A&L Goodbody LLP

Overview

A&L Goodbody (ALG) is a leading Irish full-service corporate law firm with a significant international footprint including offices in London, New York and San Francisco. The firm is widely recognised for market-leading corporate and finance practices, a strong technology and innovation offering (including a captive ALGS legal services group) and deep sector expertise across real estate, financial services, life sciences and energy. ALG emphasises client-focused, technology-enabled delivery (e.g. ALGorithm and ALG Solutions) and positions itself as a trusted adviser to multinational companies using Ireland as a European hub.

• Headquarters: Dublin
• Lawyers: over 1,000 employees
• Offices: 5

Values & Culture

Practice Areas

• Corporate & M&A
• Banking & Finance
• Capital Markets
• Commercial Contracts
• Competition & Antitrust
• Construction & Engineering
• Data Protection & Privacy
• Dispute Resolution & Litigation
• Employment
• Energy & Natural Resources
• Environment & Planning
• ESG & Sustainability
• Financial Services & Regulation
• Healthcare & Life Sciences
• Insolvency & Restructuring
• Insurance & Reinsurance
• Intellectual Property
• Investment Funds
• Pensions
• Public Law
• Real Estate
• Regulatory & Compliance
• Tax
• Technology & Digital
• Transport & Logistics

Geographic Focus: A&L Goodbody is primarily focused on Ireland (Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland through its Belfast office) with established hubs in London and two US offices (New York, San Francisco). The firm serves domestic and multinational clients (including companies with EMEA/European headquarters in Ireland) on cross-border transactions and regulatory, financial and technology-led mandates, providing coordinated advice across its Dublin, Belfast, London and US offices.

Training Contract

The firm’s early career framework centres on the Trainee Solicitor Programme (Dublin and Belfast streams are referenced across careers content). Training emphasises a rotational seat model across core practice groups with structured development through the ALG School of Business & Law and the Ignite development programme (three-year learning pathway). Trainees are provided with meaningful client work, assessment and feedback throughout their traineeship and access to the Knowledge Department.

Seat Options

• Corporate & M&A
• Finance
• Real Estate
• Dispute Resolution & Litigation
• Employment
• Commercial & Technology
• EU, Competition & Procurement
• Environmental & Planning
• Insurance & Reinsurance
• Asset Management & Investment Funds
• Restructuring & Insolvency
• Pensions
• Tax
• Technology & Digital

Sponsorship

Payment of FE-1 exams; full salary paid whilst at Professional Practice Course with the Law Society of Ireland/The Institute of Professional and Legal Studies (IPLS); All Law Society fees paid during traineeship; exam bonus; education assistance and study leave; contribution to Personal Retirement Savings Account; €650 marriage/civil partnership gratuity.

Mentorship

ALG highlights access to mentoring and development across the firm; partner responsibility for graduate talent programmes is identified (partners Maria McElhinney and Chris Comerford have responsibility for Graduate Talent Programmes). The careers content emphasises mentoring access, assessment and feedback, and trainee networks (including a 'Great Place to Work' committee which includes trainee solicitors).

Apply on the A&L Goodbody LLP website →

Programmes & Schemes

Notable Matters

What A&L Goodbody LLP Looks For

Key Competencies

• Commercial awareness
• Strong communication skills
• Teamwork and collaboration
• Adaptability and initiative
• Attention to detail
• Interest in legal technology and innovation
• Commitment to responsible business and pro bono

Evidence Signals

• Relevant commercial or sector-focused work experience (internships, vacation schemes)
• Pro bono or volunteering experience
• Project or technology experience (legal tech projects, LPM exposure)
• Demonstrable teamwork such as sport / society participation
• Academic achievement and clear motivation for corporate practice

Benefits & Wellbeing

• Top of the market salary
• All Law Society fees paid
• Payment of FE-1 exams
• Full salary paid whilst at Professional Practice Course with the Law Society of Ireland/The Institute of Professional and Legal Studies (IPLS)
• Exam bonus
• Discretionary Christmas bonus
• Contribution to Personal Retirement Savings Account (PRSA)
• Conveyancing benefit
• Life assurance
• Home working allowance
• Hybrid working
• TaxSaver travel ticket (Dublin only)
• Bike to work scheme
• Unpaid leave
• Company days over Easter and Christmas
• Smart business casual dress code
• Vast programme of sports, social and charity events
• Subsidised restaurant and coffee shop (Dublin)
• Subsidised onsite Perpetua gym (Dublin)
• Contribution towards private health insurance
• Wellness and employee assistance programme (EAP)
• Wellbeing benefit
• Paid maternity, paternity and adoptive leave
• Long term sickness policy
• VDU eye testing and contribution towards eyesight testing and glasses/contact lenses
• Annual flu injection (Dublin)
• Education assistance / study leave
• €650 marriage/civil partnership gratuity
• Great Place to Work committee (includes trainee solicitors)

Wellbeing

ALG provides a wellness and employee assistance programme, a wellbeing benefit, contribution towards private health insurance, on-site gym (subsidised Perpetua gym in Dublin), annual flu injection (Dublin) and VDU eye testing contributions.

Awards & Recognition

• Tier 1 in 24 practice areas (2026)
• Band 1 across 20 practice areas (2026)
• 16 winning 'Finance Dublin deals of the year' (2026)
• Best ETF Law Firm (2026)
• Best ETF Regulatory/Compliance Adviser (2026)
• Advancing Social Inclusion (2026)
• Advancing LGBTQ+ Inclusion (2026)
• Smarter Travel Mark Silver (2026)
• Law Firm of the Year Ireland (2025)
• Ireland Tax Firm of the Year (2025)
• Ireland M&A Legal Advisor of the Year (2025)
• Company of the Year (2025)
• DEI Outstanding Firm (2025)
• Investors in Diversity Gold Mark (2025)
• European ESG Initiative of the Year (2025)
• Belfast Corporate Law Firm of the Year (2026)
• UK top ranked law firm (Chambers/Legal 500 listings across multiple years)
• Most popular graduate recruiter in law - gradireland (multiple years)
• One of the top 50 most innovative law firms in Europe - Financial Times (2019)
• ALG Solutions wins Future of Legal Services award - ALM Law.com International Legal Innovation & Technology Awards (2024)
• Most Innovative Law Firm in Ireland - FT Innovative Lawyers (2018)

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

The firm has received Investors in Diversity Gold Mark accreditation and multiple National Diversity & Inclusion Awards recognising initiatives on social mobility and LGBTQ+ inclusion; it promotes a firm-wide commitment to diversity and inclusion across recruitment, development and pro bono activity.

• Great Place to Work committee (includes trainee solicitors)
• In-House Counsel Pro Bono Network
• ALG Pro Bono programme
• Partnership with wellbeing charity Inspire (Belfast office)
• Investors in Diversity Gold Mark / Investors in Diversity Silver Mark (awarded)

Pro Bono

ALG maintains a structured pro bono programme led by a Head of Pro Bono (Eithne Lynch) and a pro bono legal team. The firm facilitates collaborative initiatives such as the In‑House Counsel Pro Bono Network (established 2023) to deploy legal responses with corporate clients, provides volunteering, pro bono legal advice and fundraising, and supports targeted social impact projects (legal education for recently arrived international protection applicants, prisoners and social entrepreneurs). ALG’s Belfast office also supports its charity partner Inspire through volunteering, pro bono advice and募

Innovation

Technology is framed as a core strategy at ALG. The firm builds bespoke, client-focused platforms (ALGorithm) developed by cross-disciplinary teams combining IT, legal project management and lawyers to deliver rapid, data-driven solutions. ALG Solutions (ALGS) is described as Ireland’s largest captive alternative legal services provider with over 60 professionals and a bespoke career path; ALGS and other innovation work have been recognised by awards (FT Innovative Lawyers shortlist/winner, ALM Law.com Awards). The firm emphasises internal programmes to capture ideas, client validation of products and combining legal service delivery with technology, process engineering and project management.

• ALGorithm (proprietary due diligence/portfolio loan database platform)
• ALG Solutions (ALGS) — captive alternative legal services provider
• ALG School of Business & Law
• Legal Project Management (LPM) Unit
• ALG AudioLab (podcast)
• eDiscovery and Investigation Support capabilities

Quick Application Angles

• Highlight experience or interest in legal technology and process improvement — reference ALGorithm, ALG Solutions or any project management/legal tech exposure to demonstrate fit with the firm’s innovation focus.
• Mention the Ignite development programme and ALG School of Business & Law when describing why you want structured, long-term development and practical training at ALG.
• Demonstrate commercial awareness in relation to cross-border Irish / UK / US work (e.g. inbound investment, European HQs, fintech or payments regulation) and reference recent sector insight pieces (ESG, DSA, sustainability-linked finance) where relevant.
• Reference the firm’s pro bono and social mobility commitments (In‑House Counsel Pro Bono Network, partnership with Inspire) if you have relevant volunteering or community engagement experience.
• If applying to Technology or Data roles, call out hands-on experience with data protection, privacy or tech contracting — the Technology Group acts for major tech corporates and emphasises privacy and regulatory capability.