Mayer Brown

Trainees in the City can also expect some big work, with recent deals including a billion-pound revolving credit facility spanning Switzerland, UK, Germany, Slovakia, Croatia, Hungary, Romania and Latvia, and an ongoing series of acquisitions for Unilever premium personal care brands such as K18 and Wild. Beyond this, the firm has also been active in the energy transition space, advising Cornish Lithium on a landmark £50 million investment aimed at supporting the UK’s domestic battery supply chain. And it’s not all corporate heavy lifting: Mayer Brown has also lent its expertise to pro bono causes, helping a prosthetics start-up navigate a complex dispute before the English courts, a reminder that the firm’s work can have a tangible social impact too.

Alongside standard trainee tasks such as bundling, bibling, proofreading and general admin, insiders tell us that there is “meaty work, such as drafting documents, interesting pieces of research, and attending meetings/court”. The quality of the work varies between teams, with one rookie noting that work is “more stimulating” in litigation. Another junior points out that “trainees are generally afforded a high level of responsibility and autonomy once [we] have earned people’s trust”. Being proactive and seeking stimulating work tends to operate in trainees’ favour, with associates also “look[ing] out for good development opportunities they can pass on to trainees”. Work content is said to be “very varied” and the opportunity to work “with most teams across the firm and other offices” is much appreciated by one insider.

Variety is also the name of the game in Mayer Brown’s London canteen, “The Hub”, which we’re told has a “varied” menu offering breakfast and both meat and veggie options for lunch every day, plus soup, salads and sandwiches, all subsidised. That said, some connoisseurs have noted that portion sizes can be “a bit hit or miss”, and another laments the “distinct lack of seasoning in the food, even just the basics of salt: 10/10 for effort, but 3/10 for execution.”

As for the firm’s office, one insider describes the “hipster” meeting rooms as “quite impressive”, although “some of them do not have any natural light”. Insiders describe the firm’s London office in the Broadgate Tower development as “lovely and modern” and “very well-located”. The “lovely” staff get a particular shoutout from survey respondents, who are grateful for how “they always pick [you] up if you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed”. Other much appreciated perks include an in-house GP, physio and counsellor, travel insurance and a gym subsidy, with one rookie noting that “it’s easy to forget how lucky we are to have such perks!”

Current trainees are also hugely positive about the quality of training they receive. One insider describes it as “stellar formal and informal training which equips a trainee to do all the typical tasks they would usually be assigned in any given seat”. Moreover, every seat has a “thorough and practical” foundation training programme, with the firm also providing additional, more academic training where required. One rookie says that those in a construction seat undertake 15 weeks’ worth of training in construction law. Trainees also find associates “excellent at answering questions” and “always happy to explain why we are doing things a particular way”. Survey respondents are generally positive about their peers as well, with one describing the trainee cohort as a “fantastic resource” and “really close”, save for the odd competitive one. A relatively small trainee intake of around 15 helps solidify bonds. In line with this, superiors are also said to be “lovely for the most part”, great to learn from and to build relationships with. The social life at Mayer Brown is said to “depend on the team”, with team drinks generally every couple of months and “a few more events around Christmas”.

While client secondments have dwindled in recent years, at least one current trainee has enjoyed an international experience, spending six months in the firm’s Brussels office. Trainees and junior associates have previously sampled life at the likes of Lloyds, HSBC, London Stock Exchange Group, Unilever, Wells Fargo and British Land, where they enjoy a high degree of “independence” and “authority”.

Work/life balance varies from seat to seat, with generally no facetime culture, “except for maybe in corporate”. Another insider confessed that “it’s generally not amazing” with “draining busy periods”, but recognises that it’s the nature of the job. Trainees say that the general culture and friendliness of the place is a big boost when the going gets tough. Trainees are “a bunch that will go through hell and back with you”, and there’s “a real attitude of everyone being in it together”, while “associates try to be considerate of your evenings and weekends”. They also “always try to give you notice if you will have to contribute a couple of hours of your free time”.

Feedback on Mayer Brown’s IT offering has improved in recent years, with the “AI and additional technologies” the firm’s innovation team are working hard to deploy being cited as “very very good”. One such example is “Office and Dragons”, which automates document creation and editing tasks. That said, existing complaints concerning Outlook and the time it takes to convert a PDF document (30 minutes, if anyone was wondering) remain.
As for working from home, the firm does not provide any equipment beyond the standard laptop, charger and work phone, reflecting an emphasis on office attendance. There is, however, considerable flexibility for juniors who want to leave early and pick back up later, or work from home, and Mondays and Fridays generally see most teams based remotely.