Five Reasons - Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP€¦ · by email with a cover letter, CV and a detailed...
Transcript of Five Reasons - Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP€¦ · by email with a cover letter, CV and a detailed...
Five ReasonsLondon
Every practice. Every office. For every client.
Work with the leading lawyers at the centre of corporate finance transactions that are shaping global business.
Technip $13 billion
Merger with FMC Technologies
Solvay $6.4 billion
Acquisition of Cytec Industries and related bridge financing
Alpha Bank €2.56 billion
Advised joint global coordinators, joint bookrunners and co-lead
managers on private placement on Athens Stock Exchange
ABN AMRO €3.3 billion
IPO and Euronext Amsterdam listing
MasterCard £700 million
Acquisition of 92.4% of VocaLink
TeliaSonera $1.03 billion
Sale of 60.4% ownership in Ncell to Axiata Group
Just Retirement£1.7 billion
Advised the financial adviser, sponsor and underwriters to Just
Retirement on its merger with Partnership Assurance
Temenos$500 million
Revolving credit facility
Dialog Semiconductor $4.6 billion
Proposed acquisition of Atmel
Anheuser-Busch InBev £79 billion
Advising the lead financial adviser to Anheuser-Busch InBev on its
takeover of SAB Miller
BMW $4 billion
Notes offering
Rexam £4.3 billion
Advised financial adviser to Rexam on its takeover
of Ball Corporation
Tereos £34 million
Acquisition of Napier Brown from Real Good Food
Verisk Analytics £1.85 billion
Acquisition of Wood Mackenzie from Hellman & Friedman and
others and related bridge financing
Wizz Air £309 million
Advised joint global coordinators on IPO and London listing
AstraZeneca $6 billion
Notes offering
Ladbrokes £2.3 billion
Advised financial sponsors and underwriters to Ladbrokes
on its proposed acquisition of certain businesses of Gala Coral Group
London Office Transactions – Highlights 2015/2016
Companies we have worked with include:
Excellence1“We need people who want to get involved, who are
willing to take the initiative and are up for a challenge.
You’ll be expected to stand on your own two feet.
Providing the best possible advice to our clients can
be challenging, but it certainly is never boring.”
We advise on the matters that matter – global M&A deals, groundbreaking securities offerings, complex compliance and corporate governance issues, and litigation and enforcement matters throughout the world. At Davis Polk, you are always at the top of your profession – and you are recognised as being so. Our London based team consists of over 60 UK and US qualified lawyers, many of whom are acknowledged as leaders in their fields.
Associate Greg Spencer (Oxford University)
Recent Recognition
■■“They are fantastic: hugely proactive and efficient, which guarantees a smooth process.”
– Chambers UK 2016
■■“Outstanding reputation for SEC-registered transactions and European rights issues for investment banks and listed companies. Comprehensive support from its global network. Houses a combination of UK and US qualified capital markets practitioners.”
– Chambers UK 2016
■■“Davis Polk & Wardwell’s London team stands out for its Europe-wide work.”
– Legal 500 UK 2015
■■“A client who worked with the M&A team says: ‘Davis Polk & Wardwell’s London office did an excellent job representing us in the acquisition. They operated very efficiently and provided quality advice.’ Another adds that the advice received was ‘responsive, proactive and business oriented.’”
– IFLR1000 2015
We Prepare You Like No Other Firm
■■ Prior to joining Davis Polk, future trainees study a bespoke LPC with a focus on corporate finance topics, including M&A, Debt Finance and Public Companies electives.
■■ Our trainees have a month-long induction program that introduces life at Davis Polk and includes the Trainee Litigation Programme (TLP) and both core and elective components of the Professional Skills Course (PSC).
■■ Trainees and junior associates attend a comprehensive series of “deal basics” training sessions each autumn.
■■ Monthly European practice area meetings in M&A, capital markets and credit are held for all lawyers across Europe.
■■ In addition to access to all of the usual legal resources, our partners take an active role in trainee and associate development to ensure that the London office stays on top of legal and regulatory developments and changes in market practice.
■■ Third and fifth year UK lawyers based in our London office attend training sessions with their peers from around the firm in our New York office.
There is no better place to launch and build a career in the law. You will do crucial work for high profile clients. You will work directly with some of the most highly regarded lawyers in the market. You will have mentors, both formal and informal, at every level. We will train you extensively, give you responsibility early, and that responsibility grows over time. This opens doors and gives you invaluable experience from which you will draw on throughout your career.
Preparation2
Newly qualified associate Jessica Hui (London School of Economics)
“ Frequent interactions with my supervisors and other senior
lawyers throughout my training contract, regular training
sessions and the six months I spent sitting in the M&A team
of our New York office have prepared me well for life as a
newly qualified associate.”
Davis Polk is a recognised leader worldwide. You will work from one or more of our offices in major financial capitals. And if based in London, your workplace is still the world. With sophisticated practices in global capital markets, cross-border M&A, credit and restructuring, much of your work as a lawyer here will involve assignments, clients and colleagues from around the globe.
“Working on cross-border deals is a way of life at
Davis Polk. I enjoy interacting with clients and other
advisers from all over the world to help solve complex
legal issues for our clients. The opportunity to work on
cross-border transactions was one of the key reasons
why I chose to join Davis Polk.”
Associate William Tong (University of Nottingham)
Global3
A Truly Global Practice
Cross-border work is the strength of our practice. From each of our strategically located offices, our lawyers work as part of globally integrated practice groups. Approximately half of our deals involve non-US jurisdictions and our London based lawyers have worked on corporate finance transactions in over 30 countries around the globe.
Our UK and US teams in London work together as one team. This enables our clients to benefit from our knowledge of market practice and deal structures in both the UK and the US and also have the ability to switch between English law and US law as the governing law of the transaction without changing teams. Our lawyers are trained to understand the key differences between UK and US law.
Our London team frequently advises on many of the most high profile and complex cross-border deals in the market. For example, we have recently advised Technip, headquartered in France, on its merger with US based FMC Technologies under a new UK holding company and Dialog Semiconductor, a UK company listed in Germany, on its proposed acquisition of a US company, Atmel.
Trainee Solicitors (L-R) Stephen Bailey (Cambridge University), Zoey Hitzert (University College London), Jack Kelly (University College Dublin) and Courtney Grafton (Yale University and London School of Economics)
Our 2015 Trainee Solicitors
“We believe that practical ‘on the job’ training is the
best way to learn. Trainees spend significant time
working directly with partners and senior associates
who provide support and regular feedback to maximise
individual development.”
Partner and Training Principal Will Pearce (University of Warwick)
Trajectory4
Responsibility From Day One
Hands-On ExperienceA small intake ensures that our trainees have hands-on experience from the beginning and are an integral part of the Davis Polk team on a transaction and have regular interaction with senior lawyers, including partners.
SupportOur trainees have the support of their supervisors, the broader team on a transaction and a comprehensive ongoing training program delivered by our lawyers.
Professional DevelopmentTrainees receive frequent informal feedback from their supervisors, complete a monthly training record and have a formal review every six months with their supervisors and then the Training Principal.
VarietyThe training contract at Davis Polk involves gaining experience in our London based corporate (M&A, capital markets and corporate advisory), credit and regulatory (financial services and antitrust) practices. All of our trainees are expected to develop an understanding of pervasive areas like corporate tax whilst working in our practice areas.
All trainees will have the opportunity to spend six months of their training contract in our New York office.
There are many paths to and through Davis Polk. Whatever your path, Davis Polk offers an invaluable foundation and can be a springboard or simply the best place you could spend your entire career. You will be exposed to a rich variety of work early on and, from day one, you will have a hand in charting your career.
“Davis Polk offers more than excellent legal training.
Through our CSR program, I have had the opportunity
to join the board of a charity, which has not only been
enjoyable but has also helped me to develop a broader
set of commercial skills.”
Trainee Solicitor Courtney Grafton (Yale University and London School of Economics)
Character5
Davis Polk is made up of people of character and substance – unique individuals who are not just intelligent and highly accomplished lawyers but who bring integrity, respect and diverse backgrounds to their practice. Diversity means many things at Davis Polk – gender and ethnicity, of course, but also place of origin, language, educational background, non-legal skills, and interests and experiences outside the law. Here, you work among exceptional colleagues – in teams that are routinely multidisciplinary, often multilingual, and that span the globe.
A Globally Diverse Team
■■ Headquartered in New York, we work from 10 offices in the Americas, Asia and Europe.
■■ Our lawyers come from 46 countries and collectively speak more than 45 languages.
■■ 43% of our associates and 17% of our partners are women.
■■ Over 30% of our lawyers are ethnic minorities or LGBT.
■■ Our Europe based lawyers are citizens of nearly 20 countries, including Australia, Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, France, Ireland, Israel, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States.
■■ Nearly 20 different languages are spoken by our Europe based lawyers, including Afrikaans, Amharic, Bulgarian, Cantonese, Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Swedish.
■■ Our lawyers firmwide devoted 39,341 hours to pro bono matters in 2015.
■■ Our London based lawyers are encouraged to get involved in Corporate Social Responsibility activities. For example, we work closely with ELBA (East London Business Alliance) to engage with students in the local community.
Training at Davis Polk in London
Vacation Scheme for 2017
We are looking for people who have the potential to be exceptional lawyers and trusted colleagues. You should be on track for (or have attained) a high 2.1 degree or better, whether law or non-law, from a leading university.
Applications should be submitted by email with a cover letter, CV and a detailed breakdown of your academic results addressed to the Training Principal at [email protected].
■■ Applications open: 1 November 2016
■■ Applications close: 15 January 2017
■■ Conduct interviews: late January
■■ Salary: £500 per week
■■ Number of places: approximately 20
■■ Start dates: June/July 2017
■■ Duration: 2 weeks
If you have any questions about the application process, please contact
Training Contracts for 2019
This year, we will be recruiting our 2019 trainee intake directly from our 2017 vacation scheme.
■■ Salary: £50,000 (first year), £55,000 (second year) and £112,500 (NQ)
■■ Intake: approximately 4
■■ Start date: August 2019
■■ Duration: 2 years
Seat Rotations
■■ Corporate – M&A/Capital Markets/Corporate Advisory
■■ Credit
■■ Regulatory – Financial Services/Antitrust
■■ Opportunity to spend six months in New York
Legal Training
■■ Dedicated LPC at University of Law
■■ Tailored PSC, including electives
■■ Contentious experience through the TLP
■■ Ongoing legal training
Benefits Package
■■ Cover GDL and LPC fees
■■ Maintenance grant of £8,000 per year while studying GDL/LPC
■■ 20 days of vacation per year
■■ Life assurance
■■ Permanent health insurance
■■ Critical illness insurance
■■ Private medical insurance
■■ Medical cash plan
■■ Childcare vouchers
■■ Interest-free season ticket loan
■■ Gym membership subsidy
■■ Cycle to work scheme
■■ Employee assistance program
Find Out More
There are many opportunities to meet Davis Polk lawyers and find out more about the firm and life as a trainee in the London office.
We will be holding open days at our London office for:
■■ Second-year law and post-grad students on 25 November 2016
■■ First-year law students on 10 March 2017
We will be on campus at the following law fairs:
■■ Cambridge – 20 October 2016
■■ Warwick – 25 October 2016
■■ King’s College London – 27 October 2016 (afternoon)
■■ London School of Economics – 27 October 2016 (evening)
■■ Bristol – 1 November 2016
■■ Oxford – 5 November 2016
■■ University College London – 14 November 2016
■■ Durham – 23 November 2016
Details of all of our events can be found at careers.davispolk.com or visit our Facebook page
@DavisPolkUKGrad.
1849
Francis N. Bangs, a 21-year-old lawyer, hangs out a shingle on lower Broadway in Manhattan and opens his one-man firm, which today is known as Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP.
1885
During work on a complex transaction involving the Pennsylvania Railroad, the firm begins a relationship with banker J. Pierpont Morgan.
1889
Grover Cleveland joins Bangs, Stetson, Tracey & MacVeagh as “of counsel” for the period between his nonsequential terms as President of the United States.
1892
On behalf of J. Pierpont Morgan, the firm performs the legal work on the organisation of General Electric.
1913-1955
John W. Davis argues or takes part in more than 250 cases before the US Supreme Court, 160 of which were for the government during his period as Solicitor General, the remainder in private practice. No other lawyer had participated in so many.
1935
Partner F.A.O. “Fritz” Schwarz helps develop the standard telephone company registration form for AT&T. During the Great Depression, he would take a leave of absence from the firm to run his family’s toy store.
1944
Partner Theodore Kiendl successfully represents Erie Railroad in the well-publicized Supreme Court case Erie v. Tompkins, in which Justice Louis D. Brandeis formally ends the 90-year-old doctrine of federal common law.
1962
Davis Polk opens an office in Paris, the firm’s first overseas outpost. The firm continues to open offices in key financial and business centres around the world: London (1972), Washington DC (1980), Tokyo (1987), Hong Kong (1993), Menlo Park (1999), Madrid (2001), Beijing (2007) and São Paulo (2011).
1971
Lydia Kess is elected to the partnership, becoming only the second female partner in a major Wall Street firm.
1987
Davis Polk advises Her Majesty’s Government on the $1.9 billion IPO of British Airways. This marks the first of several major British privatisations that would be handled by Davis Polk lawyers, including those involving British Telecommunications, British Petroleum, British Gas and the power-generating companies run by the British Department of Energy.
2000
Davis Polk advises longtime client J.P. Morgan & Co. on its $38.6 billion merger with Chase Manhattan Bank to form JPMorgan Chase.
2001
Davis Polk advises Comcast on its acquisition of AT&T Broadband to create the nation’s largest cable company.
2010
Davis Polk launches its Hong Kong law practice, and in 2013, the firm strategically expands its global enforcement capability and strengthens its market-leading litigation practice in Asia and Hong Kong.
2012
Davis Polk launches its English law practice in London to complement the firm’s English law practices in Hong Kong and Brazil.
2014
Our training program starts in London, and in 2016, our first trainee intake qualified.
Our History – Selected Highlights
www.davispolk.com/firm/history/
“ We attract the brightest and most dynamic students. We must. Because our clients repeatedly seek our advice on the most complex legal problems.”
Born and raised in Kirkcaldy on the east coast of Scotland,
Tom Reid attended Edinburgh Law School. In 1986,
following completion of an LL.B., Tom left Scotland for the
United States. He received an LL.M. from Columbia Law
School in 1987, and then joined Davis Polk as an associate in
New York. Tom transferred to the London office in 1990 and
was elected partner in 1995. Tom was named as Head of
Corporate in 2008 and Managing Partner in 2011. Tom now
manages the firm and advises clients across the world.
Managing Partner Tom Reid (Edinburgh University and Columbia University)
New YorkMenlo ParkWashington DCSão PauloLondon
ParisMadridTokyoBeijingHong Kong
Visit the Careers page of our website to learn why, at Davis Polk, you are always at the top of your profession. careers.davispolk.com
© 2016 Davis Polk & Wardwell London llp