Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP - True Picture

Gibson Dunn training contract review 2026

The Firm

Why settle for one side of the coin, when you can have both? Like an elusive unicorn, but in this instance very much real, US-outfit Gibson Dunn continues to capture the attention of aspiring lawyers for its equal strengths in contentious and transactional work “for top-tier banks, institutions, funds and individuals.” What this dual focus means for newbies is the ability to gain exposure to these very distinctive practices without the worry of becoming pigeonholed too early on.

A swift glance at Chambers UK confirms it’s not a trick of the mind, either; the firm scoops up high praise for its commercial and investor state international arbitration work, as well as recognition for its capital markets, competition, real estate finance, and oil and gas expertise. With such deals and disputes on the docket, it’s a telltale sign of the talent: “I knew I would train alongside some very intelligent individuals and become the best lawyer I can be,” ambitious sources echoed. This goes hand in hand with the appeal of lean teams, emphasis on hands-on learning and ownership, the flourishing pro bono practice and competitive salaries, although more on that in a bit…

“I knew I could train alongside some very intelligent individuals and become the best lawyer I can be.”

Within the network of 22 offices worldwide, London is the largest outside of the States and has only continued to grow. “Our headcount has grown by 20-30% in the past 12 months,” training principal Mark Sperotto highlights, “We have had some big partner hires across private equity, public M&A, real estate finance, asset finance, strengthening not only what we do but building out our restructuring and funds practices." And so, a natural step at the junior end has been to increase the small trainee intake too: “It’s increasing by 50% to 15 per cohort by 2027,” Sperotto confirms, “In some other recruiting news, we are introducing a two-week spring and summer vacation scheme, instead of the three-week summer” previously hosted by the firm.

On the topic of vacation schemes, our sources felt these were a true insight into the welcoming and supportive nature of the firm. “I felt like a valued member of the team,” a trainee recalled, “It was hard work, but I was going into the office with a smile.” Another reflected on the application process; “Even though it was three years ago, I liked how the interviews were less psychometric testing and more human,” evidently leaving a positive impression. The ideal candidate hasn’t changed; “It’s the same entrepreneurial character that is self-driven, willing to learn and bright,” Sperotto notes, adding: “An intrinsic interest in international commerce and the City is an essential grounding.”

The Seats

A training contract at Gibson Dunn comes with the expectation that trainees must complete a stint in a disputes and a transactional seat. For their remaining rotations, trainees can also sample more advisory practices such as employment, tax and financial regulation. We heard competition and real estate were both growing rapidly, and there’s new restructuring and asset finance seats coming soon, so watch this space.

Being part of a smaller intake means that the seat allocation process is rather informal: "Grad rec knows what we want to do; we are encouraged to chat with them and keep them up to date,” one trainee explained. The likelihood is that trainees will get their seat preferences, but on the off chance you miss out, your preferences are prioritised for the next round.

Some may have the opportunity to go on an international or a client secondment, with a few up for grabs across commercial retailers and leading banks. “There’s more responsibility when you’re on secondment,” said an insider, “you’re expected to be up to scratch on trainee tasks and go beyond.” The coveted singular international secondment is available once per rotation, and the successful candidate spends six months in the Abu Dhabi office focusing on transactional and projects related work.

“The big deals are splashed onto newspapers and online news; it makes it exciting!”

Starting off with the corporate department, the offering spans M&A, venture capital, private equity, capital markets (funds) as well as energy work – all of which trainees can work across. Clients include global private equity funds, financial institutions, energy, healthcare and technology corporations, including big names like KKR, Barclays and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company. High value matters are part and parcel of the job, for example the team advised Blackstone Infrastructure on its $5.65 billion acquisition of Safe Harbour Marinas, the largest marina and superyacht servicing business in the States.

“The big deals are splashed onto newspapers and online news; it makes it exciting,” an interviewee enthused. They’re certainly more than a drop in the ocean… Given that “corporate has lots of deals and has grown in revenue and profit,” sources highlighted, “it’s very, very busy.” With some substantial deal teams, rookies are often responsible for managing timelines and checklists, “being a proactive member of the team and giving updates,” alongside involvement in the signing processes.

Interviewees emphasised: “You do anything that a normal junior would do – from due diligence, taking calls with internal and external counsel, taking the first draft of ancillaries, to parts of the SPA(share purchase agreement)” as trainees progress and prove themselves in the seat.

In the finance department, trainees are introduced to the world of leverage finance (where debt is leveraged to make a future return on investments) acting on behalf of sponsors and lenders such as TGS and Bayside Capital. Big-ticket financings are commonplace; one recent headline includes advising RedBird IMI on its £1.2 billion financing to acquire All3Media, which oversees over 50 labels that have produced TV shows such as The Traitors and Squid Game.

Given the technical nature of financing work, trainees spend time familiarising themselves by taking charge of administrative tasks and have a close eye managing checklists and conditions precedent checklists: “On the day leading up to a big signing or closing, you’re reviewing the documents, making sure everything is consistent and formatted, and tracking the CP checklist towards completion and giving the verbal that is ready.” Moreover, trainees liaise with local counsel and clients too.

“As the teams are smaller, you get exposure to the strategy and the decision-making process...”

The dispute resolution department is roughly divided between commercial/banking litigation, international arbitration and white-collar investigations. Trainees can explore work across the different subgroups or choose to focus in, although “it always depends on the work that comes in.” The international arbitration practice spans commercial arbitration, investor-state arbitration and the enforcement of investment treaty awards.

As a snapshot, the team recently won $250 million on behalf of Corral Morocco Holdings, with a result that found Morocco’s conduct in 2015 amounted to an expropriation of investment in the largest refinery in the country following its liquidation – the first time the country has ever been held liable at an ICSID (International Center for the Settlement of Investment Disputes) tribunal.

“Most of the advocacy is done in-house and standing in court on the day!” trainees were quick to praise, “It’s been incredible getting exposure to that early on.” Day to day, rookies get involved in legal research; “if you are someone who enjoys the legal side of problem-solving it is perfect, but it can be research heavy,” an insider stressed. This could include looking into “the awards handed down to see if we can act on enforcements, which is interesting as it differs from investors suing states, vice versa.”

Trainees also roll up their sleeves drafting schedules, requests and letters as well as assisting with the disclosure process. A highlight among sources was: “As the teams are smaller, you get exposure to the strategy and the decision-making process on internal facing calls.”

Over in the white-collar defence and investigations practice, the team handles domestic and cross border claims, “not just here in the UK but investigations elsewhere too!” These are often related to bribery, corruption, tax evasion, market manipulation, insider trading and antitrust. The team also provides support on transactional deals. Clients such as Ernst & Young, Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, and AVEVA make up the books here.

As an idea of the scope, the team acts as global counsel to UBS and its subsidiaries in relation to potential and current litigation arising from the Madoff fraud scheme in excess of $3 billion in claims – one of the biggest frauds in American financial history exposed back in 2008! In terms of responsibilities, “there is no standard trainee task,” we heard.

“The team is brilliant; there’s lots of opportunity for responsibility,” such as keeping on top of project management and research, document review and collection, “going to the client offices and conducting interviews beside our lawyers,” and picking up the pen to take a first stab at drafts.

Trainee Life

Right by Blackfriars Station you’ll find the Grade II listed Telephone House. “It’s unique in the sense it’s two buildings in one,” insiders told us, “One is like you’ve walked into a barrister’s chambers; it’s where disputes sits so it’s very fitting. Across the walkway is the transactional side, which is modern floor to ceiling glass.” Newbies get to call both sides home during their training contract and are expected to be in at least three days a week.

Trainees share an office with their supervisor so “feedback is continuous.” Although experiences vary, supervisors are selected for their willingness to mentor and so, as one rookie reassured, “I’ve felt comfortable throughout asking questions and for guidance – I didn’t feel stupid asking.” Formal feedback comes in the form of mid and end of seat reviews with input from all those who trainees have worked with. Hands-on learning is, of course, at the heart of the experience with lean teams, but sources also valued the focused seat induction and weekly training available: “They have invested a lot in professional support lawyers” too.

“We see ourselves as the kind US firm. People here are more nerdy, collaborative and supportive – genuinely invested in teaching the ropes.”

It’s a good thing then that the culture got a solid thumbs up, as it’s what makes the day to day: “We see ourselves as the kind US firm. People here are more nerdy, collaborative and supportive – genuinely invested in teaching the ropes.” The camaraderie among juniors, particularly trainees, was another positive: “it’s great as the cohort is so small and retention rate is so high; there is no competition.” Newbies are paired with a buddy and allocated a budget to meet which, interviewees explained, as “a sociable bunch, we pooled it together and went out!”

Trainees also have a separate social budget too. Otherwise, the social calendar includes the usual seasonal events such as the summer and Christmas parties, occasional office and practice lunches and drinks and, arguably, the headline event each year: “The New Lawyers Retreat(hosted in Phoenix, Arizona previously) had everyone from all levels flown out to a resort with conference style talks and fun activities like a karaoke competition.” There is also a big ‘welcome back’ event on the rooftop terrace for the onboarding trainees.

Like other US transplants in the City, the hours can be demanding with busy periods and deadlines. “I knew signing up that I would be finishing after 7 or 8pm any given day,” a source shared, “as well as working until 2am and on weekends when there are crunch times before filings and hearings.” Similar things can be said of the more unpredictable nature of transactional work too.

However, the deal is sweetened by the fact that newly qualified lawyers are rewarded with an eye-watering salary of £180k (the highest in the country!): “I would in no way complain about the salary, and as trainees, we are fortunate to be earning what we are.” As an added bonus, we heard “there is no facetime culture – some stay in the office and others leave to work from home later after 5pm.”

“Pro bono is taken very seriously; opportunities will find you and you just have to say ‘yes’.”

Rookies also have the opportunity to contribute to the firm’s thriving pro bono practice. “Pro bono is taken very seriously; opportunities will find you and you just have to say ‘yes’,” a trainee attested. There is plenty to get involved in from research, prisoner’s rights, housing, family and domestic matters advocating for victims through organisations such as University House Legal Advice Centre, APPEAL and the Domestic Abuse Response Alliance (DARA). Not only is it a chance to “give back,” but also an opportunity to take on further responsibility as “often times, as a trainee, you can take the lead on a call and answer client questions.” What’s more, associates can count time spent on pro bono work towards their billable targets.

As for inclusion efforts, sources felt that “the actions and events and the newsletter are great” but it is “always something to be working on.” There are a multitude of affinity groups that are open to all where lawyers openly discuss topics or issues. “They are well funded and host events. When they have external speakers come in, the US offices send us a Zoom link here,” interviewees added.

Gender representation was seen as a positive by one trainee: “there are a lot of senior women which I like, as I can imagine what my life might be like if I stay another 10 years.” Another strength mentioned was the work done by graduate recruitment to “bring in a breadth of backgrounds and people from all walks of life.” On that note, the firm also participates in access schemes such as PRIME.

The qualification process begins at the start of the final seat and timelines and positions available are made clear prior. Trainees simply submit their preferences and graduate recruitment speak with the partners and teams. Described as “organic,” there’s no interview involved; positions are allocated based on performance and discussions are held with the relevant teams throughout the training contract.

As a part of a smaller cohort, sources felt positive about the process: “historically, everyone has got what they wanted, or close to, which is amazing. I’ve never felt stressed about qualification,” one explained. Keeping the good vibes going in 2025, Gibson Dunn retained 8 out of 9 qualifiers.

How to get a Gibson Dunn training contract 

APPLY HERE 

• Spring and Summer Vacation scheme deadline (2026): 16 January 2026 
• Training contract deadline (2026, 2027 and 2028): 16 January 2026 
• Open day deadline (2025): 15 November 2025 
• First-year insight deadline (2026): 16 February 2026

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 fifteen training contracts are offered each year, for the annual September intake. The majority of trainees are recruited via the vacation scheme programmes, so those interested in a training contract should apply for a place on the two-week spring or 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.” Recruitment is completed on a rolling basis so do not wait until the deadline.

For the vacation schemes the firm receives around 1000 applications  who are invited to complete a strength based situational judgement online assessment. Successful candidates 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 

For 2026 there will be a Spring and Summer vacation scheme. Each vacation scheme has up to 22 places and runs for two weeks in April and June through to July 2026 . Students who successfully bag a spot on the programme spend their time  completing real work with a supervisor in the firm's transactional group or 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 is one assessed commercial written exercise to contend with, which assesses communication, analysis and prioritization skills.

'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 cooking classes, creative team-building art class, 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. 

Interview with Mark Sperotto, training principal

Chambers Student (CS): To set the scene, how would you define your firm’s position and identity in the legal market? What differentiates your firm from its peer firms in the market?

Mark Sperotto: We’re the London office of an international law firm. We’re a distinct office doing English law in the City operating at the premium end of transactional and disputes. The largest part of the business is in the US, and we see that as an adjunction to what we do with the support of a huge US platform. That is Gibson Dunn in a catch phrase! As a US firm, what differentiates us in London is the fact our practice is split almost uniformly between transactional and disputes, and that reflects the firm as a whole internationally as well. That is very attractive, especially to a trainee because it means during the usual rotation of a six-month set up, there is the opportunity to sit for at least six months in a leading transactional and litigation practice. These are very distinct areas of the law and it is an important choice as to which route to go down. Therefore, we are able to provide exposure in the early formative years as a trainee to both sides with an equal quality.

CS: We ask this each year to find out what is new. Have there been any developments or highlights from the last year that you’d like readers to know about?

Sperotto: There has been significant investment in the London practice. Our headcount has grown by 20–30% in the past 12 months. We have had some big partner hires across private equity, public M&A, real estate finance, asset finance, strengthening not only what we do but building out our restructuring and funds practices. These arrivals have all been in the press, for example, in private equity Will Summers, Will McDonald joining for public M&A work, and the former global head of real estate finance at Allen & Overy, Mark Manson Bahr, and two restructuring partners Presley Warner and Chris Howard, and James Cameron, a senior aircraft lawyer, and James O’Donnell has set up our funds practice in London, and those are just the partners joining on the transactional side. It really shows the level of investment and the direction in which the Gibson Dunn London office is going at the moment; we are very excited.

CS: On the topic of growth, the firm is increasing its trainee intake by 50%. Could you tell us more about this development?

Sperotto: It is a natural extension of the amount of growth that we are seeing at the fee earner and partner level; we are an expanding business and need more trainees. We like to maintain a decent leverage between the fee earner and trainee headcount, and with the different practice areas mentioned there are some exciting opportunities for more trainees to get involved in what they are interested in, rather than the standard corporate, finance, and litigation seats. It is increasing by 50% to 15 per cohort by 2027. We like to hire from our vacation schemes, so in some other recruiting news, we are introducing a two-week spring and summer vacation scheme, instead of the three-week summer vacation scheme.

CS: How would you describe the training environment/culture that you have aimed to create at the firm?

Sperotto: The catch phrases are on the job learning, lean teams, teamwork, collaboration, and flexibility. By that I mean being available to work on matters not just in your team but helping out across the board as the firm is growing so quickly. There is so much to go around, trainees as a resource need to be flexible and that comes with the ability and opportunity to learn and have exposure to a broad range of legal skills.

CS: What sort of person thrives at the firm? And what qualities sets successful candidates apart at interview?

Sperotto: It is the same entrepreneurial character that is self-driven, willing to learn, and bright. We will be able to provide so much ourselves as long as we have those main characteristics in a candidate, then they will thrive.

CS:And finally, do you have any advice for those considering pursuing a career in law, either at your firm or more generally at a US firm?

Sperotto: An intrinsic interest in international commerce and the City is an essential grounding, before going down this route. As it is fundamentally what we do, there are different shades of that, but you need to be interested in international commerce and the City as your first passion really and then apply the law in that context.