New Threads

Is anyone aware of some good sources for keeping commercially aware? The tend to read the FT and maintain a general awareness of what's in the news commercially, socially, and politically, but it feels quite piecemeal if I'm honest.

Would be particularly interested in anything focused on general corporate and M&A news, the technology industry, real estate, and possibly energy too?

Also, any good sources for being on top of the private client and tax practice areas?
Xvideos Xnxx Chaturbate

Hi,

Has anyone done the video interview?

Hi everyone,

I was just wondering if "Drawing conclusions" refers to making correct inferences as well as deductions for the purposes of the Pearson Talentlens Watson Glaser test?

Many thanks

Hi all,

Pondering with the idea of including my involvement in the Poker Society on my CV. NB: *this is not my only extra-curricular*.

On the one-hand, it provides me with problem solving skills, and is also incredibly social. On the other hand, I don't want to portray myself as mad gambler!

What do you think?

Hi all,

Assuming you're preparing for the interview question that ask 'tell me about one of our deals you've found interesting'

What are the key components of a transaction to be aware of? I've got the various jurisdictions and practice areas involved in the deal. What else do you recommend I should be aware of?

Many thanks

This has probably already been asked a lot so I apologize if it has already been answered. I was just wondering if there were any corporate lawyers in this subreddit that could compare and contrast the real life job to that portrayed in numerous television shows, including suits. I often hear that these types of lawyers hate their jobs, can't wait to get out, etc, and was wondering what it is really like. Furthermore, how challenging is it to reach the level of law practiced in the large firms shown in the show. As a person interested in potentially pursuing a career in law, if anyone could give me some better insights than what can be found on the web that'd be great. Thanks

as an eu citizen i have always ticked the box specifying that i will not require a visa; however, in light of brexit, i would assume firms are starting to reevaluate the number of eu applicants they take in, especially if they find themselves in a position to sponsor visas for all of them

fortunately, i managed to obtain a british passport a few months back. however not all firms allow you to specify your nationality or elaborate on your right to reside--this is especially annoying when they ask for a cover letter (where you talk about living in another country) and you end it with a very European sounding name

would it be advisable to put a line at the end of my cover letter saying: ' i have recently obtained British citizenship and will not require a visa at any point in my career'

In 2012 my parents got a divorce and my dad got full custody. I was emancipated by marriage in 2016, and my dad let my mom keep my brother but never signed over custody of him to her. My mom has passed away and I'm next of kin for her belongings me and my grandmother are trying to figure out what the best option for my brother would be. He is 16 and he lived in Georgia with my mom. he talks like he wants to stay in north Carolina with me, but my grandma lives down there to, me and her are both willing to take him in whichever he chooses. But we don't know legally what we can do. We haven't called my dad because My dad lives in minnisota and doesn't even call or visit except every 6 months to a year. Does anyone know the best thing to do legally?

Hi all,

I'm trying to kick-start my TC/VS process again after recently finishing my LLM. I have never felt that I was part of any ethnic minority growing up, but when I moved to the UK I noticed that, at least in the legal profession, there are basically no prominent lawyers with a background similar to mine. I have often felt that I don't merit any diversity assistance, as I can't claim that I come from a lower socio-economic background - which many of these schemes apply to. I hope not this post does not come across as boastful, or pity-seeking, I am just looking for some honest advice on who is eligible for diversity support and who is not as I often receive conflicting answers due to my educational history.

Thanks in advance for any help that people can provide me with!! I hope to return the favor for someone else when I can.

does anybody know if TS recruitment primarily from their VS or if its about a 50/50 split?

thanks!

I have a VI and the deadline is 26 January (00:00) does this mean tonight or tomorrow? Its for W&C.

m

Does anyone have experience with PwC's online tests?

Hi guys,

Just a question that I thought of (not applicable for this cycle as I'm not making any more applications) but I wondered if you guys say in your applications that you got to an Assessment Centre (but were unsuccessful) at X firm?

If so, where do you mention it (I'd imagine work experience section) and how do you spin it to a positive?

Thanks and look forward to seeing your responses

Hey everyone!

I managed to secure an AC with CC in the Middle East. Just have a few questions:
1) Has anyone heard back about the dates for the CC AC in the Middle East?
2) Has anyone previously interviewed at their Middle East office? If so, any tips?
3) Has anyone previously interviewed for any Middle East TC's? If so, any important factors I should keep in mind re the region?
4) Does anyone have any tips on how to prepare for a M&A case study?

Thanks in advance

Heya all

I have a quick question!

I'm applying for one of Cleary's offices in Asia. I just talked to an ex-associate. She said that the firm ususally recruits trainees to work in corporate finance. However, I am drawn to Cleary for its strong antitrust practice in the US.

Should I still use its antitrust practice as one of the reasons for applying?

Thanks!

Hi everyone!

I was wondering if anyone else has done legal work experience previously at independent/smaller firms and is now applying to international/bigger firms and how you explain this in interviews?

I have done a lot of work experience at a regional firm and find that this makes interviewers question my motivation. In truth, I did the work experience because it was an opportunity to get into law and I wouldn't ever turn that down. But now I struggle to explain how these experiences made me more interested in international work instead, without sounding like I'm dismissive of domestic work as I understand international firms do both.

... for applications, as some of the following advertised themselves as such but I don't feel as if they can be included?

-Aspiring Solicitors workshop at Dechert LLP (it was mainly focused on applications, interviews, commercial awareness, Dragons Den type competition etc.) so I am not sure if it counts? Although hosted at the firm's office with a couple of their lawyers present, the day was organised by Aspiring Solicitors

-volunteering (if there is not other section)

-firm presentations on campus

-firm workshops on campus (eg. components of a deal)

Which of these can be put under the 'work' experience area in application forms? Or should I just include the most relevant throughout the prose questions

Cheers in advance

Hey guys!!

I'm feeling a bit discouraged as I've missed a lot of deadlines for vacation schemes or been rejected from ones I have applied to.

I'm hoping to apply straight to training contracts and I'm wondering if anyone knows of firms that don't heavily select or favour vac scheme participants in the recruitment process.

Thanks in advance!

Hi

Just wondering if anyone has completed Pinsent Masons' GMA-A Psychometric test before (for the summer vac scheme)? They have provided a guidance sheet but no link to a practice test or anything.

Thank you in advance!

Hello everyone,

After a brief holiday hiatus, we are happy to share that our weekly commercial updates are back again! We will be posting our take on the week's most topical stories every Wednesday, so do follow this thread for more commercial updates.

Commercial Awareness Update: 23/01/19

The topics covered in this week's update are:

1. The UK Automotive Industry (by @bugsy malone)
2. Netflix's Q4 2018 results (by @Abstruser)
3. Potential tightening of US privacy laws (by @kitk)
4. The UK Supermarket industry (by @Sara Moon)
5. Apple's share plunge (by @Angel)

1. The UK Automotive Industry (by @bugsy malone)

The story:

The automotive industry seems to be heading for a down turn as it faces multiple challenges including:

• A fall in Chinese sales. China has been a huge growth market for premium carmakers so their slowdown has affected companies like Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) who heavily invested in the Chinese market, establishing production facilities. JLR saw a significant loss of around 50% in its October and November sales.
  
• The shake-up of tech.Demand for alternatively fuelled vehicles such as hybrids and pure electrics has increased by 30.7% to take a market share of 6.9%. To keep up with this growing demand and prepare for the future, carmakers are being forced to make big investments in electric cars, autonomous vehicles and mobility services such as car-sharing and ride-hailing. Carmakers also have to stay competitive against American tech giants such as Google with potential sights on venturing into transportation.
• Emissions regulation. The uncertainty around taxes on diesel cars has been blamed for declining sales.
• Brexit uncertainty. This has also been blamed by carmakers as negatively impacting on consumer sales. Additionally, a change in border checks could negatively impact carmakers who rely on just in time deliveries of parts. And this week JLR called on the government to ensure the UK does not leave the EU without a deal to prevent companies from having to make costly contingency planes.

Impact on businesses and law firms:

Law firm restructuring departments are likely to see an increase in work as companies are forced to take drastic action to survive this challenging time. Law firms may need to help companies with down sizing or leaving loss-making countries completely. For example, JLR announced they would cut 4,500 jobs last week to simplify its management structure and attempt to save £2.5bn.

Alternatively, M&A departments are likely to see companies seeking to increase sharing costs by forming alliances or full mergers which could bring large scale cost savings. An example of this consolidation is the new alliance between Ford and Volkswagen. The Economist commented these pressures for consolidation are unlikely to waver any time soon and an equity research firm said 2019 will be the year of “endless M&A rumours” as demand wobbles and costs soar.


2. Netflix’s Q4 2018 results (by @Abstruser)

The story:

Last week, Netflix released its financial results for the last quarter. The company added 8.8 million new subscribers over the last quarter, exceeding its own forecasts of 7.6 million. It also added $4.19 billion in revenue, a marked increase from this time last year. However, despite the strong performance, Netflix’s stock price fell sharply, dropping as much as 3.8% after the announcement.

At first blush, this seems puzzling. However, three days before releasing its results, Netflix announced that it would be implementing its largest subscription rate hike since it launched 12 years ago. US subscribers, its largest customer base, will see subscriptions hiked by 18% this quarter. This price hike is expected to help Netflix ease its huge debt pile. Netflix currently has a debt burden of $10 billion, more than twice its current revenue. Most of Netflix’s debt is issued to fund its content creation (ie, producing Netflix Original TV shows and movies, like Bird Box and Bandersnatch). Last year, Netflix spent $8 billion on content creation, so it is likely to spend even more this year.

Impact on businesses and law firms:

Netflix’s recent stock performance adds to the FAANG’s recent woes, as investors start to re-evaluate the viability of high-growth tech stocks.

More broadly, Netflix’s continued push on content creation, rather than deleveraging and scaling back its spending, is indicative of a larger battle for dominance in the content streaming industry. Amazon and Hulu already compete with Netflix in this sphere, but the real Goliath will be Disney, who is in the process of launching its own streaming service. With Disney’s vast array of original movies (think: the staggering range of Marvel and Pixar movies), added to by its recent acquisition of Fox, the stage is set for a titanic Netflix v Disney showdown. Grab your popcorn.

For law firms, this shifting dynamic will generate a lot of work for commercial departments. For platforms like Netflix, and possibly Amazon, the onus will shift to creating new content, which means contracting actors and producers to make new movies and series. Disney is also pulling all of its content off other platforms like Netflix, so intellectual property lawyers may be involved in shortening licenses, or seeking to negotiate extensions of current licenses, depending on which side you’re on.


3. Potential Tightening of US Privacy Laws (by @kitk)

The story:

The US is facing multiple calls for a tightening of its privacy laws.

In December 2018, a bill co-authored by 15 Democrat Senators, the Data Care Act of 2018, was released. This obliges online service providers to "reasonably secure" information which identify individuals and vow not to use it in harmful ways, notify users in case of a data breach and hold third parties with access to the data to the same standard. In the same month, a non-profit organisation, the Center for Democracy and Technology, introduced a draft nation-wide privacy law for data processing by private companies.

Just last week, Florida Senator Marco Rubio introduced the American Data Dissemination Act. It requires the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to develop recommendations for the formulation of privacy law and submit them to Congress for approval. If Congress fails to approve of the suggestions within two years, the FTC could approve and enforce their own rules.

Currently, the US has various federal laws that protect specific types of data like those related to consumer health and credit scoring. Last June, California passed the California Consumer Privacy Act, which will enter into force on 1 January 2020. Still, there is no overarching, national-level data privacy legislation unlike, say, the UK’s Data Protection Act.

Impact on businesses and law firms:

As there is a trend towards fragmentation of data protection rules which apply in different jurisdictions, law firms must constantly keep abreast of regulatory changes which are related to data protection. In practice, this fragmentation also means that law firms might err on the side of caution and advise their clients to adopt a single data protection standard which satisfies the most stringent data protection requirements of different pieces of legislation. This can lead to an overall “racheting upwards” of data protection standards.

With the possibility of more data protection legislation, businesses that operate in and/ or deal with customers in multiple countries must more carefully consider the necessity, costs and risks of their data collection and use.

Apologies if this question has already been posted.

Guys, how do you approach the question "What do you hope to gain from attending an open day?

Hi guys,

I'm currently answering a question for a Lewis Silkin application and needed some advice.

The question asks: Give an example of a recent development which you think represents a challenge or an opportunity for a firm like Lewis Silkin. How should Lewis Silkin respond to that challenge or opportunity? (200 words)

I was initially writing about technology, but I had noticed that within Lewis Silkin's Ius Laboris employment law alliance they do not have a member law firm in Africa. Would this be a good opportunity to write about how the firm should take the opportunity to form an alliance with an African law firm, considering that it is an emerging market? I'm having trouble working out whether this is of something that would be of great importance to LS's practice...


Thanks in advance!

Sam

Interesting article on the reasons why Dyson is moving their HQ to Singapore, according to the CEO, this move has 'nothing to do with Brexit' - https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/jan/22/dyson-to-move-company-hq-to-singapore

Slaughter and May training contract interview, December 2018.

Anonymous poster

Congratulations on your interview!

Slaughters is a really difficult interview to prepare for, not because it is difficult in itself, but because it is unpredictable. I personally had a very conversational, not-so-commercial interview, but I have heard of many others who had structured, extremely commercial interviews.

A few things I would recommend for the partner interview:

• Be confident. This is literally the most important piece of advice I can give. The Slaughters interview is very much based on partners getting a feel for your personality and whether you will fit into their firm. 200 of their 220 partners trained at the firm, so 'fit' is quite important that way. Of course, there is more to your personality than just being confident, but by being nervous and uncomfortable you are definitely not demonstrating that 'fit'. I used to go into interviews thinking I had 'gotten lucky', thinking it was a fluke. That really affected the way I interviewed, and generally made my interviewers uncomfortable. Go into your interview knowing you have everything it takes to be there, and that you 100% deserve to get the job (or vac scheme). That will help make your answers more convincing, your demeanour more relaxed and the interview less stressful generally.
• Have 4-5 large news stories you have been following. I usually pick about 3 massive stories (Brexit, US-China trade war etc) and 1-2 smaller stories that I personally find interesting. You are bound to be tested in some way about your commercial awareness, either in your interview or case study, so knowing about the 3 massive stories shows that at least you are aware about popular and current affairs. Having 1-2 smaller stories is helpful just in case they ask you about something you've been following, and you can talk about a less cliche topic and one that is genuinely interesting to you.
• Know your CV inside out. This sounds really obvious, but you need to know everything you have written on your application form, and thought about all the possible questions that might be asked based on that information. For example, if I wrote I was working at a fintech startup, they might ask me what my role was, why did I choose the startup vs a law firm, what did the startup do, etc. If you've highlighted a specific task you did, eg 'drafted opinion on securitisation', be prepared for questions like 'what is securitisation'. The last thing you want is to look like you've exaggerated on your application form.
• Prepare questions to ask after the interview! My conversation with the partners after the interview went on for quite some time, and I got the feeling they were testing both my interest in the firm and also my ability to hold a conversation. Read some of their latest publications, have a look through what the press has been saying about them and come up with 2-3 prepared questions. The rest will flow naturally.

On the 15-minute article, it is always an opinion piece either from The Times, FT or Guardian. The topic is highly unpredictable, but it will never be anything too technical. Just have a grasp of what the article is about, have a viewpoint, and be ready to defend it.

The case study isn't very difficult. You're given 60 minutes - really plenty of time, as the case study itself is only a few pages long. You have the option to type or handwrite - definitely choose to type, unless you're really fast at writing!

The HR interview is really casual, but still assessed, so maintain your professionalism and answer the questions. I was asked about how I thought I did in the interview, and a couple of motivational questions.