Hogan Lovells Interview 2019 - 2020

[Jaysen]

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

March 2020

Please specify what the interview was for.

Summer Vacation Scheme 2020

Please give an overview of the day with approximate timings.

9.30 Arrival
9.45 - 10.15 Watson Glaser Test
10.15 - 10.30 Case Study Prep
10.45 - 11.30 Situational Judgement Interview
11.45 - 12.45 Partner Interview
12.45 - 1.45 Informal Lunch with Trainees and Tour of Office

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

N/A

Please list any interview questions you were asked.

Why Law? Your interest in business could easily be applied to any other career in the city, why not consultancy?
Do you read the economist?
I talked about reading some business stories and they really pushed me on this. E.g. I talked about the Boots advantage card hacking and they asked things such as ‘what would you do if you were a lawyer advising Boots after the hacking?’ ‘what do you think will happen to data privacy law once we leave the EU?’
What other firms did you apply to and what are you looking for in a law firm?
If you were managing partner of London then what practice areas would you increase and which would you decrease?

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 arrived at the firm at 9.30 am and was taken into a meeting room with the other candidates where we watched a short presentation about the firm and was asked to talk about a celebrity, we had met to break the ice.

We were then given a Watson Glaser Test to complete. Please don’t overthink this – you have passed this once and if you did this legitimately you will be absolutely fine. Try and practice a few tests before hand because it was some time since I had done a Watson Glaser Test – I would really recommend the how2become critical thinking test from Amazon which breaks down each individual section. This test seemed to be more heavily weighted on the arguments section so definitely practice that.

After that we were given 15 minutes to prep a case study which is an A4 page with 2 questions at the bottom. I found the easiest way to do this was create a table with the questions as heading and then write relevant facts in these to help refresh my memory in the interview. If I am honest, I was quite worried for this bit but found that it was one of the simpler case studies. Be sure to revise key commercial terms (such as debt, equity, due diligence requirements).

The group then divided in two, with some doing the partner interview first and my group doing the situational judgement interview first with a partner and a member of grad recruitment. I found this interview quite weird, but they were keen to reassure me that there is no correct answer and it seemed to be a lot more about how you were able to articulate your thoughts. Be prepared for them to change the situation, but only adapt your answer if that’s what you genuinely think you would do. Questions here were very similar to the ones on the TCLA interview list so check that out. An example I can think of was about an associate who was abroad for a client meeting whom had asked you to proofread his documents but hadn’t responded to you. The partner in the interview really pushed me on this situation but honestly just remain cool and explain what you would actually do, be sure to think about the firm’s key values (one firm worldwide etc.) so they know you would be a good fit.

I then went back into the waiting room and had 15 minutes to reread the case study before an interview with 2 partners. This interview was unlike anything I had had before. They started off by asking me why law and really pressed me on why not other careers such as consultancy. They didn’t ask me why Hogan Lovells so be sure to try and tell them why in your answers to other questions. It was clear here that they were looking for an interest in business and be able to debate and talk about topics confidently.

We then moved onto the case study, and they did not really stick the script here. I spoke about my answers to the question and they then really pressed me on issues I hadn’t picked up and how I thought they would affect the case study. I tried to include how the firm would react and help the client (drawing on different practice areas). They then changed the case study a little. Then they decided to pluck a new case study out of the air and asked me questions about possible litigation in an acquisition deal etc. This part was very hard, I felt like I was being pushed a lot and had to say I don’t know, or I wasn’t quite sure a lot. I made sure that if I said that I wasn’t sure I then tried to think out loud to show a bit of commercial awareness.

My partner interview lasted an hour and a half in the end, and I felt like it was very hard, and they pushed me BUT they are very encouraging and friendly – as if they wanted you to get the answer and helped you to get there. I remained really enthusiastic the whole time and I think this helped. I actually really enjoyed the process and felt that I really clicked with the firm while I was there which I think was really key to being successful in the process.

Were you successful?

Yes

 

[Jaysen]

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

February 2020

Please specify what the interview was for.

Summer Vacation Scheme 2020

Please give an overview of the day with approximate timings.

Arrival 9AM, Partner Presentation (45 mins). Case Study: 15mins Prep. 1 hour 2 Partners interview (for Case Study + Other competencies). Situational Judgement Interview with associate and career coach (45mins).

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

Case Study - 15 mins to prepare on Joint Venture Case Scenario -> 10 minutes to discuss at Interview. Partner interview: 10 minutes case study + 30minutes on my experiences and competencies. Situational was held right after, with series of 10 questions read out by interviewers and variations followed up.

Please list any interview questions you were asked.

Case study: what are the key risks each partner needs to consider when entering into this joint venture? How can you resolve these concerns?
Partner Interview: Is there anything you want to highlight from your application? Why did you stop your sport? Tell us about a time that you failed and how did you deal with that? Why Hogan Lovells? Why not investment banking?
Situational: Partner from opposing calls you asking for potentially confidential information, within 5 minutes, and nobody is around to help.

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.

Case study: Start with the basic points first. Think about financing, guarantees, indemnities for breach etc.
Partner: Don’t be afraid to really sell yourself: know your application inside out so you can easily highlight your strengths.
Situational: Always put the client first, then always put the team first. Be mindful of data privacy and confidentiality.

Were you successful?

No

 

[Jaysen]

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

January 2020

Please specify what the interview was for.

Summer Vacation Scheme

Please give an overview of the day with approximate timings.

1. Watson Glaser Test – 30 mins
2. Case Study Prep – 15 mins
3. Scenario Based Interview (Graduate Recruitment Manager and Senior Associate) – 45 mins
4. Competency/Case Study Interview (2 Partners from International Arbitration and Capital Markets) – 1 hour. This interview for me was informal and much like a conversation .
5. Lunch w/ trainees and office tour - also informal

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

Competency and case study interview done together - competency was 30 minutes and case study was 30 minutes as well. We were given 15 minutes to prepare for case study.

Case Study:
- A joint venture taking place, you need to assess the risks and how to mitigate them
- This was a page long
- In the interview, there was no presentation, we went straight into questions

Scenario:
- Partner invites you to a client dinner but you have a lot of work, what do you do?
Client wants you to sign a deal, but the partner is not there, what do you do

Please list any interview questions you were asked.

- Tell me anything about yourself and how you got here today?
- Why commercial law over any other type of law?
- Why not work in-house legal?
- Why Hogan Lovells?
- Why law in general?
- The rest of the competency interview was about my application, work experience and extra-curriculars

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.

- Be calm and relaxed, the interviewers are friendly and want you to do well!
- With each scenario, re-read it once more before answering each question as you might miss a key point in the scenario that is important to answering the question
- With the case study, use your time wisely. It is not a long case study so it requires you to be a bit creative with your answers when thinking of risks and solutions

Were you successful?

Yes

 

[Jaysen]

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

February 2020

Please specify what the interview was for.

Summer Vacation Scheme 2020

Please give an overview of the day with approximate timings.

9AM arrival, 9:15 Watson Glaser test, 10:00 Case study preparation, 10:20 Situational judgment interview with a member of HR and a senior Associate, 11:15 Interview with two Partners, 12:15 Lunch with Trainees, 12: 45 Firm tour.

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

WGT- Paper version, it lasted 40 minutes because I had extra time due to my visual impairment so I am pretty sure it would normally last 30 minutes instead.

Case study preparation- 15 minutes (I had 5 minutes extra time) to read through a couple of pages long document on Joint Venture. Not a Joint Venture agreement, but rather background info, as a pre-negotiation stage.

Situational Judgment interview- 55 minutes long interview based on 6 different scenarios written down on cards. They would then ask follow up questions to make it harder and harder.

Partner interview- one hour long interview about your motivations and background as well as on the case study that you have prepared earlier.

Please list any interview questions you were asked.

Situational judgment interview, examples include:
- On Casual Friday, you are still in the office very late because you know that on Monday you’ll arrive late due to an upcoming weekend out. You want to make use of this time to work on something otherwise your work would start piling up. However, a partner that you do not know well comes to you and asks if you can immediately go to a client dinner with him as the person who was supposed to go had to cancel. You understand that these opportunities at this stage of your career do not arise often but you are busy and you are dressed this way. What do you do?

I remember that a follow up question was something like “what if it was not work that kept you indecisive but rather a family reunion? What would you have done then?”

- It is late in the day and a senior associate who is in Paris for an upcoming client meeting the next morning has asked you to proofread a contract and send it over to her. You have done it and sent it 1 hour ago but have received no response from her. Her phone is not working and you do not know the details of her accommodation. What do you do?

A follow-up question was something around the lines of: “ If by the time you got back home nothing happened, and no news arrived, what would you do to make sure that the next morning you take control of the situation?”

Partner interview:
- Why don’t you introduce yourself a bit and guide us through why you decided to study English and European Law in London?
- Can you demonstrate me how your visual impairment affects your daily life?
- Where and what do you see yourself doing in 10 years?
- What do you look for in firms? (And in turn which law firms I applied to)

I cannot actually recall the questions they asked me in the case study part because I have done most of the talking starting from the ones that were written on the case study preparation paper. Basically what they asked for on paper was a) any risk that the client could have gone through b) any concern that the counter party could have raised and how I would have addressed it. They only asked for follow up questions.. for instance I talked about the choice of jurisdiction issue (as one of the party was international) so they asked me “Which one would you suggest?” etc.

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 arrival and waiting time, I couldn’t stress more how important it is to go there with a smile on your face and be grateful for the time that every person is taking to make sure your experience is complete. This is why in the moments you least expect it, they will be watching you. I remember sitting at the reception sofas with the other candidates before being called for interviews and literally only two people would talk to me. The others (I’d say around 5 more people at least) were super focused on their paper and minding their own business. Please don’t be like that... it is rude and they can feel it (and also intensifies the stress so it’s not worth it!). They give you some preparation time for a reason so they want you to stick with that.

On another note, be prepared to genuinely justify your choices up to where you are now. At the partner interview, they will do their best to make you feel at ease because they are just there to get to know you, not to scare you. I really hope you have taken the time to reflect on your experiences so that you can be ready to answer any question (and follow up question) with serenity. It is always nice to talk about yourself so just be coherent with what you have written down in your application and you’ll be fine. They only read your app I’d say 15 minutes before you enter so they might be very picky because they just read one part of it... so make sure you actually know it inside out.

My case study was on a joint venture, but without a joint venture agreement so of course some general knowledge that I acquired on TCLA was super helpful. Make sure you have a simple yet genuine understanding of common topics. As for the case study questions, It is very subjective. I’ve heard when I left the room that the other guys were saying they’ve been asked so many questions one after another, including technical competency. If I have to be honest with you, I haven’t been asked that many questions.. I did most of the talking and I think I was smart enough to cover stuff generally without necessarily having to stuck on one thing or anything, kinda as if I wanted to let them know that I knew and they should trust me for it. It worked because they didn’t ask me hard follow up questions which might have put me in trouble but you never know... so I guess trust your instincts.

Listen to who the partners are, they will introduce themselves at the beginning, use it as a way to discuss points which are relevant to their specific practice (e.g., I had a litigation partner and brought that up by saying that a concern might have been the choice of jurisdiction to decide the dispute court for potential litigation).

Well just understand your skills and try your best to make your talking, approach and attitude coherent to what you’ve said before! I think this one really is subjective so I can’t tell you more... also ask questions at the end which seem natural to ask after the conversations that you had!

For the situational judgment interview... there’s no right or wrong, so just be sure you express your thought process clearly. They will try their best to make it an even harder situation to see how you think and potentially behave. It is okay to take firm decisions as long as you justify them. I found this one quite enjoyable because I never felt the omg what do I do now. Never. But truth is even if you do think that, try your best to keep it together and sound reasonable.

While in the room I felt observed, which can be quite uncomfortable so please practice with someone... even better if it is someone that you know too well (because they give you constructive feedback and because you are truly embarrassed). It can really make a difference. This will make you feel okay and as if you are having a conversation, rather than an exam.

Good luck, your time will come!

Were you successful?

Waiting to hear back

 

[Jaysen]

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

February 2020

Please specify what the interview was for.

Summer Vacation Scheme 2020

Please give an overview of the day with approximate timings.

It was a bit different for me as a Campus Ambassador for them. We got in around 9:30 and went for a coffee when the rest of the candidates were doing their Watson Glaser retests.
09.30am – Welcome
09:45am- Coffee with trainees
10.15am - Case study preparation
10:45am – Partner and Situational interviews
12:45pm - Lunch with trainees
1:45pm – Depart

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

WG retest -- I did not do it on the day but from what I remember, it is not easier/harder than the original test so I wouldn't fret too much about it.

Situational judgement/scenario interview -- Two associates. I think this tests mostly common sense. There is still a chance to show commercial awareness and that you know the conditions in which lawyers frequently work in. There are scenarios on cards and you get time to read them and have them read out to you. It is fine to take a moment to think about your answer. The interviewers will also change the scenario slightly to challenge you a bit.
You have the opportunity to ask questions at the end about anything and so don't just prepare questions for the case study/competency interview because this one might come first.

Case study/competency -- Two partners. One of mine was in corporate and the other was i pensions.

Case study aspect
You have 15 minutes to read the case study on a joint venture. I found the case study quite hard and felt like I was getting it all wrong. In the event of this happening to you -- stay confident and think logically and flexibly. The partners are there to challenge and push you and so inevitably you will get some things wrong. I recommend watching the FinanceKid on Youtube, in preparation for this study and other ones like A&O. The videos will help you get to grips with the key commercial/technical elements underpinning deals.

Competency aspect
I was asked the typical questions such as why law (to study at university) and then why commercial law as a career and why Hogan Lovells. I had spent quite a bit of time at HSF also and so was asked about what made Lovells different (I said that HL had better breadth and depth in practice area).
I was also asked about a commercial area I was interested in -- I talked about the growing antitrust concerns surrounding the Big Tech companies.

Please list any interview questions you were asked.

See above.

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 both parts of the day -- don't let your nerves overtake you! Think logically and be confident, even if you get some things wrong.
To prepare, I would watch videos from FinanceKid and CNBC's Youtube channel to keep up with the big topics but also acquire some more technical commercial knowledge. Learn about areas that you find interesting to form opinions and be able to defend them.

Were you successful?

Yes