Ashurst Perkins Coie
- London
- Glasgow
"With a strong focus on projects and international matters, this firm proves there’s much to do at Ashurst Perkins Coie."
About the firm
- 80
- Trainees
- Undisclosed
- Associates
- 2
- National Offices
- London, Bristol, Newcastle
- Locations
If the Marvel Cinematic Universe has taught us anything, it’s that a friend armed with ingenuity, renewable energy expertise and state-of-the-art AI is a useful friend to have. While Ashurst Perkins Coie might be lacking the arc reactor, it’s got just about everything else. In fact, as employment partner Ruth Buchanan is quick to point out: “Ashurst Perkins Coie is a global law firm for the future economy, with a distinct focus on technology, energy & infrastructure, and financial services.” Three sectors that are “driving economic transformation.” The firm is at the forefront too, with out-of-this-world departmental rankings in Chambers UK across energy & natural resources: oil & gas, financial services, projects, telecommunications, and transport: rail (both projects & infrastructure and rolling stock).
The other thing that Marvel Studios knows all too well is that a UK/US celebrity couple goes a long way for the brand. In 2026, UK firm Ashurst merged with American heavyweight Perkins Coie to form a single firm with a sizeable international reach and mighty 3,000-lawyer headcount across 23 countries.
Why trainees joined the firm
Development
AI focus
Mid-sized cohort
Development
Trainees told us that they wanted to join a firm where they could get the best possible development to prepare them for life beyond a training contract, and the general consensus was that Ashurst Perkins Coie has risen to the challenge: “I wanted somewhere that had good training and where I could see that seniors and partners were trained here and had risen up through the firm. I think that’s a good sign.”
AI focus
With the incoming AI boom, insiders highlighted the importance of choosing a firm that would meet the challenge, and APC did just that. “With the march of the robots it can feel like law is an endangered profession, but the firm have taken the bull by the horns which is comforting.”
Mid-sized cohort
"I was attracted to the firm as it’s a good mid-sized cohort,” one told us. Following the merger, the firm now takes on around 40 trainees.
Trainee satisfaction rankings
- Elite
- Overall satisfaction
- Elite
- AI adoption
- Excellent
- Training & development
- Excellent
- Compensation
- Excellent
- Qualification
- Strong
- Supervision & contact time
- Strong
- Hours & work-life balance
Training contract structure
- 4x6
- Seat Structure
Seat allocation
There are two compulsory parts to the APC training contract, the first being a transactional seat, and the second a finance seat. Regarding their seat preferences, we were told that towards the end of each seat, juniors are able to rank their top four preferences and can identify subgroups they want to sit in for each practice.
- Yes
- International secondments
- Yes
- Client secondments
Client secondments
While trainees did report that client secondments were less popular than international ones, they still praised the amount that the firm offers.
International secondments
The number of international secondments was another reason why trainees decided to join the firm; as one stated, “there’s a good number of international secondments, it’s very popular.” We heard that options include Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Paris, Madrid, Brussels, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Singapore. The interview process can vary from an informal chat to a formal interview, depending on the location. Buchanan adds: “I’m hopeful that in the future, we’ll be able to send people out to our US offices as well.”
Seat Experiences
“It’s so varied, it’s like a firm within the firm,” stated one trainee when discussing the projects, energy, environment & resources department. The practice is home to many sub-teams encompassing finance, M&A, construction, infrastructure, general commercial, energy, transport, oil & gas and roads. The group handles both international and domestic projects too. On the energy side of the practice, trainees spoke of working on a carbon project matter, which they described as an “800-page contract.” For those at the junior end, this included drafting parts of the contract, and we heard that “as a trainee you were the gatekeeper for that, so it was a lot of document management, but enjoyable document management!”
“It’s so varied, it’s like a firm within the firm…”
Day to day, interviewees also described doing a lot of conditions precedent work streams for big transactions. As one said: “We got exposure to working with lawyers from other firms, leading calls on those work streams, drafting legal opinions and certificates and having good communication with the other side.” In one recent deal, the firm advised Ofwat, the economic regulator for the water and sewerage sectors in England and Wales, on the Haweswater Aqueduct Resilience Programme.
In the firm’s global markets team, trainees expressed that “it’s a really good seat to get you introduced to the firm. It gets you to grips with the fundamentals.” Insiders also described the seat as very “transactional”, highlighting that “if you show yourself to be willing, you get a lot of responsibility,” while another emphasised that “there isn’t a sense of ‘because I’m a trainee I’m not speaking to clients’ or getting involved.” The team is also split into sub-teams covering debt capital markets, securitisation, corporate trusts, derivatives, project & infrastructure finance, and Islamic finance. Those working in the debt capital markets space explained that they are “heavily involved in ongoing projects.” At the trainee level, this translates to liaising between different London teams and taking responsibility for the large programme documents to ensure they are up to date. They also described sending comments between the firm and those on the other side. In one recent matter, the firm advised Santander UK on the update of its €35 billion Global Covered Bond Programme.
Ashurst Perkins Coie’s risk, regulatory & disputes practice benefits from a particular industry focus on tech. The group covers matters concerning the likes of AI governance, data protection, cybersecurity, digital advertising and platform accountability. Trainee responsibilities mostly revolved around research, focusing on the procedure that informs the strategy. This is on top of joining client meetings, drafting advice notes for clients, document review, chronologies, bundling and preparing for court and tribunal. With the chance to get a taste of the contentious side of the coin, “I got a lot of exposure to going to consultations to meet counsel, barristers, and KCs. I was taking notes, drawing up action points and drafting court documents.” As another explained: “The partners and seniors were very willing to let me have the first stab and then talk me through any changes they had.”
On top of this, interviewees shared that they were heavily involved in arbitration hearings, and also got excellent tribunal experience, which they noted is “something that trainees are always given the opportunity to do in the team, they see it as very important.” The group’s client list includes the likes of Worldpay, Virgin Media O2 and Imperial Brands.
Inside the firm’s finance, funds & restructuring practice, we heard that “where typically, restructuring teams have a narrow focus such as financial restructuring, at Ashurst Perkins Coie we dabble in all types.” Sources pointed to the likes of distress and financial work, banking, project finance, formal administration and some advisory work in the government sector. As one trainee put it, “you really do get a breadth of work.” Trainees also pointed to a significant transactional element, where sources found themselves reviewing and drafting a suite of documents from scratch, and on the more administrative side, managing document lists and taking notes during calls. In one recent matter, the team advised the UK Government’s Department for Business and Trade in connection with its £120 million funding package to INEOS’s Grangemouth site. One benefit trainees highlighted was that “the team is fairly small, which led to me being able to work with a lot of different people and getting a lot of exposure early on.”
Trainee life
Culture and environment
- 92.9%
- Trainees were happy in their current role
- 97.7%
- Felt they chose the right firm
Data from our annual trainee survey
“The location is definitely one of the main selling points” noted one insider, while praising how the firm is located right next to Spitalfields Market. Sources explained that the firm often holds social events on its terrace. “A lot of time and effort went into making it a nice place to work,” said one interviewee. And it’s not just the office location and design; trainees also praised the barista-style coffee machine: “they do matcha as well!”
“…they do matcha as well!”
Regarding the firm’s culture, the general impression we received was that it’s a “high-performance culture where everyone is trying to be excellent,” but not to the extent that it gets in the way of the friendly atmosphere. As one junior put it, “people are very down to earth and approachable, they don’t take themselves too seriously. People have lives at the end of the day, and they realise you’re here to learn as a trainee. It’s not hierarchal.”
Working patterns
- 3 days a week
- Expected office attendance
- 52
- Typical billable hours in a week
Data from our annual trainee survey
The firm currently operates on a 60/40 policy, meaning its lawyers are expected to be in the office three days a week. Some teams have particular anchor days where everyone in the group is expected to be in, but other than that, trainees can choose which days they are in the office. Insiders highlighted the importance of learning on the job: “Most trainees try to be in four days a week, as you learn so much more being in the office.” What’s more, partners and senior members tend to mirror this, which means “there’s always someone in to learn from.”
“…there’s always someone in to learn from.”
The firm also provides new starters with a £250 joining allowance to spend on setting up their own work-from-home station. When it comes to typical working hours, it’s a tricky thing to pin down. Some reported working 9am to 9pm, while others stated that some weeks, they came in at 10am and left by 5:30pm, and some even ended up working until midnight. The general consensus was that, as is often the case, trainees are at the mercy of deal deadlines.
Pay
- £60,000
- 1st Year Salary
- £65,000
- 2nd Year Salary
- 85.7%
- Were satisfied with the salary
Data provided by firm and our annual trainee survey
One trainee summed up the consensus perfectly: “The money is very, very good.” Of course, that comes with certain expectations when it comes to work ethic, but while “the hours can be long, there is a real effort to protect weekends. The salary is very much on market with other silver circle firms, so I have no complaints.”
Supervision and training
- 89.3%
- Feel they receive effective mentoring
Data from our annual trainee survey
When it came to supervision, the general consensus was that the level of support depended on the supervisor. Some felt the focus was on the mid- and end-of-seat reviews when it came to feedback, but others described their experience as “fantastic” with plenty of hands-on mentoring. Training opportunities are regular, both via structured formal training at the beginning of each seat (particularly in transactional departments) and the freedom that comes after it: “The sessions cover what the expectations are or key documents and processes you are likely to get involved with. After that, you find your way and learn on the job through feedback.”
Pro bono & CSR
When it comes to pro bono, Ashurst Perkins Coie has plenty of opportunities to go around: “The pro bono team looks toward trainees as a big source of experience for their projects.” What’s more, “they celebrate lawyers who help out.” Trainees are encouraged to participate in pro bono opportunities, with the firm sending out regular emails as and when projects arise. We heard that 50 hours can be counted towards billable targets too. “The social impact team cover the corporate social responsibility side of it,” one added, “and get involved in some really cool charities.”
Other opportunities include:
Death row cases
Refugee work in Greece
Toynbee Hall legal advice clinic
Inclusion
“The firm places a massive focus on diversity, a lot of our external communications focus on it,” one interviewee confirmed. “There are initiatives in place to increase the breadth of individuals who apply to the firm.” With the merger, trainees felt the firm’s focus on diversity and inclusion only grew too. “With the merger, it’s been nice to see how front and centre inclusion, diversity and belonging has been,” described one junior. And not only are trainees seeing this within their cohort, they also described how it’s preached throughout the whole firm. As one put it, “the trainee cohort I joined is diverse and even at partnership level. I also think gender diversity is pretty solid at the firm.”
Qualification
The only department that conducts formal interviews is the dispute resolution team, “because they are always oversubscribed.” Trainees can apply to as many or as few roles as they want and rank each position. The process was described as “very transparent. The team keeps you updated at every stage; there was no sense of having to guess what’s going on.”
- 77.7%
- Trainees Retention
Feeling immersed at Ashurst…
If you’re looking for a firm where you’re thrown into the deep end (in the best possible way), trainees were quick to highlight the fact that “if they feel you’re a trusted pair of hands, you will be dealing with complex things.”
Contact this law firm
Top Figures
- £60,000
- 1st Year Salary
- £65,000
- 2nd Year Salary
- £145,000
- Newly Qualified Salary
- 40
- Training Contract Vacancies
- 26th Mar 2027
- Application Closing Date
- N/A
- Apprenticeship
