Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP
Firm profile
Davis Polk is an elite global law firm with world-class practices across the board. Industry-leading companies and global financial institutions know they can rely on Davis Polk for their most challenging legal and business matters. The firm’s top-flight capabilities are grounded in a distinguished history of 170 years, and its global, forward-looking focus is supported by 10 offices strategically located in the world’s key financial centers and political capitals — New York, Northern California, Washington DC, São Paulo, London, Brussels, Madrid, Hong Kong, Beijing and Tokyo. The firm’s lawyers collaborate seamlessly across practice groups and geographies to provide clients with exceptional service, sophisticated advice and creative, practical solutions.
Main areas of work
The London team consists of around 60 UK and US qualified lawyers. They represent corporate, private equity and investment banking clients on a wide range of capital markets, M&A and finance transactions, many of which are cross-border in nature. The team includes highly-rated tax, executive compensation, financial regulatory, restructuring and antitrust and competition lawyers, who in addition to standalone advisory work, assist the corporate and finance teams on transactions.
Training opportunities
The two-year London training programme provides excellent training and a range of experiences to ensure a successful start to a career as an English law-qualified lawyer. Before joining, future trainees will receive training to help them complete the first and second stages of the SQE. Throughout the training programme that follows, trainees experience the corporate and finance practices, spend time in a specialist area of law (tax, executive compensation, financial regulatory, restructuring or antitrust and competition), and typically have the opportunity to work in the New York or Brussels office for six months. They receive tailored training, take on real responsibility and have extensive access to partners.
Vacation schemes
Davis Polk will host law students on its two spring vacation schemes, each for one week, from which the firm will recruit its 2028 intake of trainees. Students will have the opportunity to work on transactions for a variety of the firm’s clients and attend information sessions focused on the work of each practice area. Students will gain first-hand experience of Davis Polk’s culture through interactions with lawyers and attendance at a number of social events. Applications for the 2026 scheme will be considered from penultimate-year law undergraduates and law postgraduates wishing to join the training programme in September 2028. Applications will be accepted between 1 October 2025 and 30 November 2025. Interviews will take place in January 2026 and the firm expects to offer around 12 places per scheme.
Open Day & Law Fairs
This autumn the firm will host two insight days for second-year law students, on 15 October 2025 and 18 November 2025, and an insight day for first-year law students on 17 March 2026(and attend a number of in person and virtual law fairs).
For details visit https://www.davispolk.com/careers/summer-programs/training-in-london
Other benefits
The firm offers trainees employment benefits including private medical insurance, life insurance, critical illness insurance, permanent health insurance, pension scheme, season ticket loan, subsidised gym membership, Employee Assistance Programme, medical cash plan, cycle to work scheme and 25 days holiday.
Diversity, Inclusion & Wellbeing:
At Davis Polk, we are committed to fostering a culture of inclusion and engagement where every individual is treated fairly and respectfully, and their contributions are valued. We value the talents of every individual at our firm, and we are committed to providing opportunities for each individual’s professional growth. There are many different paths to success here, and individual attention to each person’s development is a key component of our recruiting and retention efforts. Our approach includes a robust learning and development strategy for lawyers at all levels.
We are proud of the wide range of perspectives and backgrounds our lawyers bring to our work, and the collaborative, empathetic culture that makes each of them feel valued.
We believe we gain a competitive advantage thanks to the creativity and superior problem-solving that our collective thinking delivers. We approach every client and every challenge as a team, with each individual bringing unique insights and talents to the table. The breadth of backgrounds, experiences and ideas across our firm community enriches our workplace and enhances our ability to provide creative solutions tailored to our clients’ most challenging business needs.
We believe that our inclusive culture strengthens our connections to each other and to our clients. We believe that employee wellness makes a vital difference in the workplace and are committed to helping employees achieve their best possible health through programmes and services including:
- Health checks, flu vaccinations, massages, nutrition consultations and yoga sessions
- Workshops on financial and mindfulness topics
- Complimentary subscription to the Calm app
- Health club subsidy/fitness reimbursement