graduate recruitment brochure asia

DLA PIPER IN OUR WORDS

BIG OPPORTUNITIES FOR TALENTED PEOPLE

02 | Big Opportunities for Talented People

LEGAL CAREERS ON A DIFFERENT SCALE

LEGAL CAREERS ON A DIFFERENT SCALE

www.dlapiper.com | 03

As one of the world’s largest law firms, we have amazing opportunities for those who think commercially, strategically and globally. Our size is matched by our ambition. We are a firm that welcomes people with different views, ideas and intended career paths. All we ask is that you are talented, enthusiastic and aiming to be the best.

Being part of a big firm does not mean you will be lost in the crowd. This means that you will be part of a trainee cohort that has huge opportunities and real responsibility.

Use this brochure to take a short journey with us around our firm as we explain what our lawyers actually do and what we would expect of you if you were to join us. We believe DLA Piper is the best place for talented people to learn how to become great lawyers and business leaders.

Our world is an exciting place to be and your journey with us will be exciting and enriching. A place where your talent is truly rewarded.

Read more, get in touch and make up your own mind.

EXPANSIVE OUTLOOK

We are a truly global firm, dedicated to the markets in which we operate. The opportunities for both personal and professional development are vast and you’ll be part of a great team too.

Kevin Chan Office Managing Partner – Hong Kong

DLA Piper offers you a legal career on a different scale


and we work closely with them to help them achieve their legal and commercial goals. That means you will need skills that expand beyond the ability to understand complex legal concepts.

Our commercial mindset is one of the things our clients find unique about us. You will need to demonstrate this mindset: be interested in business, understand where profits come from and be attuned to the main challenges our clients face. You will need to read the trade magazines they read, attend the conferences they attend and be able to talk confidently about the subjects which interest them. You will need to consider everything on a global scale, because that’s what a lot of our clients do every day.

HOW COMMERCIAL ARE YOU?

DLA Piper provides opportunities for lawyers to develop high quality legal and professional skills that are highly adaptable to a global workplace. If you have good ideas about how you want to develop your practice, then you are encouraged to pursue them. DLA Piper also takes mentoring of young lawyers very seriously as the development of the next generation of lawyers is one of the keys to our ongoing

success. Our lawyers have a strong interest and commitment to mentoring young lawyers from the time they are trainees all the way to partner and beyond.

I have been very fortunate to have excellent mentors at the firm and aspire to be a good mentor for others. Professional and personal growth is ongoing and is part of our culture.

Paul Chen Head of Corporate – Asia

Clients are at the heart of everything we do

Of course, providing guidance on the law is obviously very important. You must be a master of your subject area and be able to interpret it for specific circumstances. We will help you with this, giving you the chance to experience different aspects of the

law during your first two years with us. One or two specialisms will probably interest you the most and we will do our very best to offer you opportunities in those areas when you qualify. Because of our size, we have the scope to do this.


and our clients expect that every aspect of our service is delivered to the highest quality: from the way we answer the phone, to the way we shape our advice. You are going to have to be good at lots of things, demonstrate initiative and be very client focused. Communication and interpersonal skills are vital. Being able to network and sell your services will also be crucial.

Lawyers have to be team players too. You will regularly work with others to tackle a project, sometimes across offices and countries. You need to be able to listen, put forward suggestions and play an active role

THE HIGHEST QUALITY

The culture here suits me well and I am given the opportunities, resources and guidance to develop my skills and my career at a fast pace. DLA Piper helps me live up to my potential and gives me a clear career path.

Leo Cheng Of Counsel Litigation & Regulatory Group, Hong Kong

Being a great lawyer also means providing a great service

within a range of teams. These are skills that are not necessarily taught, so we will help you to develop them.

We want you to be entrepreneurial and full of fresh ideas which can make a commercial difference to our clients and our firm. One advantage of being part of

DLA Piper is that everyone here plays an important role and if you are good then we will listen to you regardless of how long you have been with us. As your career evolves you will also need to understand budgets, business planning, marketing and ultimately leadership.


or fixing the photocopier, in between making tea for the partners. At DLA Piper we see two years of slaving over a hot reprographics machine or kettle as a poor return on the money we are investing in you, and a sure-fire way of disengaging you!

DLA Piper trainees have real experience and responsibility – and lots of it. Actual work for actual clients that will have a real impact on your development and performance. You will be given things to do that will build your skills and experience. And if you are good at those tasks then you will be given even more challenging things to do.

STRETCHING YOUR SKILLSYou probably hear a lot about law firm trainees doing nothing but photocopying

Throughout the training process and beyond, you will develop the necessary abilities and knowledge not just to survive, but to thrive, in a busy client-driven environment. This involves four six-month seats in different practice areas, and bespoke training tailored to meet your needs.

You will receive regular performance reviews and feedback throughout. There will be opportunities to go on international secondments. All this means enormous opportunity for you. A chance to be who you want to be, in the role that suits you best, at the locations where you want to work.

There are sure to be tough days as well as fun times; grind as well as glamour; and some late nights and early mornings. However, everything that you encounter will stand you in good stead for your future career.


We compete for the same high quality work as our competitors, wear similar clothes and have a partnership structure. However, there is a big difference in our perspective. You will be joining a firm with a history that goes back to the 1,700s, but has seen unparalleled growth over the past fifteen years. This is due to an entrepreneurial mindset and a willingness to take risks. In many ways, we have shaken up the cosy world of law and demonstrated how real commercial flair can get you to where you want to be. We have dared to think big and turn our

A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE

DLA Piper offers you an unparalleled training programme – for starters, you’ll spend the first few days of your training contract on an induction course in the United Kingdom, which has been designed specifically to help to you settle in and to give you necessary background information and skills.

Ken Chau Trainee Solicitor – 2nd Year, Hong Kong

In some ways DLA Piper is not that different from other law firms

vision into reality. This is a modern, entrepreneurial business rather than a stuffy closed shop, where ambitions are global, not parochial.This ambition flows through our firm and provides real energy to the working environment. People feel they are part of something special, and still at the start of something big. This is why we need trainees with similar energy and drive. We want to continue growing into the future, and you could play a starring role.

We want to steer our business forward and to do this we need the best people out in front. Whilst you cannot expect to become a partner within your first few months, if you are good then you will be promoted. We do not want our talented people patiently waiting in line to rise to the top. We want the best in charge, achieving more for our firm. That is how successful, meritocratic commercial enterprises work and that is how DLA Piper works.


CORPORATE

Our corporate lawyers transact domestic and multi-jurisdictional joint ventures and strategic alliances, tender offers, exchange offers, mergers and acquisitions, consolidations, hostile takeovers and proxy contests, leveraged recapitalisations and management buyouts, divisional or asset sales and distressed company deals through bankruptcy or other structures. The team also includes specialists in tax, funds and capital markets work.

EMPLOYMENT

We help clients in relation to all their employment-related needs including employment and consultancy agreements, compensation and benefits, provident and pension schemes, employee share options, employment incentives, discrimination and dismissal issues, transfer of employees upon corporate restructuring (i.e. transmission of business), occupational retirement schemes or immigration-related issues (including entry permits, visas and permanent residency). Our lawyers

represent clients across the whole spectrum of industry at both a domestic and international level from SMEs to large multinationals with varying workplace environments and corporate structures.

FINANCE & PROjECTS

We bring to our clients, which include local and international corporations, banks and financial institutions, specialised services including trade financing account receivable financings, acquisition financings, asset based financings, leasing, debt restructurings and insolvencies, project financings, securitisations and structured financings.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND TECHNOLOGY

We have considerable experience advising on complex distribution and IP licensing arrangements, corporate transactions (including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and listings), data privacy and security, franchising, advertising laws, IP

and IT law, IP prosecution, IT outsourcing, litigation and arbitration, lobbying and strategic advice and analysis, procurement or supply of telecom and IT products and services, and telecoms and IT projects. We also have extensive intellectual property litigation and dispute resolution experience, regionally and internationally.

LITIGATION & REGULATORY

The litigation lawyers in our group handle large, complex local and cross-border disputes. The group has experience in all forms of litigation, corporate crimes, arbitration, alternative dispute resolution and mediation and has acted in proceedings regulated by courts and tribunals at all levels. Our lawyers are focused on solving clients’ problems in the most practical manner at the lowest possible cost. The regulatory lawyers in our group advise corporations, government bodies, financial institutions, investors and accountants in relation to Listing Rules, Takeover Code compliance issues, corporate advisory, corporate

WHAT DO WE DO?


governance and transactional support. On the contentious side we advise corporations, investment banks and individual directors on dealing with the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKSE) and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) in relation to investigations, insider dealing tribunals and internal reviews by regulated entities. We regularly advise corporations on risk management, environmental reviews and health and safety issues. Our team also has extensive multi-jurisdictional experience in relation to fraud, corruption (including FCPA) and corporate governance matters.

REAL ESTATE

We strive to help clients create and implement effective strategies for addressing their real estate-related business needs. Clients include corporations, banks, property developers and contractors, private client investors and developers, architects and surveyors, building managers and incorporated owners. We advise on the full range of

real estate services from auctions, tenders and sealed bids, commercial and residential acquisitions, disposals and leasings, landlord and tenant issues to land grants and modifications, possession actions, property development and financings, property litigation, property management, and development, multi-occupational commercial developments and investments. Lawyers in our Hong Kong office also have REIT transactional experience.

TAX

Our Tax Group in Asia provides international and domestic tax-efficient planning advice for all organisational models. Our tax specialists advise on different taxes including corporate, individual (both local and expatriate employees), income, and business (applicable to certain industries). Our specialists also advise on other tax-related scenarios such as withholding taxes on cross-border licensing and services, import VAT and custom duty applicable to imported items and local real property related charges.

RESTRUCTURING

Our Restructuring Group in Asia Pacific is uniquely placed to provide seamless restructuring legal advice to local and international clients across the region. Our knowledge of, and close involvement with, the Asia Pacific market enables us to provide restructuring advice which is both strategic and commercial.

We advise financial institutions, private equity and hedge funds, distressed debt and special opportunity funds, corporates and insolvency practitioners. Our expertise includes Financial restructuring (including acting for lenders, bondholders, and corporate clients), Corporate restructuring, Distressed debt sales and purchases, distressed investments, Insolvency advice, and Insolvency litigation.

Our Restructuring Group is rated as a leading practice in Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand and Australia by Chambers Asia, Legal 500, and IFLR 1000.


INTERNATIONAL FOCUS


DLA PIPER SWEDENAUSTRALIA

BrisbaneCanberraMelbournePerthSydney

AUSTRIAVienna

BAHRAINManama

BELGIUMAntwerpBrussels

BRAZILSão Paulo

CANADACalgaryEdmontonMontrealTorontoVancouverWhitehorseYellowknife

CHINABeijingHong KongShanghai

CZECH REPUBLICPrague

FRANCEParis

GEORGIATbilisi

GERMANYBerlinCologneFrankfurtHamburgMunich

HUNGARYBudapest

ITALYMilanRome

JAPANTokyo

KUWAITKuwait City

LUXEMBOURGLuxembourg

MEXICOMexico City

NETHERLANDSAmsterdam

OMANMuscat

POLANDWarsaw

QATARDoha

ROMANIABucharest

RUSSIAMoscowSt. Petersburg

SAUDI ARABIAJeddah Riyadh

SINGAPORESingapore

SLOVAK REPUBLICBratislava

SOUTH KOREASeoul

SPAINMadrid

THAILANDBangkok

UKRAINEKyivUNITED ARAB EMIRATESAbu DhabiDubai

UNITED KINGDOMBirminghamEdinburghLeedsLiverpoolLondonManchester

UNITED STATESAlbanyAtlantaAtlantic CityAustinBaltimoreBostonChicagoDallasHoustonLos AngelesMiamiMinneapolisNew York

Northern VirginiaPhiladelphiaPhoenixRaleighSacramentoSan DiegoSan FranciscoSeattleShort HillsSilicon ValleyTampaWashington, DCWilmington

RELATIONSHIP FIRMS

ALGERIAAlgiersBOSNIA-HERZEGOVINASarajevoBOTSWANAGaboroneBURUNDIBujumbura

NAMIBIAWindhoekNEW ZEALANDAuckland WellingtonNORWAYOsloPORTUGALLisbonRWANDAKigaliSOUTH AFRICACape TownJohannesburg

Stockholm

TANZANIADar es SalaamMwanza

TURKEYAnkaraIstanbul

UGANDAKampala

VENEZUELACaracas

ZAMBIALusaka

CROATIAZagrebDENMARKCopenhagen

COLOMBIABogota

ETHIOPIAAddis Ababa

GHANAAccra

INDONESIAJakarta

IRELANDDublin

KENYANairobi

MAURITIUSPort Louis

EGYPTCairo

MOZAMBIQUEMaputo


jennifer Wu – Legal Assistant (pending HK admission), Hong Kong

SECONDMENT STORY

As part of my training contract, I was offered the valuable opportunity to spend six months on secondment in the Corporate department of DLA Piper’s London office. I was amazed by the wide range of tailor-made training, including a full day workshop in Birmingham for all corporate trainees across the UK.

From a technical point of view, I have undoubtedly developed my commercial awareness and technical skills by assisting the corporate team in advising ScS Group plc on its initial public offering and admission to trading on the main market for listed securities of the London Stock Exchange. I assisted from the early stage of the due diligence process to verification, prospectus drafting and all preparation work leading up

to pathfinder and impact day and post-completion matters. I have also assisted on a merger and acquisition deal and other discrete tasks throughout my corporate seat.

From a personal development perspective, I had the unique opportunity to learn about working practices in our London office and develop personal relationships with colleagues from other offices which I believe would undoubtedly last beyond this secondment. Of course,

one of the greatest perks being in London is how accessible it is to travel anywhere in Europe! Nothing beats heading off to Austria just for a long weekend; spending your holidays watching the northern lights and enjoying life at the blue lagoon in Iceland; going on a road trip from Munich to Frankfurt while winding through picturesque old towns, churches and castles; and joining the Venice annual masquerade carnival on your birthday weekend.


Wundy Lee – Work Experience in Melbourne, Australia (2nd Year Trainee Solicitor, Hong Kong)

Before the start of my training contract at DLA Piper, the Hong Kong office had kindly arranged for me a 4-week placement in the Melbourne office, enabling me to fulfill the practical training course requirement for admission to the legal profession in Victoria, Australia.

The 4-week placement provided me with excellent learning opportunities. I joined the Corporate group and was assigned to a variety of tasks, such as conducting legal research, assisting with due diligence and drafting legal documents etc. The tasks were all intellectually stimulating. They exposed me to different areas of law and allowed me to hone my skills before I officially launched my legal career.

I was also fortunate enough to be invited to join their regular team meetings from which I gained a better understanding about the operation of the Corporate group. There was also a fun side of those meetings. I still recall other placement students and

I were given an opportunity to do an “inspirational” presentation in one of the meetings which aimed to energize everyone on a Monday morning! Furthermore, I was also invited to informal team lunches where I could mingle with people at all levels.

While the placement on the whole was very enjoyable, it was the presence of great people that made it more memorable. My mentors were very patient in giving instructions and answering my queries. They were more than willing to share

with me both their life and legal experience, which provided me invaluable insights into the work and lives of lawyers in Australia. Furthermore, the supporting staff were always there to ensure my needs were accommodated. The friendliness of the people made my stay in the Melbourne office more delightful than I could have expected.

Working in the Melbourne office was a fruitful and rewarding experience. I could learn at the same time as getting admitted. This could happen with DLA Piper, not only because of it being an international law firm, but also it being a firm which very much cares about the professional development of its members.


We see strength in diversity and have been recognised for our efforts in this area. People with challenging new ideas can only add to the strength of our business and as such we welcome applications from candidates from all walks of life. Everyone has a contribution to make and we want to give them the power to make that contribution.

International secondments provide a fantastic opportunity to experience living and working within a different culture. My time in Hong Kong has allowed me to get involved in a wide variety of work, giving me experiences and skills that will not only be useful during my time as a trainee, but also further into my career.

Farrah Saleem Registered Foreign Lawyer (2012 UK Seconded Trainee) – Corporate Group, Hong Kong

Our philosophy is that the best people often come from a variety of backgrounds and what we are really interested in is your mind

In short, you will be spending your working hours with people you will enjoy being with, because they are as intelligent, focussed and individual as you are. A working environment like this will inspire you to achieve more.

STRENGTH IN DIVERSITY


You will begin your training contract at a residential induction course, designed specifically to help you to settle in and to give you necessary information and tools.

You will complete four six-month seats in different practice areas, where you will work with people at all levels of the business, including partners, learning through practice and observation. The experience you gain will be broad, but will give you real responsibility as well as a real feel for commercial law in practice.

As well as on-the-job training, we also provide a specifically designed high quality legal training

CAREFULLY CRAFTEDDLA Piper offers you an award winning training scheme which is amongst the best in the business

and development programme for trainees. As well as covering all compulsory training and courses required by the relevant regulatory body, you will also receive bespoke training in areas which will equip you for your long term career in law. These training courses also give you the benefit of meeting up regularly with trainees from other offices.

Nobody knows everything, particularly when they start a new career. Our training is about giving you the information you need and bringing out your potential.

DLA Piper is a firm that constantly seeks to better itself, and is engaged in a tireless pursuit for innovation. It may sound daunting to a fresh graduate, but with DLA Piper’s commitment to its personnel (and mentors who do not hesitate to impart their invaluable knowledge and insights!), you will find working here a very exciting and rewarding experience.

Andy Tam Legal Assistant (pending HK admission)


Our Corporate Responsibility initiatives demonstrate how our values are embedded in the way we engage with our people, our clients and our communities. We concentrate our support and resources on issues where we can have the greatest positive impact. This engagement not only benefits the individuals, nonprofits and NGOs we work with, but also provides personal and professional development for our people and opportunities to strengthen our ties with the community and our clients.

WIDER CONTRIBUTIONAt DLA Piper, we are committed to conducting our business in a way that is consistent with our values.

Our Corporate Responsibility initiatives focus on key areas of Pro Bono, Community Engagement, Diversity and Environmental Sustainability. Our collaboration with corporate clients, academic institutions and community partners distinguishes our approach.

In each of our offices globally, we commit to corporate responsibility by dedicating our time and legal experience to projects related to

education, economic empowerment and equality. Our contribution ranges from global pro bono projects in developing and post-conflict countries to partnerships benefiting local schools and charities. In 2014, DLA Piper donated over 202,500 hours through our pro bono and community engagement initiatives worldwide. This makes us one of the largest providers of pro bono legal services in the world.


Send cover letter, resume & academic transcript to Interns: [email protected]

Trainees: [email protected]

Training contractSummer internship/ Winter internship

Phone interview Phone interview

Face to face interview Face to face interview

Assessment day:■ Panel interview

■ Two written exercises

■ Two translation tests

■ Group discussion

■ Individual presentation

Internship■ Four week placement

■ Automatically put through to face to face trainee interview

APPLICATIONCLOSING DATES

INTERNSHIPS:■ Summer: 15 January 2016■ Winter: 31 August 2016

TRAINING CONTRACTS:■ 15 April 2016

REQUIREMENTS

■ Penultimate year of law or combined law degree

■ HK & UK candidates: Second upper class law degree (2.1 or equivalent)

■ Australian candidates: law degree with a credit/distinction average

■ Excellent English and Chinese language skills (written and spoken)

■ Knowledge of other languages is a distinct advantage


We expect our trainees to be high achievers in everything they do, not just academics, and as such we do not use an automated screening system. We firmly believe that people should have more to offer than just grades. We would also expect our trainees to display the following skills and characteristics:

■ Ambition, drive and motivation to move our business and their own career forward

■ Excellent communication skills to deal with clients and colleagues

■ Team working abilities to provide the best service

■ Leadership potential to develop our people

■ Analytical skills to deal with the intellectual challenges of the job

■ Commercial awareness and a genuine interest in the business world

■ Attention to detail to maintain our reputation of delivering the highest quality work

SCHOLARSHIPS

The Firm has a Scholarship programme internationally, and will again be awarding Scholarships in Hong Kong.

HOW TO APPLY

Please send your cover letter, CV and academic transcripts via email to the HR Advisor – Graduate Recruitment at: [email protected]

Please ensure that all the required documents are sent to us before the closing date. No applications or paperwork received after this date will be included in the decision making process.

BENEFITS

■ Salaries are competitive with other leading law firms

■ Stipend will be provided during PCLL course

■ Financial support is offered to prospective trainees for the PCLL course

(If you have already started or completed the PCLL at the time we offer you a training contract, a special bonus will be paid to you if you are retained by the firm after you qualify.)

■ Holiday entitlement – 22 days per year

■ Private health cover, life & disability insurance will be provided

TRAINEESHIPS


Having completed a vacation placement with DLA Piper, I made the decision to join this firm because of the quality of work given to the trainees, the friendly working environment and the excellent career opportunities available. Working at DLA Piper has exceeded my expectations. The team trusts you with your work from the start of your employment, which is challenging and gratifying at the same time. The firm also provides a supportive working environment. I never feel hesitant asking for help. I have a sense of achievement about the work I do and I am given the resources and guidance to develop my skills at a fast pace.

Alice Leung Trainee Solicitor – 2nd Year, Hong Kong Recipient of DLA Piper Scholarship

INTERNSHIPS

Our internship program gives a real insight into life at DLA Piper. We value the scheme highly and feel that it allows those who participate to assess us thoroughly, while also being considered for a training contract.

We currently operate a formal four-week internship program in winter and summer. We recruit up to ten students for the winter intake in December/January and up to sixteen students for the summer intakes in June/July.

REQUIREMENTS

Candidates are recruited after interviews using similar criteria as those for training contracts.

HOW TO APPLY

Please send your cover letter, CV and academic transcripts via email to the HR Advisor – Graduate Recruitment at: [email protected]

Please ensure that all the required documents are sent to us before the closing date. No applications or paperwork received after this date will be included in the decision making process.


ASIA HIGHLIGHTS RECENT MAjOR AWARDS & RECOGNITION

■ Innovative Lawyer Awards 2015

Financial Times

■ International Law Firm of the Year 2015, 2014

■ International Law Firm of the Year (India) 2014

■ Capital Markets Law Firm of the Year (India) 2013

LegalEra Awards

■ Deal of the Year

■ China Business Law Journal 2014

■ Legal Services Award 2014

Asia Transformation and Turnaround Awards

■ Foreign Law Firm of the Year

■ Overseas Practice Law Firm of the Year 2014

Asian Legal Business

■ Asia Pacific Deal of the Year 2014

Trade Finance Awards

■ Taxation team of the Year 2014

China Business Law journal

■ MIP Global IP Firm of the Year 2014

Managing Intellectual Property


■ #1 by volume of M&A deals Globally 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010

■ #3 by volume of M&A deals Asia-Pacific (excluding Japan) 2013

Mergermarket

■ Ranked as Band One for Tax and Trusts in China and Hong Kong 2013

■ Recognised as The World’s Leading International Tax Advisers 2013

World Tax

■ Ranked as Band One for Tax and Trusts in China and Hong Kong

■ 65 practices across the Asia Pacific region are recognized on the leading form league table

■ 16 lawyers are recognized as “Leading Lawyers”

■ 15 practice areas improved their rankings 2013

Legal 500

■ Ranked in Highly Recommended Band One for Corporate for International Firms in China/Hong Kong

Chambers Asia

■ 28 practices across the Asia Pacific region are recognize on the leading firm league table

■ 10 lawyers are recognized as “Leading Lawyers” ■ 11 practice areas improved their rankings

2013

IFLR 1000

■ Winner of China Business Law Awards for Tax2013

China Business Law journal

■ Asian-Mena Counsel Deal of the Year Awards – Ping An/Yihaodian2013

Asia Mena Counsel Awards

■ M&A Deal of the Year – Ping An/Yihaodian2013

China Law & Practice Awards

■ China VC/PE Foreign Fund Investment Legal Advisor for the year for seven consecutive years2006 – 2013

Zero2IPO


ROUNDING THINGS OFFThe graduate recruitment team at DLA Piper is committed to making your application process as easy as possible. As well as getting out and about to meet you in person, we’re here to help you with your queries.

Visit our website for more information

http:www.dlapiper.com

DLA Piper is a global law firm operating through various separate and distinct legal entities.

Further details of these entities can be found at www.dlapiper.com

Copyright © 2015 DLA Piper. All rights reserved. | AUG15 | 2977731

If you have finished with this document, please pass it on to other interested parties or recycle it, thank you.

www.dlapiper.com

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