{"id":13568,"date":"2025-10-02T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-02T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/legal500.designextreme.com\/future-lawyers\/?post_type=profiles&#038;p=13568"},"modified":"2025-10-02T10:11:19","modified_gmt":"2025-10-02T10:11:19","slug":"watson-farley-williams-llp","status":"publish","type":"profiles","link":"https:\/\/legal500.designextreme.com\/future-lawyers\/profiles\/watson-farley-williams-llp\/","title":{"rendered":"Watson Farley &amp; Williams LLP"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","jurisdictions":[],"countries":[],"cities":[],"firms_companies":[],"universities_colleges":[],"lex_survey_questions":[],"publications":[798],"tc_location":[],"class_list":["post-13568","profiles","type-profiles","status-publish","hentry","publications-future-lawyers-2025-26"],"acf":[],"featured_image_urls":{},"appp_media":null,"appp":{"post_list":{"below_title":"<div class=\"lex-profile-list-intro\"><div class=\"letterhead\">\r\n            \r\n\t\t\t<h1 class=\"styled\">Watson Farley &amp; Williams LLP<\/h1>\r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t<img class=\"firm-logo\" height=\"200\" width=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/legal500.designextreme.com\/future-lawyers\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/10\/watson-farley-williams-2025.jpg\" alt=\"Watson Farley &amp; Williams LLP law firm logo\" \/>\r\n\t<meta class=\"swiftype\" name=\"image\" data-type=\"enum\" content=\"https:\/\/legal500.designextreme.com\/future-lawyers\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/10\/watson-farley-williams-2025.jpg\" \/>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div class=\"contact-box\">\r\n<div class=\"address contact\"><i class=\"fa fa-building\"><\/i> 15 Appold Street, London EC2A 2HB<\/div><div class=\"web contact\"><i class=\"fa fa-globe\"><\/i> <a class=\"firm-website\" target=\"_blank\"  href=\"https:\/\/www.wfw.com\/\">Visit website<\/a><\/div><div class=\"email contact\"><i class=\"fa fa-envelope\"><\/i> <a class=\"firm-email\" href=\"mailto: earlycareers@wfw.com?subject=Enquiry via lex100.com\">E-mail firm<\/a><\/div><div class=\"phone contact\"><i class=\"fa fa-phone\"><\/i> 020 7814 8000<\/div><div class=\"linkedin contact\"><i class=\"fa fa-linkedin\"><\/i> <a class=\"firm-linkedin\" target=\"_blank\"  href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/showcase\/wfw-early-careers\">LinkedIn<\/a><\/div><div class=\"instagram contact\"><i class=\"fa fa-instagram\"><\/i> <a class=\"firm-instagram\" target=\"_blank\"  href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/wfwearlycareers\/\">Instagram<\/a><\/div>\r\n<div class=\"badges\"><i class='fa fa-trophy' aria-hidden='true'><\/i> Watson Farley &amp; Williams LLP is a The Legal 500 Future Lawyers Winner in 4 categories: <a href='\/future-lawyers\/survey\/future-lawyers-winners\/how-would-you-rate-the-client-secondment-opportunities-available\/' target='_blank'> Client secondments<\/a>,<a href='\/future-lawyers\/survey\/future-lawyers-winners\/how-confident-are-you-that-you-will-be-kept-on-at-the-end-of-your-training-contract\/' target='_blank'> Confident of being kept on<\/a>,<a href='\/future-lawyers\/survey\/future-lawyers-winners\/how-would-you-rate-the-international-secondment-opportunities-available\/' target='_blank'> International secondments<\/a>,<a href='\/future-lawyers\/survey\/future-lawyers-winners\/how-approachable-are-your-supervisors\/' target='_blank'> Approachability<\/a><\/div>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"apply-buttons\">\r\n<div class=\"grad_web\"><button class=\"grad-rec\" style=\"position:relative; height: 56px;\"><a style=\"padding-top: 15px; position: absolute; top: 0; right: 0; bottom: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; color: #fff;\" class=\"firm-grad-site\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/earlycareers.wfw.com\/\">Visit Graduate Recruitment Site<\/a><\/button><\/div><div class=\"apply_link\"><button class=\"apply-now\" style=\"position:relative; height: 56px;\"><a style=\"padding-top: 15px; position: absolute; top: 0; right: 0; bottom: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; color: #fff;\" class=\"firm-apply-link\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.apply4law.com\/WFW\/default.aspx\">Apply Now<\/a><\/button><\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n                    \r\n        <\/div><span class=\"profile-link\">View Profile<\/span><\/div>"},"post_detail":{"below_title":"<div class=\"letterhead\"><div class=\"letterhead\">\r\n            \r\n\t\t\t<h1 class=\"styled\">Watson Farley &amp; Williams LLP<\/h1>\r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t<img class=\"firm-logo\" height=\"200\" width=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/legal500.designextreme.com\/future-lawyers\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/10\/watson-farley-williams-2025.jpg\" alt=\"Watson Farley &amp; Williams LLP law firm logo\" \/>\r\n\t<meta class=\"swiftype\" name=\"image\" data-type=\"enum\" content=\"https:\/\/legal500.designextreme.com\/future-lawyers\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/10\/watson-farley-williams-2025.jpg\" \/>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div class=\"contact-box\">\r\n<div class=\"address contact\"><i class=\"fa fa-building\"><\/i> 15 Appold Street, London EC2A 2HB<\/div><div class=\"web contact\"><i class=\"fa fa-globe\"><\/i> <a class=\"firm-website\" target=\"_blank\"  href=\"https:\/\/www.wfw.com\/\">Visit website<\/a><\/div><div class=\"email contact\"><i class=\"fa fa-envelope\"><\/i> <a class=\"firm-email\" href=\"mailto: earlycareers@wfw.com?subject=Enquiry via lex100.com\">E-mail firm<\/a><\/div><div class=\"phone contact\"><i class=\"fa fa-phone\"><\/i> 020 7814 8000<\/div><div class=\"linkedin contact\"><i class=\"fa fa-linkedin\"><\/i> <a class=\"firm-linkedin\" target=\"_blank\"  href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/showcase\/wfw-early-careers\">LinkedIn<\/a><\/div><div class=\"instagram contact\"><i class=\"fa fa-instagram\"><\/i> <a class=\"firm-instagram\" target=\"_blank\"  href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/wfwearlycareers\/\">Instagram<\/a><\/div>\r\n<div class=\"badges\"><i class='fa fa-trophy' aria-hidden='true'><\/i> Watson Farley &amp; Williams LLP is a The Legal 500 Future Lawyers Winner in 4 categories: <a href='\/future-lawyers\/survey\/future-lawyers-winners\/how-would-you-rate-the-client-secondment-opportunities-available\/' target='_blank'> Client secondments<\/a>,<a href='\/future-lawyers\/survey\/future-lawyers-winners\/how-confident-are-you-that-you-will-be-kept-on-at-the-end-of-your-training-contract\/' target='_blank'> Confident of being kept on<\/a>,<a href='\/future-lawyers\/survey\/future-lawyers-winners\/how-would-you-rate-the-international-secondment-opportunities-available\/' target='_blank'> International secondments<\/a>,<a href='\/future-lawyers\/survey\/future-lawyers-winners\/how-approachable-are-your-supervisors\/' target='_blank'> Approachability<\/a><\/div>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"apply-buttons\">\r\n<div class=\"grad_web\"><button class=\"grad-rec\" style=\"position:relative; height: 56px;\"><a style=\"padding-top: 15px; position: absolute; top: 0; right: 0; bottom: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; color: #fff;\" class=\"firm-grad-site\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/earlycareers.wfw.com\/\">Visit Graduate Recruitment Site<\/a><\/button><\/div><div class=\"apply_link\"><button class=\"apply-now\" style=\"position:relative; height: 56px;\"><a style=\"padding-top: 15px; position: absolute; top: 0; right: 0; bottom: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; color: #fff;\" class=\"firm-apply-link\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.apply4law.com\/WFW\/default.aspx\">Apply Now<\/a><\/button><\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n                    \r\n        <\/div><\/div><div class=\"survey-scores\"><h2 style=\"color: #111;\">Trainee Feedback<\/h2>\r\n<ul style=\"list-type:none; color: #111;\">\r\n<li style=\"width:78.2%\">78.2<span class=\"score-title\">Satisfaction<\/span><\/li><li style=\"width:75.2%\">75.2<span class=\"score-title\">Work quality<\/span><\/li><li style=\"width:69.8%\">69.8<span class=\"score-title\">Client contact<\/span><\/li><li style=\"width:69.1%\">69.1<span class=\"score-title\">Quality of client contact<\/span><\/li><li style=\"width:69.1%\">69.1<span class=\"score-title\">Client secondments<\/span><\/li><li style=\"width:75.2%\">75.2<span class=\"score-title\">Work\/life<\/span><\/li><li style=\"width:70.6%\">70.6<span class=\"score-title\">Social life<\/span><\/li><li style=\"width:%\">77.3<span class=\"score-title\">Vac. Scheme<\/span><\/li><li style=\"width:79%\">79<span class=\"score-title\">Confidence<\/span><\/li><li style=\"width:75.2%\">75.2<span class=\"score-title\">Remuneration<\/span><\/li><li style=\"width:68.3%\">68.3<span class=\"score-title\">Inclusiveness<\/span><\/li><li style=\"width:94.1%\">94.1<span class=\"score-title\">International<\/span><\/li><li style=\"width:90.3%\">90.3<span class=\"score-title\">Approachability<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul><\/div><div class=\"profile-content-1\"> \r\n<article id=\"post-13568\" class=\"post-13568 profiles type-profiles status-publish hentry publications-future-lawyers-2025-26\">\r\n\t\r\n\t<header class=\"entry-header\">\r\n\t\t\r\n\t<\/header><!-- .entry-header -->\r\n\r\n\t<div class=\"entry-content\">\r\n\r\n<div class=\"survey-results tab-listing\">  \r\n   \r\n        \r\n<h2>Survey Results - Trainee feedback on <span class=\"highlight-firm\">Watson Farley &amp; Williams LLP<\/span><\/h2>\r\n\r\n           <style>\r\n#chartdiv {\r\n  width: 100%;\r\n  height: 800px;\r\n}\r\n\r\n<\/style>\r\n            \r\n  <!-- Resources -->\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.amcharts.com\/lib\/4\/core.js\"><\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.amcharts.com\/lib\/4\/charts.js\"><\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.amcharts.com\/lib\/4\/themes\/animated.js\"><\/script>\r\n            \r\n<!-- HTML -->\r\n<div id=\"chartdiv\"><\/div>\r\n        \r\n<!-- Chart code -->\r\n<script>\r\n\/\/ Themes begin\r\nam4core.useTheme(am4themes_animated);\r\n\/\/ Themes end\r\n\r\n\/\/ Create chart instance\r\nvar chart = am4core.create(\"chartdiv\", am4charts.XYChart3D);\r\n\r\n\/\/ Add data\r\nchart.data = [{\r\n  \"question\": \"Satisfaction\",\r\n  \"result\": \"78.2\",\r\n  \"explanation\": \"How would you rate your overall job satisfaction?\" \r\n},{\r\n  \"question\": \"Expectations\",\r\n  \"result\": \"\",\r\n  \"explanation\": \"How far has the firm lived up to your expectations?\" \r\n},{\r\n  \"question\": \"Work quality\",\r\n  \"result\": \"75.2\",\r\n  \"explanation\": \"How would you rate the quality of work you are given?\" \r\n},{\r\n  \"question\": \"Client contact\",\r\n  \"result\": \"69.8\",\r\n  \"explanation\": \"How would you rate your amount of client contact?\" \r\n},{\r\n  \"question\": \"Work\/life\",\r\n  \"result\": \"75.2\",\r\n  \"explanation\": \"How happy are you with your work\/life balance?\" \r\n},{\r\n  \"question\": \"Social life\",\r\n  \"result\": \"70.6\",\r\n  \"explanation\": \"How good is your firm\u2019s social life?\" \r\n},\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n{\r\n  \"question\": \"Vac. Scheme\",\r\n  \"result\": \"77.3\",\r\n  \"explanation\": \"If you did a vacation scheme with your firm, how would you rate it?\" \r\n},\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n{\r\n  \"question\": \"Confidence\",\r\n  \"result\": \"79\",\r\n  \"explanation\": \"How confident are you that you will be kept on at the end of your training contract?\" \r\n},{\r\n  \"question\": \"Remuneration\",\r\n  \"result\": \"75.2\",\r\n  \"explanation\": \"How satisfied are you with your financial remuneration?\" \r\n},{\r\n  \"question\": \"Inclusiveness\",\r\n  \"result\": \"68.3\",\r\n  \"explanation\": \"How would you rate the inclusiveness of your workplace environment?\" \r\n},\r\n\r\n\r\n{\r\n  \"question\": \"International\",\r\n  \"result\": \"94.1\",\r\n  \"explanation\": \"How would you rate the international secondment opportunities available?\" \r\n},\r\n\r\n\r\n{\r\n  \"question\": \"Approachability\",\r\n  \"result\": \"90.3\",\r\n  \"explanation\": \"How approachable are your supervisors?\" \r\n}];\r\n\r\n\/\/ Create axes\r\nvar categoryAxis = chart.yAxes.push(new am4charts.CategoryAxis());\r\ncategoryAxis.dataFields.category = \"question\";\r\ncategoryAxis.numberFormatter.numberFormat = \"#\";\r\ncategoryAxis.renderer.inversed = true;\r\n\r\nvar valueAxis = chart.xAxes.push(new am4charts.ValueAxis()); \r\n\r\nvalueAxis.title.text = \"Survey Score (\/100)\";\r\nvalueAxis.min = 0;\r\nvalueAxis.max = 100;\r\n\r\n\/\/ Create series\r\nvar series = chart.series.push(new am4charts.ColumnSeries3D());\r\nseries.dataFields.valueX = \"result\";\r\nseries.dataFields.categoryY = \"question\";\r\nseries.name = \"Income\";\r\nseries.columns.template.propertyFields.fill = \"color\";\r\nseries.columns.template.tooltipText = \"{explanation} {valueX}\";\r\nseries.columns.template.column3D.stroke = am4core.color(\"#fff\");\r\nseries.columns.template.column3D.strokeOpacity = 0.2;\r\n<\/script>\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/div>        \r\n        \r\n           \r\n\t\t\r\n\t\t    <h2 class=\"tab-listing\">The lowdown - Trainees (in their own words) on <span class=\"highlight-firm\">Watson Farley &amp; Williams LLP<\/span><\/h2>\r\n        <p><p><strong>Why did you choose this firm over any others?<\/strong> \u2018The opportunity for a guaranteed international secondment, the prevalence of the firm in the renewables and wider energy sector and the strong sector focus\u2019, \u2018quality of training and overseas secondment opportunities\u2019, \u2018sector focus\u2019, \u20186 seats\u2019<\/p>\n<p><strong>Best thing about the firm?<\/strong> \u2018A good trainee cohort and the friendliness of every team\u2019, \u2018the work and the people\u2019, \u2018approachability of associates and senior associates to ask questions, develop understanding and improve work product\u2019, \u2018the majority (particularly supervisors) really make an effort and take time to make sure trainees can ask questions and learn about sector specialisms\/deal structures etc\u2019<\/p>\n<p><strong>Worst thing about the firm?<\/strong> \u2018The old office\u2019, \u2018the office &#8211; taps broken, poor facilities. All going to change with the office move in &#8217;26 however\u2019, \u2018Remuneration (although fair given work-life balance)\u2019, \u2018legal tech\u2019, \u2018diversity still has a long way to go\u2019, \u2018hours worked to pay ratio in certain departments is not optimal\u2019<\/p>\n<p><strong>Best moment?<\/strong> \u2018Getting both my first-choice seats and really enjoying them\u2019, \u2018international secondment\u2019, \u2018getting lots of responsibility, making mistakes, improving, going on secondment\u2019, \u2018Paris secondment\u2019, \u2018being trusted and having my opinion valued from day one\u2019<\/p>\n<p><strong>Worst moment?<\/strong> \u2018A month-long period of heavy admin work\u2019, \u2018heavy hours. Poor distribution of capacity requests at times\u2019, \u2018difficult deal early on in the TC\u2019, \u2018receiving work late in the day\/night with no forewarning, and having to cancel plans accordingly\u2019<\/p>\n<\/p>\r\n                \r\n               \r\n      <h2 class=\"tab-listing\" id=\"verdict\">The Lex 100 verdict on <span class=\"highlight-firm\">Watson Farley &amp; Williams LLP<\/span><\/h2>\r\n       \r\n        \r\n      \r\n             \r\n        <p>    \r\n\t<p>Watson Farley &amp; Williams attracts trainees with its strong sector focus, particularly in energy and renewables, and its international opportunities. Trainees cite \u201cthe opportunity for a guaranteed international secondment\u201d and the ability to \u201cguide and tailor your own training contract through the six-seat structure\u201d as key draws. The firm\u2019s reputation for handling \u201csignificant mandates from big industry names\u201d adds to the appeal, alongside a supportive cohort and approachable culture. Training at Watson Farley is described as engaging and practical, with trainees feeling well-supported. \u201cMuch more involved work and better quality supervision,\u201d commented one trainee, while another highlights, \u201cwe are valued at the firm\u201d and enjoy \u201cbetter work-life balance\u201d than peers at other firms. Responsibility is granted early, with trainees encouraged to learn from associates and senior associates: \u201cApproachability\u2026 to ask questions, develop understanding and improve work product\u2026 they take time to make sure trainees can ask questions and learn about sector specialisms\/deal structures.\u201d The people and culture are repeatedly praised, with trainees noting the friendliness, openness, and supportive nature of teams. Work highlights include gaining first-choice seats, being entrusted with responsibility, and participating in international secondments. \u201cAssisting with one of the first cross-border solar farm portfolio financings to be agreed in the Middle East\u201d and \u201crepresenting a client in the Supreme Court\u201d illustrate the scope of experience on offer. Challenges are minor but noted, such as outdated office facilities and occasional heavy administrative periods, with remuneration described as fair given the work-life balance. The hybrid-working policy is generally flexible and trainee-friendly: \u201cthere&#8217;s some expectation that you&#8217;ll be in the office but we are generally free to pick the days from which we work from home.\u201d Pro bono opportunities exist but are limited by time pressures and low publicity. International secondments are seen as a highlight, offering valuable cultural and professional experience: \u201cGreat \u2013 highlight of the training contract\u2026 teams abroad are very welcoming and ensure that you feel supported and included.\u201d For those after early responsibility, international exposure, and a supportive sector-focused environment, Watson Farley &amp; Williams is a strong choice.<\/p>\n <\/p>\r\n        \r\n             \r\n                \r\n        \t\t<p>        \r\n              \r\n\r\n\r\n           \r\n        \r\n         \t\t \r\n\t\t <h2 id=\"ditl\">A day in the life of... Laura Izquierdo, second-year trainee, Watson Farley &amp; Williams LLP<\/h2>\r\n\t\t <p><img height=\"200\" width=\"200\" alt=\"Laura Izquierdo, Watson Farley &amp; Williams LLP\" class=\"ditl-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/legal500.designextreme.com\/future-lawyers\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/09\/laura-izquierdo.jpg\"\/>\t\t <p><strong>Departments to date:<\/strong> Dispute resolution; Regulatory, public Law and competition (RPC); Assets and structured finance; Corporate<\/p>         \r\n\t\t \t\t <p><strong>University: <\/strong>\r\n\t\t \t\t University of Bristol\t\t \t\t University of Leuven\t\t \t\t <\/p>\r\n\t\t         \r\n\t\t <p><strong>Degree:<\/strong> Law (LLB); Master of International Business Economics and Management (MSc)<\/p>    <\/p>  \r\n\t\t <p><p><strong>9.30am:<\/strong>\u00a0WFW has an agile working policy that allows us to work from home on up to two days of the week. Trainees are expected to communicate with their supervisors to ensure there\u2019s as much cross-over as possible in the days that they\u2019re in the office and ideally, trainees should be in the office when their supervisor is. I tend to come into the office four days a week but having the flexibility is helpful. Whether I\u2019m working from home or in the office, I tend to log on slightly before 9.30am since I like to fit in going to the gym or going for a walk in the morning, before the workday starts (and largely because it\u2019s the last thing I want to do after a day at work).<\/p>\n<p>The first thing I do is check my emails. Given that our clients and the stakeholders involved in any particular transaction or dispute are often in a different time zone, it\u2019s normal for emails to come in overnight. After I\u2019ve checked my inbox to ensure I know what the status of those matters is, I file those emails that I don\u2019t need to action into the relevant sub-folders in my inbox, and I flag those that I do need to action. I then create a to-do list for the day that prioritises the emails I have flagged according to their urgency and importance.<\/p>\n<p><strong>9.45am:<\/strong>\u00a0The typical tasks I need to complete throughout the day will, of course, depend on the practice area I\u2019m working in.<\/p>\n<p>Throughout my disputes seat, typical tasks included proofreading statements of case, statements of defence and witness statements; preparing indexes for the bundle of exhibits that accompanied the aforementioned filings; taking attendance notes during client calls; reviewing documents in the data room to identify and sort those that were relevant for disclosure; redacting confidential information in documents to be disclosed; drafting emails to stakeholders involved in the matter; contacting counsel\u2019s clerks; conducting research (for example, on the Civil Procedure Rules or relevant cases); preparing payment schedules and drafting chronologies to summarise the correspondences between the parties.<\/p>\n<p>Our RPC team covers a breadth of areas, including planning, environment, health and safety (EHS), competition and data protection. It\u2019s also a comparatively small team, so it\u2019s a great way to both gain exposure to a wide range of work and take on more responsibilities than you would perhaps need to take on in other seats. It\u2019s a comparatively research-dense seat, which I enjoyed. Typical tasks include conducting research and drafting notes to clients to advise them in response to their query; conducting due diligence to ensure the client\u2019s procedures and standards meet what\u2019s required under the relevant regulations; attending calls and meeting with clients; preparing and delivering presentations to clients (I presented part of our presentation on the Building Safety Act 2022, for example, to explain to our client what the proposed change in law could mean for them).<\/p>\n<p>The nature of the work during my assets and structured finance seat was very different to the type of work I had previously done at the firm, since it was my first transactional seat. Typical tasks included updating the factual information in the relevant finance documents to reflect the current deal; creating and updating conditions precedent checklists (ie summarising the status of the documents and tasks to be executed or completed prior to completion); creating e-bibles and compiling originals; running insolvency searches for legal opinions and attending closing calls.<\/p>\n<p><strong>1.00pm:<\/strong>\u00a0I take a break for lunch. We have a restaurant on the lower-ground floor that always serves a great range of both hot and cold options. Our office is also very conveniently located near Liverpool Street station, so there are plenty of great places to grab food nearby and we\u2019re a five-minute walk away from Spitalfields market, where I sometimes meet friends who also work in the area, or catch up with other trainees and colleagues.<\/p>\n<p><strong>2.00pm:<\/strong>\u00a0The first thing I do when I get back to my desk is read through the emails that have come in while I was on my lunch break; if I need to, I\u2019ll update my to-do list. The tasks I need to complete will, again, vary depending on the team I\u2019m working in (see above for the typical tasks involved in each seat).<\/p>\n<p><strong>6.30pm:<\/strong>\u00a0My leaving time depends on the deadlines I need to meet, and this varies across all departments. 6.30pm\/7.00pm is probably my average leaving time but providing a top-quality service to clients includes being quick to respond to their needs, so it\u2019s not uncommon for trainees to have to work in the evenings.<\/p>\n<\/p>\r\n\t\t \r\n        \r\n                <h2 id=\"about\">About the firm<\/h2>\r\n        <p><p><strong>The firm:<\/strong> WFW is an international law firm advising on complex transactions and disputes through local knowledge and an integrated international network. It has a strong sector focus, combining its technical excellence with deep industry knowledge across energy, transport and associated infrastructure.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The clients:<\/strong> Airbus Bank, Citibank, HSBC, Investec, JP Morgan, Lightsource bp, MSC Cruises, Nordea Bank, Standard Chartered Bank and Vattenfall, among others.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The deals:<\/strong> Advised the Republic of Guinea on the US$15bn Simandou project, the world\u2019s largest mining and related rail and port infrastructure project; advised H\u00f6egh LNG on the refinancing of two FSRUs to service Germany\u2019s new North Sea LNG terminals to help it achieve its goal of energy independence from Russia; advised Navigator Holdings on a US$200m loan agreed for the financing of ten vessels, including one of the first KPIs relating to gender diversity ever seen in a shipping loan; advised a consortium of lenders on the \u20ac410m mezzanine financing of MaxSolar\u2019s German solar portfolio, one of the largest solar portfolio development financings in Germany to date; advised Investec Aviation Finance on the launch of its new aviation debt platform in partnership with a major Japanese institutional investor to initially target a US$500m portfolio of well-diversified loan assets; advised Nexrail, a European rolling stock operator, on a \u20ac322m sustainability-linked debt facility to refinance its existing fleet and to finance new-build orders and future capital expenditure; advised RGREEN INVEST on a \u20ac250m investment in independent Israeli renewable energy producer Econergy; advised the lenders to DIF Capital Partners on the financing of a 540MW portfolio of co-located UK solar generation and battery storage assets; advised Altera Infrastructure on its successful Chapter 11 restructuring process in the US addressing US$1bn+ of secured and unsecured holding company debt; secured a favourable judgment for Gulf Wings before the Dubai International Financial Centre Court of Appeal.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Senior partner:<\/strong> George Paleokrassas<\/p>\n<p><strong>Managing partner:<\/strong> Lindsey Keeble<\/p>\n<p><strong>Other offices: <\/strong>Athens, Bangkok, Dubai, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hanoi, Hong Kong, Madrid, Milan, Munich, New York, Paris, Rome, Seoul, Singapore, Sydney and Tokyo.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Who we are: <\/strong>WFW strives for excellence in all that we do and views investment in our people as key to achieving our business goals and values, which rest on developing deep and long-lasting relationships externally and internally through respect, sharing, communication and integrity. Our teams are integrated across legal disciplines and offices, delivering consistently high levels of service in combination across borders and locally through a deep understanding of local business customs and culture.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What we do:<\/strong> Within our core sectors of energy (conventional and renewable power; oil and gas; mining and commodities), transport (aviation, maritime and rail) plus associated infrastructure, we provide a full suite of legal services including capital markets, construction, corporate, dispute resolution, employment, finance, private equity, public law, real estate, regulatory and competition, restructuring and insolvency, and tax.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What we&#8217;re looking for in a trainee:<\/strong> Although there is no typical WFW trainee there are certain qualifications, skills and traits that we look for. You will need a 2(1) or above \u2013 or predicted if you haven\u2019t yet graduated. We also look for at least ABB from A level results, 34 points from IB or their equivalent if you have taken other qualifications. Applications are read in their entirety and we take mitigating circumstances relating to academics into consideration. As well as academic achievement, we particularly value applicants with clear initiative, drive, commercial awareness and an interest in our sectors. You will have the chance to demonstrate these things at one of our assessment centres, as part of the application process.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What you\u2019ll do:<\/strong> Our training contracts are hands-on, with as much experience of clients and challenging, high-profile work as possible. Trainees benefit from plenty of exposure to senior lawyers, many acknowledged leaders in their field.<\/p>\n<p>WFW deals with training and ongoing development in an individual way. During each seat the firm discusses with trainees plans for the next one to ensure they gain valuable insight from the six-seat programme, including a guaranteed international secondment.<\/p>\n<p>We believe that only total immersion can provide trainees with the experience they require.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Perks: <\/strong>These include 25 days\u2019 holiday, income protection scheme, life assurance, employee assistance scheme, pension scheme, private medical insurance, interest-free season ticket loan, \u00a3250 contribution towards a sports club or exercise classes, and a flexible benefits scheme.<\/p>\n<\/p>         \r\n              \r\n      <h2 class=\"tab-listing\" id=\"other\">Diversity and inclusion<\/h2>\r\n\t  \r\n      <div id=\"diversity\"><p>Please visit <a href=\"http:\/\/www.wfw.com\/about-us\/diversity-and-inclusion\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">www.wfw.com\/about-us\/diversity-and-inclusion<\/a> for information.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Percentage of female associates: <\/strong>54<\/p>\n<p><strong>Percentage of female partners: <\/strong>28<\/p>\n<p><strong>Percentage of BAME associates: <\/strong>21<\/p>\n<p><strong>Percentage of BAME partners: <\/strong>11<\/p>\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n            \r\n      \r\n            \r\n                 \r\n            \r\n              \r\n       \r\n                 \r\n        \t<\/div><!-- .entry-content -->\r\n\r\n\t\r\n<\/article><!-- #post-## --><\/div><div class=\"profile-content-2\">   \r\n\r\n<div id=\"profile-contents\">\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"widget-title\">Contents<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<ul class=\"contents\">\r\n<li><a href=\"#verdict\">The verdict<\/a><\/li> <li><a href=\"#ditl\">A day in the life of...<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#about\">About us<\/a><\/li>  <li><a href=\"#diversity\">Diversity and inclusion<\/a><\/li>          \r\n<li><a href=\"#facts\">Facts and figures<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\r\n        \r\n<\/div> \r\n\r\n\r\n<div id=\"application-process\">\r\n \r\n<h2 class=\"widget-title\">Application process for Watson Farley &amp; Williams LLP<\/h2>\r\n<p><strong>How:<\/strong> Online application form.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What\u2019s involved in application:<\/strong> Video interview, assessment centre and partner interview.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Person in charge of recruitment:<\/strong> Egil Blindheim, Early Careers Manager.<\/p>\n<p><strong>When:<\/strong> By 24 May 2026 for 2028 training contracts\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n <div id=\"vacation-schemes\">\r\n  \r\n <h2 class=\"widget-title\">Vacation schemes at Watson Farley &amp; Williams LLP<\/h2>\r\n<p><strong>Spring:<\/strong> 13-24 April 2026  (apply by 6 January 2026)<\/p>\r\n  <p><strong>Summer:<\/strong> 1-12 June and 22 June-3 July  (apply by 6 January 2026)<\/p>\r\n  \r\n    \r\n    \r\n<div id=\"salary\"> \r\n \r\n  <h2 class=\"widget-title\">Salary at Watson Farley &amp; Williams LLP<\/h2>\r\n  <p><strong>First year salary:<\/strong> \u00a351,000<\/p>  <p><strong>Second year salary:<\/strong> \u00a356,000<\/p>  <p><strong>Newly qualified salary:<\/strong> \u00a3107,000<\/p>\r\n\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n \r\n  \r\n  \r\n    \r\n <div id=\"facts-figures\">\r\n \r\n  <h2 id=\"facts\" class=\"widget-title\">Facts and figures<\/h2>\r\n  <p><p><strong>Total partners:<\/strong> 200+<\/p>\n<p><strong>Other fee-earners:<\/strong> 650+<\/p>\n<p><strong>Total trainees:<\/strong> 36<\/p>\n<p><strong>Trainee places available for 2028:<\/strong> 19<\/p>\n<p><strong>Applications received pa:<\/strong> c1,500<\/p>\n<p><strong>Percentage interviewed:<\/strong> 30-35% invited to video interview<\/p>\n<p><strong>Turnover of the firm in 2024: <\/strong>\u00a3238.4m<\/p>\n<\/p>\r\n  \r\n<\/div>\r\n \r\n      \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<!--\t  \r\n\r\n    \r\n<h2 class=\"widget-title\">If  were a fictional character it would be\u2026<\/h2>\r\n        \t\t\r\n<br><\/br>\r\n<br><\/br> -->\r\n\r\n   \r\n\r\n<div id=\"videos\">\r\n\r\n       \r\n\r\n        \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; overflow: hidden; margin-bottom: 20px;\"><iframe src=\"\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"auto\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" style=\"position: absolute;\"><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n\r\n<div style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; overflow: hidden; margin-bottom: 20px;\"><iframe src=\"\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"auto\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" style=\"position: absolute;\"><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n\r\n<div style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; overflow: hidden; margin-bottom: 20px;\"><iframe src=\"\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"auto\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" style=\"position: absolute;\"><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n<!-- <div id=\"twitter-feed\">\r\n<a class=\"twitter-timeline\" data-height=\"550\" data-theme=\"light\" href=\"\"><\/a><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\r\n<\/div>  -->\r\n\r\n\r\n  \r\n\r\n\t\r\n<\/div>"}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/legal500.designextreme.com\/future-lawyers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/profiles\/13568","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/legal500.designextreme.com\/future-lawyers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/profiles"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/legal500.designextreme.com\/future-lawyers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/profiles"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/legal500.designextreme.com\/future-lawyers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13568"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"jurisdictions","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legal500.designextreme.com\/future-lawyers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/jurisdictions?post=13568"},{"taxonomy":"countries","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legal500.designextreme.com\/future-lawyers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/countries?post=13568"},{"taxonomy":"cities","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legal500.designextreme.com\/future-lawyers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cities?post=13568"},{"taxonomy":"firms_companies","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legal500.designextreme.com\/future-lawyers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/firms_companies?post=13568"},{"taxonomy":"universities_colleges","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legal500.designextreme.com\/future-lawyers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/universities_colleges?post=13568"},{"taxonomy":"lex_survey_questions","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legal500.designextreme.com\/future-lawyers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/lex_survey_questions?post=13568"},{"taxonomy":"publications","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legal500.designextreme.com\/future-lawyers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/publications?post=13568"},{"taxonomy":"tc_location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legal500.designextreme.com\/future-lawyers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tc_location?post=13568"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}