Firm profile

Ashurst LLP is an elite law firm advising corporates, financial institutions and governments, with core businesses in mergers and acquisitions, corporate and finance. Our strong and growing presence around the world is built on extensive experience in working with our clients on complex international legal and regulatory issues relating to cross-border transactions.

We have 200+ partners, 900+ lawyers and 1800+ people in total operating from 16 international offices: Abu Dhabi, Brussels, Dubai, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, London, Madrid, Milan, Munich, New York, Paris, Rome, Singapore, Stockholm, Tokyo and Washington DC. Our main areas of expertise are in competition and EU law, corporate, dispute resolution, energy, transport and infrastructure, finance, real estate, tax, and technology.

In March 2012, Ashurst will be combining its Asian practice with that of Blake Dawson, one of Australia's leading law firms. Blake Dawson will also rebrand as Ashurst and in 2014, the plan is for the two firms to merge.

2012 Placement schemes

To get a taste of life as an Ashurst trainee, we recommend joining one of our placement schemes. We hold three each year:

• A two-week scheme during the spring, to which we generally

invite final year non-law undergraduates, graduates and

career changers.

• Two two-week schemes over the summer, primarily for

penultimate year law undergraduates.

You are, of course, welcome to apply for whichever suits you best. You can expect an intensive look at the work we handle and how we operate. You will spend each week in a different department, being supervised by a qualified solicitor and getting involved in live work. There will also be a number of talks about our practice areas, and you will gain an insight into the way our international network operates. It’s not all work, though. We will be just as interested in your ability to build relationships, and will organise several social events where you will get to meet our associates and current trainees, as well as everyone else on the scheme.

The training contract

You will complete four seats of six months each. One will be in our corporate department and another in our finance department. The other two seats can be in any of our broad range of practice areas. You could choose a seat in an area in which you have a particular interest, join an international office or go on secondment to a client. We will work hard to accommodate your wishes and ask you to let us know early if your ambition lies in a particular direction.

How to apply

You will find our online application form for both placement schemes and training contracts at www.ashurst.com/trainees.

Applications for 2012 placement schemes open on 1 November 2011 and close on 15 January 2012.

Applications for training contracts beginning in September 2014 or March 2015 open on 1 November 2011 and close on 31 July 2012.

To find out more

We don't hold formal open days but instead can arrange for an individual guided tour of our offices with one of our trainees. So if you would like to see for yourself what life is like here, please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to arrange your tour.

Our website www.ashurst.com/trainees will give you a good insight too