Greenberg Traurig

This US firm’s growing London outfit offers a spread of practices and training which will have you feeling Green(berg) with envy.

Greenberg Traurig training contract review 2026

About the firm

A sweet sixteen is a pretty big deal, and you’ve got to make sure to do it right. Whether you want to throw a big party or have a chill day in, it’s a milestone worth celebrating, nonetheless. While many firms in the City celebrated their sweet sixteen years, decades or even over a century ago, US-born Greenberg Traurig’s London office has only just blown out the candles on its cake.

The teen years can be tumultuous for some but, according to co-training principal and capital markets shareholder, James Mountain, GT has really found its home in the Big Smoke: “I joined in 2009 when the office first opened, so I’ve seen it grow from ten to around 150 lawyers. I’m glad that the change has been almost entirely numerical; the feel of the place hasn’t changed much at all.”

It’s a sentiment shared by co-training principal and tax shareholder Jessica Ganagasegaran, who tells us how “the firm has seen a lot of growth and change but, through that, the one thing that hasn’t changed is its culture.” As a trainee specified, GT London is “still quite small, but that means everyone is pretty much on a first-name basis. You get a comfortable feeling of familiarity underpinned by the resources of a massive global firm.”

“You get a comfortable feeling of familiarity underpinned by the resources of a massive global firm.”

Such resources – including a whopping 51 offices worldwide! – mean that GT is certainly familiar to our colleagues at Chambers Global and Chambers USA. Over on this side of the pond, however, GT is recognised by Chambers UK for its work in banking and finance in London and for civil fraud nationwide. GT picks up further rankings for corporate/M&A, real estate investment funds and rolling stock in rail transport.

Trainees are encouraged to get stuck into all sorts of work the office has to offer, especially as it continues to grow. “I’ve always felt that Greenberg Traurig has a really entrepreneurial spirit, and we’re trying to find the right people to grow the business,” Mountain explains, “We’re not just doing one type of work, so we compete against lots of different parts of the market. That means our trainees and junior associates can get real, broad experience.”

What’s more, GT only takes on no more than ten trainees each year (a number which has grown steadily since it entered the London scene), which lends itself to lean staffing on matters. For those who enter the fold at a US firm, this lean staffing is often touted as one of the main benefits of such a training contract: “You get so much early responsibility and, though I didn’t appreciate it before I joined, it should absolutely be a reason to apply.”

Training Contract Structure

First seats are automatically assigned but, from their second seat onwards, trainees are invited to rank their top two preferences for seat allocation. Given that the cohort is so small, there isn’t an extensive process unless there’s hot competition for a specific seat. “Most of the cohort put down litigation last time around, but it only has three spots available!” a trainee pointed out and, in cases such as these, early careers and the training principals will meet with trainees to chat about their options and motivations. “It’s so they can figure out whether it’s a less serious option for you or if it’s something you’d consider for qualification,” an interviewee explained, “But, when we go into our second year, those sorts of conversations happen more intentionally so that the firm is making sure we have the experience we want and need.”

As is typically the case, more niche seats might be a bit trickier to nab than the larger ones, but sources advised, “even if one of those seats isn’t necessarily available, you’re still encouraged to speak up if you’re interested. The message is that you shouldn’t let your career happen to you; if you’re interested in something, go and grab it with both hands.”

Client secondments are also on the table and are ranked like any other seat during the allocation process. There’s one available in each rotation with a client in the tourism hospitality sector, and those who had managed to snag a spot appreciated how secondees are: “genuinely part of the in-house legal counsel team! It’s helped me build confidence in my abilities and learn to understand clients from a more commercial perspective.”

Seat Experiences

Trainee Life

“Being in the Shard with big windows bringing in lots of light really helps,” a trainee explained and, to make us even more jealous, “We’re right next to Borough Market, so I can get myself a treat from there when I’ve been working long hours!” The convenient location is matched by an efficient office setup where trainees share an office with their supervisor, who is either a partner or associate. However, it’s worth noting that “there’s an informal rule that if your supervisor isn’t in, you can sit with someone else to meet more people.”

On the days trainees are in – which is usually at least four out of five each week – there’s also a kitchen where most of the cohort meets up for lunch. “We eat lunch together, so if you’re not in you’ll get a message from one of the other trainees asking if you’re working from home that day,” an interviewee shared.

There are also social opportunities outside of the office, including firmwide events, department drinks and dinners, and firm-funded trainee socials. GT also has a charity of the year (which, this year, is Guy’s Cancer Charity) and hosts various events to raise money, such as a quiz, HYROX challenge, 50km walks and bake sales. We heard there are also plenty of other sporting events, as well as a netball and football team. According to trainees who were happy to get stuck in, “people of all levels are welcome to join, including partners! It’s a nice way to socialise outside of your team and peer group.”

“Even if someone told me that they’d double my salary and take me elsewhere with people I didn’t like, I’d say no.”

However, insiders found that it was easy to get to know colleagues on a much more informal level thanks to GT’s culture. “I can’t walk around the office without someone saying hi or how was your weekend. I have to make sure I don’t chat to too many people when I go to get a drink during the day!” joked one insider. Many were also quick to comment on how the culture “leans a bit more towards the UK. It’s not super American but, being a US firm, it has some influence.” This means that trainees were grateful for the overall friendliness that extends across all levels of seniority.

“There’s never been a time where I’ve felt like I can’t knock on a partner’s door because they might snap,” said one interviewee, “In fact, they’re so friendly that I couldn’t believe how senior some of them were!” All in all, these vibes meant that one especially devoted trainee felt, “even if someone told me that they’d double my salary and take me somewhere else with people I didn’t like, I’d say no.”

However, that’s not to say that the pay was an issue for our interviewees, with first-years starting their training contract on £50k. Although some commented that “it would be nice to get a bonus since we do work so hard,” the general consensus was that “the salary reflects what I do. Sure, other US firms might pay more but it’s not worth it if they can never make plans during the weekend.”

In fact, when it comes to the hours, even though there will be some longer days which could mean finishing well after midnight for some, trainees were clear that “GT isn’t the kind of place where they’d make you cancel dinner plans on your birthday.” As is often the case across the legal profession, trainees found that there are “moments of peak busyness and periods of downtime,” with transactional practices offering a more up-and-down experience compared to the slightly steadier litigation seats. So, even when things heat up, trainees were pleased to say, “I’ve never felt like it’s been too much. Partners manage trainees’ and associates’ time well as they don’t want anyone to burn out.”

Trainees can also get involved in plenty of pro bono if they find time in their schedule and want to take part: “The main point of a training contract at GT is to make what you want of it. That applies to pro bono; if you want to do it, the opportunities are there.” Several trainees recently took part in a major research project concerning access to sexual health in Kenya. Ganagasegaran offers a more in-depth explanation: “It’s a research project we’re working on with the Vance Center in New York for a Kenyan charity, and it concerns adolescents’ right to access sexual health services… Trainees have project managed the whole thing, arranged weekly calls, did the research and drafted the report – I’ve been a passenger, and it’s been phenomenal to see the progress.”

GT has also been busy on the DEI front, with insiders noting that “we’re very much committed to it, though it’s quite office-specific at the moment. We do a lot of things just for London.” This includes a range of affinity networks which are open for anyone to join and engage with. This includes a Women’s Initiative, Social Mobility, Ability, Race & Ethnicity, Pride and Life Works, which provides support on balancing professional and personal lives. Sources appreciated how “people really do take the networks quite seriously. They don’t just address one area, but work across recruitment, internal messaging and with clients.”

These groups also organise events to educate and celebrate, such as Lunar New Year, International Women’s Day and Ramadan. When it comes to representation, sources were optimistic about the future: “I’m sure every firm could do better, but I’m happy with how GT is doing. There’s been a lot more diversity in the more recent trainee intakes, and I’ve seen a shift towards being more inclusive.”

“I could tell they had my growth at heart.”

Sources also had plenty of praise for the training on offer, which balances sit-down sessions with more hands-on learning. Alongside general induction training at the start of the training contract, each seat kicks off with basic introductory sessions which are “high-level but important. They make sure they happen so that you can get good grounding in your seat.” Though there are always regular, more general team training sessions on, trainees especially enjoyed “just having a go at something, then sitting down with someone to talk through it.”

Supervisors are also around to answer any other questions, and many appreciated the extra support: “Mine has really helped me navigate priority tasks and ask for extended deadlines when I need it,” said one trainee, while another remarked, “I can ask silly questions without feeling intimidated. I could tell they had my growth at heart.”

Qualification

There is no formal process for qualification, so much so that there isn’t even an official jobs list. Instead, “they treat each seat as a six-month interview, and your mid-seat appraisals are focused on you getting what you want out of the team. Come qualification, you would have already spoken to partners and expressed your interest in a department.”

Some felt that the system might suit some personalities more than others, but nonetheless advised, “you’re expected to maintain a relationship with the team you’d like to qualify in, whether that’s attending training sessions, networking events or going for coffees with people.” In the long term, as one trainee reflected, “the firm grows organically thanks to the training and support in place to build us up to the level of NQs.” In 2025, GT kept on 3 out of 8 of its trainees.