Freshfields in the U.S.—Curious minds, global teams and excellent training

Published: Aug 12, 2015

Topics: Job Search Law

Vault named us the #1 firm in the US for international work in 2014 and 2015.

We’re an international firm. With over 200 lawyers in the US and another 2,300 lawyers worldwide, we help clients achieve their goals, however ambitious they are and wherever they need our advice. No one matches our breadth and depth of international experience. But what separates us the most from our peers is that we take on the hard cases, those without precedent, where the cross-border challenges crop up for the first time. We never do routine.

Recent accolades:

Ranked #1 for international arbitration, Chambers Latin America, (2009 – 2014).
#1 firm for cross-border deals.
$890bn+ of cross-border deals in the last five years, more than any other law firm.
In the US, our corporate partners have worked on M&A transactions with a combined value of more than $1tn.

Who we are:

Adam Siegel, US managing partner:

“Every person in our US office is molding this place and where we go in the future.”

I joined Freshfields as a partner in 2009 and became US managing partner five years later.

I came to Freshfields because we’re a firm that helps some of the world’s biggest businesses overcome their most significant problems and capitalize on their most significant opportunities.

In today’s world, these problems and opportunities are multinational, and the firm is perfectly positioned to help clients with these matters.

Lawyers who succeed at Freshfields are genuinely curious about different cultures, countries and global issues, and they have a passion for understanding how different legal systems around the world operate. Our lawyers also have an entrepreneurial spirit, because we are still relatively new in the US—only around 15 years old.

Who we’re looking for:

Lesley Stumphauzer, Legal Recruiting and Personnel Manager:

“We are looking for people who have the capacity to spot and define problems and who have the capacity to solve them, too.”

Until you’ve tried the work, gotten to know your colleagues, met the clients, and experienced the challenges of working at an international firm, you won’t know which area of law will best suit you. That’s why our US summer program offers you the flexibility to try as many practice areas as you wish, and there are no formal rotations. Keep an open mind for now.

We are looking for people who have the capacity to spot and define problems and who have the capacity to solve them, too. In the commercial world you’ll rarely have much time, so we look for people who can think on their feet. As a summer associate, you’ll be paired with a partner mentor, an associate mentor and an office-mate who will help you navigate the firm and guide you along the way.

We also look for people who have a real interest in international work. And because we value a global perspective, we send all interested summer associates on a two-week summer secondment to one of our 25 offices outside the US. Summer associates have spent time in our Amsterdam, Berlin, Dubai, Hong Kong, London, Madrid, Singapore and Tokyo offices—just to name a few!

What we’re most impressed with, though, is potential. If you’re articulate, passionate, and hardworking, and think you have what it takes to puzzle through complex, cross-border legal issues, then we want to hear from you.

With the right training behind you, you can go anywhere and do anything. We’d like to hear from you if you like the sound of us.

27 offices
16 countries
11 week summer program
7,793 hours of pro bono in 2014
20 total campus visits in 2015
Two-week Summer secondments

Our associates do first-rate legal work for clients. But, we also ask our associates to do things they might not do elsewhere, like assist with business development and help with training. And because we are younger in the US than our peer firms and have a flatter structure, we need people who can think strategically about the issues our clients face and take on a lot of responsibility early in their careers.

Whether transactional or litigation focused, all of our matters are complex and challenging. Most recently, our litigation team won the acquittal in a federal jury trial of the former CEO of UBS Wealth Management. This was the most senior Swiss banker charged in the US Department of Justice’s long running crackdown on Swiss banks and bankers for allegedly helping US taxpayers to evade billions of dollars of US taxes on assets secretly held in Switzerland.

Our arbitration team represented BG Group in its victory before the Supreme Court of the United States, in the first case concerning a bilateral investment treaty ever considered by the Supreme Court.

We also advised Novartis AG on two multibillion-dollar pharmaceutical sector transactions: the over-the-counter joint venture with GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Health to create a world leading consumer healthcare business and the sale of its Animal Health business for $5.4bn to Eli Lilly. These matters involved our M&A team, our antitrust team and our litigation team.

These are just a few examples of the type of work we do in New York and Washington.

As you may have figured out, we work in teams, so you’ll need to be a team player—generous with your time and considerate of others. Your team may be spread across thousands of miles, but we’ll work together as one to help our clients.

Your reasons for considering us may differ. But one thing’s for sure: you’ll never get bored here.

This material is provided by the US law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer US LLP and the international law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP (a limited liability partnership organized under the law of England and Wales) (the UK LLP) and by the offices and associated entities of the UK LLP practicing under the Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer name in a number of jurisdictions, together referred to in the material as “Freshfields.” For regulatory information please refer to www.freshfields.com/support/legalnotice.

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer US LLP has offices in New York City and Washington, DC. The UK LLP has offices or associated entities in Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, China, England, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Russia, Singapore, Spain, the United Arab Emirates and Vietnam.

This material is for general information only and is not intended to provide legal advice. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

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