Linklaters - The Inside View

Not many places do 'storied institutions' quite like the British - and Magic Circle heavyweight Linklaters is exactly that. With a reputation that precedes it both sides of the Atlantic, it's no shock that sources told us the firm really does live up to expectation: “Oftentimes firms say they’re international, but the work they do is not,” one insider recalled, “when Links say they care and are focused on that work, they mean it.” From what we heard, “the firm walks the walk here,” and for most interviewees, that made all the difference.  

“The firm really focuses on global work and that leads to us having a very European style culture.” 

International work really is the name of the game here and it permeates everything Linklaters does. “The firm really focuses on global work and that leads to us having a very European style culture,” explained one source. And if you were wondering if European style culture translates to people are nice here, well we couldn’t possibly comment (yes, it does). 

Chambers USA is also on side, giving accolades in departments such as bankruptcy/restructuring, artificial intelligence, antitrust, privacy & data security, and more. Not to mention the host of rankings dished out to the firm in not one, not two, but ten (!) of our other guides. It’s no wonder that for our insiders: “Linklaters was at the top of my list for where I wanted to be.”  

Strategy & Future  

“They’ve been really transparent about their goals with us.” 

When asked about the firm's plans for the future, our sources all signaled Linklaters’ continued US expansion and growth of practice groups. “The firm is very focused on increasing its US presence,” one junior revealed, “they’ve been really transparent about their goals with us.” This is largely thanks to a monthly town hall where the firm lays out its plans and priorities moving forward to all associates. 

Summer Program 

Juniors reported that their social calendar was inundated with events during their summer program with some even admitting: “I should’ve maybe been a little less social, I tried to do it all!” Timeline wise, our interviewees were the first summers coming in post-COVID so it’s no surprise they felt a bit deprived of human interaction. For the work on offer, summers can partake in matters from any practice group that takes their interest, which pleased our sources as “it’s a great opportunity to try everything.” Some juniors are also presented with the opportunity to spend half their summer in the D.C. office, and a limited chance to spend all of it in the London or Frankfurt offices. 

The Work 

Most associates are housed within the firm’s US headquarters in New York, with a few taking residence in Washington, D.C. Office location rarely makes a difference when it comes to work though, as the firm’s key pull is its international element offered to associates. When it comes to work allocation, most sources conveyed a balance between a free market system and having a centralized staffer. This ebbs and flows depending on the size of the group as small groups reported “just going up to the senior associates and they give us stuff to do.” For the larger groups, a workflow coordinator is in place to make sure things don’t slide one way or the other. “It’s a really good balance,” one junior explained, “someone is there to make sure we’re not overworked or vice versa, but we have autonomy to pursue our own interests.”  

In the firm’s prestigious M&A practice, of which M&A and joint ventures are a common sight, the work is primarily comprised of foreign companies seeking to purchase or acquire some kind of US asset. “That’s the core of what we do,” one junior explained, “we do deals all over the world if there’s a US component.” That’s no exaggeration, as associates will see themselves staffed on matters originating in Asia, South America, and Europe, and will of course share many clients with those in London’s HQ. That being said, the winds of change will see the firm eventually shifting focus to more domestic based ventures. “That’s the ultimate goal,” one insider shared, adding “we’re working hard to grow the US footprint to target domestic clients, but that’s in progress.” Typical tasks for the group include due diligence, doc review, writing reports, corporate governance, resolutions, and markups.  

Corporate clients: Rio Tinto, Volkswagen, Aperam, General Motors. The firm advised Dow on its sale of a 40% equity stake in select US Gulf Coast infrastructure assets to a fund managed by Macquarie Asset Management. 

“I get a lot of feedback; people really want you to succeed.” 

Although technically under the corporate banner, a separate specialist group is the employment team. Officially titled employee benefits and executive compensation, rookies will see both buyer and seller side clients come through the door. Interviewees warned that there was “a lot of regulatory work to learn” which includes matters such as discreet employer agreements, termination agreements, severance packages, corporate benefits, and incentive plans. As is expected with Linklaters, an international element is often at play with “clients often being either US based or from around the globe.” Insiders were often tasked with looking at change in control payments, looking at tax provisions, due diligence, drafting, and legal research. “I feel like I’ve been learning a lot in this group,” reflected one interviewee, “I get a lot of feedback; people really want you to succeed.”  

Employment clients: BASF SE, Mace, Desjardins, Spirent Communications. Advised Tate & Lyle on its acquisition of CP Kelco from J.M. Huber Corporation. 

Over in capital markets, newbies told us “it’s more of an umbrella term” with several buckets within such as structured finance, securitization, and derivatives work. Clients tended to be financial institutions as well as some of the major banks in the world, which was certainly a draw for our interviewees. “Our work is truly global, operating in places like London and Singapore,” one novice buzzed, “Links couldn’t be more well connected.” With primarily deal or regulatory work coming across associates’ desks, juniors were quick to point out the “fast-paced” nature of the group as “you’re on really tight deadlines so last-minute calls with the clients is common,” but readers can rest assured that “it’s great fun.” Tasks tended to be in the remit of turning over drafts to counter parties, implementing comments and taking a first cut at them, and circulating documents. Sources assured that there is oversight from their superiors, but they relished the chance to take a stab at things unaided: “It’s encouraging that you’re given the chance to fail before your work is amended.”  

Capital markets clients: Citigroup Global Markets Limited, BNP Paribas Securities Corporation, Royal Bank of Canada, Merrill Lynch International. Linklaters continues to service Barclays Bank as its designated US and international counsel on certain covered bond programs. 

Career Development 

The word that came up more than once to describe the firm’s formal training program was “robust” and the results speak for themselves. “I had no exposure to most of what we do before I joined,” divulged one junior, “but we had regular series to build me up on topics that were really accessible and now I’m much more confident.” This positive sentiment carried over to how on-the-job learning was perceived with sources praising their superiors for clearly wanting to develop them into better lawyers. “Partners are quite engaged with associates, and it feels good to see the firm cares about you. It’s invaluable.” Newbies are assigned an associate and partner mentor, but interviewees found it particularly useful to raise any queries or questions they had with their colleagues, with associates and partners often making time to talk things through. As a result, insiders felt their efforts encouraged, thereby contributing towards the firm in a productive way. And when it comes to future plans: “there’s opportunities for us here, I don’t feel kept in the dark at all.”  

Culture 

“I’ve not met any off-putting personalities here.” 

Those at Links are definitely at an advantage if they’re looking to fully integrate into the fabric of the firm and embrace it wholeheartedly. “You standout if you’re flexible and involved with the community of the firm, which means getting involved in things like pro bono, affinity groups, or mentoring,” one interviewee explains, pulling back the cultural curtain, “people notice and appreciate it.” On a more personal note, juniors told tale of “niceness and friendliness” being the norm and were relieved that “I’ve not met any off-putting personalities here.”  

This unsurprisingly generates a rather social crop of associates who enjoy hanging out outside of the office, though sources stressed that “it’s not required, but that aspect is there if you want it.”  Ad-hoc adventures aside, associates are thrown events by the firm such as weekly socials, holiday parties, and “on occasion the firm provides a budget for class years to go out and have fun,” when they pass the bar. There is an expectation that associates will attend the office three days a week, but that didn’t seem to be a negative for our sources. “Oh my gosh the office is great,” one insider beamed, “everyone looks forward to coming in.”  

Inclusion 

The inclusivity of Linklaters’ workforce was credited in large part due to the makeup of its attorneys: “by virtue of what we do, there are a lot of people that come from all over the world.” Juniors heralded this variety of backgrounds as a huge positive, not just culturally, but also in how it improves the quality of work. “Everyone has unique experiences they bring to the table,” noted one insider, “you sit down for lunch with anyone, and everyone is from somewhere different.” Naturally a lot of affinity groups are present to accommodate those different backgrounds, with each group open to everyone. Groups also run events, sometimes bringing in speakers depending on the occasion, such as Lunar New Year.  

Hours & Compensation 

Billable hours: undisclosed 

A yearly target for an incoming associate includes non-billable work, including business development and pro bono. Although the target represents a goal to aspire to in order to remain in good standing at the firm, functionally it’s a benchmark to unlock the market-rate bonus as “there’s no concrete repercussions if you don’t hit target, except the lack of the bonus.” Not that our interviewees were concerned either way as hours didn’t seem to be a problem; “there’s no lack of work for us, so I’m not scared of making the hours.” Salary being the market-rate meant here, associates had zero complaints. 

Pro Bono 

A strong variety of pro bono causes await those joining the ranks of Linklaters who were pleased to say participation was “actively encouraged.” Asylum and immigration work were deemed the “most common” matters that popped up, but formal clinics, veterans’ cases, volunteering, and non-profits are also present. “Oh my goodness, yes, there’s so much pro bono on offer,” one jubilant insider buzzed. Juniors also revealed that the firm is “more than receptive” to associates bringing in their own matters, so long as these are approved by the pro bono team.  

Pro bono hours 

• For all (US) attorneys: undisclosed 
• Average per (US) attorney: undisclosed 

Get Hired

The first stage: screening interviews

Total number of applicants screened: 80

Partner Doug Tween tells us: “During our initial interviews we try to focus on the following core competencies: motivation and commitment to excellence, organizational and commercial awareness, intellect and analytical ability, working with others, and communication skills. The best interviews are with candidates who can explain how they satisfy those competencies with specific experiences.” Overall, Linklaters is looking for “intelligent, curious, energetic, team-oriented people who will help us succeed going forward.”

Top tips for this stage:

“This can vary from student to student, but in general we are looking for well-rounded individuals with a combination of strong academics, relevant work experience, leadership positions, and examples of working effectively as part of a team. Language skills are a plus.” – Doug Tween, partner

“Be familiar with the firm and what we do. Look at the website, research social media, speak with students who have summered with us in the past. Come to our recruiting events and talk to people. Listen and be prepared with questions that demonstrate you’ve done your homework. Come in with energy and enthusiasm.” – Tween

Callbacks

Applicants invited to second stage interview: 61

Callback interviews include five separate meetings. Students meet with one member of recruitment, two partners/counsel, and two associates, each for half an hour. Interviewers here ask behavioral questions that hone in on particular competency areas. Tween tells us “At this stage of the interviews, we are interested in delving deeper into the candidates’ past experiences and behaviors to help us get a better sense of what motivates them, how they work with others, and how they have handled challenges in the past.”

Top tips for this stage:

“At this stage of the interview process, you should be able to clearly identify why you are interested in the firm. Doing some research on the firm and your interviewers will enable you to make connections with the people you meet and convince them of your interest.” – Tween

“Be ready to talk about your resume, but also about current events. And perhaps most importantly: be prepared with your own thoughtful questions.” – Tween

Summer program

Offers: 21

Acceptances: 12

Our summer associates are part of a pool and typically work with several practice groups throughout the summer. They may also have an opportunity to spend a portion of their summer in one of our overseas offices. As well as helping on billable matters, summer associates are expected to work on pro bono assignments. They also attend training sessions throughout the summer to prepare them for practice and introduce them to the firm. Each summer associate is assigned a partner/counsel mentor and an associate mentor. Summer associates have informal catch-ups with their mentors over the course of the summer, and they also receive two formal appraisals during the program, one at the midpoint and one at the end of the summer.

Linklaters hosts many social events for summer associates, the most notable being the midsummer retreat to London. “The retreat brings the entire global summer associate class together in London for several days to see the office and learn more about the firm and how we work together to serve our clients,” Tween explains. “The retreat is also an opportunity for the summers to meet our London-based attorneys and get to know their summer associate classmates who are working in different offices. And of course, they also get to do some sight-seeing as a class and experience London.”

Back home in the US, associates informed us of social events ranging from “a Broadway show, a Yankees Game, and exploring top restaurants.”

The firm tells us nearly all summers return as junior associates. At the conclusion of the summer program, summer associates submit their practice group preferences for consideration in first-year associate placement. Upon their return to the firm after graduating from law school, first-year associates will begin in their assigned practice group.

Top tips for this stage:

“The best way summer associates can impress and make the most of their summer experience with us is by being proactive and engaged; demonstrating that they are excited to learn and be a part of the team; and focusing on contributing and doing their best.” – Tween

“Take the opportunity to meet and work with as many people as possible and explore a variety of work.” –  Tween

And finally….

Tween tells us: “Know what distinguishes Linklaters from other top-tier law firms, and be able to explain why Linklaters is the firm for you.”