Milbank LLP

Overview

Milbank LLP is a long-established international law firm (founded 1866) headquartered in New York that combines deep transactional and litigation capability across major global markets. The firm is particularly market-leading in project, energy & infrastructure finance, digital infrastructure (data centres, GPU financings and powered land), financial restructuring and high‑stakes litigation and appellate work. Milbank emphasises partner-led, cross-practice teams on complex, cross-border mandates, a global pro bono commitment and a structured, high-investment approach to associate training (including the Milbank@Harvard programme). The firm is also active across Europe and Asia from its London, Frankfurt, Munich and multiple Asia offices and routinely advises governments, sponsors, banks, funds and major corporates on landmark financings and disputes.

Headquarters: New York, 55 Hudson Yards
Founded: 1866
Trainees: 15
Offices: 11

Values & Culture

Practice Areas

Banking & Finance
Capital Markets
Corporate & M&A
Competition & Antitrust
Dispute Resolution & Litigation
Data Protection & Privacy
Energy & Natural Resources
ESG & Sustainability
Infrastructure & Projects
Insolvency & Restructuring
Intellectual Property
International Arbitration
Investment Funds
Media & Entertainment
Private Equity & Venture Capital
Real Estate
Regulatory & Compliance
Tax
Technology & Digital
Transport & Logistics
White Collar Crime

Geographic Focus: Global cross-border capability with major hubs in New York (headquarters), London (second-largest office), Los Angeles, Washington, DC and a significant Asia presence (Singapore, Hong Kong, Seoul, Tokyo). Strong sector focus in energy & infrastructure, digital infrastructure/data centres, project finance across Asia, Latin America and the Middle East, and complex cross-border restructurings and disputes. European capability concentrated in London, Frankfurt and Munich; Latin America centred on a

Training Contract

The firm emphasises hands‑on, partner‑reviewed on‑the‑job training and a combination of macro (firm‑wide) and micro (practice‑specific) programmes. Transactional associates in New York participate in a nine‑month rotation through three of seven transactional groups (three months per rotation) as part of a Transactional Rotation Programme; litigators follow the Advocacy@Milbank tiered skills and writing programmes.

Starting Salary: £70,000
NQ Salary: £175,000
Trainee Intake: 15
Academic Requirements: Minimum degree requirement: 2:1 (supplementary data). Minimum A‑level requirement: No minimum (supplementary data). The firm recruits from a wide range of top law schools and accepts non‑law graduates.
Application Deadline: 1 January 2026

Seat Options

Alternative Investments
Capital Markets
Corporate & M&A
Leveraged Finance
Project, Energy and Infrastructure Finance
Real Estate
Transportation & Space
Dispute Resolution & Litigation

Sponsorship

PGDL/PGDL grant: £20,000 (supplementary data).

SQE Support

SQE grant: £20,000 (supplementary data).

International Opportunities

Insider data records chances of secondment abroad as 0%. The firm also promotes cross‑office collaboration and associates have opportunities to spend time in other Milbank offices, though a formal trainee secondment percentage is recorded as 0%.

Client Secondments

Insider data records chances of client secondments as 0%.

Mentorship

The firm operates a robust mentoring programme with partner mentors and partner‑led feedback; transactional associates have partner mentors who discuss goals throughout rotations. The careers pages reference frequent lunch‑and‑learns, one‑on‑one coaching and tailored practice group trainings.

Programmes & Schemes

Summer Associate Program

A structured summer associate programme for law students that provides interactive training, real deal exposure and a route into the associate intake. The firm participates in on‑campus interviews for students seeking placement in the Summer Program.

Duration: Summer (typical multi‑week placement)

Milbank@Harvard

A bespoke professional development programme for mid‑to‑senior associates: three one‑week modules delivered in collaboration with Harvard Business and Law schools covering finance, leadership, strategy, negotiations and tailored leadership feedback and coaching.

Duration: Three one‑week modules over approximately three years

On‑Campus Recruitment / OCI participation

The firm runs on‑campus interview campaigns at targeted law schools for entry to the Summer Program and recruits via OCI at a long list of US law schools and other recruiting channels.

Notable Matters

Gulf of Suez Wind Farm Project — $400 million project financing (Egypt)

Milbank advised export credit agencies (Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), Nippon Export and Investment Insurance (NEXI)) and international and Egyptian lenders on the financing of the 262.5 MW Gulf of Suez wind farm near Port Said. The deal was a non‑recourse project finance for the consortium sponsored by Engie, Toyota Tsusho and Orascom and was recognised with a GTR Best Deals Award for its scale and being the largest independent power sector financing in Egypt since the Arab S

Infrastructure & Projects

Reliance Jio Infocomm / K‑SURE loan facility — multi‑billion dollar telecom financing (India)

Milbank advised the lead arrangers and facility agent, Korea Trade Insurance Corporation (K‑SURE), and participating commercial banks on a multi‑billion dollar trade loan facility (including a $1 billion K‑SURE facility) to Reliance Jio Infocomm to expand India’s wireless network. The transaction was recognised at the GTR awards and represented one of K‑SURE’s largest global telecom financings.

Banking & Finance

Monsoon Wind Power Project — US$692 million non‑recourse project financing (Laos to Vietnam export)

Milbank’s Singapore team represented the Asian Development Bank and senior secured parties on the US$692 million financing to construct and operate the first cross‑border wind power project in Asia (133 turbines) exporting electricity to Vietnam under a 25‑year PPA. The project was awarded ESG Deal of the Year (Asia Legal Awards 2024) and is expected to reduce annual GHG emissions by 750,000 tonnes CO2e.

Energy & Natural Resources

Megascale AI data centre campus financing — lead counsel on multiple AI/data‑centre financings (North America)

Milbank’s Digital Infrastructure team has held lead legal roles across major AI and data‑centre financings, including advising on a megascale AI data centre campus financing led by major capital providers and advising on GPU‑backed financings, development facilities and project financing for hyperscale and GPU‑focused operators. The team reports involvement in transactions exceeding aggregate digital‑focused deal values in the hundreds of billions of dollars of activity across multiple mandates.

Technology & Digital

Representation of plaintiffs/defendants in leading securities, copyright and high‑stakes litigation (examples: BMI, SoundExchange, securities class actions)

Milbank litigators have handled high‑profile trials and appeals — representing BMI in rate proceedings and other music industry litigation, SoundExchange in Copyright Royalty Board proceedings, and leading roles defending and prosecuting major securities actions and high‑stakes regulatory matters.

Dispute Resolution & Litigation

What Milbank LLP Looks For

Key Competencies

Commercial awareness
Strong academic record (minimum 2:1 often preferred)
Attention to detail and high‑quality drafting
Teamwork and collaboration
Resilience and ability to manage high workloads
Client focus and practical problem solving
For Asia roles: language skills (Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, Bahasa Indonesia helpful)

Evidence Signals

Relevant transactional or litigation experience (internships, vacation schemes, paralegal roles)
Pro bono and public interest work
International experience or language skills for regional positions
Deal exposure or project experience in energy, infrastructure, digital infrastructure or finance
Participation in Mooting, client competitions or leadership in student societies

Benefits & Wellbeing

Year 1 trainee salary: £70,000
Year 2 trainee salary: £75,000
NQ salary: £175,000
PGDL grant: £20,000
SQE grant: £20,000
Flexible working: full‑time flex time and reduced hours options
Employee Assistance Programme (confidential counselling)
Emergency back‑up child care services
Paid child‑care leave and paid primary caregiver leave
Transitional flex full‑time/part‑time policy after parental leave
Extended personal leave
On‑site Mothers Rooms (where available)
Subsidised major health plans / private medical insurance (regional equivalents)
Subsidised dental and vision plans
Firm‑paid life insurance and AD&D
Firm‑paid long‑term disability (up to $5,000 monthly benefit) and long‑term care insurance
Salary continuation during short‑term disability
World‑wide travel assistance
Supplemental life insurance up to $1,250,000
Health care and dependent care reimbursement accounts
Pre‑tax transit and parking commuter programmes / season ticket loan (UK)
401(k) Savings Plan with Roth/after‑tax options (US)
Relocation expenses covered for incoming and lateral hires
Reimbursement for bar review courses and bar exam (where applicable)
Laptops and iPhones for incoming associates
On‑site health centre (55 Hudson Yards employees)
Subsidised on‑site restaurant (NY), coffee bar with barista (LA and NY)
Dinner reimbursement after 8:00 p.m.; transportation home after 8:30 p.m. (where available)
Gym membership discounts and vendor discount programmes
Four weeks accrued vacation with additional sick and personal leave (firm page)
Season ticket loan and a non‑contributory pension plan (UK staff)

Wellbeing

Signatory to the American Bar Association’s Well‑Being Campaign; firm provides well‑being education, an Employee Assistance Programme and local wellbeing events and resources.

Awards & Recognition

Chambers USA 2026: 36 Milbank practices and 66 attorneys recognised (2026)
Vault: Ranked among Top Ten Most Prestigious Law Firms (2027 rankings mentioned)
Asia Legal Awards: ESG Deal of the Year for Monsoon Wind Power Project (2024)
Project Finance International / Proximo / IJGlobal awards for multiple project finance and digital infrastructure deals (2023–2026)
Legal 500 Mexico: International Firm of the Year (Mexico) (2026)
New York Law Journal Innovation Award for Milbank@Harvard (2024)
The American Lawyer Pro Bono Scorecard: ranked among top 20 (2022) and ranked 14th for breadth of commitment (2026)

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Firm statement of non‑discrimination across protected characteristics and a formal EEO/Affirmative Action policy; commitment to inclusive workplace practices guided by the framework of people, process and place.

Balance@Milbank (partner‑led work‑life group)
Milbank Parenting Group
Affinity Groups and Focus Groups (US and London focus groups)
Signatory to the American Bar Association’s Well‑Being Campaign
Firm EEO and Affirmative Action Programme (AAP) for Individuals with Disabilities and for Disabled Veterans

Pro Bono

Milbank requires all attorneys to dedicate a minimum of 25 hours annually to pro bono work. The firm reported 53,000 pro bono hours globally in 2025 (700 active cases) and 43,000+ pro bono hours firmwide in 2024. In the US the firm averaged 54 hours per lawyer with 94% of lawyers contributing (2025 figures). Milbank is ranked 14th for breadth of commitment in The American Lawyer 2026 Pro Bono Scorecard.

Innovation

Milbank positions innovation around sector expertise (notably digital infrastructure and AI‑focused data centre financings) and office efficiency/sustainability measures. The firm highlights cross‑practice legal and commercial advice, and has invested in training associates to handle technologically complex financings; insider ratings for legal tech are middling (C), while office and perks scores are high, indicating strong workplace infrastructure for innovation adoption.

Digital Infrastructure Practice supporting AI/data centre and GPU financings
Adoption of energy‑efficient office technologies and paper‑reduction programmes
Participation in landlord‑sponsored green tenant committees in Asia

Quick Application Angles

Reference the firm’s digital infrastructure work and recent AI/data‑centre financings in your application — demonstrate commercial awareness of GPU/data‑centre financing dynamics and specific deal drivers.
Emphasise appetite for challenging, cross‑border work and give examples of teamwork on complex matters; Milbank highlights partner‑led teams and collaboration across offices.
Highlight pro bono commitment and service‑oriented experience — the firm mandates pro bono hours and showcases a major global pro bono programme.
If applying to Asia roles, note any language skills (Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, Bahasa) and long‑term interest in the region; the firm explicitly values regional language capability.
Mention desire for structured training and professional development (Milbank@Harvard, Deals@Milbank, Advocacy@Milbank) and give examples of how you’d engage with mentoring and the firm’s programmes.