About the firm

Clyde & Co is a leading global law firm, specialising in the sectors that underpin global trade and commercial activity, namely: insurance, transport, construction, energy, trade and commodities. It is globally integrated, offering a comprehensive range of contentious and non-contentious legal services and commercially-minded legal advice to businesses operating across the world. Clyde & Co is committed to operating in a responsible way. This means progressing towards a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the diversity of its communities and clients, using its legal skills to support its communities through pro bono work, volunteering and charitable partnerships, and minimising the impact it has on the environment. The firm has 480 partners, 2400 lawyers, 3200 legal professionals and 5000 people overall in over 60 offices and associated offices worldwide.

Our Values

Our values are the principles that guide the decisions we make, unite us in our endeavours and strengthen our delivery, for our clients and our firm. We:

• Work as one We are a globally connected team of talented people who act with a firm-first mentality to achieve success
• Excel with clients We aim high and challenge ourselves to deliver unique excellence for our clients, keeping them at the centre of everything we do
• Celebrate difference We help each other to be at our best and believe our differences result in greater achievement
• Act boldly We seek new opportunities, take action and learn as we go, recognising that curiosity drives our development and contributes to growth

About Clyde & Co Hamburg

The Hamburg office opened in February 2019, when we took a market-leading team of four partners and around 15 associates from the shipping firm Ince & Co.

The team perfectly complemented our shipping practice of marine lawyers based in trading hubs around the globe, and Hamburg added a presence for us in an historic city which is home to one of the top three ports in Europe, and is a hub of ship owning, ship-management, financing, shipbroking, marine insurance, trading and yachting.

The Hamburg team acts for shipowners and managers, Charterers, P&I Clubs, Marine insurance companies, superyacht owners, cargo owners, shipbuilders, offshore energy and renewable contractors and sub-contractors. Clients come not only from Hamburg, Germany and the German speaking areas of Europe, but also from across the global shipping, trading and energy industries.
We act both in "dry" shipping cases involving charterparties, shipbuilding contracts, bills of lading, cargo claims, energy and trading contracts, but also have a large and busy practice in the "wet" aspects of shipping involving ship collisions, groundings, sinkings, salvage and General Average and all manner of maritime casualties.

Hamburg has an English team of 4 lawyers led by an English qualified partner Daniel Jones, which works closely with the team of 3 partners and twelve associates in the German qualified team.

What is a Training Contract?

A training contract is a two-year placement that is undertaken by trainee solicitors after they finish their year-long Legal Practice Course (LPC).

Trainees will spend two years getting a practical legal education overseen by senior solicitors at the firm.

Type of work undertaken by a trainee

• Client interaction and attending meetings with clients
• Drafting initial advice to clients and letters to the other side
• Legal/factual research tasks
• Assisting in Casualty investigations and casualty reports
• Assisting with witness statements from Master and crew of ships
• Preparing for mediation/arbitration/court proceedings/bundling etc.
• Liaising with counsel/experts
• Assisting with settlement negotiations
• Assisting with disclosure
• Assisting with witness statements

What we're looking for

We're looking for a Germany based trainee to join our Hamburg office in August 2023.

To be eligible to apply, you must have completed your LPC (Legal Practice Course) by summer 2023. You will spend the full-two years in our Hamburg situated office, and will work within partner, Daniel Jones' team.

We're looking for individuals who have an interest in Marine, Shipping and Energy work. Due to the breadth of work across the department, you will have the opportunity to gain experience across three different areas of law, and in contentious and non-contentious work.

Whilst German fluency is not a must-have, it would be an additional advantage that could further bolster your chances of success when applying for the role.

Strength Based Assessment

During our process we are assessing candidates based on the strengths that will deliver success in a role. This is great for the individual, doing work they love, and great for the employee, having team mambers who love what they do.

Support

We'll make sure you have plenty of support throughout your programme - alongside having support from your dedicated supervisor, you will also have regular one to one session with the Early Careers team and will be allocated a mentor from one of our newly qualified lawyers, enabling you to get peer-to-peer support and guidance.

You can also look forward to a tailored induction programme and on-going internal training designed to ensure you have the skills, knowledge, and commercial acumen you need to become a well-round solicitor.

Clyde & Co benefits

• 28 days, paid annual leave
• Private health insurance
• Private pension scheme
• Full pay sickness leave for up to six weeks
• Critical illness/long term care insurance
• Income protection/unemployment insurance
• Public transport allowance
• EAP support
• Champion health member

The application process

We are looking for applicants with the motivation to join our firm and potential to be successful in the role throughout our process. The application process varies slightly from programme to programme, but this is what you'll need to do for this opportunity:

1) Explore the programme specific information to understand which opportunity is the right one for you.

2) You'll need to make your application online via our online application system.

3) You will then be invited to complete our digital immersive assessment which simulates a realistic preview of the role of a trainee solicitor. It looks to assess specific strengths and skills required in the role and asks you to complete a series of motivational and strengths-based questions though video interviews.

4) Following this, if successful we will be in contact to invite you to our virtual assessment day which will consist of a Group Exercise, Roleplay, Written Exercise and Interview.

Please note: you should only apply to one programme per recruitment cycle.

For more information, hints, and tips please click here to view our website.