Eversheds

As one of the world's largest full service law firms, Eversheds are committed to finding and developing talented legal graduates interested in becoming a solicitor. With a structured solicitor training programme, our Training Contracts and graduate jobs allow you to establish the skills you need to achieve your aspirations. From trainee to fully qualified solicitor, Eversheds offer an environment for a highly rewarding legal career with unbounded opportunities for progression.

We are looking for multi-faceted people who combine extreme professionalism with outstanding expertise, genuine approachability and real personality. Our firm attracts great people and we've created an environment where they can achieve great things. So it will come as no surprise that Eversheds is home to some of the most innovative and inspiring lawyers in the industry or that we look for trainees with the ambition and enterprise to keep us ahead of the competition in the future.

So whatever your background you will need to demonstrate a number of other skills and aptitudes to succeed as part of our team. Visit our website at www.eversheds.com to read more.

OUR TRAINEES

We believe it is extremely important for our applicants to fully understand Eversheds prior to making an application. Our trainees are more than happy to talk about their experience of life in Eversheds so far. You will find below a selection of their responses to a few burning questions.

IZZY ABIDI (EVERSHEDS MANCHESTER – CURRENTLY ON SECONDMENT TO EVERSHEDS ABU DHABI)

What do you like about being an Eversheds Trainee?

The high quality training, the level of responsibility, the Trainee community, the variety of departmental/international/client Seat choices.

What is the Eversheds culture like?

Friendly, innovative, client-centred, commercially astute, international, supportive.

What sort of work do you get and is it challenging?

It varies depending on the Seat you’re in. Work can include drafting, Court runs, assisting with tenders, writing letters of advice, project managing multi-jurisdictional matters, phone calls with clients and preparing bundles for trial. From day one at Eversheds, the Training Contract is what you make of it. How challenging the work is really depends on the Trainee. If you prove yourself with the basic tasks and show enthusiasm for more challenging work, you will get it.

How did you become a trainee at Eversheds?

I had worked in various national media companies and eventually gained some experience in their legal departments. From this, I secured a position on a 2008 Eversheds summer vacation placement. Off the back of that I was offered a Training Contract for 2010 and in the meantime, was offered a job as a Paralegal in the newly opened (at the time), Eversheds Abu Dhabi office. A truly invaluable experience for my Training Contract and career. I am now carrying out my third seat in the Eversheds Abu Dhabi office and really enjoying being back!

Any tips to applicants?

If you don’t fit a “typical law student” mould or have plenty of legal work experience or formal vacation scheme experience on your CV, don’t rule yourself out! The backgrounds of Trainees at Eversheds varies greatly from anthropology and journalism like myself to those with a PhD in molecular and cellular biology. Legal work experience or not, if you can demonstrate commercial awareness and the ability to speak the language of our clients, you stand as good a chance as anyone at securing a Training Contract. Good luck!

PHIL SPYROPOLOUS (EVERSHEDS LONDON)

What do you like about being an Eversheds trainee?

Ultimately you’re there to learn. I’ve had great opportunities including an intellectual property client secondment.

What is the Eversheds culture like?

The social side of things is really strong. The trainees meet up socially independently of  work. We’ve had trips to Paris and Munich too.

What sort of work do you get and is it challenging?

It varies between departments. Generally, if you demonstrate ability and commitment you will be trusted with greater responsibility.

How did you become a trainee at Eversheds?

I did the vacation scheme in my last year of university. Eversheds’ sponsored my LPC and I took a gap year before starting.

Any tips to applicants?

Firm’s know that they’re not the only one you’re considering. You need to demonstrate sound rationale for choosing where to apply.

RUBE CHUNG (EVERSHEDS HONG KONG – CURRENTLY ON SECONDMENT TO EVERSHEDS LONDON)

What do you like about being an Eversheds trainee?

I am always given the opportunities to participate in multi-jurisdictional deals and work with companies from various sectors. My input is always appreciated by the team members and they all value you as a trainee.

What is the Eversheds culture like?

Everyone is so down-to-earth and friendly you don’t feel isolated or left out as a newcomer. People working in different departments (from secretaries to partners) are always willing to teach and help. When it comes to work, Eversheds is all about delivering the best to the clients and when it comes to social and charitable events, we are all about having fun and making sure the whole firm is involved as much as possible. Having worked in two different offices, I can certainly say that this is indeed the culture and working environment throughout the entire Eversheds network.

What sort of work do you get and is it challenging?

As trainee, we are on a 4-seat rotation (6 months per seat) and after working in Corporate and Litigation in Hong Kong, I am currently on a secondment in the London office, working in Employment. The sort of work I get is very diverse and international in the sense that we communicate with colleagues from around the world on a regular basis. It is challenging as I am always presented with work that is truly hands-on and the fact that you are being given real responsibility means you do not want to disappoint others. Luckily at Eversheds, you will not be afraid to ask questions and are always under supervision.

How did you become a trainee at Eversheds?

I sent my CV and cover letter to the HR team in Hong Kong, and was given two rounds of interviews (first with a graduate partner and an HR manager, and second with a senior partner and the managing partner) before I became a trainee at Eversheds.

Any tips to applicants?

Be honest and be yourself. It’s all about being who you are instead of becoming who you perceive they want you to be.

SIMON GRIMSHAW (EVERSHEDS BIRMINGHAM)

What do you like about being an Eversheds Trainee?

As a trainee, you are given huge opportunity to get involved in real work and real initiatives that make a real difference.  In short, it is not just life at the photocopier!  I was also seconded to Shanghai from March to September 2011 which was one of the best 6 months of my life.

What is the Eversheds culture like?

In my opinion, Eversheds is a firm that is looking to the future, both for itself and for its clients. There is a huge push for innovative thinking and a drive for quality in everything that we do here.  As a firm, I would say our culture hinges on this innovation and client service – providing the best solutions that are the best fit for our clients.  This makes us more than just lawyers advising on law.  We are business advisers who also deal with our clients’ legal issues.

What sort of work do you get and is it challenging?

Eversheds pushes you to be as much as you can be.  As a trainee, I have found myself being given substantial amounts of responsibility on client matters because my supervisors have recognised my willingness to get involved.  In my first seat (Tax) I got to present internal training to my office’s real estate team, and, by the end of my seat, was providing technical advice with minimal supervision.

As an international secondee I was pushed to take on even more responsibility.  On top of client work for my office,  I had to liaise with our global network on numerous matters.  I had fantastic work in Shanghai and ran many files on my own.  It was an incredible experience.

How did you become a trainee at Eversheds?

After three years working in insurance for a car hire firm, I decided to requalify into law.  I took a risk by returning to law school to study the GDL and LPC and I got a place on an Easter vacation scheme in our Birmingham office during my GDL year. I thoroughly enjoyed my week working in the corporate department and was offered my training contract immediately following my vac scheme.

Any tips to applicants?

Commercial awareness is key.  When you come to interview, be aware of what the firm has been doing and the key internal and external initiatives and deals.  In short, do your homework!

SARAH YANSHIN-HALL (EVERSHEDS NOTTINGHAM)

What do you like about being an Eversheds trainee?

Being an Eversheds trainee gives me the opportunity to work in my home town (Nottingham), in a relatively small and friendly office environment, yet still get involved in high-quality work. The work – and the major clients – is genuinely shared between offices, and there is a great deal of variety of experience to be gained here. This is definitely something a lot of smaller firms in the area are unable to offer. The work we undertake on a day-to-day basis is split between locally-sourced, national and international clients.

I have also had the opportunity to work in other offices across the UK, which I believe is a real advantage for any young professional. Additionally, there are also a number of client and international secondment opportunities. What’s most important, however, is that whichever office I have worked in, there has always been a true sense of a homogenous Eversheds culture. Cross-office working – and thinking – is a reality here.

What is the Eversheds culture like?

I would say that Eversheds is a professional and dynamic firm, which is ambitious whilst maintaining a down-to-earth approach. I’ve never felt intimidated approaching a partner, and there does seem to be a refreshing emphasis on performance, ideas and drive rather than a rigid sense of tradition and hierarchy that some might expect from a large firm. At Eversheds, you’re expected to work hard and be keen to learn. The culture of the place is undeniably challenging, but the size of the firm and the attitudes of your colleagues means that there’s a lot to be gained if you embrace this and get stuck in.

What sort of work do you get and is it challenging?

I’m currently in a commercial seat in the Nottingham office. I’m quite lucky in the sense that, as the office is relatively small, I get to assist with the work of three different teams within this seat: IT, IP and Projects. Getting to grips with the concepts behind each of these three areas has been challenging in itself, and I’ve been involved in a quite different types of tasks: from drafting case-law updates for the IP team, to helping run a document room on completion day.

Overall, I would say that there’s no reason to be unchallenged at Eversheds. Of course, workloads will vary from week to week depending on what hits your colleagues’ desks. As a trainee, though, there is always scope for involvement in business development, corporate responsibility and broader research work. The only limit, really, is your enthusiasm!

How did you become a trainee at Eversheds?

I was offered a training contract following a vacation placement at the Nottingham office. Although I had undertaken a few days’ work experience at high street firms prior to this, it was the two weeks at Eversheds that cemented my desire to really go for the training contract. On the vacation placement itself, I actually surprised myself in enjoying the “assessment day” tasks, and I was really reassured by the friendly and down-to-earth attitude of everyone I met during my time here.

Any tips to applicants?

Take your time to consider the culture of the firm(s) you’re applying to. I have friends at a number of different firms, and our experiences have varied quite significantly in many areas. Consider work/life balance; how much client contact you really want to have; whether you’re more comfortable with traditional values or a more fast-moving approach to the working environment. Above all, understand that once you embark upon your training contract, the onus is on you to make the most of it. Find a place in which you feel you can thrive: socially, geographically and more generally in terms of the work ethos. Try as many placements as you can – that way you’ll get to know more about the law, more about law firms and – most importantly – more about yourself.

ADAM WEATHERLEY (EVERSHEDS CARDIFF)

What do you like about being an Eversheds trainee?

The level of responsibility afforded to trainees, including the running of your own files.

What is the Eversheds culture like?

The culture at Eversheds is such that hard work and aptitude is expected of trainees at all times yet, despite such expectations, the work atmosphere is relaxed.

What sort of work do you get and is it challenging?

I have so far conducted seats in the Financial Services & Disputes and Real Estate departments and my experience has been very much "hands-on". In both departments I have been given a large number of matters to run from start to finish, therefore the work has been very challenging and so has allowed me to develop my skills through practice.

How did you become a trainee at Eversheds?

I was accepted onto a vacation scheme at the Cardiff office in the summer of 2007, and was subsequently offered a training contract.

Any tips to applicants?

Display your commercial acumen and try to relax and be yourself during any interviews/vacation schemes.