Simmons & Simmons: During your training contract, you’ll do four six-month seats in different practice areas. They require you to undertake a seat in Corporate & Commercial, Financial Markets and Litigation. Alongside this, if you’re set on specialising in a particular area of law, they will endeavour to accommodate you.

As well as seats in the London office, around 80% of trainees undertake either a secondment with a client, or in one of their 20 international offices, during their training contract. Simmons & Simmons in the main tend to advise large international corporations in their key sectors. Half of the staff work outside the UK in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. They handle high-level, multi-jurisdictional transactions and disputes, and provide clients with integrated international services. They will pay your fees and a maintenance grant for both the LPC and GDL.