Hi @letmeintolaw,
Thank you for the question! I am delighted to help. Always feel free to follow up if anything is unclear.
So before you embark on your answer, consider the following:
- The firm. US firms in London are not an homogenous group. For example, White & Case has 89 trainees in total, whereas Orrick has only 14 (and firms like Akin Gump has 13) (all according to Chambers Student). This is important because the size of trainee cohort will impact your experience as a junior lawyer. Generally speaking though, US firms have fewer trainees than UK firms. US firms in London also specialise in different things, although of course they will have multiple strengths. White & Case is very strong in EIPAF (Energy, Infrastructure, Project and Asset Finance) whereas Akin is known for financial restructuring/insolvency work.
- Your priorities. What sort of work do you want to do? How do you work? What sort of career would you like to pursue? What sort of training would you like?
These characteristics give rise to a number of positives and negatives, the importance of which will depend on you. For example, working in lean teams is likely to give you exposure to advanced work that you may not be able to experience until later in your career (potentially after qualification) at a UK firm. You may also have the opportunity to work alongside partners which will push you. Yet having smaller teams ultimately results in fewer people being able to shoulder the work. The promise of having greater responsibility from an early stage in your career is therefore a double-edged sword. Another distinctive characteristic is that US firms tend to employ a "learn on the job" model for trainee development. In contrast, UK firms tend to provide a more structured programme.
The above is non-exhaustive, but it should give you an idea of the sorts of thing that you should be thinking about. I would really encourage you to reflect on how you learn and work. Do you like working in big teams/with people, or do you prefer to work with fewer people? Do you like to learn as you do things?
One thing that is important to mention: when I was making the decision between firms (UK and US), I was told by a very senior partner at a US firm to ignore, as best I could, the pay difference on offer after qualification (and even as a trainee) at UK and US firms. They told me that the important thing was that I started my career at a place that would nourish my development and provide me with strong foundations from which to launch my career. The money will come if you lay strong foundations(!).
Following my vacation scheme experience at two US firms, the things that attracted me were: the agility of the teams, the ability to shape/accelerate my career if I wanted to, learning on the job and the people. I also liked the visibility of the senior leadership and their willingness to speak with trainees/vacation schemers. So if I were to answer this question, this is what I would focus on. That being said, I experienced aspects of these characteristics at HSF too, so you should treat these things as black and white.
Ultimately it is a bit of a simplistic question, but I hope that this might clarify how you might approach it! I am very happy to comment on your ideas if you have any or help otherwise if you would like!
