Freshfields hit with nepotism claims after two trainees land New York secondments

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By Legal Cheek on

18

Magic Circle giant gets itself in a pickle

New York

Magic Circle law firm Freshfields has stressed that it follows “strict guidelines” for allocating overseas secondments, amid claims that two trainees received special treatment in securing roles in New York after their original placements didn’t work out.

The allegations centre around two sisters in the firm’s current trainee cohort, who were reportedly handed sought-after secondments in New York after initially being assigned to the firm’s Amsterdam and Dubai offices.

According to an anonymous source quoted by RollOnFriday, the siblings “complained loudly” about their initial placements, and soon after, two additional spots opened in the firm’s office in the Big Apple. The report also claims that another trainee, originally seconded to Paris, was “forced” to relocate to Amsterdam in response to “business need”.

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Freshfields assigns secondments based on appraisal scores, ensuring all trainees have the opportunity to spend time overseas. However, the decision to relocate the sisters reportedly caused “a bit of internal uproar”, with the move becoming even more contentious due to their apparent status as “family friends” of a high-ranking corporate partner at the firm.

The secondment switch prompted trainees and associates to raise concerns with HR, corporate partners and even the firm’s social mobility committee. In response, trainee development partner Craig Montgomery apparently emailed the cohort, explaining that the two New York positions became available later in the process and had they been available from the outset, they would have gone to the sisters.

The report claims that the firm justified the switch on grounds of “personal safety and wellbeing”, though a spokesperson declined to provide further details when approached for comment by Legal Cheek.

However, a firm spokesperson did stress that it follows “strict guidelines” when allocating secondments, which are “merit-based, objective and transparent”.

They went on to add that the firm takes these “guiding principles very seriously” and that it couldn’t “comment on circumstances surrounding particular individuals involved in that process”.

18 Comments

Anonymous

Disgusting. New logo, same old crap underneath

DE&I Expert

That’s inclusion

Another DEI Expert

positive discrimination, they are two ladies after all

Anon

A magic circle firm? Nepotist??

And you’re telling me the sky is also blue!?

Roger That

The sky is grey

Insider

This is a non-story, the nepo-trainees have actually been sent on secondment to York, England. The firm’s just opened an office there, the “new” (lower case) York office. Always proofread.

JimGower85

“personal safety and wellbeing”

what? So where isn’t safe for them?

General

Source?

Interested Party

I’m sorry but what is the likelihood that two siblings end up both getting TC’s in the same cohort and are then effectively aligned on their ‘appraisal scores’ that they would have both been the next two to get the New York secondments.

If it smells like a fish.

My Uncle is the Managing Partner

Nothing to see here, standard procedure.

Al

There is a company that specialises in anti nepotism cases. Spaceworm, Spaceworm, and Spaceworm.

Da realest

It is what it is bro

CMS Crony-baby.

America is the least safe place right now 😂

American in London

My favourite part of this is the reason for the switch “the firm justified the switch on grounds of “personal safety and wellbeing””… My mistake if something happened to change everything, but last time I checked New York City was never described as ‘safe’ and good for your ‘wellbeing’.

I have been to NYC, I have friends who still live and have lived in NYC… none describe it as ‘safe’ or good for your ‘wellbeing’.

Life’s unfair, get used to it - from a trainee who had no connections in law.

What do people expect?

Life is unfair and people have advantages over you.

I bet half of this trainee cohort upset with the decision were privately educated and haven’t considered that their family’s wealth got them to the magic circle in the first place.

Network network and network

It’s all about the networking.

If you are a friend or client of someone with power, you can get what you want.

Of course, it also helps if you turn up looking super sexy and flirt shamelessly with whoever makes the decisions. A lingering smile here. Laughing at all their jokes there. Dress for them tomorrow. Make excuses to stop by for no reason. Talk about their great cases. It all adds up.

Sure, you might get dirty looks from everyone else who is on to you but that only matters if you care. And besides, it’s probably worth it to bag that secondment/best clients/best work/payrise/promotion/allow you to get ahead of other trainees. Right?

Harry

Social capital is valuable for business. If you don’t like that, tough, that’s how the world works.

Anyone who isn't a posh white kid at FBD

Harry is clearly a white man in the firm.

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