Akin
Firm profile
Driven by a forward-thinking leadership, Akin has built a strong culture of innovation and collaboration as well as a talented workforce committed to the success of clients and each other. Fostering a workplace focused on opportunity and inclusion, all employees are supported and given the tools to succeed. The organization is focused on recruiting and nurturing the next generation of exceptional legal talent and is proud that its recruitment and professional development efforts are recognized as among the best in the industry.
Our London office is the hub for the firm’s international practice and its third largest office. The firm’s strategy in London has always been to grow practices that complement its core strengths globally. The fully integrated nature of the office within the broader firm means that the firm’s London lawyers work closely with their counterparts around the globe.
Main areas of work
Market-leading practices include financial restructuring, corporate transactions (including mergers and acquisitions and joint ventures), private equity, finance (including debt finance and project finance), energy including renewables, debt and equity capital markets, financial services regulatory, disputes, employment, international arbitration, investment funds (including hedge and private equity funds and secondaries transactions), international trade – including in relation to the new National Security & Investment Act – as well as EU/UK competition, intellectual property, share incentives, technology and tax.
The training programme
We seek team players who demonstrate enthusiasm and an interest in the commercial world, as well as intellectual curiosity and a focus on solutions. We recruit up to eight trainees every year, so you’ll be integral to the team from day one. To succeed, you’ll enjoy deep thinking in an immersive learning model and be keen to take on early responsibility within a fast-paced business law environment.
You’ll experience on-the-job experiential learning which will allow you to develop a keen commercial awareness and to take on responsibility and ownership of tasks for each practice area you work in. Examples of tasks you may be involved in during your training include, but are not restricted to, legal research, preparing client communications, attending client meetings, organising deal closing checklists and preparing trial bundles.
You’ll receive supportive supervision from England and Wales-qualified practitioners with valuable ongoing feedback and two substantive evaluations during each seat.
You will attend regular practice group and office-wide training on relevant areas of law and practical skills. You will also join webinars and training sessions run by external consultants to aid your professional development throughout your two-year training programme and beyond.
Akin prides itself on a friendly, approachable culture and a strong support network. Our trainee development team and dedicated development partners will coach and guide you throughout the two years. We also have a buddy system, providing you with a peer mentor who can tell you things that formal training can’t and junior associate mentors to support you within each practice area. We have an in-house ‘Be Well’ counselling service which offers unlimited one-on-one support, as well as regular group training sessions.
Trainees start on a salary of £60,000, which increases to £65,000 in their second year.
Vacation scheme
2026 spring vacation scheme
Our preferred method of trainee hiring is via our yearly vacation scheme because it is the best opportunity for you to experience life at Akin, and for us to get to know you better.
Akin's two-week spring vacation scheme provides an excellent opportunity to gain a first-hand understanding of the day-to-day work of trainees in an international law firm. Through training sessions, interactive workshops, mentoring and social activities, you will get to know our firm. Through working side by side with partners and associates on live deals, you will get to know our practices and clients.
We welcome applications from penultimate-year law students, final-year students and graduates of any subject, looking to commence a training path in two years’ time. At the end of the scheme, participants will be offered the chance to interview for our two-year training programme commencing in 2028.
Scheme participants are paid a £1,200 salary with 50% paid on Day 1 of the scheme and an additional £300 Work-Ready Payment paid two weeks before the scheme begins to help cover any upfront costs. Whether it’s buying a new work wardrobe or subscribing to resources to develop your commercial awareness, we want you to feel confident, prepared, and excited for your experience with us.
Our 2026 spring vacation scheme will run from Monday 13 – Friday 24 April 2026.
Applications will open on Thursday 18 September 2025 and close on Sunday 4 January 2026.
Application and interview workshops
Sponsorship
Shape Shape Successful applicants will be required to complete the PGDL (if applicable) and LLM Legal Practice (SQE1 and 2) to equip them with essential skills prior to starting the two-year training programme. Our legal education provider is The University of Law and studies will be funded by the firm. We provide a maintenance grant of £20,000 per year of study to our future trainees.
How to apply
Shape Shape To submit your application for our 2026 spring vacation scheme, register for one of the application workshops or apply to attend our brand-new virtual Ask Akin open day to learn more about life at the firm, please visit: https://www.akingump.com/en/careers/uk-students
Other benefits
Shape Shape Season ticket loan, health insurance, critical illness insurance, life insurance, travel insurance, dental insurance, pension, annual eye exam, employee assistance programme, onsite mental health services, Lexxic support, cycle scheme, discounted ClassPass, Peloton and gym rates, fitness & wellbeing reimbursement programme, discounts platform, financial training sessions, corporate mortgage scheme, support for parents & caregivers, virtual clinic service.