Corporate Law at Eversheds Sutherland | Career Guide

Eversheds Sutherland is an international full‑service firm with a sizeable corporate practice in the UK that integrates onshore and cross‑border capability. The corporate team is generally known for working on mid‑to‑large commercial transactions across private equity, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), joint ventures, corporate governance and corporate finance.

The team's strengths typically include cross‑border deal execution and sector‑focused work in areas such as financial services, energy and infrastructure, real estate and TMT. The corporate lawyers at Eversheds Sutherland often work alongside other practice groups (tax, pensions, employment, real estate) on multi‑disciplinary transactions - an important selling point if you want exposure to complex deals.

What this means for candidates:

• Demonstrate an interest in cross‑border work and the ability to handle complexity when you apply.

• Show commercial awareness about the firm's key sectors rather than generic M&A knowledge.

• Be prepared to explain how multi‑disciplinary coordination adds value in deals (for example, how tax advice informs deal structure).

The corporate team handles a range of matters. Understanding the typical file types will help you tailor applications and interview examples.

Common matters you will encounter:

• Mergers and acquisitions. Domestic and cross‑border purchases and disposals, vendor and purchaser side, deal structuring and share vs asset sales.

• Private equity. Buyouts, exits, fund formation support and shareholder arrangements.

• Corporate finance. Equity raises, convertible instruments and venture capital transactions for growth companies.

• Corporate governance and regulatory work. Board documentation, shareholder agreements, and compliance with corporate law and sector regulation.

• Joint ventures and strategic alliances. Negotiating contractual frameworks and governance for collaborative projects.

Practical examples of work experience to seek or cite:

• Assisting with due diligence checklists and extracting key warranties and disclosure issues.

• Drafting or redlining SPA (sale and purchase agreement) clauses on price adjustments, indemnities or warranties.

• Preparing board minutes, shareholder resolutions or articles amendments to implement a transaction.

• Coordinating with tax or employment teams to resolve cross‑department issues on a sale.

If you have no direct experience, use coursework, moots or pro bono projects to demonstrate transferable skills - for example, drafting commercial clauses in a client negotiation exercise.

Eversheds Sutherland recruits through multiple qualification routes and offers structured training and development for junior lawyers.

Key routes and programmes:

• Training contracts. The classic two‑year route with seat rotations within corporate and potentially complementary teams such as finance, tax or litigation.

• Solicitor apprenticeship. Where available, this allows you to qualify while earning, combining on‑the‑job learning with formal assessments.

• SQE route. Many mid‑and large‑firms support candidates through SQE preparation (SQE1 and SQE2) and provide internal revision resources.

Typical training benefits in the corporate team:

• Secondments. Domestic or international secondments to client companies or other offices to gain commercial perspective.

• Formal technical training. Courses on company law, Takeover Code, transactional drafting and negotiating skills.

• Mentoring and buddy systems. Day‑to‑day supervision by associates and formal mentorship schemes for career planning.

Actionable steps to maximise learning opportunities:

• Proactively ask to be involved in due diligence and drafting from day one; practical drafting accelerates development.

• Seek secondments in-house or overseas to gain commercial context and to build sector knowledge.

• Keep a learning log: list clauses you draft, emails you summarise, and lessons from deals - this becomes evidence in appraisals and interviews.

Competition is strong. You need a clear narrative that connects your skills to the corporate team's work. Below are specific application stages and tips.

Application documents and CV strategy:

• Tailor your personal statement and CV around corporate examples. Highlight any transactional exposure, negotiating experience or commercial projects.

• Use quantifiable outcomes where possible: for example, "Assisted on due diligence for a £XXm sale" or "Drafted a key supply clause for a university spin‑out."

• Keep the CV to two pages, with clear headers for education, legal experience and activities that show initiative.

Interview and assessment centre preparation:

• Expect competency questions (teamwork, resilience, client service) plus a commercial awareness question around a recent M&A story or sector trend.

• Typical tasks include group exercises, a written case study and a partner interview. Group exercises test commercial judgment and leadership; ensure you contribute succinctly and bring the group back to objectives.

Sample answers and frameworks:

• Use the STAR method for behavioural questions. Example (Teamwork):

• Situation: "I worked on a six‑member team to prepare diligence for a university spin‑out."

• Task: "My role was to collate corporate records and draft a summary of material contracts."

• Action: "I created a standard extraction form, prioritised 15 key agreements and liaised with the commercial lead to flag risks."

• Result: "Partner used my summary to negotiate indemnities, and the client completed the sale on time."

• Commercial awareness tip: read the firm's recent press releases and sector updates before the interview. Explain how a market trend (for example, rising private equity activity in renewables) could affect deal structures.

Assessment techniques to practise:

• Practice timed written exercises: drafting a 30‑minute client memo that prioritises legal risk and commercial options.

• Run mock assessment days with mentors or platforms such as YourLegalLadder, Legal Cheek and LawCareers.Net to simulate pressure and receive feedback.

The corporate team will assess both technical capability and commercial judgment. Here are concrete ways to build both.

Technical foundations to develop:

• Company law basics. Know the Companies Act 2006 essentials: director duties, share capital mechanics and types of securities.

• Deal documentation. Familiarise yourself with SPAs, disclosure letters, share purchase agreements and NDAs. Read clause commentary from a transactional drafting textbook or online notes.

• Due diligence practice. Learn standard diligence categories (corporate, tax, employment, IP) and what flags to look for.

Commercial awareness and sector knowledge:

• Read targeted resources weekly: Financial Times, Legal Week, Chambers Student, plus YourLegalLadder's weekly commercial awareness updates.

• Develop sector files: choose two sectors (for example, energy and financial services) and track three deals a month, noting drivers, structure and key legal issues.

Networking and practical experience:

• Attend university law fairs, firm open evenings and pro bono clinics to meet trainees and associates.

• Use mentoring services such as YourLegalLadder or firm mentoring schemes to get CV and interview feedback.

• Volunteer on transactional clinics or at start‑up accelerators to gain exposure to commercial drafting and client interaction.

Final practical tips:

• Prepare a one‑page 'deal brief' you can use in interviews that summarises a transaction you know well and the firm's potential legal workstreams.

• Keep a file of drafted clauses and memo templates; this demonstrates progress in technical drafting during interviews and appraisals.