Clifford Chance

Overview

Clifford Chance is a leading global law firm offering full-service international legal advice across major markets. The firm is structured around 12 global product groups and is active on headline cross-border transactions (capital markets, complex financings, corporate and private equity, major disputes and project work) and has a significant presence in the Middle East, Europe, APAC and the US. The firm promotes a collaborative, inclusive culture, invests heavily in training (the Clifford Chance Global Academy and bespoke SQE programmes) and emphasises international mobility — trainees routinely work on cross-border matters and many take international secondments.

• Headquarters: London, Canary Wharf (relocating to 2 Aldermanbury Square, EC2 in 2027)
• Trainees: 100
• Offices: 33

Values & Culture

Practice Areas

• Capital Markets
• Competition & Antitrust
• Corporate & M&A
• Banking & Finance
• Dispute Resolution & Litigation
• Investment Funds
• Private Equity & Venture Capital
• Infrastructure & Projects
• Real Estate
• Insolvency & Restructuring
• Tax
• Pensions
• Employment
• ESG & Sustainability
• Technology & Digital
• Financial Services & Regulation
• Energy & Natural Resources
• Environment & Planning
• International Arbitration
• Regulatory & Compliance

Geographic Focus: A truly global firm: strong coverage in the UK (London), Europe (Brussels, Frankfurt, Prague), Middle East (Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh), Asia Pacific (Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Singapore, Tokyo, Sydney, Perth) and the US (New York, Houston, Washington DC). The firm highlights particular market leadership in the Middle East and substantial cross-border capability across capital markets, finance, corporate and projects.

Training Contract

Two-year Training Contract comprising four six-month seat rotations. For London trainees: four seats across Global Product Groups with seat preferences captured and allocations made to reflect trainee interests and business needs. Middle East Training Contract trainees complete their first seat in London followed by three seats in the Middle East (a combination of Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Riyadh). Trainees participate in an award-winning Trainee Induction Programme and have ongoing structured support through Career Development Meetings, a dedicated Early Talent Development Specialist, and a Partner Sponsor for the full two years.

• Starting Salary: £56,000
• NQ Salary: £150,000
• Trainee Intake: 100
• Qualification Rate: 78% retention rate
• Academic Requirements: Minimum undergraduate degree: 2:1. No fixed minimum A-level requirement. Non-law graduates must complete the PGDL (funded), and all future trainees must complete SQE. Specific PGDL/SQE first-attempt and commendation conditions apply (PGDL: commendation overall / 60%+; SQE modules must be passed on first attempt).
• Application Deadline: 2026-11-18

Seat Options

• Capital Markets
• Banking & Finance
• Dispute Resolution & Litigation
• Corporate & M&A
• Infrastructure & Projects
• Real Estate
• Insolvency & Restructuring
• Investment Funds
• Private Equity & Venture Capital
• Tax
• Employment
• Competition & Antitrust

Sponsorship

The firm funds PGDL and SQE study and provides a maintenance grant during study. Published grant amounts from supplementary data: PGDL grant £12,500; SQE grant £20,000. The firm also runs PGDL and SQE prep sessions and a bespoke Clifford Chance Plus Programme for those who have already completed the SQE.

SQE Support

Clifford Chance partners with the University of Law to deliver the PGDL conversion and a bespoke SQE programme (Clifford Chance SQE Plus). All future trainees are required to complete the SQE (even if they passed the LPC). The firm requires successful completion of SQE1 and SQE2 and Clifford Chance SQE Plus modules on first attempt.

International Opportunities

International secondments are strongly encouraged. The firm states that over a quarter of trainees are on secondment at any given time and supports international relocations with practical guidance, relocation support and language lessons where appropriate. LegalCheek supplementary figures indicate c.38% chance of secondment abroad.

Client Secondments

The firm offers client secondments; Middle East programmes specifically state the possibility of client secondments in-region. Supplementary figures show ~32% chance of client secondment.

Mentorship

Dedicated supervisor in each seat, a Partner Sponsor assigned for the full two-year Training Contract, and the Buddy Bubble model (a network of SPARK interns, future trainee solicitors, current trainees and associates). Early Talent Development team and monitoring partners provide ongoing support.

Apply on the Clifford Chance website →

Programmes & Schemes

Notable Matters

What Clifford Chance Looks For

Key Competencies

• Ownership and Impact
• Collaboration
• Agility
• Continuous Improvement
• Drive Results
• Trust and Professionalism
• Commercial awareness
• Attention to detail
• Resilience
• Communication and interpersonal skills
• Technology and innovation awareness

Evidence Signals

• Participation in virtual internships or firm-run programmes (Global Virtual Internships, SPARK, ACCESS)
• Commercial work experience or internships
• Strong academic record (minimum 2:1 degree)
• International experience or language skills (Arabic fluency strongly preferred for Middle East roles)
• Pro bono or community engagement
• Demonstrable problem-solving and teamwork examples (e.g. from The Challenge or group assessment tasks)

Benefits & Wellbeing

• First-year trainee salary: £56,000
• Second-year trainee salary: £61,000
• Newly qualified salary: £150,000
• PGDL grant: £12,500
• SQE grant: £20,000
• Maintenance grant for PGDL/SQE
• Free gym membership
• Pension scheme
• On-site healthcare and private healthcare scheme
• Season ticket loan
• Cycle-to-work scheme
• Dental plan / optional BUPA dental
• International secondments
• Concierge services
• Free meals (after a certain time)
• £350 annual equipment allowance for home working (Newcastle apprenticeships)
• Interest-free season ticket loan after probation
• Life assurance and income protection
• Virtual GP and psychology support; 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
• Emergency childcare/eldercare support and parental coaching (Newcastle benefits)
• Retail discounts via Reward Gateway

Wellbeing

Extensive wellbeing resources including Mental Health Champions (trained in Mental Health First Aid), EAP, virtual GP and psychologist support, health screening, wellness events and dedicated internal networks to support mental health and resilience.

Awards & Recognition

• Legal Sector of the Year, Target Jobs Awards 2026
• Most Popular Graduate Recruiter in Law (National Emerging Talent Awards) 2026
• The Times Top 100 Graduate Employer of Choice (Legal Employer of Choice) 2026

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Signatory to the Halo Code in the UK; founding member law firm of the Recruitment Agency Race Fairness Commitment; signed the Armed Forces Covenant (first Magic Circle firm to do so in 2017) and recipient of the Ministry of Defence Employer Recognition Scheme Gold award (2021).

• Accelerate>>>
• REACH
• Arcus
• Enable
• Mental Health Champions
• RISE
• Sunflower Scheme (UAE and UK membership)
• Halo Code signatory (UK)
• Armed Forces Network

Pro Bono

A global pro bono and community strategy aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Office-level community outreach examples include support for International Paralympic Committee #WeThe15, community care pack drives during Ramadan, partnerships with local charities (e.g. The Nest Bakery in Hong Kong) and firm-wide pro bono initiatives.

Innovation

The firm invests in training and technology to create value for clients and employees: bespoke SQE learning, induction and ongoing training are aligned with AI and legal-tech developments. Training roles explicitly include aligning programmes with increased use of AI tools and the firm is rated highly for legal tech investment and capability.

• Clifford Chance Global Academy (learning platform)
• Clifford Chance SQE Plus (bespoke SQE programme run with University of Law)
• Clifford Chance Immersive Online Assessment
• AI and legal technology integration into training (AI-enabled learning tools)

Quick Application Angles

• Reference the firm’s ‘The Real Contract’ high-performance indicators (Ownership & Impact; Collaboration; Agility; Continuous Improvement; Drive Results; Trust & Professionalism; Technology & Innovation) in assessment answers and give concrete examples showing those behaviours.
• If applying for Middle East roles, stress genuine commitment to building a career in the Middle East, any cultural/familial connections and Arabic language ability; mention the Middle East Vacation Scheme or Insight Day experience where relevant.
• Highlight engagement with the firm’s Global Virtual Internships, SPARK or ACCESS programmes on your CV and application — these are explicitly designed to demonstrate commercial awareness and trainee-level capability.
• Emphasise familiarity with legal tech and AI in your application or interview: the firm invests heavily in legal tech and gives an A* rating to legal tech competence — practical examples of using technology to add value will stand out.
• When possible, cite relevant deal experience or sector knowledge (e.g. capital markets or structured financings) and make links to the firm’s recent cross-border work such as large IPOs or private equity sale mandates.