About Skadden

Skadden’s London office advises on M&A, capital markets, private equity, banking and finance, corporate restructuring, investment management, tax, insurance, government enforcement and white collar crime, international litigation and arbitration, EU competition, financial regulatory, employment, and IP, IT, data protection and cybersecurity.

Since opening our London office in 1988, Skadden has established itself as a major player in the London legal market.

The firm offers a fully integrated U.K., European and U.S. practice operating from our London base and composed of some of London’s top-ranked lawyers.

Our clients, which we counsel on cross-border European and global matters, include major corporates, financial institutions and governments. Skadden’s global platform allows our lawyers in London to quickly marshall relevant experience across practices and offices.

More than two-thirds of our London partners are recommended as leaders in their field in Chambers UK, and the firm is highly regarded in each of its practice areas. Skadden is regularly ranked highly for “legal expertise” in the Financial Times European “Innovative Lawyers” report.

Training at Skadden

Skadden’s training contracts are offered to students who participate in our vacation placement programme. Our vacation scheme programme provides students with a first-hand experience of working on global transactions with a diverse client base. It also provides insight into the working culture and atmosphere of Skadden. Each student is paired with an associate supervisor and trainee liaison who are tasked with identifying substantive work assignments. Our vacation scheme students spend their time in two different practice areas, allowing for greater exposure to our work. Students participate in a series of training workshops and insight sessions focused on current matters, which aids their professional development and provides a first-hand perspective from Skadden lawyers on the broad range of matters we handle.

We are looking to recruit approximately 12 graduates to join Skadden as trainee solicitors in 2024.

Undergraduate candidates must have reached the second year of their law degree or the final year of a non-law degree to be eligible to apply for a vacation scheme in 2022 and a 2024 training contract. We look for candidates who combine intellectual ability with enthusiasm and creativity. As a trainee at Skadden, you can expect early responsibility, significant client exposure and the opportunity to work on cutting-edge cross-border transactions sooner than you could expect to do so elsewhere. Our lawyers enjoy a friendly, team-oriented and collegiate culture while reaping the many benefits of working for one of the world’s largest and most prominent law firms.

Find out more and apply here.