Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP
Overview
Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP is a global, full-service US-headquartered law firm with deep transactional and litigation capabilities across the US and Europe. Founded in 1888 in New York, the firm positions itself as a client-focused, collaborative and collegial adviser, notable for its work in private equity, real estate, investigations, digital assets/fintech and complex cross-border matters. Willkie promotes early responsibility and mentoring for junior lawyers and operates across approximately 45 practice areas from 16 offices in 6 countries; the firm's market reputation is supported by numerous directory rankings and industry awards. The firm is identified in supplementary market data as 'Magic Circle' calibre and emphasises an integrated transatlantic platform (New York-led) with hubs in London, Brussels, Frankfurt and other major business centres.
- Headquarters: New York
- Founded: 1888
- Lawyers: 1,300
- Trainees: 7
- Offices: 16
Values & Culture
Practice Areas
- Banking & Finance
- Capital Markets
- Competition & Antitrust
- Corporate & M&A
- Data Protection & Privacy
- Dispute Resolution & Litigation
- Employment
- Energy & Natural Resources
- ESG & Sustainability
- Financial Services & Regulation
- Healthcare & Life Sciences
- Insolvency & Restructuring
- Insurance & Reinsurance
- Intellectual Property
- International Arbitration
- Investment Funds
- Private Client & Wealth
- Private Equity & Venture Capital
- Real Estate
- Regulatory & Compliance
- Technology & Digital
- Tax
- White Collar Crime
- Pensions
Geographic Focus: Willkie is a US-headquartered transatlantic firm with a coast-to-coast U.S. presence and an expanding European platform. Key markets include New York (global headquarters and largest base), London (major transactions and disputes hub), Brussels (European antitrust & competition hub), Frankfurt/Munich/Hamburg (German transactional and restructuring capability) and several US innovation and finance centres (San Francisco, Palo Alto, Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington). The firm works in cross-border
Training Contract
The firm offers trainee solicitor positions (UK) and comparable traineeships across European offices (for example, six-month full-time trainee contracts in Brussels). Trainees are integrated into practice teams, given substantive work early on and assigned to partner and associate mentors; seat rotations and exact seat counts/durations for the UK programme are managed locally. The firm's broader approach emphasises early responsibility, real-time feedback and structured mentoring through partner/associate mentor teams and cross-departmental mentoring circles.
- Starting Salary: Year 1: £60,000; Year 2: £65,000
- NQ Salary: £180,000
- Trainee Intake: 7
- Qualification Rate: 83% (latest trainee retention rate from supplementary data)
- Academic Requirements: Minimum degree: 2:1; Minimum A Level requirement: No minimum (supplementary data)
- Application Deadline: 2025-12-10
Seat Options
- Corporate & M&A
- Private Equity & Venture Capital
- Capital Markets
- Banking & Finance
- Real Estate
- Dispute Resolution & Litigation
- Competition & Antitrust
- Regulatory & Compliance
- Employment
- Intellectual Property
- Tax
- Investment Funds
- Insolvency & Restructuring
- Executive Compensation & Employee Benefits
- Technology & Digital
- Data Protection & Privacy
Sponsorship
£20,000 PGDL/PGDL grant (supplementary data) and a £20,000 SQE grant listed in supplementary data; additional study or bar-course reimbursement policies are referenced for U.S. hires (reimbursement for bar courses and exam fees) on the firm benefits pages.
SQE Support
£20,000 SQE grant (supplementary data), provider not specified on firm pages
International Opportunities
0% (LegalCheek data indicates chances of secondment abroad are 0%)
Client Secondments
0% (LegalCheek data indicates chances of client secondments are 0%)
Mentorship
Each early careers participant is assigned to a team of partner and associate mentors; the Inclusion and Engagement Committee and WPDC support mentoring initiatives and cross-departmental associate mentoring circles (approximately 80% of women associates participate in mentoring circles). The firm also uses senior lawyer mentoring and additional peer-support networks for day-to-day feedback.
Programmes & Schemes
A 10-week summer programme for students who have completed their first or second year of law school. Participants work side-by-side with attorneys on client matters, including pro bono, receive mentorship and are exposed to substantive litigation and transactional work. Applications require a cover letter, resume and transcript; when the firm is not interviewing on-campus applicants should submit materials to the relevant offices. (Applications for Summer 2027 were noted as closed.)
- Duration: 10 weeks
Brussels stagiaire/traineeship opportunities in particular for the EU Antitrust & Competition practice; the firm offers six-month full-time trainee contracts in Brussels for stagiaires who will work closely with colleagues across seniorities and offices on EU competition, M&A and corporate matters. Applications are made by sending CV, transcripts and a cover letter to recruitingbrussels@willkie.com.
- Duration: 6 months
- Salary: Market-competitive (hired as independents; local market terms apply)
Stagiaire positions in France (French office) for trainees/traineeship-style candidates; responsibilities and application processes are managed locally through the firm's French office.
Training and internship pathways in German offices (Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg) for Referendare, wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiter and Praktikanten; recruitment criteria and durations are managed locally.
U.S.-based 10-week Summer Law Clerk programme (see Summer Law Clerk Program entry). US applicants are given detailed compensation and benefits information on the US careers pages and may apply through the global recruitment portal.
- Duration: 10 weeks
Notable Matters
Willkie advised Harbor Group International, LLC on its acquisition of a portfolio of nine multifamily properties from AH Realty Trust for approximately $485 million; the firm provided acquisition counsel and transactional support for the portfolio purchase (closing announced May 2026).
Real Estate
Willkie advised Prismic Life on an oversubscribed $1.9 billion capital raise (transaction counsel on a major financing/capital markets matter reported in 2026).
Capital Markets
Willkie advised J.P. Morgan on a $1.0 billion upsized syndicated senior credit facility for Lambda, acting on financing structuring and lender-side documentation for a large data-centre/technology client financing.
Banking & Finance
Willkie advised Vertiv on a $2.1 billion bond offering and the establishment of a new $2.5 billion revolving credit facility, providing capital markets and financing counsel for a major technology/infrastructure client.
Capital Markets
Willkie advised CorMedix Inc. in its acquisition of Melinta Therapeutics LLC for $300 million and the related debt financing, providing M&A and transactional counsel in the life sciences sector.
Healthcare & Life Sciences
Willkie successfully represented Netflix in a patent infringement jury trial (technology patent litigation), reflecting the firm's nationally recognised intellectual property and patent litigation capability.
Intellectual Property
What Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP Looks For
Key Competencies
- Commercial awareness
- Teamwork and collaboration
- Attention to detail
- Resilience and ability to manage demanding workloads
- Strong written and verbal communication
- International mindset and language skills (where relevant)
- Interest or aptitude for technology/fintech and regulatory issues
Evidence Signals
- Substantive legal internships or stagiaire experience (especially competition/antitrust for Brussels)
- Mooting or litigation competition experience for disputes roles
- Pro bono involvement
- Relevant sector experience (private equity, funds, tech, data centres, life sciences)
- Regulatory or government internships (for investigations, regulatory & enforcement work)
- Strong academic record (minimum 2:1 indicated in supplementary data)
Benefits & Wellbeing
- Trainee salary Year 1: £60,000 (supplementary data)
- Trainee salary Year 2: £65,000 (supplementary data)
- Newly qualified salary: £180,000 (supplementary data)
- PGDL/PGDL grant: £20,000 (supplementary data)
- SQE grant: £20,000 (supplementary data)
- Annual leave: 25 days (supplementary data)
- Target/billable hours policy: Not applicable (supplementary data)
- US first-year associate salary: $225,000 (listed on US careers page)
- Lock-step associate compensation system and competitive bonuses (US)
- Reimbursement for moving expenses, bar courses, bar exam fees and bar association dues (US benefits referenced)
- Eligibility to participate in firm 401(k) / retirement plan after 30 days (US)
- Paid dues to State Bar and membership dues for up to two bar associations (US)
- Allowance up to $600/year for corporate email on personal mobile devices
- Medical, dental, vision and life insurance available on first day of employment
- Medical Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and subsidised Health Savings Account (HSA)
- Short and long-term disability and firm-paid life and accident insurance
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and on-site wellness events
- Wellness Incentive Program
- Up to 18 weeks paid child care leave for birth/adoption (US)
- Dependent Care Reimbursement Account (DCRA) and emergency back-up day care via Bright Horizons (US)
- Maven Clinic family planning and fertility services (US)
- $1,000 per year fitness allowance (US)
- Pre-tax transportation benefit programs
- Preferential student loan refinancing programs via SoFi (US)
- No-cost private banking option with Citi (US)
Wellbeing
Employee Assistance Program (counselling and referral services), on-site wellness events, Wellness Incentive Program, Maven Clinic family planning and fertility services, emergency back-up day care through Bright Horizons, fitness allowance and other wellness supports.
Awards & Recognition
- "A-List" Firm, The American Lawyer, 2025
- Ranked Among Most Innovative Firms in North America, Financial Times 2025 North America Innovative Lawyers Report
- Ranked Among Best Summer Associate Programs, Vault 2026
- 2025 Pro Bono Honor Roll, The National Women’s Law Center (NWLC)
- 2025 Most Admired Law Firms to Work For, Los Angeles Business Journal
- Private Equity and Real Estate Practice Groups of the Year, Law360, 2025
- Ranked Among the Top Law Firms for Investigations, GIR 30, 2025
- Included Among Latin America’s Top International Law firms, Latinvex, 2025
- 210 Lawyer and 100 Practice Area Rankings, Chambers, 2025
- Willkie Earns Top Rankings in Legal 500 EMEA 2026 (selected practice recognitions noted on practice pages)
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Willkie states a long-standing commitment to recruiting, retaining and promoting people of all backgrounds; the Inclusion and Engagement Committee has existed for over 30 years and the firm maintains targeted programming for mentoring, retention and professional development. The firm is a member of LFAA, the Alliance for Asian American Justice and Lawyers for Racial Justice and runs multiple affinity and parents/caregiver groups.
- Inclusion and Engagement Committee
- Women’s Professional Development Committee (WPDC)
- Affinity Groups: Asian and Pacific Islander, Black, First Generation Professionals, Jewish, Latinx, LGBTQ+, South Asian and Middle Eastern, Veterans
- Parents’ Group
- Caregiver Affinity Group
- Member of Law Firm Antiracism Alliance (LFAA)
- Member of the Alliance for Asian American Justice
- Member of Lawyers for Racial Justice
- Partnerships with Mobilization for Justice and LatinoJustice
- Work with Appleseed Network and Her Justice
Pro Bono
Firm-wide emphasis on pro bono with recognition on the 2025 Pro Bono Honor Roll (NWLC); Willkie Chicago reports 100% of full-time attorneys participated in meaningful pro bono activities in a recent year; firm membership in collaborative pro bono initiatives (LFAA, Alliance for Asian American Justice, Lawyers for Racial Justice) and numerous transactional and litigation pro bono engagements across offices.
Innovation
Willkie invests in a named digital-assets/legal-tech offering ('Willkie Digital Works') and positions lawyers with regulator experience to advise on digital assets, CBDC initiatives and fintech regulatory policy. The firm combines technical, regulatory and transactional expertise and has been recognised in fintech/digital asset league tables; trainees and lawyers are exposed to digital asset regulatory work and fintech-focused practices.
- Willkie Digital Works
- Digital Dollar Project (firm leadership/advisory involvement)
- Cross-disciplinary digital-asset and fintech practice with former regulators on team
Quick Application Angles
- Emphasise interest in the firm’s digital assets/fintech work—reference Willkie Digital Works or the firm’s involvement in the Digital Dollar Project to show sector alignment.
- For competition/antitrust roles in Europe, highlight any competition law coursework or traineeship experience and mention the Brussels office’s role as the hub for EU antitrust work.
- Reference a recent client matter (e.g., Harbor Group $485m portfolio acquisition or the Prismic Life $1.9bn raise) to demonstrate commercial awareness and show you’ve researched the firm’s practice strengths.
- Highlight mentoring and early responsibility in your application—Willkie emphasises real responsibility from the outset and structured partner/associate mentoring.
- Use the firm’s strengths in quality of work and peer support (insider ratings: A* quality of work; A* peer support) to argue you thrive in collaborative, high-performing teams.
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