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Opportunities for law graduates in Belfast2016

© Allen & Overy LLP 2016

Opportunities for law graduates in Belfast | 20162

Contents

“As a global leader in the legal industry, we will work as one team within our respective functions, collectively building Allen & Overy Belfast as a centre of excellence.”David Morley

Senior Partner

Allen & Overy 04

Introducing the Legal Services Centre 06

LP interviews – Matt Roberts 08 – Gráinne Drumm 09 – Sean Dunlevy 10 – Jenny Keenan 11

What you get in return 12

Giving back 13

So, what next? 15

www.allenovery.com/careers

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If there is one thing that sums up the way we go about serving our clients, it is our belief that outstanding things happen when the best minds work together.

In the 85 years since Allen & Overy was founded, we have created a collaborative culture where talented individuals working together can truly flourish and achieve great things.

Imaginative, independent thinking is not just encouraged, it is expected.

We foster diverse viewpoints so that we can draw on a constant stream of new ideas to solve the toughest challenges our business faces around the world.

Although we have a long heritage, there is nothing old-fashioned about our thinking. We have the confidence to think creatively, to take carefully calculated risks and to support new approaches in how we look. Our Belfast office has heralded a new way of operating to ensure that we continue to deliver the high-quality service our clients expect.

4,949people

2,680lawyers

527partners

Allen & Overy


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Allen & Overy’s move to Belfast was a significant and exciting step for the organisation.

It heralded a new way of operating to ensure we continue to provide the highest-quality service and remain competitive around the world. Belfast is the first office wholly dedicated to provide the very best services to our lawyers and others throughout the business.

When considering where to set up our new office, Northern Ireland stood out for providing the highly skilled people we needed to meet the very high standards our clients expect from us.

Now that our Belfast office has been operational for three years, few legal market commentators and even fewer rivals have ignored the impact and success of our decision to locate the 37th office in Northern Ireland. The quality, enthusiasm and can-do attitude of our Belfast team has been felt and admired by their global colleagues.

Imaginative, independent thinking is not just encouraged, it is expected.

44offices

31countries

andyou?

Allen & Overy service lines

InternationalCapital Markets

Banking Corporate Employment & Benefits

Litigation & Dispute Resolution

Real Estate& Tax



Introducing the Legal Services Centre

We believe the landscape of legal services is changing; clients want the most efficient service they can get so our lawyers, in every practice and every office, need the most efficient legal support.

That is why our Legal Services Centre (LSC) in Belfast is playing an increasingly important role in the way we deliver services to our clients.

Throughout 2015, we will continue to recruit for exceptionally talented law graduates to join our team as Legal Professionals (LPs). You will receive excellent training, a first-class reward package and, of course, the opportunity to work with some of the best lawyers in the world on interesting, diverse and complex deals and cases.

Jane Townsend

Partner, Head of LSC

“Allen & Overy is one of the world’s emerging global elite of law firms, with a clear sense of direction, a challenging but collaborative culture and a desire to ensure our clients’ needs are at the forefront of all we do.”

Jane is a Corporate/M&A Partner and is responsible for the Belfast LSC. She served on Allen & Overy’s global board from 2010 to 2014.


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Introducing the Legal Services Centre

The LSC – who we areThe LSC heralds a new way of working for Allen & Overy. Under the supervision of experienced solicitors, LPs apply their knowledge of the law and legal procedures to support Allen & Overy teams around the world.

You may find yourself engaged in document review tasks as part of an integrated team working on a cross-border M&A transaction, or you may become involved in discovery and disclosure exercises for our Litigation practice.

The LSC represents a relatively new approach to delivering legal services and, as you develop your skills and expertise, you can expect the opportunities to develop as the range of services is expanded.

Successful applicants will benefit from an extremely comprehensive training programme designed to complement your law degree. In addition to covering the sort of commercial legal skills that are so important at a leading global organisation such as Allen & Overy, LPs will also spend time at the beginning of their employment in our London office meeting colleagues, learning how we work and experiencing our culture at first hand.

We have an extensive ongoing training programme covering legal, process and supervisory skills, as well as personal development.

This is all part of our commitment to impeccable quality which we, as an organisation, demand and thrive upon.



“Allen & Overy is one of the growing elite Magic Circle law firms; when the opportunity arose to join the LSC team here in Belfast, it was one that I could not miss…”Having been with the Legal Services Centre since the office opened in 2012, I am in a prime position to testify to the variety of legal experience, training and professional development a graduate can gain in such an environment. A typical day could involve working on a range of projects across various practice areas, such as corporate M&A, banking due diligence, litigation disclosure, legal research or wider project management. Opportunities are also available to get involved with pro bono work.

I was seconded to work within the Corporate department in Allen & Overy’s London office and to in-house roles with clients; in both cases, I worked directly with A&O teams and the client on an M&A deal and wider corporate restructuring. Not only is this fantastic professional experience, it really makes for a varied and interesting working life.

Having Jane Townsend, a partner in the firm, at the helm of the LSC is also a huge bonus. Friendly, vastly experienced in the legal industry and a formidable leader for the LSC, Jane is widely respected for her achievements and for the level of expertise she brings to the LSC.

While my law degree and initial LSC training with the University of Law equipped me well, I’ve also had the opportunity for further training and professional development here at Allen & Overy. I’m currently pursuing qualification with the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx) and I’m planning to attend A&O’s University of Banking this autumn. The depth and range of training and development really bolsters your confidence in the work you carry out.

Allen & Overy boasts a very successful collegiate environment, which is why the extent of social and sporting activities on offer comes as no surprise, and we’ve a range of events organised throughout the year, by our Belfast social committee.

Working with teams in the Belfast office and throughout the network, you quickly get to grips with the collaborative culture and great working atmosphere within the LSC.”

LP interview – Matt Roberts

LP interview– Gráinne Drumm

“The work at A&O is truly international and from day one I experienced the global nature of the firm. The overwhelming majority of the deals that A&O advise on involve at least one, and more likely, several foreign jurisdictions. I joined Allen & Overy as an LP on the opening of the LSC in 2012. I had just qualified as a solicitor from the Institution of Professional Legal Studies and was keen to gain more experience of finance, corporate and commercial work. Initially, I was involved in quite a wide variety of work across several of the firm’s practice areas, including Banking, Litigation and Corporate. Over time, however, I developed an interest in banking and finance work and, as the LSC expanded, I was able to focus more on this area.

In the last two years, I have also spent time on secondment to several other A&O offices. In 2013, I was seconded to the firm’s Frankfurt office, where I assisted the English Banking Team based there, with a multi-million pound loan portfolio sale. This was a great opportunity to experience working in a different jurisdiction and it gave me a real appreciation of the international nature of the firm. I am currently

on secondment to the Global Loans and Real Estate Finance Team in London. I have been here for six months and have been involved in a broad range of multi-jurisdictional investment grade and real estate financings. It’s been a busy six months but I have really enjoyed my secondment and I am pleased that I will shortly be taking up a role as a Banking Associate in the team.

I’ve had a huge range of opportunities and experiences at A&O that I just wouldn’t have had at any other firm in Northern Ireland;. opportunities not just in terms of secondments and exposure to high profile, cross-border work, but also in terms of training and development. From day one, the firm invests a huge amount of time and resources into training. In January of this year, I attended the firm’s University of Banking, which is a two-week legal training course on the main aspects of A&O’s Banking practice. This was a great opportunity to step back and fully understand the legal and commercial rationale behind the documents that we work with on a daily basis. It also gave me the chance to meet colleagues from other international offices, some of whom I had previously worked with on transactions.”


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LP interview– Sean Dunlevy

“Allen & Overy takes a personal interest in the development of each LP, which begins with a tailored training programme run by the University of Law to prepare us for our roles…Entering the legal world as a fresh-faced graduate can be a daunting prospect but the opportunity arose to work in the LSC, a unique and pioneering department in Allen & Overy’s Belfast office. One year on I can testify that it was one of the best life decisions I have ever made. The legal exposure I have received as an LP in such a short period of time has been immense. I have worked on a variety of projects which include contract due diligence, litigation review and arbitration disclosure projects along with some legal research projects. This exposure has expanded my legal knowledge and enhanced my understanding of the mechanics of legal transactions and cases.

Working in the LSC has also added to my professional development. We have also received various in-house training sessions on topics which were aimed at preparing and improving our knowledge and skill set as LPs. This instilled confidence and self-belief in each one of us and shows that Allen & Overy values us as employees.

The LSC itself is a collegial environment and we have an exceptional support network at our disposal and can call upon any one of our colleagues for counsel and guidance. The collaborative nature of the LSC is another prominent feature of the department. Each day we service and work with a multitude of different jurisdictions and contend with various laws and legal processes.

A career as an LP also offers some fantastic extracurricular activities. From tag rugby to five-a-side football to a book club, the list keeps getting bigger and bigger. Everyone in the office is encouraged to participate and to take the opportunity to forge friendships. Another upside of working in the LSC is that you get the opportunity to live in the vibrant and energetic city of Belfast. The great work/life balance which Allen & Overy offers means that you get to exploit everything this friendly and exciting city has to offer.”



LP interview– Jenny Keenan

“The amount and diversity of opportunities afforded to LPs has increased significantly over time, with both client and internal secondments now an important part of the LP role…Having joined the LSC in the initial intake of LPs in 2012, I can honestly say that I have found the past three years to be extremely rewarding and enjoyable. I have been involved in an extensive variety of projects for various departments and offices throughout the Allen & Overy network, often working with colleagues on opposite sides of the world from morning to afternoon.

My work in the LSC has focused largely on regulatory Litigation matters and also in the International Capital Markets arena. This is what makes the LSC such a unique place to work – while LPs undoubtedly gain exposure to a wide variety of projects and practice groups, the opportunity to gain specialist knowledge in a particular area is available to you if you so wish to receive it. I have specialised in capital markets work over the past two years and am treated very much as

a member of the wider Allen & Overy ICM team. Last year I was afforded the opportunity to attend the Global ICM Offsite in Barcelona, meeting my ICM colleagues from around the world. The collegial attitude of the team was very much apparent and A&O’s ‘one firm’ mentality really came to the fore.

The LSC has grown tremendously since it opened in 2012, which has allowed me and other senior LPs to take on a mentoring role to less experienced LPs when they join the firm. It has been extremely enjoyable getting to know new members of the team and providing guidance and support to assist in their development. I have no doubt that further such opportunities will come up as the LSC further expands its remit.

I am absolutely delighted to have secured a training contract with Allen & Overy and am very proud to say that my professional legal career began in the LSC. I know that I have developed skills and attributes in Belfast that will be extremely beneficial to my future career as an Allen & Overy Associate.”


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What you get in returnWith our people at the centre of every thought process, our benefits package has been developed to reward the high standards that we expect.



For any organisation to be truly world class it must decide what is most important to its future success – what makes it distinctive – and focus relentlessly on that…

Competitive base salary and overtime

Rewards

Employer- sponsored contract-

based pension scheme

23 annual leave days10 public holidays

Gym membership(corporate discount)

Life assurance

Childcare vouchers

Personal accident insurance

Health assessments

Private medical

insurance

Permanent health

insurance

Employee sudden death

insurance

Holiday trading

Flexible benefits

Giving back Allen & Overy recognises that, as a professional institution, we have a duty to help those in need.

Our offices around the world have a long-standing commitment to supporting their local communities and, as such, Belfast is actively involved with local organisations. We share our time, energy and talents with organisations that seek to protect and empower the most vulnerable within society. Corporate responsibility is one of the cornerstones of our office culture; we have a charity partnership with the Macmillian Cancer Support, a charity who are a source of support, helping with all the things that people affected by cancer want and need. We also work in partnership with two local schools to broaden access to the range of professional careers offered within the Belfast office.

We run an active programme of pro bono and community projects as a whole and our people are genuinely enthusiastic about getting involved. Last year our lawyers spent approximately 42,000 hours on pro bono and community-related projects, and this does not include the considerable amount of time also contributed by our professional support staff.

Diversity and inclusion are also extremely important to us. We believe in recruiting staff from a variety of backgrounds to make sure we find people with the greatest potential.


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hours on pro bono and community-related

projects

Approximately

27,685

Recruitment timeline May

Application process

June

Application closing date

July

Assessment Centres



SeptemberStart date

August

Final interviews and selection

Start date

It is our belief that outstanding things happen when the best minds work together.


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Naturally, we are looking for individuals who can demonstrate strong academic performance – you should already have graduated with or be on course to graduate with a 2:1 (or equivalent) in a law degree and have 340 UCAS points (AAB) at A-Level (or equivalent).Beyond this, we want to see evidence of commercial awareness, critical thinking, organisation, tenacity and interpersonal skills. The strongest applicants will then undergo a two-stage selection process.

At the first stage, you will attend an assessment centre run by our in-house recruitment team, at which point you will have an interview and undertake a case study-based task designed to test your ability to work under pressure whilst also assessing your commercial and critical acumen.

Shortlisted candidates will then undergo a further interview with senior Allen & Overy staff to assess your skills, knowledge and motivation to join us.

Please visit our website for more details on how to apply: www.allenovery.com/careers

So, what next?

For more inFormation, please contact:

Allen & Overy (SSF) Ltd68 Donegall QuayBelfastBT1 3NLUnited Kingdom

Tel +44 28 9060 7500

Belfast

www.allenovery.com

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.

GLOBAL PRESENCE

Allen & Overy is an international legal practice with approximately 5,000 people, including some 527 partners, working in 44 offi ces worldwide. Allen & Overy LLP or an affi liated undertaking has an offi ce in each of:

Abu DhabiAmsterdamAntwerpBangkokBarcelonaBeijingBelfastBratislavaBrussels

Bucharest (associated offi ce)

BudapestCasablancaDohaDubaiDüsseldorfFrankfurtHamburgHanoi

Ho Chi Minh CityHong KongIstanbulJakarta (associated offi ce)

JohannesburgLondonLuxembourgMadridMilan

MoscowMunich New YorkParisPerthPragueRiyadh (cooperation offi ce)

RomeSão Paulo

SeoulShanghaiSingaporeSydneyTokyoWarsawWashington, D.C.Yangon

© Allen & Overy LLP 2016 | CS1408_CDD-39854_ADD-57395

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