Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton

This global firm is definitely not for the faint-hearted. Trainees can expect to be thrown in at the deep end and will be expected to work long hours (long hours at firms like Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton mean very long hours). For the driven and the determined, however, the rewards are many. Trainees have flexibility in their areas of work, earn a top-notch salary (trainees start on £57.5k, go up to £62.5k, and on qualification, take home £164.5k) and can choose to work overseas if they so desire. The firm’s most recent financials show that it neared the $1.7 billion (£1.2 billion) mark in revenue, with profit per equity partner sitting at a whopping $5.2 million (£3.7 million) — at least a million pounds more than what some Magic Circle partners pull in. There’s also a better chance of making it the top since Cleary decided to introduce a non-equity partner tier last year. In its first promotion round since making the move, 26 were promoted to partner with four of these being made up in London.

As you might expect, trainees also have a decent chance of securing an international secondment. The firm has been downsizing in recent years — recently shuttering operations in Frankfurt and following many other U.S. law firms in closing up shop in Beijing — which may be why no trainees have ventured further afield this year. However, recent trips have included stints in Hong Kong, Cologne, Abu Dhabi, and New York and at least one rookie reported that their six months spent in the Paris office was “[my] best seat by far”. For those who miss out, there are reports of a trainee conference in sunny Porto and an acculturation event in Brussels.

Back in blighty, Cleary occupies the top five floors of a 16-storey tower at London Wall Place. The office, which we’re told has “some serious Succession vibes” features “glass-front double-height ceilings with views across the City” as well as roof terraces, pocket gardens and parks, restored remains of the Roman city wall, and medieval St Alphage church tower. This swanky abode also hosts a top-notch canteen which is subsidised by the firm’s partners, making it “both high quality and affordable” in the words of one. In fact — lack of break rooms aside — Cleary trainees were overwhelmingly positive about their digs: “very sleek, beautiful views and very modern” was the feedback in a nutshell.

The training on offer is said to be very “learn-as-you-go”, with insiders informing LC that “in some ways this is great as you’re given a lot of responsibility early, but on the other hand it would sometimes be better to be given a bit more support or explanation before you begin a task.” Another concurs, adding that “a lot of training is on the job”, but rookies were quick to point out that help is always on hand throughout this hands-on process: “the support given is tailored and associates and partners are generally aware of the difference in abilities between a first and third seater etc” were the re-assuring words of one. Others found silver linings in the process, with another stoic recruit adding: “once you train at Cleary you can thrive anywhere.”

With a roster of clients that includes Coca-Cola, Sony, Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, private equity funds, and sovereign governments, it’s no surprise that billion-dollar deals are the norm for the firm. Recent credits to the firm’s name include helping French broadcaster Canal+ with it’s £2.5 billion IPO on the London Stock Exchange and securing major wins for both Apple and Amazon against some recent class-actions.

And it’s certainly not like trainees are far from the action: “I’ve been on real matters and client calls since the first couple of weeks, the exposure is amazing” tells one. Another recounts: “I was able to immediately jump into ongoing matters and feel like my days are very full and interesting”. Whilst this high degree of responsibility can come with a side order of stress, we’re assured this is more than compensated for by the typically “stimulating” work. The competition team stands out as a particularly strong contender of high-quality work, with the firm engaged “in the most important competition matters worldwide” with trainees given the opportunity to take ownership over their work.

Even Cleary, however, cannot escape the ever-present grumbles of trainee grunt work. One rookie confesses they “are given the work of a paralegal as well as of a 2PQE lawyer. This leads to many administrative and highly time-consuming tasks at the same time as more intricate or higher responsibility ones.” Fortunately, whilst the tech isn’t considered to be cutting edge, it is said to be “good” and IT support is “great”, which helps trainees handle the more mundane tasks.
As already mentioned, this is not the place for the more laidback, with the trade-off for such great exposure and pay being “high stress and long hours”. This spy explains: “Long hours are expected and are often not praised enough. Trainees are ranked based on their billable hours to supervisors every week.” But it may not be all that bad, with others stressing that the work/life balance is “actually much better than expected”. How much can a new rookie really expect when they’re bringing home one of the biggest pay packets the City has to offer?

One merrier newbie reports: “it is practice group specific (forget it if you are in cap markets) but in my current seat I can leave at 6pm and, if necessary, log back in at home. I have also been travelling on weekends much to my surprise.” Another details that they “have very little time during the week to do much beyond work, but weekends have been respected for the most part.” For those putting in the late nights, a £30 Deliveroo allowance and taxis post-8 pm might offer some consolation.

When the going gets really tough, you can also rely on your fellow trainees to provide moral support. Cleary scores well for peer support in the Legal Cheek Trainee and Junior Lawyer Survey 2025-26, with one happy camper revealing that “the people you work with are very much the firm’s strength. Everyone is lovely and there’s really not a sense of competition between the trainees at all.” Another echoes this sentiment, adding that “the trainee cohort is very close” thanks in part to the firm’s relatively small intake of only around 16 each year. Our sources tell us trainee cohorts “often go out together and are always willing to help each other out at work.”

Scores are more variable at partner level, though most still rate their superiors as “generally all nice and approachable.” Generally, we’re told any frostiness is the result of higher-ups being busy and unavailable, rather than any genuinely bad eggs. Otherwise, insiders say that “associates and even partners are very approachable and very happy to chat with you about work or otherwise”.

The firm’s social life is said to be fairly flexible, with “a good number of socials” although without the pressure to attend too many such events, if socialising with your co-workers isn’t quite your thing. While last-minute drop outs due to work pressures do inevitably occur, the socials are usually “moderately well-attended”.

Those who are big fans of flexible working, expect to be disappointed; we are told Cleary makes all its recruits come into the office for the first three months of their training contract. Once you’ve served your time, however, the firm allows up to two WFH days per week and trainees can then relish the “good tech equipment” provided by the firm, which includes a monitor, web cam, keyboard and mouse.

In office-tech also receives plaudits, with the firm recently rolling collaborative AI tool Legora, after also acquiring an Gen AI-focused start-up in London called Springbok AI. The firm also launched Cleary X a couple years back — an alternative legal service provider focusing on using tech to make transactional deals more efficient.