Sullivan & Cromwell

About the firm

Few cities are as closely associated with a superhero as New York is with Spider-Man. Peter Parker may operate on a grand scale, but there is something distinctly appealing about the idea of one small figure making a substantial impact across the city. Sullivan & Cromwell is also a big name from the Big Apple, and like Spidey, it knows how to pack an epic punch in a small package. Its limited trainee intake, lean teams, and quality-over-quantity approach form the core of its appeal to UK trainees; “The firm is all about the quality of the work,” one told us, adding “I wanted to work on international matters where small teams are given large responsibility.” Insiders also told us how the benefits of being a part of a small cohort are hard to miss, with one praising how “you can become close knit and be an important part of the puzzle.”

This New York firm might once have been Far From Home in London, but with more than 50 years’ experience in the UK, it’s now a firm fixture on this side of the Pond. That’s clear from its rankings in the Chambers UK guide, where its teams score top marks nationwide in capital markets: debt, projects: mainly international, and mining: international. And this web of expertise has had a growth year, as Ben Perry (the firm’s Training Principal) told us: “We've had nine new partners join the firm as part of a new phase of development for the office. Those new partners are across a number of different practice areas including private equity, restructuring, leveraged finance, private credit, financial services and tax, which reflects the importance of London to the firm.”

Beyond that, its 14 offices worldwide and pride in being “the world’s first truly international law firm” (according to Perry) mean that there’s plenty on offer in the way of globe-trotting matters and secondments. So, if you’re looking to start a Brand New Day in the legal profession, why not give your friendly neighbourhood law firm a look?

Why trainees joined the firm

Retention rates

Trainees told us how, typically, once someone starts at the firm they stay put; “there’s a lot of people across the firm at different levels that have been here for a long time, and some even trained here,” one said, which they “viewed as a real positive when applying.” Another told us how the firm is big on “organic growth,” confirming that “a lot of effort is put into the training programme.”

Fast learning

Sadly, real life isn’t a comic book where you can master rare skills with just a quick training montage, but at S&C you can do the next best thing. As one trainee told us, “I wanted a place where I’d be able to learn the fastest, because lawyers need practical knowledge. It’s like riding a bike; if you read 100 pages on how to do it you won’t learn, so I knew I wanted a firm that has a smaller intake for that reason.”

Feeling valuable

To paraphrase Spiderman, ‘with great power small teams comes great responsibility’... and trainees really appreciate that chance to be the hero for their colleagues! According to one, “as a trainee you can feel the value that you contribute to matters and deals, as people go out of their way to give you that ownership of your work and that visibility.”

Trainee satisfaction rankings

Training contract structure

Seat allocation

Regarding seat allocation, training principal Ben Perry told us that “working with a trainee on their seat choices and secondment options is something we do one-on-one. We sit down and discuss their objectives and plans individually and how we can help them to realise them.” Trainees confirmed the “informal” nature of the process, and the effort which the firm puts into accommodating their preferences. They also explained how the firm follows a general practice model, so although juniors are assigned specific seats as they rotate, “you can get experience in everything, and you can go out and look for bits of work if you’re keen.” Another corroborated this, stating that “the seats themselves aren’t super fixed, so you could be in a banking seat doing an M&A deal.”

Client secondments

Trainees can submit their preference to do a client secondment to training principal Ben Perry when discussing their seat rotation.As an example of the heavyweight names on offer, we heard that Goldman Sachs is on the regular rotation list and that “there’s always a trainee there.” Moreover, insiders highlighted how the firm is always looking to unlock new options: “our relationships with other clients are growing as a result of the office’s growth, so it’s possible we will be getting new client secondments.”

International secondments

When it comes to international secondments, there’s truly no shortage at Sullivan & Cromwell. According to one trainee, “That was one of the key reasons I applied here: it feels like there aren’t any guardrails on opportunities I wanted.” Trainees told of the plentiful opportunities “to do an international and a client secondment if you want to,” highlighting how if a supervisor is available in an international office, a trainee can be sent there. Recent options include postings in Sydney, Paris, Hong Kong, New York, Palo Alto, and DC.

Seat Experiences

Trainee life

Culture and environment

Data from our annual trainee survey

When we asked about the culture of the firm, one word kept coming up: collaboration. Trainees noted how “seniors and partners are approachable, and if you ask them a question, they will take the time to explain.” If anything, the firm is doubling down even harder on its message of teamwork; according to one source, “the new partners are making it a big statement about how they want to win business together and to make sure we don’t work in siloes.” The emphasis on spending time with colleagues extends beyond working hours into the firm’s social calendar too. As one interviewee put it, “the social life is great: there’s a social committee and a real effort is made to put on events that get everyone together, plus there’s no hierarchy.”

As for the overall office vibe, we heard that “people tend to be 50/50 about the furnishings,” but the building certainly has its admirers. "Some call it old fashioned, but I like it!” one trainee told us, adding that “there’s a lot of sunlight and wood.” Juniors share an office with one other trainee, which were described as being very spacious. Every day, the firm hosts free breakfast and lunch, with a budget being given for Deliveroo after 7:30pm, and free cabs after 9pm.

Working patterns

Data from our annual trainee survey

Trainees are supposed to spend at least 50% of their working week in the office, though there’s no firmwide requirement to be in on specific days. When it comes to working hours, trainees noted how it truly depends on the team. While some reported working seven hours a day on average, others described putting in up to 60 hours a week during busy spells. However, if the prospect of working evenings has your spider-sense for danger tingling, insiders emphasised how the firm looks out for their wellbeing. “They care about sustainability,” one said, “so if it’s been a very busy month a partner will recognise that and they don’t try to push you too much.”

Pay

Data provided by firm and our annual trainee survey

When it comes to compensation, our interviewees had no complaints whatsoever. As one stated, “when I look at friends I have in other industries, it’s not comparable, so I’m very happy.” Even among City law firms, the compensation here is “top of the market… it’s not a place where you’d join with the view to getting a higher salary somewhere else.”

Supervision and training

Data from our annual trainee survey

When it comes to supervision at the firm, our sources had no bad reviews to give. They attested to the regular feedback they receive from not only their supervisor but also the senior associates they work with. As one stated, “we do get regular feedback, and we have an end- and mid-seat review, but as a trainee what I value more is the informal feedback you get as you go.” Others described the strong relationships they have built up with those overseeing them: “the supervisors are really engaged, and they care about my development,” according to one trainee, while another described how their supervisor “said on day one ‘you don’t need to come in earlier than me or stay later, and treat this place as your own’, which helped with my nerves.” Perry nodded to this, stressing that “it’s about creating an environment where the people who are curious, self-starters and who have drive and ambition are able to develop fully and realise their potential.”

As for more structured training, different departments put in place regular sessions at the beginning of each seat. Insiders also told us about the lunchtime sessions that are held weekly, praising the “relaxed vibe.” One particular emphasis at the moment is getting to grips with new technology. “We get regular AI training,” one trainee reported, since “with it being a huge part of our work, the firm ensures it has policies and trainings in place that will help us navigate this new AI space.”

Pro bono & CSR

Interviewees noted that, when it comes to pro bono work, “there are opportunities if you want them,” but there were mixed opinions over how strongly they are emphasised by the firm. However, we were told that some of the new partners “are trying to make it a bigger thing.” The firm does take part in regular charity initiatives, such as raising money for the social mobility charity Power2 via a dragon boat race and a walkathon. Trainees also highlighted the young citizens’ workshop which is held in the office, participation in which was described as “fulfilling” and “good experience.”

Inclusion

“The firm takes diversity very seriously,” reported one trainee, with another adding that “the trainee cohorts are really diverse, especially for how small they are.” The firm’s affinity networks attracted praise from our interviewees, who attested how “there’s definitely an effort to connect you with different members of different groups.” Though they host fewer events in London than in the firm’s larger NYC office, there are still plenty on offer; for example, the women’s committee organises regular dinners, as well as celebratory drinks whenever new female partners are promoted.

Qualification

Trainees described how the qualification process at Sullivan & Cromwell “isn’t a formal interview process, it’s more of an ongoing discussion.” Most trainees qualify into the general practice group and can work on matters including M&A transactions, capital markets, project finance, and financial restructuring. According to one source, “the expectation is that, for the first few years post qualification, you work on a variety of projects in all of those areas.” However, we were told that for trainees who want to qualify into a specialist area, that’s an option too: “if you want to qualify into competition or tax those requests can be made in advance and the firm strives to give people the area of law they want.”

From suing to supporting…

Trainees applauded the perks the firm’s partners offer, with one stating “this year I’ve been to two Arsenal games, an England Rugby game, and the Champions League Final which was nuts!”