Dechert LLP - True Picture

Dechert training contract review 2026

The Firm

When playing a game of cards, you have to hedge your bets on a risky play in the hopes of success. So many things could go wrong and so much is left to uncertainty. In the case of our interviewees, however, they very much stacked the Dech(ert) in their favour. “What drew me to the firm was the dual strength in both financial and litigation work,” beamed one insider, with another chiming in: “I knew they had a large international presence, and it stood out to me that they were specialists in all their areas.” A winning hand to hold, and one that training principal Adam Silver reiterates: “We’re a leader among the world’s top law firms... We can bring diverse perspectives across a range of practices.”

“What drew me to the firm was the dual strength in both financial and litigation work…”

But don’t just take our word for it, Chambers UK also sings the praises of the firm with notices in over ten departments such as banking & finance, employment, investment funds, and corporate/M&A. Sources were also quick to note they never go bust having a small intake of trainees to find community with, “I’m used to being close to people I work with, so that was a huge thing for me.” Think it all sounds too good to be true? Then call our bluff and read on to find out if Dechert could be the firm for you…

The Seats

Dechert’s real ace is that it is one of the few firms in our guide offering a six-seat training contract. This was something widely appealing to our sources: “The beauty of a six-seat contract is you can go back and do another seat again; if you really enjoyed one seat, just head back for more!” Truth be told, many of our insiders head into qualification with eight months of experience of their desired department compared to just six at other firms.

Silver echoed this sentiment when discussing the six-seat contract, noting that “they can try a wide range of departments if they want to, and in practice they get to do two seats in a practice area they care about.” Trainees’ first seat is assigned to them by business need, with the following five allowing for newbies to put forward their three preferences.

“It's great fun because you’re essentially leading the case. It just makes you feel more comfortable in your skills.”

If the chance to work abroad tickles your fancy, one source was here to relay the good news: “Secondment is pretty much guaranteed if you want to do it.” Singapore, Dubai, Luxembourg and Dublin are the usual options, though we did hear that other locations could potentially be negotiated with graduate recruitment for those feeling persuasive.

Pro bono is also a big deal, with a mandatory 25 hours that juniors have to hit, but nearly all those we spoke with have far exceeded that. “We’re encouraged to treat pro bono clients like billable clients,” explained one insider; “it's great fun because you’re essentially leading the case. It just makes you feel more comfortable in your skills.”

The financial services group really is the “flagship practice” of the firm and you can see why, as almost every trainee we spoke with had sat in this mandatory seat at one point or another. “It’s a well-oiled machine,” one junior revealed, “which is good because you just get thrown into matters and the best way to learn is by doing.” The group take on hedge funds, private equity, fund formation, and regulatory work. About a quarter of the London workforce are situated in this department to give an idea of the scale of the group.

Tasks were varied and included drafting of documents, board minutes, project management, client contact (“I was calling clients on my second day!”), inputting comments, ancillary documents, running trackers, and admin agreements. “Eventually you’ll be drafting those documents from scratch,” one source indicated towards a ramp-up in responsibility. It was described as somewhat of a high-octane seat for trainees, as insiders pointed out the constantly shifting workload: “I do around two to three deals at a time; it all moves really fast.” An example of such a deal is that the firm recently represented Cheyne Capital Management, a UK-based asset management firm, on a selection of European derivative-related fund products.

“I think I’ve gotten more responsibility than I’ve seen at other firms.”

The firm’s litigation department was a popular one among our interviewees and the firm handles a swath of litigious matters, but we heard banking and insurance was a bit of a silver bullet for the firm, one such case being a high-profile insurance dispute coming out of Russia’s war in Ukraine concerning the non-return of leased aircraft in the wake of sanctions on the country. Newbies praised their substantive duties, some of which included drafting letters, research tasks, preparing bundles, preparation for hearings, filing documents on time, and acting as a midpoint between solicitors and counsel. “I think I’ve gotten more responsibility than I’ve seen at other firms,” beamed another source, “it’s really interesting work.”

A spin in the corporate and securities team saw sources partake in M&A, private equity, fund finance work. “It’s a super self-sufficient team,” began one insider in the know, “they’re much smaller and they give the vibe that they’re just used to doing things on their own.” As such, one source mentioned that “the responsibility got progressively higher the more you’re there.” The work was also heavily international with a particular focus on the middle east. For instance, Dechert recently acted as counsel for Egypt in the country’s update of its $30 billion Global Term Note Programme. Typical junior tasks include transaction management, drafting ancillaries, executions, updating prospectuses, joining client calls, and economic studies on different countries.

The finance and real estate group comes with a slight asterisk, as we heard that there the focus is on finance in the London office: “A lot of the underlying assets are real estate, but that’s it.” With that in mind, the group mainly focuses on structured finance and CLO type work. An example of the latter being the firm’s recent advising of Barings on the launch of the first ever EU private credit CLO that was valued at €380 million.

Trainees were put to work in the group, with one source pointing out that “it’s all very exciting, but you’ve got to rise to the occasion through various amounts of stress.” Opportunities for juniors to do that include transaction management, updating clients, writing memos, making sure signatures are in place, drafting docs, due diligence, and coordinating deals. “By the end, you really feel like you’re helping to make sure everything comes together,” one newbie expressed.

Trainee Life

When it came to supervision at the firm, a source pointed out that those above them went through “a lot of appropriate training to be a supervisor.” This meant trainees felt their supervisors were helpful and gave useful feedback. “I don’t feel overly monitored by mine,” conveyed one trainee, “I feel like I’m being treated like an adult but I’m not lacking support if I need it.”

That’s not to negate the natural warm mentorship that plenty of our insiders enjoyed: “My current supervisor is one of the loveliest humans I’ve ever come across, I can’t speak higher of them.” Speaking of mentorship, there are plenty of buddies of different levels on offer, as one source quipped: “I’ve got mentors coming out of my ears!”Training sessions were present for different groups, but we did hear it’s more of a learn on the job kind of contract, in reality, “they drop us in the deep end really, which I prefer!”

“It’s nice to be quite young and have the opportunity to make savings.”

Trainees are expected in the office Tuesday-Thursday but most of our sources averaged more than that. Why? Well, being situated directly opposite St Paul’s might have something to do with it. “It’s hands-down the best view in London! If I’m in a meeting with someone, they think I’m using a background.” (Guilty as charged on that account!)

For those that do want to take the two extra days in the week to work from home, the firm provides a “decent” grant for technology. Most trainees reported getting in around 9am and finishing from anywhere between 7pm and closer to midnight, though you can wrap up your day at home if desired. As one interviewee also pointed out: “If you have childcare responsibilities, they do respect that.” Interviewees also felt given their longer hours that they were compensated fairly: “It’s nice to be quite young and have the opportunity to make savings.”

The culture of the firm was agreed to be “inclusive and friendly,” but the opportunity to socialise was said to vary. “There’s not a lot in terms of after-hours social activities, except for during the summer,” relayed one trainee. Some speculated this was largely due to the hours, with one pointing to “the difficulty in having your workload and schedule align with those events; sometimes you’re just too busy.”

Even so, the firm puts on a good array of events like a summer party, winter party, autumn pub quiz, online drawing, and meditation. Not to mention the close US-relationship means the firm celebrates stateside holidays such as Thanksgiving events. Interviewees also pointed out that the firm is looking provide a more inclusive environment around wellbeing: “I think having a welcoming culture helps with mental health as well.”

Once qualification comes a-knocking, the firm releases a job list of all the available vacancies, and trainees are permitted to apply for a maximum of two departments. “From there, the interview process is run slightly differently depending on the group,” explained one insider; some departments only require an interview and others are a little more formal and require competency tests.

Regardless of which process they have to go through, sources were optimistic about their longevity at the firm: “I think the firm is very committed to trying to improve the ways and rates it promotes people. I believe our retention is high too!” The firm did not disclose the number of qualifying trainees in 2025.

How to get a Dechert training contract   

• Winter vacation scheme deadline (2025): 17 October 2025 
• Spring vacation scheme deadline (2026): 31 December 2025
• Summer vacation scheme deadline (2026): 31 December 2025 

Applications and assessments   

Dechert recruits all of its trainees exclusively through its vacation schemes. The firm generally receives around 1,500 applications for its winter, spring and summer vacation schemes, which takes up to ten candidates each. A source tells us that the vacation scheme “acts as a two-week training contract interview.” There are usually ten training contracts on offer in total.   

Following an initial application shortlisting stage, successful candidates are invited to undertake a written exercise. Once through that stage, candidates are invited to attend an interview either virtually or at the firm’s office. This involves an interview with a partner and an associate plus the opportunity to have a coffee with one of the firm’s current trainees.   

At this stage, the firm now operates a blind interviewing system, which means that interviewers have no information on the candidate before they see them, ensuring that everyone is in the same position. Rather than focusing on candidates’ CVs, there is more of a focus on commercial scenarios and the strategy the candidate employed when applying for the role. Candidates are evaluated on style, presentation and the judgement they demonstrate. “Here we're looking for candidates to present their answers in a logical, structured way,” says grad recruitment. “They don't necessarily have to get the answer right, in fact there isn't a right answer; it's more about how candidates reason an argument and analyse the scenario. Like a maths exam, usually a lot of the marks you get are for your working out. It's more about how you arrived at your answer than the answer itself.”   

Vacation scheme   

Vacation scheme attendees visit two departments during their placement and provide three seat preferences beforehand. Alongside live pieces of work there are skills workshops, insight sessions, training and practice area sessions. Attendees also participate in a group project over the course of their placement. “Take that seriously,” trainees advised. “It’s a crucial part of the decision-making process at the end.” Various networking lunches, sporting events, and evening drinks keep things ticking over on the social front. “There are a lot of socials!” said trainees. “As well as having fun, my tip would be to use them as an opportunity to get an insight into what people are like at the firm rather than just going for drinks and food.”