Overview

William Fry is one of Ireland’s leading full-service corporate law firms, founded in 1847 and known for advising major domestic and international corporates, financial institutions and government bodies. The firm combines a market-leading Irish practice (notably in funds, banking & finance, capital markets, technology and corporate/M&A) with international presence via offices in London, New York and San Francisco and a regional office in Cork. William Fry emphasises partner-led, solutions-focused work, innovation (through William Fry Digital) and a structured professional development offering that supports early responsibility for trainees.

Headquarters: Dublin, 2 Grand Canal Square (Grand Canal Dock)
Founded: 1847
Lawyers: 350+ legal and tax professionals
Offices: 5

Values & Culture

Practice Areas

Corporate & M&A
Banking & Finance
Capital Markets
Investment Funds
Technology & Digital
Dispute Resolution & Litigation
Real Estate
ESG & Sustainability
Financial Services & Regulation
Tax

Geographic Focus: Strong Irish market focus across Dublin and Cork with international capabilities via London, New York and San Francisco. Key client work supports cross‑border M&A, funds and capital markets, financial services regulation and technology sector mandates; the London and US offices provide on‑the‑ground support for UK and US clients operating in and through Ireland.

Training Contract

Approximately 33 months overall. Trainees rotate through four departments/seats. On joining trainees complete a four‑month rotation before attending Blackhall Place for the Law Society Professional Practice Course (PPC). After the PPC trainees return to the firm to complete three six‑month rotations (three x 6 months) prior to qualification in January. Seats include structured mid‑seat and end‑of‑seat reviews, trainee legal seminar series, summer projects and professional coaching.

Academic Requirements: Consistent academic record and a 2.1 degree or above are required; the firm accepts candidates from law and non‑law backgrounds and assesses applications in their entirety.
Application Deadline: 24 october 2026

Seat Options

Corporate Transactions
Financial Services
Dispute Resolution
Commercial Real Estate

Sponsorship

Law Society Professional Practice Course (PPC) and FE1 exam fees are covered by the firm.

International Opportunities

Trainees are offered secondments to the firm’s Cork and London offices and may also undertake external secondments with clients to gain commercial and international experience.

Client Secondments

William Fry offers external client secondments as part of early opportunities; these are positioned as a way to gain commercial insight and client experience (no published percentage or standard duration on the firm pages).

Mentorship

STRIVE coaching programme (one‑to‑one coaching with a qualified coach), a partner mentorship programme pairing trainees with senior colleagues, a buddy system (trainee buddy), a Trainee Social Committee and a Trainee Committee representing trainee interests.

Apply on the William Fry LLP website →

Programmes & Schemes

Legal Summer Internship

Two summer programmes (one in June and one in July) providing hands‑on legal experience: interns are placed in a legal department, assigned a Partner mentor and a trainee buddy, complete written and presentation assessments, attend professional development sessions and firm insights sessions; strong performers may be offered a traineeship.

Salary: Fully paid internship; accommodation support for interns living outside Dublin; daily allowance for onsite restaurant
Deadline: 28 february 2026

Apply →

College Placement

William Fry partners with several universities on work placement programmes; students should apply via their university placement office to be considered for a college placement at the firm.

WFirst

An early‑careers insight offering (WFirst) for students to experience the firm and its work; the firm lists WFirst among its programmes (programme page linked from graduate programme hub). The WFirst Programme is a one-day insight experience designed for first and second year college students from all disciplines.

Duration: 1 day
Deadline: 30 november 2026

Apply →

Notable Matters

Amgen Inc — proposed acquisition of Horizon Therapeutics plc

Advised Amgen Inc on the Irish aspects of its proposed US$28.3 billion acquisition of Horizon Therapeutics plc; work included Irish corporate and transactional advice in a major cross‑border public company acquisition.

Corporate & M&A

IBM Corporation — sale of IBM Watson Health business to Francisco Partners

Advised IBM on Irish intellectual property and contractual aspects of the separation and sale of its IBM Watson Health business to Francisco Partners, involving sizeable cross‑border transactional and IP work streams.

Technology & Digital

DNB Bank ASA — lender to Pandox on acquisition financing of Dalata

Acted for DNB Bank ASA as lender on the financing for Pandox’s acquisition of Dalata Hotel Group plc (approx. €1.4bn transaction), advising on the Irish financing documentation and security package.

Banking & Finance

Clayton, Dubilier & Rice — recommended takeover of UDG Healthcare plc

Advised Clayton, Dubilier & Rice on the Irish financing aspects and Irish Takeover Rules in relation to its £2.6bn recommended takeover of UDG Healthcare plc and related Irish finance matters.

Private Equity & Venture Capital

Ardagh Packaging Group plc — bond offering to finance acquisition

Advised Ardagh Packaging Group plc in connection with a bond offering to finance a major acquisition (multi‑jurisdictional debt capital markets work; headline financing value reported circa US$2.85bn), including listing and regulatory submissions in Ireland.

Capital Markets

Nordic Aviation Capital — restructuring and unsecured bond matters

Advised Nordic Aviation Capital on Irish aspects of its restructuring and unsecured bond restructuring, reflecting the firm’s aviation & asset finance and structured finance capabilities.

Banking & Finance

What William Fry LLP Looks For

Key Competencies

Commercial awareness
Intellectual curiosity
Strong communication and business writing skills
Attention to detail
Teamwork and collaboration
Confidence and adaptability
Presentation skills
Resilience and professionalism

Evidence Signals

Strong academic record (2.1 degree or above)
Relevant commercial or legal work experience (summer internship performance)
Evidence of commercial awareness (commentary on recent deals or sector trends)
Participation in moot court, pro bono or student societies
Interest or experience in technology/ESG for relevant practice areas
Demonstrable teamwork and presentation experience (e.g., assessed presentations during internships)

Benefits & Wellbeing

Law Society Professional Practice Course (PPC) and FE1 exam fees covered by the firm
Competitive trainee salary (described as competitive on the careers pages)
22 days annual leave + additional firm‑wide days
Travel pass subsidy (up to €900 per year)
Cycle to work scheme
Subsidised canteen / daily restaurant allowance for interns
On-site gym (24/7) and access to personal training sessions
Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
Life assurance
Firmwide social events and trainee social budget
Trainee Social Committee with dedicated budget
Accommodation support for summer interns living outside Dublin

Wellbeing

Comprehensive Health & Wellbeing programme including on‑site gym and fitness classes, personal training access, seminars on mindfulness/nutrition/financial wellbeing, Employee Assistance Programme and a Family & Career Integration Programme.

Awards & Recognition

Bronze – Best Graduate Development and Training Programme 2026 (Specialist/Professional Training Programme) – GradIreland Awards 2026
Best in Law – Nominee (GradIreland Awards 2025 & 2026)
Best Internship Programme – Nominee (GradIreland Awards 2025 & 2026)
Ranked Most Innovative Law Firm in Ireland – Financial Times Innovative Lawyer Report 2025 & 2026
Best Graduate Training Programme – Legal Traineeship (Education Awards 2025)
Excellence in Skills Development – Winner ‘STRIVE’ coaching programme (Professional Services Management Awards, London 2025)
Learning & Development Organisation of the Year – Finalist (L&DI Excellence in Learning Awards 2025)
European Finance Team of the Year – The Lawyer Awards 2025 (Banking & Finance team)

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Founding signatory to the Pro Bono Pledge Ireland; accredited as Investors in Diversity by the Irish Centre for Diversity; strategic charity partners for 2024–2026 (Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association and ALONE) with a firm commitment of €60,000 to each charity over the three‑year term.

diversiFry staff network
Role Model Lunches
Mentorship Programme
Maternity & Paternity Coaching
Mental Health First Aid Training
Staff Survey
Unconscious Bias Training
Employee Assistance Programme
Trinity Access Programme collaboration
DCU Access Programme collaboration
Open Doors initiative membership
30% Club collaboration
Professional Women’s Network collaboration
OUTLaw Network collaboration

Pro Bono

Founding signatory of Pro Bono Pledge Ireland with an aspirational minimum target of 20 pro bono hours per lawyer per year; partnership with Community Law & Mediation (CLM) and participation in CLM’s Phone Advisory Clinic Programme (first partnership project launching in 2024).

Innovation

William Fry integrates legal, tax and technology through its William Fry Digital group, delivering secure cloud collaboration portals, AI‑assisted review tools, DSAR automation and virtual data room services. Innovation is embedded in trainee opportunities via summer innovation projects and firm digital service offerings; the firm is externally recognised for innovation (Financial Times Innovative Lawyers rankings).

William Fry Digital (Discover, Investigate, DSAR Pro, Collaborate, Data Vault)
AI‑assisted document review platforms and virtual data rooms
Summer innovation projects and FryTY innovation initiatives
STRIVE coaching (award‑winning L&D innovation)

Quick Application Angles

Reference the STRIVE coaching programme and the firm’s award for Excellence in Skills Development (demonstrates the firm’s investment in development).
Show commercial awareness of the firm’s key sectors — mention its work for BlackRock/major fund clients, major capital markets transactions (e.g., Euronext Dublin listings/bond listings) or recent banking financings.
If applying to Technology, Funds or Financial Services, cite relevant William Fry publications or client matters (e.g., technology/AI and ESG work) to evidence sector knowledge.
Highlight any summer internship or work placement experience and outcomes — high performing interns are frequently considered for traineeships. Emphasise teamwork, presentation experience and clear business writing skills.

William Fry LLP