Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP - True Picture

Gibson Dunn training contract review 2025 

The Firm 

If you’ve made it to this page already, we’d be willing to bet that you might already have your eye on a training contract with a US firm. And you’d be in good company: with promises of hands-on responsibility, fully-fleshed pro bono practices and some of the most competitive salaries the City has to offer, it’s no surprise that a spot with an American BigLaw firm is certified hot property. However, being at a smaller outpost of a wider global network can sometimes result in a downsized practice area offering, perhaps with fewer seat options or a preference for either transactional or contentious work. Gibson Dunn’s London office, on the other hand, has equal strength in both disputes and transactions, meaning trainees can get the best of both worlds. It certainly doesn’t hurt that many of these are Chambers UK-approved too, with particular kudos going to the firm’s commercial and investor-state arbitration departments. The office’s capital markets, competition, real estate finance and oil and gas practices also receive recognition from the guide. 

Training principal Mark Sperotto explains this is possible as “the London office is the largest one outside of the US. It’s more full-service, with a broader bench of practice areas and sectors. It’s much more of a standalone office operating within the London market while reaping the benefits of having a market-leading US platform and a broader international network behind it.” As such, the training contract is a truly tried and tested process, with lawyers from the firm’s first ever London trainee cohort still working at the firm. Recently, the London office has been enjoying rapid lateral growth, largely within its transactional practices. Sperotto outlines how this growth “reflects the firm’s continued investment in transactional work. Though Gibson Dunn has its early roots firmly planted on the west coast, the New York office is now the biggest office in the network. New York's position as the commercial and finance centre of the US market naturally leads to greater involvement in the most high-profile transactional and commercial disputes work for some of the world's leading banks, companies and financial sponsors.” 

“We’re looking for drive, entrepreneurship, a bright sparking mind and a deep-rooted interest in the law and the City.” 

However, while the phrase ‘if you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere’ might ring true, it almost suggests a bit of cold-hearted ambition. Even though Gibson Dunn may have indeed had the ambition to ‘make it anywhere’ (with 21 offices worldwide and counting), trainees were actually drawn to the firm’s warmer, more human approach. As one trainee detailed, “the recruitment process was face to face, with an application and two interviews instead of rounds of psychometric testing. I liked that they wanted to get to know me personally.” Sperotto adds: “We’re looking for drive, entrepreneurship, a bright sparking mind and a deep-rooted interest in the law and the City. That means we take on a very broad cross-section of trainees.”  

The Seats 

With fewer than ten trainees in each cohort, seat allocation wasn’t a source of stress for interviewees: “The process is very tailored to our preferences as there are so few of us. Grad rec asks about preferences and future plans so they can do their best to accommodate.” In practice, this means that, once trainees submit their areas of interest, they’re likely to get what they ask for. The firm also tries to give priority to those who didn't get their first choice in the previous round, and even first-seaters can get a say in where they start their training contract. All trainees must do a seat with disputes and corporate, but they can also try out seats across the firm's specialist advisory practices, such as employment, tax and competition. Some may even get the chance to go on an international or client secondment. Gibson Dunn has increased its offering of international secondments to one per rotation, and lucky trainees currently get to spend six months in the Abu Dhabi office. Client secondments, on the other hand, “may change over time, but there are a number of revolving and ad hoc opportunities,” says Sperotto, adding that “there are contentious and transactional opportunities within the banking and technology sectors, with an even broader range of opportunities available post-qualification.” 

“It was associate-level work that meant I was in everybody’s inboxes – they all knew my name!” 

The corporate team keeps things broad with a range of M&A, private equity and energy work, as well as some restructuring and capital markets. It’s a “fast-paced” team and is kept busy with all sorts of high-value matters. For example, the team recently represented RedBird IMI on its $1.45 billion acquisition of All3Media, which oversees over 50 labels which have produced shows such as Gogglebox and Squid Game. Some of the deal teams can be huge, and trainees could be in charge of “coordinating dozens of people within the firm, so you’ve got to be organised!” Alongside project management, trainees were also in charge of reviewing and summarising documents, staying on top of deadlines and coordinating signing processes. Opportunities to draft ancillary documents cropped up as trainees progressed, while due diligence remained a core part of a newbie’s workload. “I was constantly emailing around 60 people while managing a diligence workstream,” an insider shared. “It was associate-level work that meant I was in everybody’s inboxes – they all knew my name!” While due diligence might keep you busy rifling through documents, one interviewee suggested that “there’s no better task to help you think commercially! You get to learn about sectors and businesses and how documents work in relation to them.” 

The disputes department is broadly split into three: litigation, arbitration and investigations. Trainees can try out work across subgroups but each may have a different balance of the three as “you typically do whatever comes across your desk.” The arbitration practice covers commercial arbitration, investor-state arbitration, and the enforcement of investment treaty awards. For example, Gibson Dunn commercial arbitrators recently advised Crescent Petroleum on its claim against the National Iranian Oil Company, with multiple hearings and potential damages of up to $26 billion. “It’s a really developed practice, and lawyers in the team have written a lot of papers about it,” a trainee explained. They added that “our partners like to do the advocacy themselves, so we don't always need to instruct external barristers. That means that trainees can really get involved with hearings.”For example, newbies will often draft schedules, requests and letters, as well as assisting with the disclosure process. What’s more, the seat comes with plenty of global collaboration as “there are a lot of joint matters with other offices.” 

Over in litigation, meanwhile, “there’s a very broad sector base, and claims could cover anything from banking to sports.”That’s no random selection; the team recently assisted Credit Suisse in its defence of various civil claims across Europe, Asia and North America. It also represented LIV Golf in an in-the-news competition dispute against the DP World Tour, who allegedly imposed anti-competitive sanctions on players who wanted to participate in other events. While it’s important for trainees to project manage, stay organised and keep on top of all sorts of trackers, interviewees were clear that “you’re not just a secretary. Trainees are pretty heavily involved in meaty aspects of the law.” For example, there were plenty of drafting opportunities which increase in complexity as trainees progress: “I’ve made the first draft of settlement agreements, more substantive letters to court, applications and email updates to clients.” Rookies praised the responsibility overall – with the option to take on lots more “pretty early on if you demonstrate you can handle it” – and felt that the level of client contact was particularly special. One insider had weekly meetings with a client, which meant that “they started to recognise me and by the time the in-person hearing came about, they knew me and asked how I was doing.” 

“… it feels like you’re really part of something big.” 

In finance, trainees get an introduction into both the lender and borrower sides of transactions, some of which “have huge matter values so it feels like you’re really part of something big.” It’s worth noting that “it’s a very technical seat where you have to wrap your head around lots of finance terms,” but insiders appreciated how “they treat it as a learning process.” That being said, newbies still get substantial responsibility from the start, and can take charge of the more administerial sides of matters. Managing documents and conditions precedent checklists are standard trainee tasks, meaning that trainees are often “the main person sending reminders to the senior associates so you have to know the transaction really well.” 

Trainee Life 

One of the main draws of a training contract at a US firm is often the promise of a flourishing pro bono practice, and Gibson Dunn is no exception. “The firm encourages us to take on pro bono work when we have downtime,” a trainee explained, adding that there are plenty of regular and one-off projects on offer year round. There’s no shortage of clinics for newbies to take part in, such as housing, family and domestic violence. Though the subject matter might vary from day-to-day billable matters, sources appreciated that they’re treated exactly the same, both within teams and firmwide. Not only are all pro bono hours treated as billable (once becoming an associate), but “they really are regular projects, and associates take them seriously. That instils the idea that I’m meant to treat it as something important, too, and not as a backseat assignment.” 

Understandably, with both billable and pro bono matters on the go, hours can add up. While it’s worth bearing in mind that they can vary depending on what seat you’re in, it’s fair to say that trainees across departments will find themselves putting in extra late nights and weekends here and there. The lead-up to deadlines will naturally be the busiest but, as you might often hear, hours in corporate are more variable than those in disputes: “Corporate is so unpredictable that it’s hard to say what an average day looks like. You could finish at 4pm or 4am – there’s less visibility as a trainee.” When there is a bit more consistency, we heard that typical days could finish between 7 and 8pm. These longer days are certainly balanced out by the top-of-the-market salary, so insiders “can’t imagine that anyone would have any complaints about compensation. Most of us feel that it’s insane!” The salary jumps to an eye-watering £180k (the highest NQ salary in the country) once trainees qualify, so the hard work is certainly rewarded. What’s more, one source told us that “we don’t have any face-time culture here and they’re very understanding about working from home,” making it a very sweet deal across the board. 

“We’re the friendly US firm, if such a thing exists!” 

This approach is supplemented by Gibson Dunn’s “Cali cool, non-hierarchical” culture, which is “a source of pride for the firm. We’re the friendly US firm, if such a thing exists!” Despite being surrounded by “very intelligent lawyers who are at the top of their field,” newbies appreciated how “you can knock on any partner’s door for a chat. They’re eager to invest in you as a trainee.” With such a small cohort of trainees, insiders found that they were able to rely on each other as an additional support network: “We check in on each other and offer to spread the work when one person is having a hard time. We’re close-knit, not competitive.” Even though low-key, one-off social events may not be the most common, interviewees assured that “everything is in place so that everyone should get along. There are loads of opportunities for people to get close.” Aside from reportedly well-attended Christmas and summer parties, a main feature of the training contract is a retreat in California for new joiners across the entire firm. Not only do trainees get to experience west coast weather and an “unbelievable hotel,” they also attend “lots of talks and there’s plenty of networking. It feels like a big away day and makes you realise how big the firm is in America.” 

Career development continues to be a focus back on home turf, and newbies can work with their supervisors to seek out the opportunities they’re looking for. Aside from this, some found that they “picked up accidental mentors along the way” and seniors in general are “expected to come into the office and be there to support you.” Despite rumours that training at US firms is exclusively on-the-job, interviewees appreciated the effort to provide more structured learning opportunities as well. “They tailor it, too,” an insider revealed. “There are certain topics that wouldn’t make sense if they taught it at the beginning of the seat, so they move those sessions back so that you’ve had a chance to dive into the practice first.” 

Many felt that diversity, equity & inclusion was also a more collaborative effort at the firm, with a mixture of bottom-up and top-down initiatives, some of which are filtered down from the US. For instance, many affinity groups are open to people across the entire firm, and may host retreats for lawyers within the same community to network and get to know each other. In the London office, trainees noted that “there are a few partners and senior of counsels that really push DEI,” so many felt that there was definitely an effort to improve. As is often the case across the industry, diverse representation was felt most strongly at the junior level but some still felt that “diversity does stretch up to the partnership level or, at the very least, I can see changes happening.” Some also shared that they had attended many DEI celebrations and worked on female-only teams. While long-term sustainability is generally a concern in the legal profession – especially when considering intense hours and starting a family – interviewees noted that “there are senior lawyers who are setting a good example. They go fully offline to do bedtime and bathtime with their kids, and it’s nice to see that people respect that.” 

“… everyone got what they wanted this year and they tell us early on.” 

At the start of their final seat, trainees are invited to submit their qualification preferences. There’s no interview involved, so jobs are allocated based on discussions and work done during the course of the training contract. One insider who’d been through the process explained that “once we share our preferences, the partners have a team meeting to discuss qualification. I don’t know what happens behind closed doors, but everyone got what they wanted this year and they tell us early on.” Interviewees were certainly reassured by being part of a smaller cohort where “they can pretty much always accommodate you” and, sure enough – as it has done for the last couple of years – Gibson Dunn retained a full house of qualifiers in 2024.

How to get a Gibson Dunn training contract 

APPLY HERE 

• Vacation scheme deadline (2025): 16 January 2025 
• Training contract deadline (2027): 16 January 2025 
• Open day deadline (2024): 15 November 2024 
• First-year insight deadline (2025): 17 February March 2025 

Initial applications 

Gibson Dunn's London office welcomed its first batch of trainees in 2015, and the programme has developed and grown successfully since. Up to nine training contracts are offered each year, for the annual September intake. The majority of trainees are recruited via the summer vacation scheme, so those interested in a training contract should apply for a place on the three-week summer scheme.  

The firm’s application form covers academic and work experience, though the cover letter section is a key part of the application. This is an opportunity for candidates to share anything they would like to about themselves, including noteworthy achievements or interests. As the relatively free structure of the section allows an applicant's personality to shine through, it provides a “real feel for the person.” 

For the summer vacation scheme the firm receives  around 1000 applications and around the top 10% are invited in for an initial interview with the Graduate Recruitment team, followed by two second-stage 45-minute interviews with a partner and an associate. The first part of the interviews is spent exploring the application form and the second part centres on a discussion about a topical news article that candidates are asked to read just before the interview starts. The emphasis is on how candidates marshal the information in the article, express themselves and formulate their arguments, particularly when challenged; their level of knowledge of the topic and their personal opinion are irrelevant. 

Vacation scheme 

The vacation scheme has up to 22 places and runs for three weeks from 23 June 2024 until 11 July 2025. Students who successfully bag a spot on the programme spend a week and a half with a supervisor in the firm's transactional group and the same amount of time within the disputes group. The firm ensures that students get involved in 'live work' and gain a realistic understanding of what it's like to train at Gibson Dunn. Assessed exercises include a group presentation in the final week, which allows students to showcase their team-working skills: the students research a given scenario and present for ten minutes in front of a panel of Gibson Dunn lawyers. The firm evaluates whether the students thrive in a group, how they divide up tasks and support one another, as well as their ease when responding to panel questions. 

There are also written exercises to contend with. One has a corporate slant, while the other requires the students to consider the elements of a settlement agreement. In each case the students attend an information session to learn about the task set, and receive feedback after the task, to help students learn and develop. 

'Coffee conversations' are also on the itinerary. These are informal chats over coffee and biscuits with partners and associates from each of the firm’s practice areas, with the opportunity to ask questions about life as a trainee and the day-to-day work of each team. 

One of the highlights of the vac scheme is a discussion with Lord Falconer KC, a partner at the firm. Falconer talks to the group about his career, which included working alongside Tony Blair as Lord Chancellor. The inspirational session encourages the students to examine what they want from a legal career, what their goals and aspirations are, and how they can use their skills in the future. 

On the social side of things, past events have included a creative team-building art class, thrilling axe-throwing, plenty of impromptu drinks, plus a summer party at a stunning roof terrace at a top London restaurant. 

Trainee profile 

How much work experience do successful candidates need? There's no set amount. Each application is reviewed individually and different paths are welcomed, though seeing more legal work experience from someone who was not a law student does demonstrate their commitment to a legal career and shows they've investigated whether commercial law is truly for them. Valuable experiences like attending court or working in a commercial institution in the City or in the service industry are all relevant, and the firm understands that it is easier for some students to get relevant and interesting work experience than others. The key is for candidates, regardless of their level of experience, to have thought outside the parameters of their particular role, for example considering the commercial aspects of the organisation for which they have worked. The firm encourages curious individuals! 

Any final tips for candidates? The firm encourages candidates to be themselves. They should not just repeat things at length which they’ve read on the firm’s website or say things simply because they think that’s what the interviewers want to hear. Applications will stand out if they are well considered and a true reflection of the candidate’s achievements and ambitions.