Herbert Smith Freehills Interview 2021

[BK]

Please state the month/year you interviewed at the firm.
September 2020

Please specify what the interview was for.
Summer Vacation Scheme 2021

Please give an overview of the day with approximate timings.
9:15-9:45 Partner and Trainee Welcome Chat
10:45-11:20 Competency Interview
11:30-12:05 Scenario 1
12:15- 12:50 Scenario 2

Please provide a summary of each assessment on the day with approximate timings.
Competency Interview: It was a general motivation-based interview with a fair bit of HR. I was quizzed on my reasons to join the firm and be a commercial lawyer. I was also asked questions based on my application, including those relating to my work experience, college societies and internships. Overall, a very smooth and conversation style interview.

Scenario-1: This interview was very tricky for me. I was quizzed on the chain rule under mandatory bidding requirement in the UK Takeover Code. I was told the rule, and then told one factual scenario (a prior M&A deal the partner had done before) and then was asked to apply the rule to this and advice the client. It was too much information to process on the spot. Thus, you may want to prepare for thinking on your feet and being confident in your opinion/advice.

Scenario-2: This was a surprising one since it was totally non-commercial. I was interviewed by a graduate recruitment partner here. She told me that there is no Good Samaritan Law in the UK. There after, she asked me to assume that I'm a UK legislator and draft such a law. I was utterly surprised by such a scenario being asked in a vac interview but it came out to be interesting! We went back and forth on many aspects and situations that may arise as a result of using or not using particular words in the draft. Basically, a lot of legal thinking and general understanding of drafting legal obligations and exceptions would help here!

What is your best advice for each aspect of the assessment on the day? Please break this down for each assessment. This can include advice for preparation, as well as tips for the day.
For competency, review your motivations well and keep asking "why" HSF and "why" you. They're very nice and sweet so try to be conversational and don't be afraid to be your real self! Jokes help sometimes!

For scenarios, there is literally no way to prepare since it was very random for everyone on my day. Everyone got quizzed on different areas of law etc. I think best way would be to make yourself aware of the basics of every area they practice in (since any partner can take the interview and they'll draw on their previous experience). Also prepare some deals that they partook in, in depth. That really helps, especially if you know the partner interviewing you beforehand. In general, I guess my only advice would be to be more commercially aware. That's all that can help best.

For the day itself, it was virtual for me. So really missed out on a big chunk of networking! But do talk to trainees when there is chance in the start. That makes you look good generally and gives you some connections anyway! Try to listen to tech instructions very well and don't quit the meet room between interviews. That can eat up your time. Stay there, just switch cameras and mics off for the buffer time. Hope that helps.

Were you successful?
No

 

[BK]

Please state the month/year you interviewed at the firm.
January 2021

Please specify what the interview was for.
Spring Vacation Scheme 2021

Please give an overview of the day with approximate timings.
9:15-9:45: Partner and Trainee Welcome Chat
10:45-11:20: Competency Interview
11:30-12:05: Scenario Interview 1
12:30-13:05: Scenario Interview 2

Please provide a summary of each assessment on the day with approximate timings.
The competency interview was 40 minutes long and with a senior associate. There were no surprise questions!

The first scenario interview was with a Dispute Resolution Partner who interviewed me on an M&A deal. She laid out the scenario at the beginning, then asked me questions (see below for specific questions).

The second scenario interview was with a Corporate Partner who interviewed me on an asset management transaction. As above, he laid out the scenario at the beginning, then asked me questions (see below for specific questions).

What is your best advice for each aspect of the assessment on the day? Please break this down for each assessment. This can include advice for preparation, as well as tips for the day.

Competency:
- Know your application in and out. They can ask you on literally anything you wrote.
- My associate was very friendly and really wanted to get to know me as a person, so be eager to let your personality shine.
- Practice the typical competency and motivational questions.
- Re-take the HSF online test to check what kind of skills they are looking for.

Scenario interviews:
- A huge portion of my second scenario interview was contract law-based. If you're a law student, they will definitely expect you to be on top of your contract law knowledge, so revising that will be extremely helpful.
- Think and respond in a structured way. The way the interview flows is the interviewer sets the scene with a fictitious scenario and you have to respond on your feet. They may bring in unexpected or difficult details, and they expect you to ask for more information too. (For example you could ask: "Could you tell me more about X, as knowing that would help me answer this question fully?")
- Look up HSF's different practice areas, because the scenario interviews can be on any of their practice areas! The interview did not focus on current commercial stories at all, but more on contract law and on the specific practice area you were assigned.

Were you successful?
No

 

[BK]

Please state the month/year you interviewed at the firm.
February 2021

Please specify what the interview was for.
Summer Vacation Scheme 2021

Please give an overview of the day with approximate timings.
9.30am introduction
11am competency interview
12pm case study interview 1
1pm case study interview 2.

Please provide a summary of each assessment on the day with approximate timings.
Each interview only lasts for 35 minutes.

What is your best advice for each aspect of the assessment on the day? Please break this down for each assessment. This can include advice for preparation, as well as tips for the day.
Competency interview - super important to build rapport with the interviewer, I scored high on this from being able to hold conversations.

Case Studies - do not go in with a preconceived format of what a case study is. I scored badly on my first case study as I kept trying to go back to the M&A format when the case had nothing to do with it. I did much better in my second one: listening to the hints the interviewer gives is extremely important. They will hint the sector you should be talking about. Also, since these case studies are done verbally, be sure to have a structure in your head for the points you are making (eg signpost: I have 3 thoughts about this... I believe this can be solved in 2 ways...).

Were you successful?
No

 

[BK]

Please state the month/year you interviewed at the firm.
January 2021

Please specify what the interview was for.
Spring vacation scheme 2021

Please give an overview of the day with approximate timings.
9.30 to 9.45am - (virtual) arrival, welcome from grad rec which includes partner overview of the firm and Q&A with a trainee.
10 to 10.30am - first case study interview with one partner. This is a selection from a pack of case study interviews they have on Private Equity, M&A, Disputes, Employment, etc.
10.30 to 11am - second case study interview with one partner. This is based on the partner’s own experience, thus it can be on anything!
11 to 11.45am - general interview with one senior associate or partner.

Please provide a summary of each assessment on the day with approximate timings.

Scenario interview 1: based on a case/deal the partner has worked on themselves. You get interviewed by one person. I had a disputes case (30 minutes).

Scenario interview 2: fictional case/deal the firm would typically work on. I had a private M&A/private equity deal (30 minutes).

Competency interview: typical competency interview with the why commercial law, why HSF questions. They ask a lot about your experiences and application, so be sure you know them well (45 min to 1 hour).

What is your best advice for each aspect of the assessment on the day? Please break this down for each assessment. This can include advice for preparation, as well as tips for the day.

Competency interview:
- Have prepared answers for why law/HSF, but don’t make them sound too scripted.
- Know your application inside out.
- Research the firm thoroughly - this includes attending firm specific events. I have heard that they don’t really appreciate answers that are centred solely on Google/website research, they want to hear about personal experience with the firm.
- Be personable. I had a very tough interviewer, straight face throughout, but I kept up my cheerful demeanour - I got really good feedback on this.

Scenario interview:
- The second scenario interview is based on a case study (one from a selection of which the firm has prepared and recycled). I do not know if this will change for future ACs but usually they have a public M&A, private M&A, PE and leveraged finance case study. They want you to walk through a deal, so make sure you understand how a deal is structured (e.g., what should you think about when instructing a client on a private M&A).
- I prepared for this by jotting down all of HSF’s practice groups, researching them well, understanding, for example, what IPMT/employment does in a deal. Then during the interview I guided the partner through how the deal would require work from each department. For example, starting from corporate (M&A) the client will be advised on the structure, them moving on to finance (debt or equity), employment (existing contracts), real estate (buildings), tax (asset management), etc. As a result, I did very well on the second scenario interview.
- The first scenario interview is harder to prepare for as it is based on a deal the partner worked on - it could be anything! Prepare as you would for the other scenario interview, but make sure you do not undermine the smaller depts like tax, IP, employment. I got a disputes/investigations partner and unfortunately I had not prepared well for a contentious scenario. The partner was very harsh and wanted specific answers on what type of injunction the client could use, etc. Although they mention that they take your degree into account if you are a non-law student, I personally found no difference. I was asked tough questions on criminal law, even though I had not studied it yet.

Were you successful?
No

 

[Elizabeth K]

Please state the month/year you interviewed at the firm.

November 2021

Please specify what the interview was for.

Vacation Scheme

Please give an overview of the day with approximate timings.

1) Intro from grad recruitment (30 mins)
2) Case study prep (50 mins ish)
3) Case study interview (35 mins)
4) Break and trainee tour (15 mins)
5) General interview (35 mins)
6) Scenario interview (35 mins)

Please provide a summary of each assessment on the day with approximate timings.

1) Case study interview
I think this may have changed with it being virtual but mine was in person. We were given a lot of information and asked to give advice to our client. It was a lot of information and we had around 5 questions to prepare before we gave our 10 min oral presentation to a partner. Following the oral presentation I was asked questions on the things I had prepared and was given further information. This is really hard to prepare for and I think legal knowledge was fundamental here – understanding legislation and how it can be manipulated for a client. I think I thought too balanced and therefore my feedback was that I was not client-focused enough – this ultimately let me down.

2) General interview
Typical why law, why HSF, why london, why me – no surprises. Brush up on TCLA questions and you will be fully prepared. Asked questions around bad grades, leadership, team work and managing deadlines. Felt very much like a conversation and I really built rapport with my interviewer which made the interview so enjoyable!

3) Scenario interview
I was given a brief of what a partner had worked on and asked how I would move forward with the deal/dispute. I found this really really hard and again I think legal knowledge is fundamental here – TCLA courses would be very helpful to do! My top tip would be to ask at the start ‘what does the client want going forward’ – this would help give a reference to your recommendations. Ask as many questions but note they ask why you have asked a question to see whether you are guessing or actually know what you are talking about. The Partner really guided me through this interview and I think genuinely wanted me to do well – I found it a very hard but interesting discussion!

What is your best advice for each aspect of the assessment on the day? Please break this down for each assessment. This can include advice for preparation, as well as tips for the day.

I was unsuccessful in this interview – looking back I realise that I did not frame my answers as client focused as it should have been in the case study so remaining client focused would be my best tip!

Were you successful?

No