K&L Gates - True Picture

K&L Gates training contract review 2026

The Firm

For firms that began life in overseas legal markets, part of the challenge of adapting to life in the UK is learning what to embrace and what to stay true to. K&L Gates started life in Pittsburgh, and its origins in the Steel City are what fuelled its strength in areas like construction and transportation. But it has also made an effort to embrace the culture it finds itself in too. As one trainee put it: “It’s a uniquely British culture, despite the US level work and mentality.”

Like a lot of US firms, the trainee contingent in London is relatively small, but it’s a model by design rather than by accident: “It provides trainees with the opportunity to have more responsibility and support,” managing partner and training principal, Paul Callegari tells us. It’s something trainees were quick to echo too: “The training here has been top tier, and I’ve been more and more impressed throughout my contract with the training and opportunities I have been given.”

“…a uniquely British culture, despite the US level work and mentality.”

True to its industrial roots, K&L Gates receives acknowledgements from Chambers UK across contentious and non-contentious construction in London, aviation finance and rail projectsand infrastructure UK-wide. There’s also a high ranking in capital markets: AIM in the latter. The breadth of practices at the firm is yet another very intentional step, as Callegari explains: “Our focus tends to be on the mid-market. We don’t focus on any one particular practice area - we have a very broad practice, which of course means trainees have exposure to a broad range of disciplines and experiences.”

The Seats

A trainees’ first seat is assigned prior to starting, but the small cohort size and a discussion with HR means that “when they are allocating your first seat, they do it based on both an area you would be interested in, and where you would be a good fit.” You are also guaranteed that one out of the four seats will be one of your top preferences, which was greatly appreciated by our interviewees.

We heard that overall, “there is a high likelihood of success in getting your choice of seats throughout your TC if you are clear about what it is you want." The only caveat is that trainees are required to take one transactional and one contentious seat. Currently, there are no opportunities for secondments until post-qualification; however, as an associate, there is the chance to attend a symposium in the US as well as other events.

The corporate department at K&L Gates is split into three main strands covering private equity, general corporate/M&A related work and commercial contracts. In fact, there’s so much work in the latter that word on the street is that it may soon become a separate seat… The firm also benefits from expertise in the alternative investment space and public company work. Matters in the group often have a significant cross-border component, which comes with opportunities for cross-office working between multiple jurisdictions: “It’s great experience working directly with lawyers from around the world,” one told us.

In one recent deal, the firm advised AGIC Capital in the sale of aerospace parts distributor Farsound Aviation to Canadian private equity fund ONEX. Deal management is definitely a staple for trainees in the seat, but there is the opportunity to try more technical tasks like drafting short-form SPAs, board resolutions, and ancillary documents. As one trainee put it: “Some of the due diligence I have done in the commercial contracts space has been really substantive. You are really trusted in this firm with doing something meaningful.” Of course, when the more challenging periods inevitably come: “There’s a huge amount of support. If they give you something difficult, they are there to help you with it, and it’s great for your development.”

“You are encouraged to learn and feel relied upon.”

A financeseat was described as “split,” with 50% of the work being private equity-backed transactions and the rest consisting of aviation finance. Given its private equity focus, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that there is plenty of crossover with the corporate team, especially where there is a financing or refinancing element to a deal. On the corporate side of the finance coin, trainees described being able to get involved with “reviewing and supporting the different processes of a transaction and getting them closed.”

Interviewees also explained that key responsibilities included taking board minutes and taking charge of project management tasks, including tracking the progress of transactions and managing documents. Trainees are regularly looped in on client calls and meetings too, something Callegari tells us is to ensure that they “are able to see a transaction from start to finish.” One of the big selling points of the team was plenty of “camaraderie. You are encouraged to learn and feel relied upon.” In one recent financing, the firm represented JP Lease on the refinancing by Société Générale of two Airbus A321-200NEO aircraft under a Japanese operating lease (do you sense an international theme here?).

The real estate offering at K&L Gates gives trainees the opportunity to jump into both project-related work and transactions. Some of these transactions, we heard, are on a serious scale too, and trainees have to be prepared to hit the ground running. As one trainee put it: “It’s very hands-on, you’re managing a lot of matters at once, so time management becomes key.” Another described needing to quickly learn the ropes on the project management side of a complex sale involving a significant number of enquiries from the other side: “It was a crash course in both project management and communication!”

Typical trainee tasks include drafting reports on leases and various licenses, as well as preparing amendments and handling follow-up queries, all essential components of getting a deal over the line. The firm’s more recent client list includes work for the likes of Workspace Group, a provider of flexible business spaces, from the planning, funding and development of their buildings, right through to sales. There’s a strong pro bono element to the team too, giving trainees the chance to engage directly with substantive documents which may not be as readily available in corporate transactions. This includes work helping charities with leases and lease renewals.

Trainees who sit in constructionwill be placed in either contentious or non-contentious work streams. The non-contentious work revolves around the transactional side of international transport, energy and infrastructure projects for clients like Crossrail, Qatar Rail and the Westinghouse Electric Company. One of the selling points of the work, regardless of where trainees found themselves, was “a lot of high-level responsibility early on when it came to things like matter management.” After all, “the firm doesn’t want a partner or senior associate spending valuable time tracking things, which a trainee could do.”

Work steps up for the contentious side of the coin when things go wrong on these projects. In one recent case, the firm represented Far East Façades UK in proceedings arising from defects around the cladding on balconies on One The Elephant, a luxury high-rise residential tower in Elephant & Castle. We heard that both sides start with some admin-heavy work (and a steep learning curve due to the sector’s unique terminology), but the team was “very supportive” and able to delegate substantive tasks to you without “throwing you in at the deep end.” Trainees will eventually begin drafting professional appointments, handling the initial negotiation of contract terms over email and taking the first pass at drafting.

Trainee Life

“The chef is a legendary figure,” says one interviewee - high praise indeed. And it didn’t seem to be an exaggeration either, with all interviewees keen to highlight the in-house chef’s home-cooked meals and Thursday “Fika” (Swedish-style afternoon tea) as a big part of the culture of the firm. “The canteen is great,” one told us, “it’s subsidised, really good value and it’s always full of trainees. It’s a nice place to catch up and socialise with everyone.” A snack cupboard also opens at 4pm sharp for a late afternoon pick-me-up.

“…it’s subsidised, really good value, and it’s always full of trainees. It’s a nice place to catch up and socialise with everyone.”

The location in the heart of the city drew praise too, as did the firm’s setup: “The office layout is brilliant. You sit with your supervisor or partner, so you learn by osmosis.” That open-door culture runs deep: “You can just knock and ask questions, no one makes you feel silly. They really take training seriously.” The training is hands-on, with plenty of formal support too. There’s a front-loaded induction period and regular sessions with professional support lawyers: “You spend as much time training as on billable work at the start,” one told us.

Trainees in disputes, for example, spoke highly of bespoke litigation training and external speaker events with barristers and counsel. There’s a steady stream of informal events and trainees reportedly head out together regularly. We heard “Thursday nights are trainee drinks nights,” and the monthly drinks trolley on the terrace (“overlooking St Paul’s!”) brings everyone together. There are also departmental parties, firm-wide summer and Christmas events, and the “social society” calendar on top of this.

Remote working is flexible, and while a few departments (like construction) are typically in five days a week, most trainees follow a hybrid model, working four days in the office and one day at home. Callegari explains that for senior staff: “If you supervise a trainee and you won’t be in the office, then there’s a requirement to arrange for someone else in the team to be in, partner, special counsel, etc., so that there should not be a point when a trainee is alone.” One insider also informed us: “There’s no pressure to sit at your desk looking busy; they trust us to be there when it matters.”

Hours-wise, most trainees were pleasantly surprised: “I’ve been working 9.30am to 6.30pm, which is really nice for a City law firm,” although closer to 7.30pm was reported as the norm. Interviewees were also satisfied with their salary, which currently sits at a cool £45k per year.

According to Callegari: “Our opportunity and inclusion programme is very active, we recently held an Eid celebration at lunchtime, hosted by our multicultural society. We had three speakers – one trainee included – talking about Eid, the conclusion of Ramadan and how it’s celebrated. We then moved to our terrace for desserts, sandwiches and chai.” Other events include a Pride football match in partnership with Switchboard, where clients were welcome as well, with the aim of raising funds for LGBTQ+ causes.

The firm is also actively involved in pro bono projects, such as helping children entitled to citizenship get access to it, and a programme in the US to help victims of child exploitation: “The pro bono team and individual departments are also always open to suggestions, and happy when we bring forward a new charity idea,” grinned one trainee.

Come qualification time, trainees are encouraged to go out and talk to the heads of the departments they are interested in qualifying into. We were told the overall process is transparent and consists of ameeting with graduate recruitment, followed by the release of the jobs list. Trainees interview for roles and, if successful, receive offers: “The firm is clear about the business case requirement and the process.”

The firm is also good at “setting expectations of when we will know our outcomes, when the jobs list will be released, etc.” The general consensus was that the firm wants to keep as many people as they can: “They spent two years training us, so they are keen to find a space for everyone.” In 2025, K&L Gates retained both of itsqualifiers!

Get Hired

How to get a K&L Gates training contract

APPLY HERE

Vacation scheme deadline (2026): 31 January 2026 (opens 1 November 2025)

Training contract deadline (2028): 31 July 2026 (opens 1 November 2025)

The vac scheme route

K&L Gates offers a two-week vacation scheme in June/July, during which applicants are able to sample a couple of departments and attend some outings into the City. “I found everyone very friendly during my vac scheme, and I got to do some proper trainee work like bundling and helping draft an article for a newsletter,” said one source who'd taken part.

Applications are made online followed by an online verbal reasoning test. Successful candidates will be invited in for an interview with HR. After their fortnight at the firm, vac schemers are automatically invited to attend a training contract assessment day and progress their application from there.

“Normally people apply for a summer vacation scheme to come and have a look at the firm first, and make an informed decision as to whether or not they would want to train here,” says the firm's graduate recruitment team. “But that's not the only route; it just gives us longer to get to know them.”

Direct training contract applications

Direct applicants are tasked with a short online assessment that tests verbal reasoning. Those with high enough scores are asked to attend an assessment day.

The day involves a group exercise followed by an informal presentation in which “all have the opportunity to speak,” the graduate recruitment team tells us. We say take the hint: get talking. A written test and reasoning tests are also part of the day.

We also got some insight into what kind of competencies assessors are on the lookout for. “We'll be gauging whether people can write well, think clearly and draw logical conclusions under time pressure. We're looking for team players, not prima donnas or dominators. We want to understand people's skills, and we want them to be able to work collaboratively.”

The final stage of the training contract application involves an interview with two partners, followed by an individual exercise with HR. After that, HR “gathers together all the information it has on each candidate,” and it's decision time.

Ideal candidates

The firm tries to avoid a homogeneous trainee intake. London Managing Partner, Paul Callegari, explains: “That's the beauty of our process – we get applications from all kinds of universities and backgrounds, and we look at them all. What stands out for us are candidates with the drive and initiative to think something through creatively and to accept a challenge. We don't choose candidates who like to have things passively fed to them.”

“We want our trainees to have a fairly entrepreneurial view of things, to appreciate and enjoy new opportunities. An individual who isn't fazed by that is likely to thrive in our environment,” Callegari adds. “Clients expect you to come up with fairly novel solutions to their problems, and that requires an imagination. You can't get that from textbooks or websites.”