Culture

• "The culture is quite relaxed, but ambitious. Trainees are very supportive of each other with very little feeling of competition between each other. There is a lot of socialising between trainees, often organised by trainees themselves." -- First year trainee
• "Most trainees attend Kaplan Law School at London Bridge and so will know each other when they start at the firm. This is a very good thing as trainees are friends before they are work colleagues. Trainees are generally willing to support and help other trainees and will pull together to get the work done. Trainees do socialise together, both at functions organised by the firm and impromptu drinks organised by various trainees outside of the office." -- First year trainee
• "The firm has a traditional structure of partner/associate/trainee – although I have always found members of each group to be very sociable, friendly and approachable to the extent that there is no feeling of hierarchy in the strictest sense of the word. Everyone supports each other and works together as a team which can make the work incredibly rewarding. The trainees are a great bunch of people from all kinds of backgrounds and experience. Some have decided to retrain as a lawyer, others are fresh from uni and the LPC – this creates a really diverse group with all sorts of talents. In my experience the other trainees are incredibly supportive of each other, offering to help out when one trainee is under a lot of pressure. I have made some friends for life from my intake. The trainees are very sociable with regular impromptu drinks organised at the end of the week. Trainees have also been known to organise trips abroad or other social activities as well. The firm organises two trainee social events each year (at summer and Christmas) and encourages trainees to get involved in the vacation scheme activities such as bowling, drinks and dinner and even trips to Brussels and Paris." -- Second year trainee
• "Trainees socialise on a very regular basis within intakes and across intakes. In fact, when trainees qualify, this makes very little if any noticeable difference to their interaction amongst current trainees. In a work environment, the trainees are always aware of the workload of other trainees and are the first to help to give you a little break and to ensure work is turned around quickly. The firm has a very team-based mentality. Almost all work is done in teams and this allows a strong sense of comradeship to build." -- First year trainee
• "There is a high ratio of partners to associates in the department. There are relatively few senior and mid-level associates and large volumes of junior associates. This means that junior associates work closely with partners and get greater responsibility on deals than they otherwise would. The firm is in the process of recruiting more mid-level and senior associates. Everyone works well together and there is a good social life in the department, which includes the trainees. We have drinks trolleys on a Friday every fortnight, which is a great way to unwind with colleagues after a busy working week." -- Junior solicitor, Banking
• "The firm has a very down-to-earth feel. Everyone is very friendly and there's a distinct lack of arrogance amongst partners (lots of whom trained at the firm and are very good friends themselves and still very young at heart). Trainees definitely support each other and enjoy socialising together." -- First year trainee
• "Trainees definitely support each other; there is a great environment in the office where fellow trainees will volunteer to assist another so that the workload is shared and more balanced between peers. There is a great social life, most days the trainees will eat lunch together and there are often impromptu drinks after work as well as the events organised by the firm. Some groups have one or two trainees, whilst others (such as Finance or Dispute Resolution) have 7 or 8 trainees." -- Second year trainee
• "The firm has a real ‘work hard, play hard culture’. Trainees are as involved in societies and events as any other member of the firm. Naturally, we all support each other and if anyone is getting swamped then the rest of us in that department will pitch in to try and clear the workload. We do try and organise going out together, but naturally the job does not always allow us all to get out of the office in time to enjoy these events! The trainees at Mayer Brown are considered to be a valued asset in my opinion. There is a real reliance on the work that we undertake for associates and partners and you soon learn that you are considered a member of the team and will be relied upon to provide correct advice, regardless of the fact that you are junior." -- First year trainee
• "People tend to work very well together, we receive a lot of support from superiors and there are many training opportunities available to us. The department has a very friendly and social environment." -- Newly qualified solicitor, Property
• "The firm's culture differs from department to department. However, overall it is not very conservative. There are a number of formal firm events (e.g. Christmas party, quiz, summer fete, football tournament, etc.) and departmental events (drinks, etc). However, solicitors regularly socialise together after work as everyone is very friendly. In particular, we tend to socialise with our peer group across the firm as many of us attended the same law school (Kaplan) before starting our training contracts. We go on holiday together occasionally and many of us live together as well." -- Newly qualified solicitor, Corporate

Hours

• "On average, I probably work a 50 to 60 hour week. I think my hours are very acceptable at the moment and there is definitely not a 'face-time' culture." -- Second year trainee
• "I currently spend around 45 hours per week in the firm, which is less than I expected and I am happy with this. However, I have had weeks where I have worked 70 – 80 hours so this varies greatly by seat." -- First year trainee
• "It is a big City firm so there are bound to be some long hours. Having said that, the firm does what it can to make this easier for you – for example, working from home where possible, cabs to pick you up in the morning, days in lieu for working long hours. They promote a healthy work/life balance as far as possible. The general policy being: work hard when necessary, but go and live a life when able to (face time has no value)." -- Second year trainee
• "Peaks and troughs. Don't mind doing the long hours as I’m often so busy I don't notice. Occasional weekends/all nighters but when doing them as part of a team you feel supported. This was expected and is part and parcel of being a lawyer." -- First year trainee
• "The number of hours you work depends on the department, I feel. Currently (in construction litigation) I am working between 45 and 50 hours per week. In my previous seat in construction it was more like 60 hours plus. I feel I am working about the amount of hours I expected." -- First year trainee
• "Usually, I work between 40 and 55 hours a week (although I'm currently on a client secondment where I finish every night at 6pm). There can be long, hard hours at times, but I've never stayed past 11pm and it always feels like you're there working hard for a good reason." -- First year trainee
• "Very occasionally I have to stay late, but it is nicely balanced with reasonable hours on other nights, plus often it will be because we are involved in a really interesting matter which means staying late doesn't matter. You are in a team working towards a goal so it is quite fun! The working hours are better than I expected." -- Second year trainee
• "At the firm my average week was 50 – 70 hours, depending on how busy the department was at certain times. I think the hours were slightly better than I had anticipated considering all of the horror stories I had previously heard about US firms." -- First year trainee
• "I have worked very long hours whilst I have been at the firm. When I am on a deal I can work 60 – 70 hours per week, but when it is quiet I have been able to leave at around 6pm. I have found that I am working more hours than expected, but have been pleased to discover there is no such thing as face time at the firm. Generally, it is accepted that if you have finished your work then you can go home." -- First year trainee
• "The amount of hours I work each week really depends on which department you are sitting in and how busy the department is. For example, litigation tends to be very steady work with steady hours, while transactional work is more cyclical and so some days will mean an early finish, whilst others will mean working into the small hours of the morning or even (exceptionally) all the way through the night. From my experience at the firm, there is a real ethos of preferring to work late on a weekday to ensure you do not have to work at the weekends. I had no illusions about the working hours when joining the firm and so I believe my working hours are as expected. It's difficult to explain, but when sat in a busy department long hours make more sense when you understand the task in hand and understand why it has to be done by a set deadline. Additionally, I find, when working long hours, you tend not to notice how many hours you work!" -- Second year trainee
• "I bill on average 150 hours a month. I spend about 55 hours a week in the office. Unpaid leave is sometimes available. You can't purchase additional holidays." -- Newly qualified solicitor, Corporate
• "As yet I am not sure how many hours I will be billing on average, but I aim to bill around 7 hours per day. Sometimes I bill more, sometimes less. I probably spend around 45 hours per week in the office in total." -- Newly qualified solicitor, Litigation
• "The hours haven't been great in all honesty. I have billed on average 160 hours per month since January 1st, but again, I have had some excellent work experience. Things are starting to calm down now and I am getting out early most days, but when it is busy, hours can be pretty bad." -- Junior solicitor, Banking
• "I bill around 160 – 180 hours per month and, in addition, probably do about 20 BD/client hours." -- Newly qualified solicitor, Banking
• "There are always periods of being very busy followed by not so busy periods. Lately I've been busy because of the trial, but now it has calmed down a bit. On average I work at least 50 hour weeks." -- Newly qualified solicitor, Litigation

Pay

• "Mayer Brown's compensation is comparable to all other major City firms (including the Magic Circle) and includes a pay rise after the first year of the training contract." -- Second year trainee
• "We are not paid in line with the top American firms in London, but it is pretty much standard for the English firms." -- Second year trainee
• "The pay freeze was lifted last year – which is helpful." -- Second year trainee
• "Good for a trainee. Not as good for an NQ." -- Second year trainee
• "For a trainee, I am relatively happy with my salary." -- Second year trainee
• "£61,000" -- Newly qualified solicitor
• "Pay is good by ‘City standards’, however, for 2,000+ billable hours, far below equivalent firms in banking/finance. Several junior/mid-level associates seem to be leaving for better paying firms (in banking/finance)." -- Newly qualified solicitor, Banking
• "The remuneration isn't great considering the hours we put in, but there is an understanding that in the finance department, you go up to "mid-Atlantic" pay scales a year or two post qualification and this is £83k+. We do have higher billable targets when we go to mid-Atlantic (1800 hours)." -- Junior solicitor, Banking
• "There is a bonus scheme, which is in the process of being re-implemented after the recession. You are only eligible for a bonus if you meet your target hours (1650) and achieve a certain grade on your appraisal." -- Newly qualified solicitor, Litigation
• "The bonus programme depends on hitting billing targets, with the lowest bonus being 5% for 1650 hours. The maximum bonus is 25%. The firm is currently transitioning to a merit-based remuneration scheme, so that pay is awarded within bands. Therefore, the level of PQE will be less important to base pay. The first pay changes under this system are to be made in June 2011." -- Newly qualified solicitor, Corporate
• "I feel that we are paid marginally less than market standard for a firm of our size and ambition." -- Newly qualified solicitor, Corporate

Interviews & Assessments

• “I was interviewed by two partners – one from employment, the other from corporate. The interview explored my motivation for applying to Mayer Brown and asked me about my skills and interests. There were also questions on my knowledge of the legal services industry and how current affairs (such as the state of the economy, etc.) could impact it. The assessment centre was good fun, though very thorough. We had a group exercise and written exercise which was broken up by a chance to meet the current trainees and a tour of the office building." -- Second year trainee
• "The assessment day was well organised and, in the end, quite enjoyable. The members of staff who took part were approachable and welcoming. I interviewed with two partners and it lasted for approximately one hour. The interview was testing but there were also, informal questions and conversations at times." -- First year trainee
• "There were three rounds. I was interviewed by a managing partner and a senior associate. The interview was a casual chat with the interviewers keen on learning more about me and every now and then checking my technical knowledge and commercial awareness. The assessment day is highly competitive with a big business case study – the case study is time-bound and not only tests your time keeping, but also your commercial awareness, your common sense and your ability to follow a brief and take instructions." -- Second year trainee
• "Written application, followed by an online psychometric test, then an assessment centre. This consisted of a fact-finding exercise, a written exercise, a group exercise, lunch with trainees and an interview with two partners. The interview was a mix of competency and commercial questions." -- Second year trainee
• "Online aptitude test. If you pass, you’re on to the next stage. Assessment day included document review under time pressure, and a presentation. If you pass, you’re on to the next stage. Partner interview with two partners." -- First year trainee
• "There was only one assessment day and one interview to persuade the firm that you are 'Mayer Brown material'. The day itself was quite hard in that you were expected to perform written, oral, numerical and group exercises as well the interview itself. The interview was with two partners and I don't think there was a specific format they followed, it adapted to me and the answers I was giving. I was asked about my previous career history, current affairs, my views on specific areas of law, and generally about myself and how I would fit into the firm." -- First year trainee
• "One assessment day – written exercise, interview, information gathering exercise and a group exercise. I thought it was a fair assessment and also the interview was fun! The partners who interviewed me were interested to know about me, and my interests – they did not ask any difficult hypothetical questions like so many firms seem to, and it was more about me and why I had made the choices of degree/career, etc." -- Second year trainee
• "One assessment day with several different parts and an interview with two partners. The interview was more like a nice, friendly chat. Some of the tasks were very intense – written test and group discussion were a bit terrifying, but makes sure the process is a fair one, rather than with the partners just hiring people who remind them of themselves at that age." -- First year trainee
• "The assessment centre is designed to be quite challenging. I had to go through the assessment centre and an interview on a different day (but the system has since been streamlined to just one day)." -- Junior solicitor, Banking
• "The interview/assessment day has since changed, but when I was going through the process, I attended an assessment day for the vacation scheme. I was successful on the day, and attended the vacation scheme for three weeks over the summer. During the scheme, I was assessed for the training contract – a group exercise, presentation, written exercise. I didn't have a partner interview at any stage, only an interview for getting on to the vacation scheme, which was conducted by HR. The interview was competency based, they asked the usual "why law", "why Mayer Brown" questions, and were very friendly. I didn't feel as nervous as I did when interviewing at other firms at the same time." -- Newly qualified solicitor, Litigation
• "I attended a competency-based interview with HR for a vacation scheme and also had to undertake a verbal reasoning test. On the actual vacation scheme, there was a written exercise, group exercise and presentation. We were also appraised by our supervisors." -- Newly qualified solicitor, Corporate