Bird & Bird
Overview
Bird & Bird is an international law firm with a pronounced focus on technology, communications and intellectual property work, built around sector-specialist teams and cross-border capability. The firm positions itself as solutions- and tech-led (legaltech, client solutions and sector newsletters/news channels), with recognised strength in TMT, IP/patents, data/privacy, and regulatory work alongside corporate and disputes. Bird & Bird operates across multiple jurisdictions with a network of offices and a client solutions/innovation offering (client tools such as ESG Navigator and sector newsletters) that aim to simplify complex regulatory and technology issues for clients.
Values & Culture
Practice Areas
- Intellectual Property
- Technology & Digital
- Data Protection & Privacy
- Corporate & M&A
- Commercial Contracts
- Financial Services & Regulation
- Capital Markets
- Employment
- Dispute Resolution & Litigation
- Real Estate
- Energy & Natural Resources
- Healthcare & Life Sciences
- Retail & Consumer
- Regulatory & Compliance
- Competition & Antitrust
- Hospitality & Leisure
- Media & Entertainment
- Sports Law
Geographic Focus: Bird & Bird is Europe‑centric with an established network of offices across Europe and a growing Asia‑Pacific presence. The firm emphasises coordinated cross‑border work, leveraging local office teams (e.g. London, Paris, Düsseldorf, Amsterdam, Brussels, Warsaw, multiple APAC offices including Tokyo, Hong Kong and Singapore, and Sydney) to deliver integrated advice in technology, IP, life sciences and regulated sectors. The firm presents itself as sector-led, specialising in tech, communications
Training Contract
Two-year training contract delivering two years' Qualifying Work Experience (QWE) via four six-month seats. Trainees are assigned a dedicated supervisor (associate or partner) in each seat and follow a firm-wide Learning & Development curriculum with formal induction, regular feedback and social/professional integration activities. The firm runs a bespoke SQE+ preparatory programme in partnership with The University of Law prior to the training contract. Trainees may have opportunities for client secondments and are supported by a Trainee Buddy from offer to qualification.
- Starting Salary: £48,500 (Year 1); £53,500 (Year 2)
- NQ Salary: £102,000
- Trainee Intake: 18
- Qualification Rate: 75%
- Academic Requirements: AAB at A-Level and a 2:1 undergraduate degree (or equivalent). The firm requires prospective trainees to have completed or be on track to complete a law degree or the PGDL before commencing the LLM in Legal Practice and uses a Contextual Recruitment System (CRS) in selection.
- Application Deadline: 11 December 2025
Seat Options
- Corporate & M&A
- Commercial Contracts
- Dispute Resolution & Litigation
- Employment
- Finance & Financial Regulation
- Intellectual Property
- Real Estate
- Tax
Sponsorship
PGDL/PGDL/SQE support includes: a £10,000 maintenance grant and all PGDL fees covered; a £15,000 maintenance grant and all SQE study fees covered (these figures are published as the firm's PGDL and SQE grants).
SQE Support
Bird & Bird provides a bespoke SQE+ programme in partnership with The University of Law. The firm covers SQE course fees and provides study support as part of its SQE offering (see sponsorship below for specifics).
International Opportunities
Client secondments and international experiences are promoted across the global office network; selection and availability vary by practice and cohort. (Chance of secondment abroad recorded as 0% in supplementary figures, while client secondments are recorded at 31%.)
Client Secondments
Approximately 31% chance of client secondment for trainees (supplementary data); trainee pages explicitly state client secondments are an option to develop commercial edge and experience the client's business from inside.
Mentorship
Each trainee is assigned a dedicated supervisor in each seat (associate or partner) and a Trainee Buddy from offer to qualification. The Early Careers team provides ongoing pastoral and professional support and regular feedback sessions are embedded in the programme.
Programmes & Schemes
Two-week spring vacation scheme in London providing real legal work experience in a department, training and skills sessions, networking and assessment for training contracts. Successful participants are considered for training contracts.
- Duration: 2 weeks (13 April to 24 April 2026)
- Deadline: 2025-12-11
Two-week summer vacation scheme in London providing hands-on departmental experience, skills sessions, networking and social events. Participants are assessed for training contract offers for the relevant intake.
- Duration: 2 weeks (15 June to 26 June 2026)
- Places: Up to 40 places across Spring and Summer schemes
- Deadline: 2025-12-11
Virtual open day for aspiring trainee solicitors including insight talks, panels, Q&A, workshops and skills sessions to learn about the firm and recruitment process.
- Duration: 1 day (virtual)
- Deadline: 2025-10-15
In-person open day targeted at Year 13 students eligible for the Solicitor Apprenticeship route; includes firm presentations, Q&A and information on the apprenticeship programme.
- Duration: 1 day (in-person)
- Deadline: 2025-10-22
Virtual open day tailored for students with STEM backgrounds interested in a legal career, offering insight sessions, skill workshops and information on how STEM graduates fit into legal practice.
- Duration: 1 day (virtual)
- Deadline: 2025-10-30
Six‑year solicitor apprenticeship in London leading to qualification as a solicitor in England & Wales. Apprentices undertake a law degree, the Solicitors Qualifying Exams and on-the-job training across the London office as an alternative to the university-first route.
- Duration: 6 years
Short internships (typically two to four weeks) giving law students exposure to day-to-day practice in Singapore; interns are assigned mentors and attend client meetings, court and research drafting tasks. Useful pipeline into local training programmes.
- Duration: 2-4 weeks (typical)
In-person office drop-ins in London for Year 12+ students to meet lawyers and Early Careers team, learn about the firm and ask questions in an informal environment.
- Duration: 2 hours (typical)
- Deadline: 2025-10-16
Notable Matters
Advised LTM (Larsen & Toubro Group company) on its offer to acquire Randstad’s Technology and Consulting Services business in France, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and Australia. The business to be acquired generates more than $500 million (€469 million) in annual revenue; the cross-border team coordinated advice across London, Düsseldorf, Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels and Australia to support LTM’s expansion in AI and technology services.
Corporate & M&A
Advised CurifyLabs on its $14 million Series A funding round (published 10 July 2026). The firm acted for CurifyLabs on the fundraising matter (venture capital/tech investment work).
Private Equity & Venture Capital
Advised eToro on a strategic investment into a perpetual futures exchange (published 9 July 2026). The firm provided corporate/transactional advice supporting the strategic investment.
Financial Services & Regulation
Advised on refinancing of an Airbus £50-900 through a Japanese Operating Lease with Call Option (JOLCO) financing for Air France, which included a sustainability-linked loan and an innovative Balthazar Insurance product. The deal was recognised at the Airline Economics Sustainability Awards 2024 for Sustainability Supported Finance Deal of the Year.
Banking & Finance
Advised the sellers in the sale of Oy Frank Students Ab to Mecenat Holding AB (published March 2022). Cross-border M&A and corporate advisers on the transaction affecting the leading provider of digital student cards in Finland.
Corporate & M&A
Advised Index Ventures on a USD 23 million Series B financing of SafetyCulture (published Oct 2016) — demonstrates the firm's long-standing venture capital and technology transaction experience advising VC investors on cross-border tech investments.
Private Equity & Venture Capital
Advised Sapphire Ventures on its US$20 million Series C financing of Culture Amp (published Jun 2017), underscoring the firm’s global VC and tech transactional capability.
Private Equity & Venture Capital
What Bird & Bird Looks For
Key Competencies
- Commercial awareness
- Teamwork and collaboration
- Curiosity and adaptability
- Strong written and oral communication
- Attention to detail
- Interest in technology and innovation
- Client service orientation
- Resilience and drive
Evidence Signals
- Commercial or technical internships (especially in technology/communications businesses)
- Relevant sector experience (TMT, IP, life sciences, fintech)
- Pro bono or volunteering experience
- Participation in tech / STEM activities for STEM open days
- Demonstrable commercial awareness and understanding of cross-border transactions
- Evidence of adaptability in international or multi-office contexts
- Strong academic credentials with contextual information where relevant (CRS)
Benefits & Wellbeing
- Trainee salaries: Year 1 £48,500; Year 2 £53,500
- Newly qualified salary: £102,000
- PGDL maintenance grant: £10,000 and all PGDL fees covered
- SQE maintenance grant: £15,000 and all SQE course fees covered
- 25 days annual leave
- Private medical insurance
- Dental insurance
- Gym membership / fitness offers
- 5% pension contribution (example in trainee/finance benefits)
- Group income protection, group life assurance, group critical illness and will writing
- Flu vaccinations and health assessments
- Ergonomic furniture and checks (sit/stand desks, chiropractor checks)
- Season ticket loan (interest-free), interest-free computer loan, cycle-to-work scheme
- Travel insurance
- Flexible benefits account and give-as-you-earn charity account
- Paid parental leave (example: 26 weeks paid parental leave mentioned in regional pages)
- Support for practical legal training and further study (regional variations)
- Opportunities to work remotely (trainees: up to 20% remote time) and agile/flexible working policies
- Social events, cohort networking and firm-wide socials
Wellbeing
Employee Assistance Programme and counselling services, private medical insurance, health assessments, free annual flu vaccinations, ergonomic assessments and furniture, onsite or subsidised fitness/wellbeing sessions (yoga/pilates, running teams), wellbeing events and mental health support.
Awards & Recognition
- Chambers Germany IP Awards 2026: Intellectual Property Firm of the Year
- Lexology European Awards 2026: Law Firm of the Year: Intellectual Property
- Managing IP EMEA Awards 2026: Global Firm of the Year
- Managing IP EMEA Awards 2026: Europe Copyright Firm of the Year
- UK Patent Disputes Firm of the Year 2026
- Lexology European Awards 2025: Law Firm of the Year: Intellectual Property; Law Firm of the Year: IT & Data Protection
- Legal 500 Germany Awards 2025: Tech & Media Team of the Year
- Financial Times Innovative Lawyer Awards 2024: Innovative Lawyers in the Technology Sector (winner)
- Airline Economics Sustainability Awards 2024: Sustainability Supported Finance Deal of the Year (team award)
- Managing IP Awards multiple years: multiple country-level IP awards (France, Italy, Benelux, Poland, Spain, Czech Republic)
- Legal Cheek Awards 2021: Most Admired Law Firm
- People in Law Awards 2024: Best Social Mobility Initiative
- LMG Life Sciences Awards EMEA 2024: Impact Deal/Case recognitions
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Signatory to the National Pro Bono Target; local and global commitments to D&I, social mobility and widening access (including apprenticeship routes). The firm operates global and local D&I committees and runs bespoke programmes to support women and underrepresented groups on the path to partnership.
- Women's Leadership Development Programme
- Ladies@Bird (Belgium network)
- WILL programme (Women in Leadership and Law)
- Legal Diversity & Inclusion Alliance (LDIA) participation
- Global D&I Committee and local D&I Committees
- Contextual Recruitment System (CRS) for recruitment
- Solicitor Apprenticeship aimed at widening access and social mobility
- Global mentoring programmes and networks
Pro Bono
Firm-wide pro bono culture: Bird & Bird supports the National Pro Bono Target, encourages fee-earners to undertake 35 hours of pro bono work per year (regional statements reference 35 hours) and has a pro bono partner and Pro Bono Committee overseeing work and initiatives.
Innovation
Bird & Bird positions itself as technology- and innovation-focused, building an eco‑system of tech-driven client solutions (tools, apps and managed services) to simplify regulatory compliance and ESG needs. The firm develops sector-specific legal tech products (for example ESG Navigator and sanctions tooling), runs internal innovation/learning programmes (Bird & Bird Academy) and embeds forensic, eDiscovery and analytics capabilities in investigations and disputes work. Trainees and lawyers are exposed to legaltech initiatives and client-facing digital tools as part of client solutions and sector practice groups.
- ESG Navigator (tool)
- ESG Regulatory Roundup (monitoring service)
- SanctionsList App
- Dawn Raid Game and Dawn Raid Management Tool
- twoBirds Bespoke Client Training
- OXYGY (firm’s consultancy arm)
- Forensic Services and in-house forensic technology (Warsaw team)
- Bird & Bird Academy (learning & development platform)
- SQE+ bespoke training in partnership with The University of Law
- TwoBirds TV (video insight series) and multiple sector newsletters
Quick Application Angles
- Pitch your commercial awareness around the firm’s TMT/IP focus — reference recent cross-border technology and AI-related deals (for example advising LTM on the Randstad technology services acquisition) and explain how your skills help clients navigate regulation and tech-driven transactions.
- Demonstrate engagement with legaltech and regulatory tooling: mention the firm's ESG Navigator, Dawn Raid Game or other client solutions and explain how you’ve used tech or data to solve problems (projects, competitions or coursework).
- If you apply via the apprenticeship/STEM routes, highlight STEM or technical experience and link it to the firm's technology, data and AI practices; the STEM Open Day and solicitor apprenticeship programmes are explicit outreach routes.
- Mention the SQE+ partnership with The University of Law and the firm’s trainee development offerings (induction, Trainee Buddy, Bird & Bird Academy) to show you value structured training and are ready to benefit from the firm’s learning culture.
- If relevant, cite pro bono or social mobility interests — the firm emphasises widening access (solicitor apprenticeship, CRS) and strong pro bono engagement; this resonates with their diversity commitments.
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