Latham & Watkins LLP - True Picture

This global outfit has got Wat it takes, bringing its US-born expertise in all things corporate and finance to the London market.

Latham & Watkins training contract review 2025 

The Firm 



Cross-border work? Tick. Lots of early responsibility? Tick. A massive global network, great compensation and international pro bono opportunities? Tick, tick and tick. Quite simply, Latham has everything you’d typically look for in a US firm, as trainees were more than happy to confirm: “I wanted to make sure I wasn’t entering the corporate wheel and just becoming a cog in the machine of London. I wanted to do meaningful work both internationally and locally.” Though, unlike many preconceptions of US firms in the capital, Latham’s London outpost is far from a satellite reporting back to its US mothership, as another interviewee told us that “Latham is keen to position itself as more of a global firm than a US firm in the London legal market.” Essentially, each office adds its own twist to the firm’s identity. So, trainees have access to a broad range of fully fleshed-out practices and specialisms as “it’s not one of those US firms where it’s so small that you just do four seats in corporate and finance. You can do four very different seats here.” 

“…I don’t think there could have been better fit for me in terms of finding my passion and trying different areas of law.” 

That being said, corporate and finance are definitely some of the London office's strengths, as evidenced by the office’s array of Chambers UK rankings. In particular, the firm picks up top recognition in sponsor-side banking & finance and restructuring & insolvency in the City, as well as capital markets and private equitybuyouts nationwide. But Latham also receives top billing for its work in environment & climate change, oil & gas and projects too. Combined with trainee seat options such as fintech, real estate finance and employment, it’s perhaps unsurprising that one source told us that: “Looking at the catalogue of services Latham provides, I don’t think there could have been better fit for me in terms of finding my passion and trying different areas of law.”  

The Seats 



Before starting a new seat, trainees rank their top four preferences, and graduate recruitment allocates spots based on their choices, availability and where they sat last. So, as one trainee explained, “if you don’t get your top choice first time around, you’ll be top of the pile next time.” However, one thing to bear in mind is that all trainees must do a corporate and a finance seat. Despite this, sources still felt that “you can flag what you have in mind or the structure you want your training contract to take. Although it’s subject to where trainees are needed, I still have a feeling of agency over which seats I do.” That being said, a few felt that the actual decision-making process was somewhat opaque, explaining how “we see the more niche seats – which here might be tax, litigation and employment – as very few and far between.” But it’s not the case that first-years are given the leftovers from their senior trainees, as interviewees assured that “second-years don’t have priority. There isn’t really a hierarchy, so we’re encouraged to put down exactly what we want to do.” 

A lucky few may also get the chance to go on secondment, and there are both international and client opportunities on offer. Clients are typically banks and private equity houses, while international seats are available in a range of Latham’s global offices like Singapore, Hong Kong, Dubai and New York. These spots are, in most cases, given to second-years, and openings are advertised ahead of normal seat allocation.  

“They’re not spoon-feeding me at all.” 

Banking is one of the larger departments at the firm, and it’s got range worthy of its size. The group covers both the lender and sponsor sides of the practice, and also has its own infrastructure finance subgroup. Trainees typically sit with a supervisor who works in one of the three main areas, but can still end up working on matters across the group. Newbies can get an overview of work with clients such as telecoms networks and airports on infrastructure matters, and banks and private equity funds on the leveraged side. In fact, the team worked with a group of 15 investment banks (including Deutsche Bank and BNP Paribas) on a recent £2.5 billion matter, which included various financing and loan structures, and an acquisition of Morrisons petrol forecourts. It’s worth noting that, while leveraged finance trainees may often work on several deals at a time, “infrastructure deals tend to be bigger and more long-term.” Across the department, trainees will get to grips with a range of typical finance tasks, such as preparing signature packs, managing conditions precedents, drafting NDAs and liaising with counsel. However, there are opportunities for trainees to “have a real impact” on matters: “When a document we can take responsibility for (such as legal opinions or corporate approval) comes into our inbox, then it goes without saying that I’ll take the first cut. They’re not spoon-feeding me at all.” 

Trainees in corporate get to dip their toes into a variety of private equity, M&A, venture capital and capital markets work. Or, as one interviewee put it, “we have a wide breadth of associates who do everything and anything in the corporate world.” For instance, on the M&A front, the team helped Manchester United score an agreement with INEOS Chairman Sir Jim Ratcliffe, which will see him acquiring a quarter of the company. Even if football is not your thing, Latham’s got a range of other corporate clients under its belt, including Blackstone and Goldman Sachs on the private equity side of things. Trainees pick up plenty of core skills during a corporate rotation, including case management, due diligence and correspondence with clients and the other side. Quite simply, “a corporate trainee is very central to a deal,” and there are opportunities to pick up further responsibility as time goes on. For example, trainees will likely draft ancillary documents, though we heard that “we’re encouraged to get involved in drafting clauses for share purchase agreements and things like that.” One trainee’s favourite task was compiling a post-completion document containing key terms, clause references and a brief summary of the matter: “You get to look at the main shareholder agreements, but you get the time to go through them without real time pressure.” 

Though Latham’s litigation department is smaller than banking and corporate, it still boasts a range of matters, including arbitration, complex commercial litigation, white collar investigations, sanctions, public international law, cyber and data privacy. In the latter group, the firm has represented Meta on a number of GDPR-related investigations and disputes. Meanwhile, on the international arbitration side of things, the firm has represented Colombia, Ukraine and Croatia in various cross-border matters.With such large-scale work making its way around the department, interviewees were keen to stress that “even if it’s not your case, more or less everyone should go to court. Someone went to court for a blog post the other day so that they could find out exactly what was going on and update the latest information about it.” Trainees help on bundling in the lead up to trial but, otherwise, we heard that typical tasks include reviewing documents, attending meetings, emailing clients and drafting. Interviewees had also been kept especially busy with legal research, updating guidance on new laws or summarising case law to partners and associates to help build an argument. Overall, a source was pleased to say that “we’re involved in big cases and constantly liaising with barristers and developing strategy for the cases we’re working on. I really enjoy getting to know the inner workings of court and how judges like to do things.” 

“You have to stay up-to-date with news reports and press releases.” 

Trainees doing a stint with the competition team will get the chance to work closely with their colleagues in the Brussels office. The London team largely works on merger control, ensuring that deals are cleared by the relevant competition authorities. As an example, the team has been advising American Airlines on its joint venture with a number of major airlines such as British Airways and Finnair to get it cleared by the European Commission (EC) and Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). In fact, trainees in the group will get plenty of exposure to the workings of both of these regulatory bodies, as newbies often help draft responses and submissions to both the EC and CMA. One interviewee particularly enjoyed the challenge of “trying to get the advocacy right. You have to learn to be neutral, sensible and backed up by fact while making sure that the person you’re writing to won’t think that the deal will cause a massive problem.” Other trainee tasks include market research, proofreading, doc review and deal analysis. “We look at competition rules in different countries,” an insider explained. “You have to stay up-to-date with news reports and press releases.” 

Trainee Life 



Though trainees can certainly get their fill from their day-to-day matters, there’s plenty of pro bono on offer for those looking to sink their teeth into something a little different. After qualifying, Latham lawyers can count all pro bono hours towards their billable targets, and trainees certainly felt this created a sense of enthusiasm towards it: “It’s encouraged across the firm, and people from all departments do it. There are so many ongoing projects we can get involved in.” For example, the firm does plenty of work with the Schools Consent Project, so trainees often visit schools around the country to teach students about the laws around safe sex and consent. Multiple interviewees also highlighted work with the Domestic Abuse Response, while others worked with Cancer Research UK, Malaria No More and Appeal, which helps individuals get their wrongful convictions or death penalties overturned in the US. Even trainees on secondment can take part in pro bono abroad, and there’s no shortage of legal clinics for newbies to get involved in. 

With so much to do around the firm, it’s safe to say that Latham trainees keep busy. However, interviewees found it difficult to express this in numbers, as hours vary by week and by seat: “There really is no standard week! There are times when it can be quite chill as the deals I’m on haven’t kicked off yet, but when approaching a signing it can get a bit more overwhelming.” Generally, we heard that hours in corporate seats can be a bit more variable than those in litigation. Even so, trainees found that the support remained consistent. One trainee told us how “I’ve never felt left alone or seen associates log off earlier than I have,” while another explained, “trainees are never the only ones working late. The entire team will be up, too, so it never feels unfair.” Granted, fairness wasn’t necessarily an issue with our interviewees given that a £173k salaryawaits post-qualification! 

Trainees are expected to go into the office four days a week, and will typically sit with at least one of their supervisors when they do come in. Generally, we heard that each supervisor has their own style, and their seniority can vary between practice groups: “They tend to be more junior in banking than corporate, but that’s just each team’s preference. It’s good I get to experience both.” Some trainees mentioned that the firm could benefit from having greater management of the supervision process, but we heard from one source that “there may be plans to use feedback from trainees to manage the list of supervisors.”  

“We go to each other’s birthday parties, and we have leaving drinks when someone goes on secondment.” 

Across the board, insiders generally found it easy to get along with their colleagues, with one telling us how “people are generally friendly here and we’re quite tight! We go to each other’s birthday parties, and we have leaving drinks when someone goes on secondment.” So, trainees were pretty happy with the culture overall, noting how lawyers at the firm create a positive working environment while still working hard. As one source detailed, “there’s an expectation to be really committed to the work, but the positive trade-offs are that it’s so interesting, and the people you’re working with are really sound. Just that balance in itself is impressive.” One trainee attributed these vibes to Latham’s wider one-firm policy, noting, “it makes working with colleagues across offices so easy and has added to the general culture of helping each other.” 

We heard that networking at the firm is made a little simpler thanks to affinity group-sponsored socialising. To summarise, “we’re constantly planning something. There are always really cool events with mentorship attached. And they’re really generous with the budget…” For instance, we heard that trainees are welcome to utilise affinity group budgets to “ask people for coffee or lunch to break the ice and get to know people,” or even to watch a movie or get your nails done together! More broadly, there are a plenty of events on to commemorate DEI-related events or various holidays across the firm. Interviewees were keen to highlight recent events such as a Trans Visibility Week themed breakfast, and lunches to celebrate Eid, Diwali and Lunar New Year. Sources were also keen to highlight the firm’s efforts on representation. As one trainee detailed, “there are 32 of us in my trainee cohort, and most of us are from international backgrounds, while over 70% of us are female.” 

“I’ve had loads of training sessions here.” 

Interviewees were pleased to get a spread of formal and informal training which, according to one, “ran completely contrary to my perception of it before joining. There’s a general pervasive consensus that US firms don’t provide formal training, but I’ve had loads of training sessions here.” The corporate and banking teams got a special shoutout here, with trainees lauding the latter’s two-week introductory program with plenty of mock tasks, as well as “sessions on the soft skills needed to become a good trainee, such as showing that you’re proactive.” We also heard that barristers visit to give talks on developments in the law for litigators, while the corporate team holds meetings with in-house counsel (often ex-Latham lawyers) to discuss where they are now.  

Qualification at Latham is said to be “a straightforward process.” There are no interviews but, at the same time, we heard that it’s also “not a strange process where you tap people on the shoulder to get a job.” To summarise, second-years rank up to four departments that they’d like to join and submit a short paragraph explaining why they want to qualify in those teams and why they’d be a good fit. “Graduate recruitment tells us that it shouldn’t be a competition, and that they’ll have space for us if we’re good,” a source detailed, though a few interviewees wanted some more clarity on how many NQ roles will be made available. We heard that, while the process “might not be formal, you know where you stand and what you have to do.” In particular, those looking to qualify in litigation were aware that it might be slightly more competitive, while corporate and banking may typically have more available spots. The firm did not disclose retention rates for 2024.

Us and (La)them… 

Trainees get to work closely with partners and senior associates, some of whom started their careers at the firm. 

How to get a Latham & Watkins training contract  



APPLY HERE

  • Vacation scheme deadline: Sunday 8 December 2024 (Spring & Summer Vacation Schemes) 

Applications, interviews and assessments  

Securing a training contract at Latham & Watkins requires a minimum 2:1 degree and at least AAB at A level (or equivalent). All candidates – whether they're applying for a vacation scheme or directly for a training contract – complete an online application form that asks about their professional and academic history, as well as their motivation for wanting to join the firm. “We're looking for well-structured, concise answers on the application form – answers that show a clear understanding of – and drive for – Latham's training contract,” a member of the graduate recruitment team told us. The firm also prefers applicants with some relevant work experience, whether legal or commercial. After submitting their application, all candidates are invited to complete a Latham & Watkins specific, Situational Judgement test which will be reviewed alongside the candidate’s application form. 

Those who are successful at this stage are invited to an in-person assessment centre, which is the last stage of the process and includes an interview and case study exercise. Applicants can expect the interview to be primarily motivation and competency based. 

Vacation schemes  

Latham strongly encourages trainee hopefuls to apply to its vacation scheme; most of Latham & Watkins’ trainees have completed a vacation scheme with the firm. The firm runs a two-week scheme in Spring and Summer, and accepts up to 30  successful candidates onto each. The schemes are open to law and non-law graduates and undergraduates.  

Candidates who secure a place on one of the vacation schemes spend time in two practice areas. The firm does its best to accommodate preferences for each of these stints. Scheme attendees sit in an office with their supervisor: “It's just like a miniature version of the training contract itself in this regard,” a trainee reflected. In addition to helping their supervisor with their day-to-day work, attendees will be given a research task tied to each practice area they sample. Throughout, “your supervisors will help ensure you get a good insight into Life at Latham, and you’re encouraged to be proactive and reach out to people to learn as much as you can about the firm and its work, as well as trainee life” explained a member of the graduate recruitment team. “The firm is interested in seeing how you can work alongside others and have the potential to contribute to the firm in the future.” The vacation schemes also give attendees a chance to attend practice area talks and social and networking events.  

Towards the end of each of the schemes, attendees are invited to interview for the training contract. Feedback from the interview – as well as from assigned work and general performance during the vacation schemes – is taken into account when training contract decisions are made.  

Resources 

To learn more about starting your legal career at Latham, please visit lwcareers.com

Explore Latham’s interview preparation site to guide you through each step of the application process, and provide you with helpful resources that will aid you in showcasing your skills and potential.

Latham & Watkins LLP

99 Bishopsgate,
London,
EC2M 3XF
Website www.lw.com

Firm profile




A career at Latham & Watkins will give you the opportunity to do some of the best work of your life. With more than 3,500 lawyers across our offices in Europe, the US, the Middle East and Asia, the opportunities are boundless. Over 70% of the firm’s transactions involve five or more offices; our diversity fuels our understanding and innovation. 

Latham provides the perfect balance of entrepreneurial spirit and career development support. The firm offers world-class training, where graduates and trainees can follow their intellectual curiosity to explore the firm’s market-leading practices before choosing a department, practice, or industry focus.

It is our unique collegiate and non-hierarchical culture that sets us apart. Our Associates Committee – boasting equal numbers of associates and partners – manages associate reviews, bonuses, and promotion to partnership and counsel, which leads to a remarkably transparent environment.

We are proud to be a world leading pro bono law firm. The firm gives billable hour credit for pro bono work, and doesn’t cap the number of pro bono hours that can be applied toward the billable hour target. Here, you are encouraged to bring your own unique perspective, and supported to take on pro bono matters of personal interest.

A career at Latham is an investment in your development and your future. It begins with you.

Main areas of work




Our award-winning London office is home to nearly 500 lawyers and recognised for its work advising some of the world’s leading corporates, financial institutions and private equity firms on market-shaping transactions, disputes, and regulatory matters.

Our leading finance practice has earned an exceptional reputation in the market, regularly advising on all types of leveraged, acquisition and project finance work. We have market-leading experience in M&A, debt and equity financing, high yield, restructurings, recapitalisations, divestitures, data privacy and cyber security, and outsourcing. We also offer comprehensive tax and environmental advice for complex multi-jurisdictional transactions and disputes.

We are one of the few firms capable of providing clients with immediate, high-quality legal expertise anywhere in the world, whether our clients’ needs are local or international.

We are committed to giving back to the communities where we live and work, with a longstanding pro bono programme as well as many community service initiatives. Over the last two decades, our lawyers have provided more than 4 million pro bono hours in free legal services to individuals without the means to pay, nonprofit organisations, and social enterprises. 

Training opportunities




Latham & Watkins recruits students with incredible legal minds who are also incredible people; the firm values transparency, respect, innovation, collaboration, and diversity. As a meritocracy, Latham seeks out candidates who have demonstrated they can contribute to the firm’s culture through their initiative, communication skills, complex thinking, willingness to assume responsibility, resilience, and judgment.

A Latham training contract combines real responsibility on global matters with supervision from world-class lawyers who foster professional development. In addition to a sophisticated training programme, our trainees also benefit from a core three week trainee foundation designed to bridge the gap between law schools and practice, as well as training in each seat. After induction, trainees complete four, six month seats - two of which will be in corporate and finance. Trainees have the opportunity to apply for an international secondment on either their third or fourth seat.

Vacation scheme




We run two vacation schemes over the academic year. These are an exciting opportunity not only for us to get to know you, but also for you to get to know us and be immersed in our unique culture. Over the course of your vacation scheme you will gain insight into two practice areas, participating in client calls, court visits, Q&As and training sessions, as well as group work and social events. You will also have the opportunity to interview for our training contract, taking the first step towards a career at Latham & Watkins.

Open days and first-year opportunities




We’d love to get to know you, and have designed our open days to give you an insight into life at a commercial law firm and the unique culture at Latham. Visit lwcareers.com for more details on opportunities and application deadlines. 

University law careers fairs 2024




We visit campuses across the UK. Look out for us at law fairs, virtual events, in your careers services and working with your law societies. This year we are visiting: Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Durham, Exeter, Kent, Kings’s, Lancaster, Leeds, LSE, Nottingham, Oxford, Queen Mary, UCL, Warwick and York. 

This Firm's Rankings in
UK Guide, 2024

Ranked Departments

    • Banking & Finance: Lenders: Big-Ticket (Band 2)
    • Banking & Finance: Sponsors (Band 1)
    • Commercial and Corporate Litigation (Band 3)
    • Competition Law (Band 3)
    • Corporate/M&A: £800 million and above (Band 2)
    • Environment & Climate Change (Band 1)
    • Information Technology & Outsourcing (Band 2)
    • Restructuring/Insolvency (Band 1)
    • Tax (Band 3)
    • Banking Litigation (Band 2)
    • Capital Markets: CLOs (Band 2)
    • Capital Markets: Debt (Band 4)
    • Capital Markets: Derivatives (Band 3)
    • Capital Markets: Equity (Band 2)
    • Capital Markets: High-Yield Products (Band 1)
    • Capital Markets: Securitisation (Band 2)
    • Data Protection & Information Law (Band 3)
    • Energy & Natural Resources: Oil & Gas (Band 1)
    • Financial Services: Contentious Regulatory (Corporates) (Band 3)
    • Financial Services: Non-contentious Regulatory (Band 2)
    • Financial Services: Payments Law (Band 3)
    • Infrastructure (Band 2)
    • International Arbitration: Commercial Arbitration (Band 2)
    • International Arbitration: Investor-State Arbitration (Band 2)
    • Investment Funds: Private Equity (Band 4)
    • Media & Entertainment: Film & Television (Band 3)
    • Private Equity: Buyouts: £500 million and above (Band 1)
    • Private Equity: Venture Capital Investment (Band 3)
    • Projects (Band 1)
    • Public International Law (Band 3)
    • Sanctions (Band 3)
    • Sport (Band 6)