Mayer Brown
Overview
Mayer Brown is a large international full-service law firm advising major corporations, funds and financial institutions on high-value cross-border transactions and disputes. The firm combines deep local capability (notably in London and Chicago) with an integrated global platform across the Americas, EMEA and Asia to handle complex regulatory, corporate, finance, disputes and technology matters. Mayer Brown is distinguished by its broad global footprint, multidisciplinary teams (notably strong in finance, technology/outsourcing, trade & customs, dispute resolution and regulatory work) and high levels of pro bono and ESG engagement.
- Headquarters: London, 201 Bishopsgate
- Founded: 1881
- Trainees: 15
- Offices: 22
Values & Culture
Practice Areas
- Banking & Finance
- Capital Markets
- Corporate & M&A
- Competition & Antitrust
- Data Protection & Privacy
- Dispute Resolution & Litigation
- Employment
- Energy & Natural Resources
- Environment & Planning
- ESG & Sustainability
- Financial Services & Regulation
- Fraud & Investigations
- Healthcare & Life Sciences
- Insolvency & Restructuring
- Insurance & Reinsurance
- Intellectual Property
- International Arbitration
- Investment Funds
- Pensions
- Private Equity & Venture Capital
- Professional Negligence
- Public Law
- Real Estate
- Regulatory & Compliance
- Tax
- Technology & Digital
- Infrastructure & Projects
- White Collar Crime
Geographic Focus: Global: major hubs across the Americas (Chicago, New York, Washington, Los Angeles, Houston, Charlotte, Salt Lake City), EMEA (London, Brussels, Paris, Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, Dubai) and Asia (Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo). The firm advises clients on cross-border regulatory, transactional and disputes matters and operates an integrated international platform with local on-the-ground capability in key financial, trade and regulatory centres.
Training Contract
Training contracts follow a multi-seat rotation model combining seat placements across practice groups to provide broad exposure to transactional, advisory and litigation work. The firm emphasises on-the-job learning with formal and informal training, coaching and mentoring; international secondments and cross-office workstreams are available for trainees selected for mobility opportunities.
- Starting Salary: £55,000 (Year 1) / £60,000 (Year 2)
- NQ Salary: £150,000
- Trainee Intake: 15
- Qualification Rate: 80%
- Academic Requirements: Minimum degree requirement: 2:1 (LegalCheek). Minimum A-level requirement: No minimum stated. The firm accepts non-law graduates and emphasises diverse academic backgrounds.
- Application Deadline: 31 March 2026
SQE Support
SQE grant: £20,000 (LegalCheek).
International Opportunities
LegalCheek data indicates a c.15% chance of an international secondment. The firm’s global office network (including Chicago, New York, Washington, Los Angeles, Houston, Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo, Dubai, Brussels, Paris, Frankfurt) are the likely destinations for international secondments; selection processes are managed internally via practice group and trainee performance reviews.
Client Secondments
LegalCheek reports a c.15% chance of client secondment.
Mentorship
The firm offers coaching and mentoring opportunities including one-on-one and group coaching, formal and informal mentors, and practice-group support to help trainees navigate career progression and transitions.
Programmes & Schemes
Mayer Brown Futures is the firm’s graduates & law students programme hub (careers portal) providing information on graduate recruitment, vacation schemes, training contracts, insight events and resources for students and trainees. The portal is the central access point for early-career recruitment and for applying to the firm’s graduate and vacation-scheme opportunities.
One-off law-student event (February 20, 2025) where Mayer Brown speakers presented on the laws governing banks and permissible activities for digital assets and stablecoins. Part of the firm’s outreach and student engagement on digital assets and fintech topics.
- Duration: 1 day
Notable Matters
Advised Omni Partners and Infoshare+ on the acquisition of DEF Software. (Firm acted as legal adviser to the acquirers on the acquisition; announcement dated June 19, 2026.)
Private Equity & Venture Capital
Mayer Brown advised Taylor Morrison in connection with its approximately $8.5 billion acquisition by Berkshire Hathaway (news item dated June 1, 2026). The firm provided transaction and corporate advice on a major strategic acquisition.
Corporate & M&A
Mayer Brown represented Whirlpool in relation to a $2 billion senior secured asset-based lending facility, acting on lender/borrower financing matters and facility documentation (news item dated June 17, 2026).
Banking & Finance
Advised GCM Grosvenor on a $625 million structured solution to invest in credit (news item dated March 3, 2026). The firm provided fund finance and structured-investment advice.
Investment Funds
Mayer Brown advised on the acquisition financing of a Colombian toll road portfolio, supporting cross-border project and infrastructure financing arrangements (news item dated December 3, 2025).
Infrastructure & Projects
Advised United Energy Group on the acquisition of energy assets in Egypt, providing cross-border M&A and energy regulatory advice (news item dated October 28, 2025).
Energy & Natural Resources
What Mayer Brown Looks For
Key Competencies
- Commercial awareness
- Teamwork and collaboration
- Strong technical legal skills
- Adaptability and willingness to take responsibility
- International and cross-border capability
- Client service orientation
- Resilience and work ethic
Evidence Signals
- Relevant commercial or transactional work experience (internships, paralegal roles)
- Pro bono or public interest engagement (Project Equity and other initiatives)
- International experience or language skills for global workstreams
- Demonstrable interest in technology/AI or financial services for specialised practices
- High academic attainment (2:1 or above) and robust technical/legal competencies
Benefits & Wellbeing
- Trainee salary: £55,000 (Year 1) and £60,000 (Year 2)
- NQ salary: £150,000
- PGDL/PGDL grant: £15,000
- SQE grant: £20,000
- Annual leave: 25 days
- No firmwide annual target hours (LegalCheek: 'No targets')
- Competitive salary and benefits package tailored to each region (as stated on business services pages)
- Formal and informal training, coaching and mentoring programmes
- Opportunities for international secondments and cross-office work
- Extensive pro bono and CSR opportunities (Project Equity and other pro bono programmes)
Awards & Recognition
- The Legal 500 EMEA 2026: Mayer Brown ranked in 35 categories (news item, March 26, 2026)
- Chambers Europe 2026: 8 Mayer Brown practices and 18 lawyers ranked (news item, March 19, 2026)
- Lawdragon: partners named to the 2026 '500 Leading Global Tax Lawyers' guide (June 18, 2026)
- LexisNexis: Pro Bono Project of the Year (2026) — recognition for Afghan Pro Bono Initiative collaboration
- Multiple pro bono awards and recognitions (e.g., ABA Pro Bono Leader, Legal Aid Society Outstanding Pro Bono Service, various regional awards listed on the pro bono page)
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
- Project Equity (firmwide pro bono/social justice initiative)
- Global Pro Bono Committee and local/regional pro bono committees
- Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) programme (referenced on careers and services pages)
- Signatory to the UK Joint Protocol on Pro Bono Work (pro bono standard)
- Signatory to the Pro Bono Declaration of the Americas and the Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge (US)
Pro Bono
Mayer Brown committed to Project Equity — an initial pledge of 50,000 pro bono hours over three years which the firm surpassed, and then renewed with a further three-year pledge of 50,000 hours. The pro bono programme is run by a Global Director of Pro Bono supported by a team and overseen by a Global Pro Bono Committee; the firm donates tens of thousands of hours to pro bono causes and has received multiple pro bono awards.
Innovation
Mayer Brown positions technology and digital transformation as core capabilities, integrating legal, regulatory and commercial advice for clients implementing cloud, SaaS, ERP, RPA, AI/ML and other digital programmes. The firm combines ranked technology teams with cross-practice delivery (IP, data privacy, regulatory, outsourcing) and publishes thought leadership on AI, digital assets and tech regulation. Insider ratings show a mixed internal view on legal tech (grade C) while training and technology-focused practices are highly ranked externally.
- Digital Transformation (service offering)
- Technology & IP Transactions practice and Technology Collaborations workstreams
- Software Development and Technology Outsourcing Disputes practice
- Tech Talks podcast and firm publications on legal tech and AI regulation
Quick Application Angles
- Highlight international experience and mobility — Mayer Brown operates integrated teams across London, Chicago, New York, Hong Kong and Singapore; reference a desire to work on cross-border finance, regulatory or technology matters.
- For technology or AI-focused applications, reference the firm’s published work on the EU AI Act and digital assets and show practical understanding of compliance and commercial issues (the firm publishes timely guidance on GPAI and AI regulation).
- If applying to finance or funds teams, reference Mayer Brown’s recent finance matters (e.g., Whirlpool $2bn ABL, GCM Grosvenor structured solution) to demonstrate commercial awareness of lending and fund finance structures.
- Evidence of sustained pro bono commitment will resonate — the firm runs Project Equity and has a strong pro bono track record and external recognition.
- Emphasise teamwork, responsiveness and client-service examples: insider scores show the firm is highly rated for training, quality of work, peer support and partner approachability — use examples that demonstrate your ability to learn on the job and collaborate across teams.
Apply to Mayer Brown with Confidence
Use YourLegalLadder's AI-powered TC Application Copilot to decode Mayer Brown's questions and generate firm-specific, evidence-backed outlines.
Start Your Application Free