Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher

About the firm

Pursuing one’s passions with the hope of finding yourself? How very American. Which seems fitting for Gibson Dunn, which trainees described as “a good firm to figure out what you want to do, given that you have one of the best in the market for both contentious and non-contentious work.” While the firm has its roots in the US, its branches have spread far and wide, with the fruits of its labour including a renowned training programme in London. Not to shamelessly plug ourselves, but one source did say they first came across the firm while reading Chambers Student. Glad we could help!

“Lots of firms are at the top of their game on disputes or on transactions… Gibson Dunn is one of the few to marry the two within the same place.”

Our sister guide, Chambers UK, gives Gibson Dunn high praise for its work in commercial arbitration and investor-state arbitration, and the firm’s international offices receive top rankings in Chambers Global for corporate/M&A, corporate investigations/anti-corruption and investment funds: private equity among other practice areas. Gibson Dunn’s “continued investment in the London office” shows in the growth of its headcount which, according to partner Mark Sperotto, currently sits at around 250 people.

“Lots of firms are at the top of their game on disputes or on transactions,” explained Sperotto, but “Gibson Dunn is one of the few to marry the two within the same place.” This was a key selling point for the trainees we spoke to, who had high praise for the “fantastic exposure” they were given to both types of legal work.

Why trainees joined the firm

50/50 split in contentious and non-contentious work

Gibson Dunn splits its work so equally that “there are two separate buildings: one for transactional and one for disputes.” So, if you’re looking to get the best of both worlds, this firm could be the one.

Headline matters

It’s no secret that this global giant represents some of the biggest names in the market – see our seat experiences section for a few name drops – and our sources told us this was a huge draw when they were scouting training contracts.

Supportive environment

Sperotto shared his recipe for cooking up a cohort of confidently qualified lawyers: “We keep the trainee numbers in each practice group relatively low, which means each trainee takes on substantial work and real responsibility.” Juniors said that a big reason for joining the firm was the importance of “having nice people around you during late-night sessions, because it makes a whole lot of difference.”

Trainee satisfaction rankings

Training contract structure

Seat allocation

Gibson Dunn’s training programme follows the traditional structure, i.e., four seats, rotating every six months. Juniors are provided with a list of seat options and are asked to rank their top five choices. While priority is given to second years, newbies did appreciate that the firm tried to place them as close to their preferences as possible. “They are making a huge investment in us as trainees,” shared one insider, “so they try to tailor the training contract experience as much as possible.”

“Our trainee intake is growing considerably,” said Sperotto; “we are nearly doubling it to keep pace with the increased number of lawyers and the growth of the firm.” To meet this increase, the firm will now be hosting two vacation schemes a year: one in spring and one in summer.

Client secondments

Working for some of the most renowned companies in the world certainly has its perks: trainees at Gibson Dunn have the opportunity to go on in-house secondments to commercial retailers or big banks.

International secondments

Working at a global law firm means working with colleagues in different jurisdictions, including by way of an international secondment. Word on the street is the current secondment on offer is to the Abu Dhabi office.

Trainees apply through graduate recruitment by submitting an email outlining their reasons for wanting to do a secondment, which is then followed by an interview with the partner that heads up this aspect of the training programme.

Seat Experiences

Trainee life

Culture and environment

Data from our annual trainee survey

Three recurrent descriptors we were given by interviewees when asked about the culture at Gibson Dunn were relaxed, friendly and open. Sources emphasised how much the firm values individuals who “have a life outside of the office and bring different viewpoints to work.”

One smiling trainee told us about the unofficial ‘layover test’ used at the firm: “Imagine this person in five years’ time is an associate working on a deal with you, who you have to spend four hours with at an airport layover – would you enjoy that experience?” Although it’s just a joke among the different teams, our interviewees confirmed that “there hasn’t been a bad soul I’ve connected with at the firm.” So perhaps the test… works? Whatever the concoction for collegial cohorts, one happy junior shared that they “count some of the trainees among my closest friends.”

Feedback on social events was mixed, as these seemed to be team dependant. While corporate team rocked a “work hard, play hard” mantra, other teams preferred working hard then heading home. Trainees also organise their own get-togethers, though these are more informal. Trainee lunches are scheduled monthly by graduate recruitment, who encourage the cohorts to take a break and socialise.

Juniors also praised the business development budget provided by the firm, which allows them to “take people out that you have connected with in a certain industry to further a genuine business opportunity.”

Working patterns

Data from our annual trainee survey

Although there isn’t an official mandated number of days for trainees to be in-office, our sources shared that they preferred to be in during busy periods to work side-by-side with their teams. Everyone seemed to praise the flexibility afforded to them and put this down to the firm being “very understanding of people having a life outside of work.”

When it comes to working hours, “it ebbs and flows.” Overall, an average working week was around 45 hours, with quiet periods after a busy deal where hours fell and reprieves were enjoyed.

In terms of office space, currently the firm is split across two buildings: “one half is old and the other half is modern.” We heard that current perks include a subsidised café and free barista-made coffee, a godsend during those mid-afternoon slumps. Change is afoot, though, since with new growth comes the need for more office space. Gibson Dunn is soon set to open the doors at One Exchange Square and a space with capacity for up to 500 people.

Pay

Data provided by firm and our annual trainee survey

“Obviously, the main perk is the salary, which is amazing – top of the market, so I cannot complain in the slightest about that.” This sums up the sentiment among our interviewees. Being a global US firm, it’s no surprise that Gibson Dunn’s trainees are compensated pretty well during their TCs.

Supervision and training

Data from our annual trainee survey

Trainees told us they felt super supported during their training contract. “My supervisors have all taken their role seriously,” one said; “they help me manage the seats, the workloads, and different people’s demands, all while being really nice people and showing an interest in me as a human, too.” This was the consensus from the majority of interviews. Some did feel that supervision styles differed depending on the seniority of the supervisor stationed to support (try that for a tongue twister). But the SparkNotes are that “we are treated and respected as an intrinsic part of each team.”

The firm advocates for a learn-as-you-go approach to training. One interviewee said: “I’ve always found you can learn best on the job and that’s what the firm prioritises and I appreciate that.”

There are also formal training sessions at the start of certain seats, and external speakers are invited in to discuss different topics. The firm also whisked its London trainees off to its New Lawyers Academy summit – most recently in Phoenix, Arizona - alongside their US counterparts and lateral hires. “I met lawyers from around the world,” shared one lucky insider, “so now I am able to message a lawyer from Orange County or New York and build those connections that I made at a social event.”

Pro bono & CSR

Pro bono is “a huge deal” at Gibson Dunn. One trainee shared that, “in my first 12 months at the firm, I logged over 100 hours for pro bono.” An email is circulated to lawyers across the firm each week highlighting key matters that anyone can sign up to. And though trainees are not given billable hours targets in their first year, they are made aware that upon qualification pro bono work is viewed as one-to-one with billable matters. “We are one of the only firms that does that,” shared one source proudly, adding that “it shows how important it is at Gibson Dunn.”

Juniors felt encouraged to take on their own cases, and as one individual shared: “I find it to be some of the most impactful work I’ve done.” Matters range “across a bunch of different fields,” with trainees working with family law and housing clinics, providing advice to small businesses, advising prisoners on their legal rights, assisting victims of domestic abuse and aiding with immigration matters relating to Afghan refugees.

Opportunities include

• Domestic Abuse Response Alliance (DARA)

• Afghan Pro Bono Initiative (APBI)

• University House Legal Advice Centre

Inclusion

“In terms of being multicultural, we’re doing really well,” shared one source. Indeed, the firm champions its diversity committee, which oversees a whole host of affinity groups available for all employees to join. Groups are given a budget to put on events throughout the year, which was appreciated by juniors and had been used for dinners hosted by the firm’s LGBTQ+ network as well as religious events such as Hannukah. Whilst trainees commended the firm’s efforts, they did note that “we could always be doing better.”

Particular praise, though, was given to the firm’s focus on ensuring that “women can have a career and family life if they so wish,” with the implementation of “a lot of policy initiatives over the last couple of years to make that more accessible.”

Qualification

According to our interviewees, qualification at Gibson Dunn is “a very transparent process.” Trainees are expected to submit their seat preferences to graduate recruitment around March. Then they have an informal chat with graduate recruitment and a partner in the team they are hoping to qualify into before offers are made. “Our trainee retention is probably among the best in the city,” considered one source, which makes sense since all our interviewees had hopes of staying on as NQs. One junior summed up by saying: “I would like to stay at Gibson Dunn for as long as the firm will have me.”

Work all Dunn? Try a club for some fun…

At the end of a long day, trainees can finally turn away, to find solace amongst the fray, at the firm’s softball league and run club.