A CAREER IN LAW.

Transcription

1 A CAREER IN LAW

2 Contents: Introduction by Lisa Botha, Partner About Allen & Overy Vacation Scheme Articles Applying to Allen & Overy 2

3 Introduction by Lisa Botha, Partner Welcome to Allen & Overy. I hope that you find this brochure useful in identifying whether Allen & Overy is the right firm for you. Our Johannesburg office has ambitious plans and we are looking for some of the brightest minds to join our firm to help us achieve them. Allen & Overy has a long-established Africa practice with over 100 Partners and lawyers working globally for African clients. Joining our Johannesburg office offers you the opportunity to advise both African homegrown companies and international corporations on opportunities in the banking, finance, energy, infrastructure and mining sectors, both in South Africa and elsewhere in sub-saharan Africa. Our lawyers have established close working relationships with regulators, government entities, investors, banks and corporates across the region in order to offer our clients optimal support. I think the culture at Allen & Overy is central to our success and, for me, two aspects of working here are key. The first is professionalism and a mindset to explore new and better ways of doing things. We pride ourselves in finding innovative and efficient solutions to the issues our clients are facing. The second is teamwork and a supportive working environment this is a firm that thrives on people who enjoy working together to achieve results for our clients. We thrive on the challenges of an intensely competitive business landscape and we enjoy helping clients to be successful. When I first became a lawyer, the focus was on technical excellence and intellectual calibre. Those qualities are still vital, but today the role of the lawyer has evolved. There is a much stronger focus on business and commercial sense and on playing a role within a team that will almost certainly comprise lawyers from other jurisdictions and require you to work as an extension of the clients own team. Today, virtually every piece of work we handle is won through relationship building and competitive pitching. So, in recruiting Candidate Attorneys, we are looking for evidence of entrepreneurial drive, innovative thinking and resilience. These are the qualities that you will need to be successful, over and above raw intellect and technical excellence. What Allen & Overy will give you in return is the best possible legal and business grounding; support and encouragement to excel and pursue your ideas; and a culture and environment that are truly unique. If you like what you see in this brochure I would strongly encourage you to apply, Allen & Overy may be a good fit for you - in the same way that it has been for me. 3

4 About Allen & Overy With 5000 people working in 46 offices across 32 countries, Allen & Overy is a truly global law firm. Prior to establishing a presence in Johannesburg in late 2014, we were the first large international law firm to open an office in Africa, in Morocco in This office adds to our already established global Africa practice with over 100 Partners and lawyers working for African clients, meaning that those working for Allen & Overy in South Africa have access to an unrivalled international platform and the opportunity to advise companies that are world leaders on some of the most significant transactions in the region. Allen & Overy has a track record of innovation and firsts. From international expansion into new, as well as established, markets to introducing part-time partnerships and creating a 320-jurisdiction comparative law database, we are comfortable taking the lead in our profession. Becoming the world s most advanced law firm is an idea that everyone in the firm can use to shape and drive their work and the way that they do it. From our Senior Partner to our newest of Candidate Attorneys, regardless of the task in hand, we have challenged our people to ask themselves; Am I really doing this in the most advanced way possible? The firm s global footprint is perhaps the most obvious external expression of our commitment to taking bold action and following our own path. With offices in 32 countries, Allen & Overy is adapting to a rapidly altering, more competitive landscape. Globalisation is the overriding theme of business today, and our view is that, to handle the biggest matters and the most interesting work, we have to build a reputation that resonates with globally-minded companies. In order to achieve this, we have set out to offer global reach and local depth to combine presence in the key global locations with the expertise of a deeply-rooted local law firm. In addition to our own network of 46 offices, we have invested heavily in an extensive network of relationship firms, which means we are able to offer clients a complete global service at the very highest level, on laws and regulations relating to more than 270 jurisdictions. We estimate that the number of jurisdictions not covered by our international network represents less than 1% of the world s economy. The practice of law and the expectations of clients are changing, by embedding advanced thinking throughout our firm and being prepared to move first and to go beyond what has been done before, we are making sure we are ready to tackle whatever the future holds. For aspiring lawyers thinking about joining Allen & Overy, this means just one thing opportunity. 47% 99% 1st of our work involves three or more countries of the world economy is covered by Allen & Overy s global law community We advised the Republic of South Africa on its inaugural sukuk, the continent s first international sukuk issuance 4

5 Vacation Scheme A Vacation Scheme is a great way to get to know us better and to experience first-hand our work and culture. We currently offer a one-week Summer Vacation Scheme in our Johannesburg office every January. On this scheme, you will gain real, hands-on work experience working alongside Allen & Overy lawyers on real deals and cases. You will work with fellow Vacation Students on a client-pitch project designed to sharpen your research skills and expose you to major clients of the firm, as well as the work that we do across our international network. There will also be plenty of time to socialise with other Allen & Overy people during your placement, which will further broaden your knowledge and extend your contacts around the firm. Just as Vacation Schemes are a good way to get to know us, they are also a good way for us to get to know you. We gather feedback on all our students from their trainers and you can choose to have an interview for Articles at the end of your placement. To apply for our Summer Vacation Scheme you must be an undergraduate with a minimum of one year s academic results to be eligible for consideration. Please visit our website for closing dates and the dates of our 2016 scheme. 5

6 Articles Your Articles programme at A&O will be two years in duration and will develop you into the best commercial lawyer you can be. You will work alongside Partners, Directors and Associates and actively contribute to the day-to-day work of the office working on transactions and cases, taking real responsibility and gaining plenty of client exposure. As you go through Articles and gain experience, it is anticipated that your level of responsibility will increase. Your professional development is a priority for us. Training and support is delivered in a variety of ways, including through mentoring by your trainer and attending department-specific courses as well as our International Buddy Programme, where you will be partnered with a trainee lawyer in another of Allen & Overy s international offices. Our impressive in-house training covers a broad range of legal, personal and business skills to help you develop not just as a lawyer but also as a business person. As well as studying for and passing your Attorneys Admission Examination, at A&O you will learn practical skills such as drafting, transaction management, research and legal and office procedures, and the experience you gain as a Candidate Attorney will develop your professional conduct, including negotiation and communication with clients and colleagues. Personal development is highly valued at Allen & Overy and we offer a wide range of formal and informal training, including the opportunity to travel to London for training in your second year of Articles. In my time at A&O, I have been exposed to the most prominent domestic and international matters and there has been a real focus on my training and development. I would recommend the firm to any graduate thinking of embarking on a career as a commercial lawyer. Steven Lovesay, Candidate Attorney 6

7 Applying to Allen & Overy Competition for Articles and Vacation Schemes can be intense but the key is extensive research before you apply. The online application form is your first opportunity to stand out, so make the most of it with thorough preparation and good examples that demonstrate the skills we are looking for. The same preparation should go into your Interview Day use the opportunity to showcase your potential to be a great lawyer. Our requirements: Candidates/All Applicants need to have the right to work in South Africa. We look for a consistently strong academic performance throughout high school and university. All candidates must be studying for, or have completed, an LLB Law degree at a South African university, and Vacation Scheme applicants must have at least one year s academic results to be eligible for consideration. We will ask you to provide all of your degree module grades together with your Matric results on our application form. The application process All applications are accepted online at Please refer to our website for details of application deadlines and Vacation Scheme dates. The application process for both our Vacation Scheme and Articles is the same: Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Apply online Interview Day Offer We wish you every success with your application. 7

8 GLOBAL PRESENCE Allen & Overy is an international legal practice with approximately 5,000 people, including some 526 partners, working in 46 offices worldwide. Allen & Overy LLP or an affiliated undertaking has an office in each of: Abu Dhabi Casablanca London Rome Amsterdam Doha Luxembourg São Paulo Antwerp Dubai Madrid Shanghai Athens (representative office) Bangkok Düsseldorf Frankfurt Mannheim Milan Singapore Sydney Barcelona Hamburg Moscow Tokyo Beijing Hanoi Munich Toronto Belfast Ho Chi Minh City New York Warsaw Bratislava Hong Kong Paris Washington, D.C. Brussels Istanbul Perth Yangon Bucharest (associated office) Budapest Jakarta (associated office) Johannesburg Prague Riyadh (associated office) Allen & Overy means Allen & Overy LLP and/or its affiliated undertakings. The term partner is used to refer to a member of Allen & Overy LLP or an employee or consultant with equivalent standing and qualifications or an individual with equivalent status in one of Allen & Overy LLP s affiliated undertakings. Allen & Overy LLP 2015 CS1502_CDD-41432_ADD-50617