I interviewed at Macfarlanes (London, England) in Jan 2021. We had certain goals to achieve from the negotiations, and time to prepare amongst ourselves. Salaries, reviews, and more - all posted by employees working at Macfarlanes. Macfarlanes LLP 20 CURSITOR STREET LONDON EC4A 1LT England Email firm Visit website 020 7831 9222 020 7831 9607. Online application. 30/04/2023 Ashfords Exeter Summer Scheme 1. Mostly commercial based and tech focussed and innovative focussed. The information does not usually directly identify you, but it can give you a more personalised web experience. Commercial litigators represent and advise commercial clients when disputes arise from joint venture projects, civil fraud, commercial and banking transactions, corporate governance, financial services regulation and professional negligence. We understand that not every candidates achievements look the same on paper, and we are a firm that believes in fairness and diversity. For us to accurately assess your potential, we want to see your achievements in context and ensure you are set up in the right way to perform at your best. Got a case study or group exercise coming up? Full instructions are given by the early legal careers team before the exercise; an interview with a partner and a senior associate. To apply you will need to be in the first year (and second year on a four-year course) of your undergraduate degree. The firm will do this as part of its bulk renewal process. Technology, media and telecommunications is one of the fastest-developing sectors of the legal market. We are Macfarlanes LLP, the City of London based, international law firm, and entities controlled by Macfarlanes LLP through which it carries out its business ("Macfarlanes", "we", "us" or "our"). The information does not usually directly identify you, but it can give you a more personalised web experience. Brain power - clever people who can think on their feet. They assess you on your contribution but also how you react to your team members. The last interview was an in-tray exercise, basically. What exercises can I expect at a vacation scheme assessment day? It revolved around advising a private client (-note Macfarlanes is known for this practice area!) Investment Management. Banking and finance involves many financial products, from bank loans to companies to highly structured financing arrangements across multiple jurisdictions. You will have the opportunity to meet trainees, solicitors and partners within the firm. We use cookies in our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Macfarlanes trainee experience. The programme combines classroom and digital learning to embed knowledge and uses business simulation exercises to help you apply your knowledge in realistic practice scenarios. These sessions help build your legal knowledge and inform your seat choices. Absolutely, yes. We spoke to the early legal careers team at Macfarlanes to gain some key insights and top tips on how you can stand out to this leading law firm. There's surprisingly little info on the internet. For instance, we were a lawyer and a client was asking for advice, but we werent qualified in that area. Maintenance allowance for SQE students: 13,000. Then there was a quick interview about background, and usual questions about motivation. They discuss adjustments required by our employees and ensure these are implemented. What support can you give to those observing religious holidays, for example, during the vacation scheme? On Fishbowl, you can share insights and advice anonymously with Macfarlanes employees and get real answers from people on the inside. All rights reserved. Firm Profile . The process took 1 day. Our spring vacation scheme often takes place during Ramadan, so this is something we consider when organising the programme of events. The dates of our 2023 vacation schemes are as follows: Applications open on 26 September 2022 andare online via our website. Strong academics. What makes a successful application to Macfarlanes, Pride Matters: Striving for actual equality, Types of student and graduate opportunities, Essential cookies to make this website work, Third party cookies used for personalised ads and content, Well rounded candidates who will make the most of our varied seat rotations, Great teamwork skills, which include being kind and considerate, Resilience that is a grit and ambition to take on real responsibility, Brain power clever people who can think on their feet. Pride is a forum for LGBTQ+ staff and allies. Try to draw in to the discussion someone who hasnt been saying much. Each of your seats will feature a mid seat and end of seat review during which you can discuss your progress and which areas need focus. We would encourage you to apply for post-qualified lawyervacanciesat the firm rather than our vacation scheme or training programme. Going to one of our events gives you a better understanding of what we do as a firm and what we offer you as a potential future trainee. All employees have access to the Thrive wellbeing app, and we have a network of guardians across the firm who are trained to provide a confidential space to share issues employees feel they need to discuss. Make sure you read everything and use the information given to come up with a response to claimant in the scenario and dont award him too much compensation! The case study focusses on a series of scenarios under tight timed conditions. Please get in touch with the Inclusion and CSR team if you have further questions. Not usually, unless you fall into the category of experienced hires or foreign qualified lawyers described in our SQE policies. We accept applicants from all UK and international universities. For all our programmes, please apply online. Some common areas that lead to applicants not passing the application stage include lack of research on the firm, poor spelling, grammar and punctuation, not meeting the minimum requirements, not fully articulating your motivations, needing more complete or more succinct responses to questions, poor example choices and repetition of ideas. I interviewed at Macfarlanes. I have had a bad experience in the past and feel it is safer not to disclose my disability. If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and will not be able to monitor its performance. You get as much hands-on experience as possible, to gain a real understanding of the firms culture and work. I attended the assessment center, which consisted of one timed written exercise, one group exercise focused on negotiation, and one commercial case study with a partner and senior associate followed by the . Our inclusion team regularly share invitations to firmwide religious and cultural events, and they created a document called Working with colleagues of different faiths. There is a guidance document on our intranet detailing this. We are members of the Business Disability Forum and work closely with the Forum to ensure our processes remain accessible and fair to all candidates. General introduction - interview with partners - written exercise - group negotiation, Find a Great First Job to Jumpstart Your Career, Stand Out From the Crowd With the Perfect Cover Letter, How to Prepare for Your Interview and Land the Job. A big thank you to the graduate recruitment team for delivering such a memorable Assessment Centre and . This details practices from mainstream religions that could affect individuals at work. I am worried that if I tell Macfarlanes about my disability this will be seen negatively. It was relatively straight-forward. a written exercise where you are expected to read a source text and complete two written pieces. We wanted to form a community of aspiring lawyers who care about becoming the best version of themselves. At first there was a list of potential issues and we discussed as a group, led by two current trainees, how serious each would be, which were the most serious etc. The policy includes commitments covering our carbon footprint, emissions, waste, recycling, sustainable procurement of goods and services, office greenery and support for the legal sustainability community. The partner will challenge you a lot on the ethical scenario, which I found the hardest part. This involved looking at what was promised, the conditions that the customer experienced etc. Many of our trainees and associates applied for our programmes after they graduated. As regards the former, in my case it involved basic questions such as tell me about a time you faced a challenge how did you overcome it and tell me about a time you showed initiative. Leadership skills. LawCareers.Net Training & Recruitment Awards 2020: the results. 1 partner interview - standard interview, cv and commerciality based. It involved knowledge of intermediary maths, which if you havent done since GCSE can be a bit tough. I attended the assessment center, which consisted of one timed written exercise, one group exercise focused on negotiation, and one commercial case study with a partner and senior associate followed by the interview. I interviewed at Macfarlanes (London, England) in Apr 2021. We are a distinctive London-based law firm with a unique combination of services built and shaped around the needs of our clients. 1 negotiation exercise - group work based exercise with a partner. All content 2023 Macfarlanes LLP. We can also tailor your interviews on our schemes around these times as well as at assessment day stage. Get in touch with the Early Legal Careers team Thats what our team is there for, we can answer your questions and give you guidance with your application. If I have a disability or long-term health condition and need the application form in an alternative format, can you provide this? Initial greeting with HR (claim to fame or claim to shame icebreaker), then a group exercise, a talk from a trainee and an NQ and a written exercise. How to apply www.macfarlanes.com Follow us on /MacfarlanesGrad /company/macfarlanes/ /macfarlanesearlycareers Applications to Intellectual property is an umbrella term for a variety of different rights which protect intellectual creations, such as inventions, brands, designs, and literary and artistic works. Macfarlanes is pleased to announce that Stephen Ross joins the firm on 18 January as a partner in its investment management team. If I choose an alternative route to qualify than the training programme will the firm pay for the cost of me sitting the SQE? You can find out more in our privacy policy at any time by going to the link in our footer. Training programme assessment days consist of the following assessments: All assessments on the assessment day are application blind except for the application interview. I'm thrilled to share that I have accepted a Summer Vacation Scheme offer from Macfarlanes! City firmHerbert Smith Freehillshas elected 26 partners worldwide its biggest partner promotions round since 2012 and four more than 2019 despite coronavirus concerns. Private client solicitors looks after the affairs of individual clients and trustees, managing all aspects of their personal wealth. There was minimal technical hiccups and I felt welcomed at the firm. Reply 1. Interviewers were polite and asked not too hard questions. All other questions have a limit of 300 words. I did not study law at university. The programme has been developed in-house, and all tasks have been modelled on real work and created by our associates and trainee . I applied through a recruiter. When is the deadline for the first year insight scheme? The in-tray exercise is also difficult to prepare for, because its largely dependent on the situation before you. However, you will need to complete the Professional Skills Course (PSC) during your qualifying work experience. We recruit 1520 participants for our first year insight scheme. good questions and very good structure . 1 negotiation exercise - group work based exercise with a partner. This includes using contextual recruitment and running diversity-specific open days and mentoring programmes. Be sure to contribute in the group exercise. Its very difficult to prepare for the quick scenario to discuss, but think about privileged information and codes of ethics for solicitors. We hope you use the assessments as a chance to build your understanding of us and what makes us different, just as we see it as a chance to gain an understanding of you. Written exercises: Attention to detail, true or false logic, and conditionality Our DAWN network focuses on ensuring the whole firm is more confident in its understanding of disability. You cant go too wrong if you finish on time. Do you have a multifaith prayer room at your office? Then if successful invited to an assessment day. Restructuring and Insolvency. At the assessment centre I did a written exercise, an interview and a group exercise. Official LSE Undergraduate Applicants thread 2023, Official: University of Sheffield A100 2023 entry, Official King's College London 2023 Applicants Thread, TSR Community Awards 2022: Most Helpful in Universities- VOTING OPEN, Official Cambridge Postgraduate Applicants 2023 Thread. Bar Course /BVS / BPTC 2023-2024 : what are everyone's plans? The Student Room and The Uni Guide are trading names of The Student Room Group Ltd. Register Number: 04666380 (England and Wales), VAT No. Copyright The Student Room 2023 all rights reserved. I understand that Macfarlanes future trainees undertake further study at BPP in Holborn. I graduated some years ago. Opens the Fishbowl by Glassdoor site in a new window. You can study the PGDL at any UK BPP university campus that offers the course. Overall good questions ! The exercise was really short, ten mins on a case study you are given to read beforehand which is based on assessing your commercial awareness, and the interview is really a conversation about that, and then ten mins of questions about you. Sponsored by Debevoise & Plimpton LLP. Written was the hardest as it was very time pressured but even though some of us didn't finish on time, still managed to get onto the scheme. We advise on procurement strategies, development agreements, building contracts, professional appointments, warranties, guarantees and bonds, risk and project management and dispute avoidance. We also continue to provide additional financial assistance in the form of a 13,000 grant during this time. What happens if I have completed the Postgraduate Diploma in Law (PGDL)? 13 years ago. Together we support and attract diverse talent to the legal industry, as well as provide support. The Social Welfare Solicitors Qualification Fund, which is backed by 18 major law firms, has secured funding for its first cohort of social welfare legal workers to begin their journey to qualifying as solicitors via the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE). Yes, you can. ", Opens the Fishbowl by Glassdoor site in a new window, motivations for law, about you, and competency on resilience. There was a group negotiation task (nothing too complicated, just about showing you're a team player) followed by a written assessment (quite time pressured) and then an interview, half of which is a case study and the other half about you. All rights reserved. A long application followed by an assessment centre with a case study, partner/associate interview and written exercise. 1 partner - commerciality interview - interview about current affairs and your recommendations for how the firm would deal with certain cases. Pretty straightforward, nice talking to the recruitment managers. I did 4 partner interviews over a period of 6 weeks, only for them to suddenly ask me to do an assessment. The format at the Assessment Centre was as follows: We do not recruit on a rolling basis, so you can expect to hear from us once applications have closed. Vacation schemes are designed to give you as much experience as possible within a law firm. Does Macfarlanes have any staff network groups? Stay calm and work through it one step at a time! We do, however, recommend you wear business attire for assessment days and interviews at the firm. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work. Joining the law societies These societies have access to many city firms and will often host events that enable you to meet the firms in person and gain essential insights into the sector. Glassdoor has millions of jobs plus salary information, company reviews, and interview questions from people on the inside making it easy to find a job thats right for you. It was very well-structured but I feel the rather high number of applicants made it feel a bit more intimidating. Spring 2024 - Sit the SQE2 examination. Summer/Autumn 2023 - Begin studying for the SQE with BPP. If you would like to apply for both, we suggest applying for the vacation scheme first, wait to hear the result of your application and then apply for our training programme if necessary. I am an undergraduate student in my antepenultimate year (first year of a three-year or second year of a four-year course). Make your points but be patient if anyone in the group doesnt quite understand the scenario. Sponsored by Squire Patton Boggs (UK) LLP. Continue Reading Interview Questions Q: Why you choose Macfarlanes? Copyright 2008-2023, Glassdoor, Inc. "Glassdoor" and logo are registered trademarks of Glassdoor, Inc. The scheme will comprise of skills workshops, work shadowing and presentations. If you gain a place on one of our assessment days, you will find out more about the firm during the day. Are you allowed to take tracing paper into the Maths GCSE? When you apply for the training programme, you should be in at least your final year. We had to read a situation and respond to it with what we would do in an interview with a partner. There are changing rooms in our office for employee use. They will ask you about your motivations for pursuing a career in commercial law at Macfarlanes, how you work with others and your commercial awareness; and. See what employees say it's like to work at Macfarlanes. They also encouraged me to apply for a TC next year which I think bodes well as I think they thought I was a strong candidate who just lacked a bit of experience at this stage. The actual exercise is not difficult usually it is based on an M&A scenario, and you will just have to negotiate the terms of the agreements. . However, the firm will provide study leave at the discretion of the practice area head. The Corporate Law Academy (TCLA) was founded in 2018 because we wanted to improve the legal journey. What is it like? Thoughts on Wilson Elser? SQE 1 tests your functional legal knowledge through multiple choice questions. To understand more about how we use cookies or to change your cookie preferences, click on Showsettings. 31/03/2023 Mayer Brown . However, if you do not meet these requirements and you have extenuating circumstances, you may still apply. This employer has not claimed their Employer Profile and is missing out on connecting with our community. Please describe the interview process at Macfarlanes. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. a networking session with our trainee solicitors. Copyright 2008-2023, Glassdoor, Inc. "Glassdoor" and logo are registered trademarks of Glassdoor, Inc. Thanks a lot in advance! Several had other careers first. If I am undertaking the SQE independently, will the firm sign off my QWE? The Student Room and The Uni Guide are both part of The Student Room Group. In addition, our litigators are able to offer strategic and tactical advice to best protect our clients in the event of a dispute arising. Assessment Centre: 1: Group Negotiation - Testing communication skills largely 2: Written Exercise - time pressured - right or wrong answers - bit of basic maths 3: Interview - mostly competency - some commercial awareness. Please note blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer. Work shadowing. You complete modules that are bespoke to Macfarlanes. Our early legal careers team works closely with external diversity organisations, such as Aspiring Solicitors, Rare and upReach. No. However, they are not a requirement for the training programme. Both routes provide an equal chance of a training programme with us. Please visit the Apply page on our website to watch avideoabout our training programme assessment day. However, if you feel you have a good understanding of what life is like as an associate and have researched the firm well, you can apply directly for our training programme. The first half of the interview is the business case study exercise where you are asked about a case study that you will have had 15 minutes to prepare for before the interview.