When was your Dechert interview?
January-February 2018
What was it for?
Vacation scheme
Please describe the interview process at Dechert.
First round:
Video interview (short questions on why law/the firm).
Second round:
Approximately 45 min written exercise answering an email from a client then an approximately 45 min group exercise (with 5 others), 5 min to read, 25 min to discuss amongst the group (had to present company profile we were given and choose collectively as a group which 1-2 companies to present to an associate panel acting as a venture capital), 15 min to present (everyone had to speak) and answer a few questions from the panel regarding the choices.
Third round
1 hour interview, some questions on what other firms did you apply to, did you have a strategy when choosing said firms, etc. Second half was based on a fictional acquisition going through the process of who would be involved and technicalities. This was followed by an office tour with a current trainee. Felt formal but friendly at the same time. Everyone was nice and seem engaged.
What advice would you give to future applicants about the Dechert interview?
Read up on current affairs, use PESTLEB, understand how basic transactions such as a merger/acquisition works, relax and be yourself!
Dechert vac scheme AC:
This is in two parts since they split up the AC and the interview bit:
AC: nothing really too hard, the written exercise is very much standard stuff and they’re pretty much looking just to see if you can write in a structured and clear manner. The group exercise is pretty tough. One thing which I was aware of which others probably weren’t is the need to fit in wider commercial knowledge into the group exercise (mine was pitching an investment to a hedge fund board aka the group and then pitching as a group the investment we all agreed on to the interview panel). Also being really clear in how you communicate and of course being a good listener to others was important
Interview: this was really straightforward, one thing which helped was knowing beforehand the fact that they are going to question you a load on your “strategy”
(what other firms you applied to and why) so having a really coherent and well thought through plan of why XYZ firms helps.
