Katten Muchin Rosenman UK LLP

Overview

Katten Muchin Rosenman is a full-service, US-headquartered international law firm with a London office and an expanding European practice. The firm positions itself as commercially focused lawyers who 'think like business people first and foremost', combining cross‑practice transactional, regulatory and contentious capabilities across financial markets, private wealth, real estate, healthcare and intellectual property. Recent strategic growth in London (including the launch of a Structured Products and Derivatives practice) emphasises a transatlantic platform that services clients on complex cross‑border finance, funds and corporate matters.

• Headquarters: Chicago
• Lawyers: Nearly 650 attorneys
• Trainees: 2
• Offices: 9

Values & Culture

Practice Areas

• Corporate & M&A
• Capital Markets
• Banking & Finance
• Financial Services & Regulation
• Investment Funds
• Private Equity & Venture Capital
• Dispute Resolution & Litigation
• Intellectual Property
• Real Estate
• Tax
• Employment
• Healthcare & Life Sciences
• ESG & Sustainability
• Private Client & Wealth
• Insolvency & Restructuring
• Insurance & Reinsurance
• Sports Law
• Technology & Digital

Geographic Focus: Strong US national platform with strategic international hubs in London and Shanghai. The firm serves cross-border clients in finance, funds, private wealth and real estate, and is expanding its London capabilities (notably in structured products and derivatives) to provide transatlantic coverage for investment banks, private funds and corporates.

Training Contract

The London Training Contract runs for two years during which trainees rotate through a minimum of four seats. Seat allocation is flexible and designed around trainee interests and business needs; the programme aims to provide broad full‑service experience to develop commercial, technical and client skills. Participation in the firm's Summer Vacation Scheme is a required part of the recruitment process for consideration for a Training Contract.

• Starting Salary: Year 1:
• Trainee Intake: 2
• Qualification Rate: 33%
• Academic Requirements: Minimum degree: 2:1; Minimum A-levels: ABB. The London Summer Vacation Scheme is open to graduates, penultimate-year law students and final year non-law students; the firm welcomes applications from all degree disciplines.

Seat Options

• Financial Markets and Funds
• Corporate and M&A
• Private Credit
• Litigation
• Restructuring
• Employment
• Tax
• Real Estate and Hotel & leisure
• IP, Commercial & Data Protection

Sponsorship

PGDL/PGDL grant:

SQE Support

SQE grant:

International Opportunities

0%

Client Secondments

0%

Mentorship

Formal onboarding with mentoring and coaching programmes, internal career coaches, Talent Development Partners in each practice, and buddy schemes for new joiners; trainees receive structured pastoral and professional support.

Apply on the Katten Muchin Rosenman UK LLP website →

Programmes & Schemes

Notable Matters

What Katten Muchin Rosenman UK LLP Looks For

Key Competencies

• Commercial awareness
• Teamwork and collaboration
• Client service orientation
• Resilience and adaptability
• Attention to detail
• Strong communication skills
• Commitment to pro bono and community engagement

Evidence Signals

• Relevant commercial or financial markets work experience (internships, internships with banks/funds)
• Pro bono and volunteering experience
• Academic excellence (2:1 degree and ABB A‑levels for London roles)
• Demonstrable commercial awareness and interest in the firm's core sectors (finance, funds, private wealth, real estate, IP)
• Participation in moot courts, client-facing internships or other practical legal experience

Benefits & Wellbeing

• Trainee salary Year 1:
• Trainee salary Year 2:
• NQ salary:
• PGDL/GDL grant:
• SQE grant:
• Annual leave: 25 days
• Annual target hours: 1,650
• Pro bono: at least 100 hours of pro bono work can be credited towards billable-hour requirements (more with approval)
• Structured onboarding, mentoring and internal career coaching
• Wellbeing programmes across eight areas of wellbeing
• Hybrid/flexible working arrangements supported (practice-dependent)
• Career development, training and internal CPD

Wellbeing

Programmes and resources covering eight areas of wellbeing, mental‑health related programming and initiatives (including Well‑Being Week in Law panels), employee assistance and wellbeing webinars; pro bono and community service are promoted as wellbeing activities.

Awards & Recognition

• Chambers USA rankings across multiple practices (ongoing recognitions including 2026 placements)
• Recognised in Best Law Firms lists (multiple practice listings; referenced 2025 and earlier)
• Named 'Law Firm of the Year' for Trademark Law (2024)
• US News & Best Lawyers — national and metropolitan rankings (multiple years)
• HFM US Hedge Fund Services Awards — Best Onshore Law Firm for Hedge Fund Start‑Ups (2014)
• Citywealth Law Firm of the Year – International Law Firm of the Year (Large) 2019 and 2022; Law Firm of the Year USA for Private Wealth Counsel by Citywealth (2026)

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

The firm emphasises recruitment, development and retention through Experience & Inclusion initiatives, internal affinity networks, and partnerships. A senior leadership role is designated as Chief Inclusion Officer.

• Workplace Experience & Inclusion
• Experience & Inclusion Committee
• Affinity groups and internal networks
• Katten Cares community engagement programmes
• Formal pro bono programme and annual Pro Bono Service Awards

Pro Bono

Katten operates an active pro bono programme, with attorneys routinely receiving credit toward billable requirements (at least 100 hours can be counted) and the firm presents annual Pro Bono Service Awards recognising outstanding contributions.

Innovation

The firm runs a dedicated Innovation Team and DataLAB and invests in strategic pricing and legal project management to deliver efficient client solutions. Trainees and associates engage with innovation initiatives through practice-led projects, pricing teams and Katten DataLAB activities. Insider ratings for legal tech are solid (B), reflecting investment in practical legal-tech tools.

• Katten Innovation Team
• Katten DataLAB
• Strategic Pricing and Legal Project Management
• Katten's internal programmes for legal project management and pricing

Quick Application Angles

• Emphasise commercial awareness of financial markets and funds matters — the firm has a strong Financial Markets & Funds and Structured Finance bench and recently expanded its London structured products and derivatives capability.
• Highlight pro bono commitment and community work — Katten credits pro bono with billable‑hour recognition and runs a formal, award‑recognised pro bono programme.
• Reference the firm’s training strengths and mentoring infrastructure — insider ratings are strong for training, partner approachability and peer support; explain how your goals fit with hands‑on seat rotations across corporate, finance and litigation.
• If applying for London roles, cite cross‑border experience or interest in transatlantic finance and funds work (the firm leverages US and London teams on cross‑border transactions).
• Showcase examples of teamwork and communication — the firm stresses collaborative delivery and client‑centric pragmatism across multidisciplinary teams.