Norton Rose Fulbright LLP

Norton Rose Fulbright was formed on June 1st, 2013 when Norton Rose joined forces with leading U.S. firm Fulbright & Jaworski LLP. The new firm instantly became one of the top ten legal practices in the world by gross revenue and one of the top five practices by number of lawyers.

The firm is well known for its collegiate and friendly culture and currently resides in state of the art, environmentally friendly offices on London’s South bank – designed by renowned architectural firm, Foster & Partner. The firm has always been very internationally-minded and well over half of all Norton Rose Fulbright staff operate overseas. In addition to its strong presence in Europe, the firm has offices in North America, Asia, Australia, Africa, Central America and the Middle East.

The recent merger which created Norton Rose Fulbright is only the latest in a series of moves which have made the firm into the global giant it is today. For example, in 2012 Canadian law firm Macleod Dixon LLP joined up with Norton Rose and helped the firm open up new markets in both South America and Central Asia.

The firm’s principle practice groups are banking and finance, corporate, intellectual property and litigation and dispute resolution.

Norton Rose Fulbright will apply their expertise in a range of industries with a particular focus on: energy; pharmaceuticals and life sciences (including healthcare); financial institutions; infrastructure, mining and commodities; technology and transport.

Before the merger, Norton Rose was known for having a supportive and friendly culture and, despite a fluid legal market, this has been a key motivation in encouraging many solicitors, partners and clients to remain with Norton Rose over the years.

Complementing the supportive and communal ethos, the firm is committed to social responsibility. Pro bono volunteers in London provide legal assistance at evening drop-in clinics at the Tower Hamlets Law Centre in Whitechapel, the Wandsworth and Merton Law Centre in Tooting, and at the Citizens Advice Bureau. They also help people who are denied basic employment rights, facing homelessness, or experiencing discrimination in the work place. Outside the UK, Norton Rose Fulbright works with various charities, focussing its fundraising efforts on children, illness and medicine.

Norton Rose Fulbright LLP, Norton Rose Fulbright Australia, Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP, Norton Rose Fulbright South Africa (incorporated as Deneys Reitz Inc) and Fulbright & Jaworski LLP, each of which is a separate legal entity, are members (‘the Norton Rose Fulbright members’) of Norton Rose Fulbright Verein, a Swiss Verein.  Norton Rose Fulbright Verein helps coordinate the activities of the Norton Rose Fulbright members but does not, itself, provide legal services to clients.

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If you want to work for Norton Rose Fulbright, expect fierce competition – the firm interviews about 250 candidates for approximately 55 training contracts each year. While the firm doesn’t target any particular universities and is certainly looking beyond the Oxbridge elite, you still need to have a solid academic background. However, during the hiring process the focus is well and truly on the individual, rather than just their application form Norton Rose Fulbright’s primary concern being that they employ smart, capable and personable individuals. That said, one trainee advises ‘you need a minimum 2:1 from a good university unless you’re an exceptional case’.

The trainee intake is quite mixed with people coming from a variety of backgrounds. ‘The practice is looking for interesting people’ so the more diverse your interests are, the better! Compulsory seats include corporate, banking, and dispute resolution, but you can also choose niche departments such as employment and tax. Furthermore, if you want to do a seat or two abroad, Norton Rose Fulbright is the firm to choose. Trainees are positively encouraged to do at least one international seat, and some even fit in three. Trainees can also qualify into one of the firm’s many international offices, and with 42 spread across 25 countries, there are plenty of options!

Flexibility is important in candidates, as are excellent interpersonal and problem-solving skills. Since Norton Rose Fulbright really is an international firm, ‘people with language skills are definitely well placed. Interesting extracurricular activities are good as well’. On top of that, the firm is looking for people who are ‘dynamic, confident, clever, analytical’, as well as capable of demonstrating reason ‘when pushed with difficult questions’. These are certainly all competencies that will come in handy should you make it to the interview stage.

First of all though, you need to apply online and if successful, you will be invited to attend an assessment day at the firm. This involves a group discussion assessment, a written exercise and an interview with two partners, which while demanding, is relatively informal. ‘Overall, the interview is more like a chat about yourself and the firm. Most of the questions focus on your previous experience and your interest in law.’ There won’t be any lengthy assessment centres or tough verbal reasoning tests found in some other firms' application processes. So make sure you master that all-important interview. ‘Always prepare well by reading the firm's website and news about the firm's recent transactions. Candidates need to be practical and commercially-minded, as well as academic and willing to try new things’.

Vac Scheme

An alternative route to a training contract at Norton Rose Fulbright is via the vacation scheme, for which you will have to submit an online application and succeed in an interview. At the end of this two week scheme you will face another interview with partners for a training contract. If you make a good impression both during the two weeks, and in your interview, you have a good chance of being offered that much coveted training contract!

Norton Rose Graduate Recruitment Info

Contact:
Caroline Lindner
Graduate Recruitment Manager
Email: graduate.recruitment@nortonrosefulbright.com
Tel: 020 7444 2113

Application Deadlines:
Training Contracts: 30th April 2013 (non-law) and 31st July 2013 (law)
Vacation Schemes: 31st January 2014

Stats

No. of lawyers firm-wide: 3,800
No. of lawyers in London: 400+
London partners: 151
London trainee intake: 55
London trainees retained: 89% (May 2013)
No. of applications per year: 1,800 – 2,000

NORTON ROSE: 2013 LAW RANKINGS

# 12 Most Reputable Law Firm (7.00/10)

# 2 in Offices (9.20/10)
# 4 in Culture (8.69/10)
# 7 in Solicitor Training (7.67/10)
# 9 (Tie) in Formal Training (8.29/10)
# 9 (Tie) in Partner & Solicitor Relations (7.50/10)
# 10 in Diversity (8.15/10)
# 10 in Informal Training & Mentoring (7.85/10)
# 11 in Green Initiatives (7.35/10)
# 11 in Trainee Retention (7.63/10)
# 13 (Tie) in Overall Satisfaction (8.24/10)

Salary

London
1st year trainee: £38,000
2nd year trainee: £43,000
Newly qualified: £61,500

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Departments

Acquisition Finance
Agribusiness
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Antitrust, Competition & Regulatory
Asset Finance
Asset Management
Asset-based Lending
Aviation
Banking & Finance
Business Ethics & Anti-Corruption
Capital Markets
Cleantech
Climate Change
Commodities
Communications, Media & Technology
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Corporate
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Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation
Employment & Labour
Energy
Environment Safety & Planning
Financial Institutions
Financial Services & Markets
FMCG
Food, Pharmaceuticals & Biotechnology
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Insurance
Intellectual Property
Investment Funds
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M&A
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Securities, Regulation & Enforcement
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Tax
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US Corporate Finance
WTO & International Trade