Latham & Watkins LLP Training Contract Profile

Latham & Watkins' UK and global practices revolve around cross-border, high-value commercial work. Key strengths include Capital Markets, Mergers & Acquisitions, Private Equity, Project Development & Finance, Technology, Energy & Infrastructure and Financial Institutions. The firm's global platform means trainees and junior lawyers frequently touch on transactions that span Europe, North America and Asia, with UK teams often coordinating regulatory, financing and deal documentation workstreams for multinational clients.

Notable practice features for aspiring solicitors: the M&A and private equity teams handle carve-outs, take-privates and complex sponsor-led deals; capital markets lawyers advise on IPOs, follow-ons and debt financings for FTSE and international issuers; project finance lawyers work on large energy and infrastructure financings where model review and lender documentation are central skills. Technology work includes venture and growth financings (for example the Mistral AI Series C), and regulatory advisory benefits from the firm's innovation tools such as the Foreign Direct Investment Regimes App and the US Crypto Policy Tracker.

Training opportunities are practice-specific and international: secondments, cross-border deal teams and specialist transactions expose junior lawyers to client calls, drafting and negotiation exercises early on. Aspiring solicitors should emphasise commercial awareness, numerical comfort and an ability to manage competing time-sensitive priorities when considering Latham's practices.

Recent matters demonstrate the scale and variety of Latham's workload. Advising General Catalyst and a16z on Mistral AI's €1.7 billion Series C highlights the firm's role on large venture and growth financing rounds with substantial cross-border investor syndicates and complex governance/tech IP considerations. The US$55 billion acquisition of Electronic Arts for Silver Lake is an example of the firm acting on megadeals that require coordination across antitrust, regulatory and financing teams.

The US$70 billion merger of equals between Anglo American and Teck shows experience with transformative natural resources transactions and the negotiation of combined shareholder arrangements and complex carve-outs. On the contentious side, Latham's win for Lufthansa in the feeder flights dispute against Condor illustrates the firm's dispute resolution capabilities in aviation and commercial litigation. Pro bono work such as the unanimous Supreme Court victory in Ava Tharpe's case underlines the firm's willingness to take on high-impact public interest litigation alongside market-facing mandates.

Training at Latham blends early exposure with structured support. Associates may explore multiple market-leading practices before selecting a department and practice stream, giving flexibility to align technical specialism with commercial interest. The firm emphasises formal mentorship: every new and lateral associate is assigned a mentor to help with onboarding, career planning and feedback. Trainees and junior associates often have access to internal coaching, ongoing technical training, and networks through global affinity groups.

Seat structure and development opportunities vary by office and practice, but common features include rotation across transactional and advisory work, participation in live client matters, and chances to take responsibility for drafting, due diligence and client updates under supervision. Latham encourages involvement in management committees and leadership initiatives, which can accelerate commercial and managerial skills. Practical supports include calibration sessions, performance reviews and bespoke learning modules; aspiring applicants should ask about typical seat lengths, secondment availability and the firm's approach to preparing candidates for qualification. The advertised starting salary for UK junior lawyers is £60,000; the application closing date is 7 December 2025 and applications are submitted via the firm's portal.

The firm's culture prioritises client service and collaborative teamwork while emphasising personal growth and wellbeing. Core values - Unwavering Client Focus, Consistent Excellence, True Partnership and Strong Teamwork - are reflected in the way deal teams are staffed and how juniors are integrated into client-facing matters. Latham highlights personal development through coaching, mentoring and networking programmes and supports wellbeing via initiatives such as the LiveWell Latham platform.

Work is high-paced and often international, so resilience and time management are important. At the same time, the firm stresses that its strength comes from the diversity of perspectives across its global offices and the emphasis on giving back; this is visible in its extensive pro bono practice and global affinity groups. For candidates this means a professional environment with high expectations, significant client responsibility early on, and structured support to grow technically and commercially.

Latham seeks candidates who demonstrate the firm's core competencies: client focus, excellence, partnership and teamwork. Practical signals include evidence of commercial awareness, experience on cross-border or high-value transactions, strong drafting and numerical skills, and examples of collaborative problem-solving.

When preparing applications and interviews, showcase specific instances where you managed competing deadlines, contributed to team outcomes, or identified commercial risks/opportunities. Highlight international experience or coursework that shows comfort with cross-border issues, and practical involvement in mooting, vacation schemes or pro bono projects that mirror the firm's client and public-interest work.

Focus on concrete examples and tailor your narrative to the firm's cross-border, deal-driven profile. Use the following practical steps:

• Research recent work and practices

• Map any personal experience (placements, internships, modules) to the firm's sectors such as Capital Markets, M&A or Technology.

• Prepare commercial examples

• Summarise the commercial problem, your role, the legal/strategic response and the outcome; be succinct and metrics-driven where possible.

• Use available resources

• Track deadlines and manage documents with tools such as YourLegalLadder's application tracker, consult law news feeds for up-to-date deal context, and practise technical questions with SQE-focused materials.

• Interview Preparation

• Expect scenario-based competency questions and technical queries; rehearse client-facing explanations of complex matters and be ready to discuss recent Latham deals.

Apply via the firm portal before 7 December 2025 and ensure your CV and covering answers reference the firm's values and the specific practice group to which you apply.

Latham & Watkins has an extensive pro bono footprint - recording over 270,400 pro bono hours in 2024 - and runs global affinity groups that support inclusion across ethnicity, gender, LGBTQ+ and disability dimensions. The LiveWell Latham platform is designed to promote wellbeing and connect employees with mental health and resilience resources.

The firm's DEI activity combines affinity groups, pro bono engagement and internal networks to foster belonging. For applicants, meaningful engagement can be demonstrated through participation in access schemes, pro bono projects, or leadership in university/community groups. Useful resources for preparing DEI and pro bono talking points include YourLegalLadder's mentoring and pro bono guides, law school diversity programmes, and the firm's public statements and affinity group pages.