems to make a great effort to make sure we get what we want.” While there are no strictly compulsory seats, trainees will likely complete seats across the firm’s core areas, which are M&A, capital markets, finance and disputes. 

“Secondment is just, like, so fun!” 

Some trainees do an international or client secondment during their second year, but this is not compulsory and “the secondment you go to has to be an area you’ve already done in London.” One trainee said, “they have what I think is the correct emphasis in that the aim itself shouldn’t be the international aspect” of going on secondment but “that it fits with your long-term career goals,” because you’re starting to specialise – and in the context of a global firm. Alternatively, you can do a fourth seat in London in another department.  

Some departments only take trainees in specific offices, for example arbitration in Paris and competition in Brussels. Recent secondment locations include Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong and New York. “Secondment is just, like, so fun” because you “meet new people,” including trainees on secondment from other London firms. Client secondments “come up on an ad hoc basis.” When it comes to obtaining a client secondment, “if you’re interested in one, it’s best to flag it early to HR and partners,” advise trainees.  

The capital markets department “does a mix of US and UK work” in debt and equity. They “have a lot of core banking clients,” like Credit Suisse and HSBC, supplying “a lot of regular debt capital markets work.” The department also does sovereign work, including debt management for the Republic of Armenia and The Hellenic Republic (Greece). It won’t always be a breeze working within a global capital markets heavyweight. “It can be a bit overwhelming, especially in filing season,” confided a trainee, “but after that it calms down.” From November through to February, trainees can be expected to do things like “end-of-year filings for a couple of large international banks.” Our sources also got busy with “shelf take-downs for a big pharmaceutical company.” Typical trainee jobs in this seat are “drafting the documentation,” carrying out research to support associates and being the “point of contact for the client.” Trainees felt supported here – “associates took time to explain everything” and “made the experience really fulfilling.” 

“If it’s on the news, we’re likely involved in that.” 

In competition, “everyone was energised and motivated about what we were doing.” Cleary has been working on some of the most high-value competition matters in recent years. It advised Sony Interactive Entertainment in relation to Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, which was five times larger than any previous gaming acquisition. There’s also a partner who does a lot of competition litigation, so trainees who are supervised by this partner are essentially “assigned to that for an entire seat,” with other work coming through as well. One interviewee boasted, “we’re at the forefront of competition litigation in the UK – if it’s on the news, we’re likely involved in that.” Trainees in competition litigation help prepare documents for court and have “lots of client and barrister contact.” 

Competition trainees outside litigation found life to be “a mishmash of other things,” including work on mergers or abuse of dominance claims. There is “a lot of communication with regulators, or preparing draft emails for the partner to review and send out.” Another source was happy to get “some drafting experience” here. The learning curve is steep but well supported – “it’s not like they chuck you out of the swimming pool and say now fly,” but “by the end, you’re treated quite like an associate.”  

“You feel more comfortable getting into the meatier things.” 

In finance & restructuring, “each partner’s work is quite different, so depending on who you sit with you’re doing different things.” One trainee described having “a lot of responsibility,” especially because “on lower-level parts of a deal there’s scope to run those independently and liaise directly with clients.” For another trainee, “the project management-type roles help you get a better idea of what you do” by providing context. Subsequently, “you feel more comfortable getting into the meatier things.” On the restructuring side, trainees enjoyed researching past restructurings to find legal precedents to inform current cases.  

The department has been expanding recently through lateral hires, bringing more varied work to the department in the form of sovereign debt, derivatives and leveraged finance. While one trainee said, “they don’t pigeonhole you as a finance or restructuring trainee,” the same trainee noted that there’s been a move to allocate trainees to one specific workstream. One recent highlight for the team was the restructuring of Indonesia’s flag carrier, Garuda Indonesia, in response to the ongoing impact of Covid-19. 

Cleary’s M&Ateam covers public and private M&A, joint ventures and private equity. A recent high-profile case for the department was serving as lead outside counsel to Disney in forming a $8.5 billion joint venture in India with Reliance Industries to create a streaming service. Trainees we spoke to experienced “quite a broad range” of work, but this was “usually based on what your supervisor does.” There is “a lot of drafting contracts” and “process-driven work,” such as checking that the department is keeping up to date on their workflows. 

“The firm’s perks really help when I stay late.” 

Trainee Life 



Depending on the department and time of year, trainees can work long hours. Interviewees felt the four busiest departments were capital markets, competition, finance & restructuring and M&A. Although life at any elite US firm will be demanding, “supervisors really pay attention to your capacity and check how you’re doing regularly.” Another trainee said, “it hasn’t been completely overwhelming I’m pretty happy here.” You get a good deal at Cleary: “We’re fairly compensated” for working the hours. And, “the firm’s perks really help when I stay late,” said a trainee racking up the Deliveroo vouchers and taxi fares home. Our sources also raved about the subsidised canteen, finding the food “delicious” and “really varied and healthy.” And the firm won’t even let them spend their chunky salary: “I don’t spend more than £3.50 for lunch!” 

In the first few months, trainees have to come to the office every day. After that, they’re expected to be in the office at least three days per week. Trainees described “good camaraderie, especially among the trainees” when in the office, but appreciated that flexible working gave them “the best of both worlds.” The firm “encourages you to get to know all the international trainees.” One highlight is an annual retreat for new trainees across the EMEA region, which last took place in Brussels. This involves “quite a lot of training sessions about the history of the firm,” as well as focusing on “skills, networking and socialising with peers.” 

“Everyone is seriously cerebrally passionate about what they do.” 

“When you’re a trainee sometimes it’s scary to ask questions, so I appreciate the friendliness” of partners and senior associates. “Everyone is seriously cerebrally passionate about what they do, people genuinely care,” which makes Cleary an “enjoyable place to be.” One trainee joked, “on the vacation scheme I thought everyone was extraordinarily nice and I wondered how long they could keep the act up,” but “it was genuine; I’ve made some real close friends.” 

There is usually an office social once a month, planned and hosted by the cafeteria. The subsidised trainee socials have recently included bowling and mini golf. They take place roughly every six months because “it’s quite difficult” to organise events when “people have different working hours.” But trainees were happy with the social life: “I’m not sure how much more I’d want, to be honest it’s a nice balance.” 

One trainee said DEI is “definitely something that’s quite prominent in the firm.” Similarly, Tarawali says, “it’s a priority for the firm,” that “comes up in every discussion about recruitment.” The firm has working groups which include BAME, women, LGBTQ+, wellbeing and social mobility. These groups “meet on a regular basis to discuss changes to be made.” Typical for Cleary, there’s also an international slant, such as the “EMEA Black affinity group,” which among other things offers members “mentoring with senior lawyers.” 

There’s no lack of supervision for trainees: they have a partner mentor, an associate mentor and a trainee mentor throughout the contract and a different supervisor in each seat, as well as a specific practice group mentor in some seats to provide even more specific support. A trainee said, “I quite enjoy that you get to work with people at different levels” of seniority as supervisors. “When you join a seat, you have a couple of days of formal training sessions,” which include an introduction to the practice area, resources and key contacts in the department. Overall, “the philosophy is that most of the training is on the job.” 

Typical for top US firms, Cleary has an active pro bono programme. Highlights include working with the TERN entrepreneurial refugee network and advising a West African government on developing environmental legislation. A pro bono managing attorney “on a weekly basis sends around the pro bono projects that need volunteers” via email. There is no pro bono billing hours target – “the amount of time you spend on pro bono is up to you.” 

“Cleary is a very hire-and-retain place. Partners were trainees.” 

The qualification process takes place in two stages. First, HR sends emails to lawyers in each department “asking if anyone has comments about trainees.” Then they “have a picture by the middle of May for ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to staying on, then ask us our seat preference.” Overall, trainees felt “Cleary is a very hire-and-retain place. Partners were trainees.” As for appraisals, mid-seat reviews are “informal” and with a supervisor, whereas end-of-seat reviews are “more formal” and take place with a “supervisor and member of HR.” The firm did not disclose its retention rates for 2024. 

I can see Cleary now 

The office is near Moorgate station with “a nice space on top called the sky bar,” which has a “panoramic view of the City.” 

How to get a Cleary training contract



Vacation scheme deadlines (2023/24): 31 October 2024 (winter) and 31 January 2025 (spring and summer)

Training contract deadline (2026): N/A

Initial Application

"The application form isn't painful," says a former training principal, "we just ask for a CV, cover letter and transcripts." Following this, successful candidates are asked to attend an assessment day.

Assessment Days

Cleary recruits all of its trainees through its vacation schemes. From approximately 1,400 applicants, around 150 are called in for an assessment day. Assessment days include a presentation about the firm, a workshop and two interviews, one based on competency and CV questions and the other being a technical interview with a mix of partners, counsel, associates and HR.

Vacation schemes

Cleary offers 65 vac scheme places each year across the winter, spring and summer schemes. Participants are paid £500 a week. The programme's not all work and no play. Trainees told us they “felt really, really comfortable” during their time as vac schemers and praised the firm's efforts on the social side, which include organised activities like ping-pong outings and cookery classes. “By the time I left, I'd met at least half of the lawyers here, whereas at other firms I only got to know a handful,” shared one source.

A former training principal tells us: "We deliberately operate our vac scheme in a flexible way. We don't allocate supervisors, because we want vac schemers to work in different areas of the firm. We ask them to make introductions to our lawyers in as many areas as possible." Candidates receive feedback at the end of the vac scheme, then training contract offers are made: "We make very few direct training contract offers," explains a former training principal.

Top tip for this stage:"We look for people who are intellectually excellent," reveals a former training principal. "We also want people who demonstrate passion for the law and can give good reasons for why they want to work with us. Our lawyers constantly do new things with different types of work, so on the vac scheme we need to see an eagerness to knock on people's doors and ask to take on things they haven't yet had exposure to. Those are the people who will flourish here."

Who does the firm recruit?

Although Cleary predominantly recruits from Russell Group universities, the firm "is looking for diversity in every sense of the word. We want balance by gender, race and socio-economic background," explains a former training principal. "The reality is we have an enormous pile of applicants who have top grades, so it can be hard to distinguish between applicants. That means we look for something more than grades, which is intangible in a way, but can be evidenced by seeing how candidates interact with people, the questions they ask and the breadth of experience on their CV."

Why train at Cleary?

According to a former training principal, "this is an unusual and interesting place to work. We don’t sit in groups, we're deliberately mixed across floors, which is an indication of our culture – we like to interact with each other and know what each other is doing. We do the most interesting, cutting-edge international work for amazing clients like Goldman Sachs, Sony and Google, but we offer the opportunity to do that with a great group of people who get on."

 

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP

2 London Wall Place,
London,
EC2Y 5AU
Website www.clearygottlieb.com

Firm profile 
Pioneers in the globalisation of the legal profession, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP is a leading international law firm with 16 integrated offices located in major financial and political centres around the world. The firm operates as a single global partnership. Consistent with the vision of its founders, Cleary remains committed to openness, diversity, individuality and collaboration.

Main areas of work 
Core areas of practice in London are mergers and acquisitions, financing and restructuring, capital markets, international litigation and arbitration, and competition. In addition, Cleary has established successful self-standing practices in tax, financial regulation, and intellectual property and employment.

Training opportunities 
We do not believe in a ‘one size fits all’ training solution. By recruiting 16 trainees each year, we are able to offer training that is tailored to each trainee’s interests, experience and aptitudes. Nor do we believe that the transition from trainee solicitor to associate occurs overnight on qualification. So, we encourage our trainees to take responsibility as soon as they are ready to do so. Given appropriate levels of supervision and support, trainees operate as lawyers from the day they join us.

Vacation schemes



 
We recruit our trainees exclusively from our vacation schemes and offer around 70 places each year across our winter, spring and summer schemes. The vacation schemes aim to provide a practical insight into life as a Cleary Gottlieb lawyer. The deadline for winter scheme is October 31, 2024 and spring/summer is January 31, 2025.

Insight day



 
We run an Insight Day for first year law and second year non-law students every spring. The day includes an introductory presentation on the history, culture and structure of the firm’s international practice, an overview of the different practices in London and a Q&A session with trainee solicitors. Applications should be made by February 28, 2025.

Other benefits
Annual employer pension contribution of 5%, 25 days’ holiday, fitness subsidy, health screening, private health insurance, life insurance of three times annual salary, long-term disability insurance, critical illness insurance, dental insurance, employee assistance programme, emergency backup care, cycle to work scheme and subsidised staff restaurant.

University law careers fairs 2024 

We visit campuses across the UK so look out for us at law fairs, in your careers services and working with your law societies.

This year we will be visiting:
• University of Cambridge
• University of Oxford
• University of Manchester
• University of Leeds
• University of Bristol
• University of Warwick
• University of Durham
• University of Edinburgh
• University of Nottingham
• Kings College London
• London School of Economics and Political Science
• University College London

This Firm's Rankings in
UK Guide, 2024

Ranked Departments

    • Banking & Finance: Borrowers: Big-Ticket (Band 2)
    • Competition Law (Band 3)
    • Corporate/M&A: £800 million and above (Band 4)
    • Banking Litigation (Band 3)
    • Capital Markets: Debt (Band 2)
    • Capital Markets: Equity (Band 4)