About us
Pre-eminent in dispute resolution and with an outstanding reputation for high-value transactional advice, Herbert Smith LLP is a leading international law firm. Our main clients are prominent global and national businesses that we serve from a network of offices in Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
Our international client offering is enhanced by our Alliance with leading European law firms Gleiss Lutz and Stibbe and by associations with Al-Ghazzawi Professional Association in Saudi Arabia and Hiswara Bunjamin & Tandjung in Indonesia.
Alongside our reputation in dispute resolution and corporate, we have leading practices in finance, real estate, competition and employment, pensions and incentives. We are also acknowledged as leaders in a number of industry sectors, including the energy and natural resources and financial institutions sectors.
The breadth of our practice, our technical and commercial expertise and the consistently high quality of our broader service are all factors cited by our clients when they choose Herbert Smith to advise them on their most complex disputes, transactions and projects.
Herbert Smith in China
Herbert Smith operates a leading China practice from our well-established presence in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong.
Our China practice consists of a number of Hong Kong, English, and US-qualified practitioners, as well as in-house English-speaking PRC trained or qualified lawyers, who are fluent in written and spoken Chinese. Each of the three offices in China has the full capacity to draft and negotiate all related legal documentation in both English and Chinese.
Our team provides legal services for a broad range of clients, including PRC state-owned and private enterprises, multi-national corporations doing business and investing in China as well as regulators. Our firm’s corporate finance group specialise in equity and debt issues by major corporations, while the China business group provides advice on PRC matters such as investment vehicles, financing transactions and development projects.
Hong Kong graduate recruitment opportunities
Our relationship with our trainees starts long before their first day of their training contract.
1. Apply for a vacation scheme
Attendance on our vacation scheme is not a pre-requisite to be a Herbert Smith trainee, however, it is a great introduction to life as a trainee at our firm. We recommend that law students apply in their penultimate year. Existing degree holders can apply at any time. If your application is successful, you will be invited to our Hong Kong office where you will be interviewed by our vacation scheme partner
2. Attend a vacation scheme
During your placement you will sit in the same room as a partner or senior associate and be given real work for real clients. Formal and informal social events are arranged for you to meet others on the vacation scheme as well as partners, associates and trainees. By the end you should have a good idea of whether law is the career for you – and whether that might be at Herbert Smith.
3. Apply for a training contract
We recommend that law students apply in their penultimate year and existing degree holders can apply at any time.
4. Attend a training contract interview
Successful candidates will have two interviews. Each interview will be with a partner and take approximately 45 minutes.
5. Become a future joiner
From the moment you accept a training contract with us, you become part of the firm. As a future joiner we involve you in the life of the firm by keeping in regular contact and inviting you to events throughout the year.
6. Complete the Postgraduate Certificate in Laws (PCLL) conversion exam if you are a non-law degree holder or holder of a law degree from outside Hong Kong
This is the conversion exam for non-law degree holders from Hong Kong and those with a law degree from outside Hong Kong. The course is the first stage of your academic training towards becoming a qualified solicitor.
7. Apply for a place on the PCLL
The PCLL is a vocational training course that will help you develop greater awareness of the fundamental legal and practical skills required by lawyers working in a firm such as Herbert Smith. It covers areas such as the application of contract and company law to clients, the conduct of negotiations and legal drafting.
We support our future trainees during this period by paying fees and providing a maintenance grant.
8. Attend the PCLL
We recommend that our future trainees attend the PCLL at one of the following providers: City University of Hong Kong, Chinese University of Hong Kong and the University of Hong Kong.
We support you during this time by paying your fees and providing a maintenance grant.
9. Your training contract
Herbert Smith is well known for the quality, balance and variety of its training contract. During the two years you will rotate around four seats, each lasting six months. You can also apply to work in one of our PRC offices and/or our London office.
Read more at www.herbertsmithgraduates.com
