Banking and Finance at DLA Piper | Career Guide

DLA Piper's Banking and Finance group is part of a large, international practice that handles cross-border and domestic financings for lenders, sponsors and corporate borrowers. The team is known for breadth across core disciplines rather than niche depth in a single local market: expect exposure to syndicated and bilateral lending, acquisition finance, leveraged and unitranche structures, project and infrastructure finance, asset finance, structured and securitisation work, debt capital markets and restructuring/insolvency-related financings.

Reputationally, DLA Piper is regularly cited in market directories such as Chambers and Partners and The Legal 500 for its global reach and capacity on complex cross-border transactions. For applicants this means work often involves multi-jurisdictional coordination, tight timetables and a premium on commercial awareness and drafting precision.

Practical implication: When preparing for applications, emphasise cross-border experience (even if it is academic or pro bono), language skills and your ability to manage time-sensitive, multi-team tasks. Use resources like Chambers Student, LawCareers.Net, Legal Cheek and YourLegalLadder to monitor firm listings and market commentary.

You will see a mix of bank-led and sponsor-led transactions. Typical matters include:

• Syndicated lending and club facilities for corporate acquisitions and refinancings.

• Acquisition finance and leveraged buyouts where lenders' documentation, intercreditor arrangements and sponsor security packages are central.

• Project finance for renewable energy, transport and infrastructure with complex security and multi-lender trustee structures.

• Asset finance and equipment leasing for aviation, shipping and rail sectors.

• Structured finance and securitisations, including collateralised loan obligations and asset-backed programmes.

• Restructuring and distressed debt work, particularly in tougher economic cycles where amendment/forbearance and enforcement strategies are required.

Examples to mention in interviews: Talk through the lifecycle of a syndicated facility - from mandate letter to heads of terms, facility agreement negotiation, intercreditor agreements, security perfection steps and closing checklist. For project finance, explain lender requirements around project documents (EPC, O&M, offtake agreements) and the role of direct agreements.

Commercial awareness tip: Prepare a short note on SONIA transition, margin ratchets, and the growing market for sustainable/green finance instruments. Use a recent market story (for example, a green bond or renewable project financing) to show you can link macro trends to client risk and commercial outcomes.

DLA Piper provides structured training across the firm with practice-specific workshops and on-the-job learning. For Banking and Finance juniors, core development features typically include:

• Seat rotations covering banking, corporate and restructuring to build transactional fluency and commercial perspective.

• Formal skills courses on drafting facility agreements, guarantees, security documentation and on negotiation techniques.

• Partner and supervisor-led file reviews with practical feedback on drafting and client communication.

• Secondments to banks, sponsors or in-house legal teams and international secondments to European, US or Asia offices depending on practice needs.

• Pro bono and clinic work to build client-facing skills and broaden legal experience.

How to make the most of training opportunities:

• Take ownership of document libraries: compile a personal checklist of common clauses (representations, covenants, events of default, security enforcement steps) and update it with every new deal.

• Volunteer for closing checklists and security perfection tasks to learn practical mechanics of transactions.

• Request feedback meetings after each seat and create a short development plan: three skills to improve, three concrete actions and a target date.

• Seek secondments early in your training contract interview/development conversations; explain how a secondment aligns with your sector interest (e.g. renewable energy or aviation finance).

Applications to DLA Piper's Banking and Finance team are competitive. Use a targeted strategy that combines technical preparation and demonstrable commercial interest.

CV and cover letter strategies:

• Prioritise relevant experience first: list any finance-related modules, moots, pro bono, paralegal work or internships in financial institutions.

• Use brief deal or task descriptors: for example, 'Assisted with due diligence pack for cross-border acquisition financing; coordinated disclosure list and tracked security documents.' Quantify where possible (e.g. value bands, number of documents reviewed).

• Demonstrate commercial awareness in your cover letter: link a recent market development to client risk and how the firm's banking team adds value.

Assessment and interview tips:

• Prepare deal walkthroughs: have two concise examples (one syndicated/club deal, one project or asset finance example). Structure them: client, your role, the documents involved, key negotiation points and commercial outcome.

• Expect competency questions using the STAR method. Practice answers to questions such as:

• Tell me about a time you managed competing deadlines.

• Give an example of when you had to explain a complex document to a non-specialist.

• Prepare technical questions. Examples and brief model responses you should be comfortable giving:

• What is a facility agreement? - 'The main contract between borrower and lender setting out facilities, interest, fees, covenants and events of default.'

• What is an intercreditor agreement? - 'It governs the rights and priorities between multiple lender classes and sets out enforcement protocols.'

• Explain a negative pledge. - 'A covenant preventing the borrower from granting security to other creditors without lender consent; used to preserve lender priority.'

Assessment centre advice:

• Group exercises often simulate negotiations or a client-focused problem; lead by structuring the discussion, summarising points and ensuring quieter members contribute.

• In written case studies, structure answers clearly: identify the issues, provide short legal/ commercial analysis and conclude with a clear recommendation and next steps.

Resources to use during preparation:

• YourLegalLadder for application tracking, market intelligence and mentoring.

• Chambers Student, LawCareers.Net and Legal Cheek for interview examples and firm profiles.

• The SRA and The Lawyer for regulatory and market developments.

• Practice reading facility agreements available in public deal filings or LMA precedent documents so you can cite real clauses.

Day-to-day responsibilities vary by level. Junior associates typically draft and review documents, manage closing checklists, coordinate due diligence and liaise with clients and other offices. Expect busy peaks around closings, with significant email and document volume.

Culture: DLA Piper is a large, matrixed firm. This brings the benefit of international expertise but requires good communication and collaboration skills. Teams tend to be pragmatic and commercially focused; being reliable and detail-oriented will stand out.

Career path and options:

• Progression typically moves from junior associate to senior associate, then counsel and partner, with opportunities to specialise in sectors (real estate finance, renewable energy, aviation) or products (syndicated loans, securitisation).

• Lateral moves are common into banks, sponsors and boutiques for those who want client-side or transaction execution roles.

Practical actions for long-term progression:

• Build a sector-specific knowledge base (e.g. shipping, energy) by following market news, attending conferences and asking to be staffed on related matters.

• Develop client relationship skills: prepare short commercial updates for supervising partners on client industries rather than just legal updates.

• Keep a 'deal diary' recording your role on matters, documents you drafted and specific outcomes to use in future appraisals and partnership cases.

Final note: Preparation and demonstrable commercial thinking are decisive. Combine technical competence (document familiarity, clear drafting) with evidence of commercial curiosity (sector knowledge, recent market stories) and use tools such as YourLegalLadder, Chambers and LawCareers.Net to structure your application and interview practice.