Mergers and Acquisitions at White & Case | Career Guide

White & Case's M&A practice is known for its global reach and capacity to handle multi-jurisdictional transactions. The team frequently works alongside finance, regulatory and tax specialists in other offices, which makes it strong on coordinated cross-border execution rather than purely domestic deals.

The practice strengths you should highlight when researching or applying include:

• Cross-border capability and coordinating multi-jurisdictional workstreams.

• Private equity transactions, including sponsor-led buyouts and portfolio company exits.

• Strategic corporate work such as joint ventures, spin-offs and divestments.

• Sector specialisms in energy and infrastructure, TMT, financial institutions and natural resources.

When preparing for interviews, use evidence from firm publications, market reports and recent firm news to show you understand the practical implications of cross-border work: time-zone co-ordination, differing regulatory regimes, financing structures and the role of local counsel.

Rather than memorising proprietary deal names, focus on the kinds of transactions the firm runs and the deal roles junior lawyers perform. Examples of representative matters to study and talk about include:

• Large cross-border public takeovers where teams manage the Takeover Code aspects, securities disclosure, and shareholder engagement.

• Private equity buyouts involving complex financing packages, vendor arrangements and post-closing integration conditions.

• Strategic disposals, carve-outs and IPO preparations requiring tightly co-ordinated carve-out due diligence.

• Complex sector-specific transactions such as energy project acquisitions, infrastructure PPPs and TMT consolidations with regulatory clearance issues.

When discussing deals in applications or interviews, explain:

• The specific legal issues you would expect to handle as a junior (for example, drafting disclosure schedules, managing due diligence data rooms, preparing CMA or foreign investment filings).

• The commercial drivers and client objectives (value preservation, speed to close, regulatory certainty).

• Risk allocation mechanisms: warranties and indemnities, escrow, break fees and completion accounts.

Give succinct examples from public reporting or practice summaries (do not invent confidential client details). Emphasise the capacity to link transactional mechanics to commercial outcomes.

Expect a matrix structure where deal teams pull in lawyers from multiple offices. Junior associates typically work on several matters at once and will liaise with colleagues across time zones and with external counsel.

Key practical points about working life:

• Hours and intensity: Transactional work is deadline-driven. On deals with tight timetables, short bursts of long hours are common, balanced by quieter periods between closings.

• Team roles: Juniors commonly own discrete deliverables such as due diligence letters, parts of the SPA, disclosure schedules and foreign law queries.

• Secondment and mobility: White & Case has an active secondment culture. Expect opportunities to second to client in-house teams, private equity sponsors or other firm offices.

• Supervision and feedback: Formal and informal mentorship are typical; partners set priorities but senior associates provide day-to-day coaching.

When assessing fit, ask during interviews about typical seat allocation, average time on matters, and examples of secondments. This will help you understand workload and development prospects.

The M&A team provides technical training on transactional documents and market practice, alongside commercial skills.

Typical features of development programmes include:

• Seat rotations: Trainees and junior hires usually rotate through corporate, finance and possibly regulatory or litigation-related seats to gain rounded transactional experience.

• Formal training: Workshops on SPAs, tax considerations, competition clearance and negotiation skills.

• On-the-job learning: Significant learning comes from drafting, redlining and running diligence, with feedback from partners and supervising associates.

• Career progression: After qualification, progression generally follows associate to senior associate to partner, with opportunities to move between practices or offices for sector exposure.

Actionable strategies to accelerate development:

• Volunteer for drafting and client-facing tasks early, and ask for specific feedback on those items.

• Build a technical reading list: key precedents in SPAs, model sale agreements, CMA guidance on mergers and Practical Law resources on warranties and indemnities.

• Request a secondment deliberately - prepare a one-page case for which team you want to join, what you will learn and how it ties to future deals.

Document progress in a training log and keep examples of your drafting and negotiation contributions to reference in PDRs and partner meetings.

To be competitive for a position in White & Case's M&A team you must combine strong academic background, clear commercial awareness and demonstrable teamwork and attention to detail.

CV and cover letter tips:

• Keep bullet points concise and outcome-focused: two lines per role, starting with a strong verb and quantifying impact where possible.

• Include a 2-3 line profile that highlights interest in cross-border M&A and a relevant skill (for example, experience with financial modelling or secondment exposure).

• Demonstrate attention to detail: align dates, use consistent formatting and include a short, tailored paragraph on why White & Case's global platform matters to you.

Interview and assessment centre preparation:

• Use the STAR method for competency answers and keep technical answers structured: define the legal issue, outline the steps to resolve it and state the commercial outcome.

• Prepare one or two recent M&A stories to discuss in detail: the transaction rationale, the cross-border elements, likely legal hurdles (competition filings, foreign investment review, employee transfer issues) and client priorities.

• Be ready for drafting or commercial awareness tests: practise summarising a long press release into three firm-relevant risks and opportunities.

• For group exercises, lead discussions succinctly, ensure quieter voices are heard and keep the group focused on deliverables and timing.

Resources to use while preparing:

• YourLegalLadder for training contract trackers, firm profiles and mentoring options.

• Chambers Student, LawCareers.Net and Legal Cheek for market commentary and firm culture insights.

• Practical Law, Lexology and The Lawyer for technical briefings and deal analyses.

• Financial Times and Bloomberg for current deal news and commercial context.

Final practical tips:

• Network with trainees or junior associates at the firm to ask about seat structure and day-to-day work.

• Practice two short answers you can give in interviews: one explaining why you want transactional work and one outlining a recent deal trend (for example, private equity dry powder or regulatory scrutiny in a sector).

• Keep a concise deal-readiness notebook: key terms and templates (SPA, disclosure letter, completion accounts) and a checklist of common regulatory filings (CMA, FDI notifications).

With targeted preparation that demonstrates both technical understanding and an appreciation of White & Case's global, cross-border focus, you will present as a candidate who can add immediate value to an M&A team.