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Eversheds graduate opportunitiesDeveloping your talent to achieve your full potential

2 Eversheds graduate opportunities 2014

Key dates 3

Who are we 4

Why Eversheds Hong Kong? 5

Focus on practice groups? 8

Recruitment process 10

Contents

Key dates

Applications Open – Summer Vacation Scheme 2015 / Training Contract 2017 1 November 2014

Eversheds Open House (1)

Eversheds Open House (2)

20 November 2014

4 December 2014

Applications Close – Summer Vacation Scheme 2015 / Training Contract 2017 31 January 2015

First Interviews – Summer Vacation Scheme 2015 / Training Contract 2017 February / March 2015

Second Interviews and Assessments – Summer Vacation Scheme 2015 / Training Contract 2017 March 2015

Offers – Summer Vacation Scheme 2015 March / April 2015

Summer Vacation Scheme 2015 (1) 8 – 26 June 2015

Summer Vacation Scheme 2015 (2) 6 – 24 July 2015

Offers – Training Contract 2017 in line with The Law Society of Hong Kong Guidelines August 2015

Please visit our website at http://www.eversheds.com/graduate for more information.

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“ It starts with you

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Eversheds is one of the world’s largest corporate law firms. Committed locally, but connected globally, we have over 50 offices based in over 30 countries, with a proven track record of delivering consistently high quality legal services across jurisdictions.

The firm has developed organically over the past decade working for corporate organisations of all shapes and sizes in countries where they want to do business. Lawyers in all locations share the same values, ways of working and understanding of what clients really want.

In Asia we have offices in Hong Kong, Singapore, Shanghai and Beijing and we see Hong Kong as our regional hub for doing business. In Europe we are headquartered in the UK and have offices in most major jurisdictions allowing us to provide a seamless service to clients across the continent. In the Middle East we have become the first international law firm to establish offices in Iraq. We are now one of the largest international players in the region, with local lawyers based in Abu Dhabi, Amman, Doha, Dubai and Riyadh.

Eversheds has also launched a Pan-African strategy that will focus on growing the firm’s international operations in Africa. We have created five key hub offices

and established Eversheds alliance firms known as the Eversheds African Law Institute (EALI), an organisation designed to share best practices and promote the highest standards of legal service across Africa.

Some of our achievementsEversheds China won “Best in Cross-border M&A” by Acquisition International

Eversheds is ranked as one of the Financial Times Top 25 Law Firms

Shortlisted for “Asia Pacific Law Firm of the Year” at the Global Capital Global Derivatives Awards 2014

Who are we?

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Best law firm in three major areas voted by in-house counselLegal Business Magazine (2013)

5Eversheds graduate opportunities 2014

Your careerAt Eversheds we’re on an exhilarating journey to cement our position as one of the world’s leading law firms. We’re innovative. We’re international. And we’re committed to getting our trainees up to speed as quickly as possible so that they can be part of the team that propels us forward.

That means giving you early exposure to real work for real clients. It means equipping you with the skills to be a good lawyer while developing your commercial acumen, leadership potential and business expertise. In short, it means investing in your talent and giving you access to some of the best training, development and support in the industry - not just as a new graduate but throughout your career.

So if you have the right blend of strengths and aptitudes to make your mark at Eversheds, we can promise you a career environment of exceptional variety, influence and potential.

Why Eversheds?Whatever you’re looking for in your career - great training, intellectual stimulation, top quality work, innovation or international exposure - you will find it at Eversheds. Here are just some of our strengths:

• One of the largest full-service commercial law firms in the world;

• A collaborative culture that fosters creativity and exceptional client service;

• First-class training and the opportunities for fast-track career development;

• Multiple entry pathways for talented graduates;

• Expertise in a multitude of sectors including financial services, energy and natural resources;

• The chance to work with some of the world’s most prestigious organisations in both the public and private sector;

• An environment in which lawyers become trusted business partners;

• An innovative approach that delivers measurable results, cost transparency and value for money;

• One of the few firms tackling and discussing the changing face of law;

• Corporate responsibility and diversity are embedded in our culture; and

• A truly 21st Century law firm.

Your training contractAt Eversheds, we view our training contracts as the start of a long and highly rewarding legal career.

We aim to give you the knowledge, tools and opportunities to make it a truly successful and rewarding career. During each seat of your training contract, you’ll have a Supervisor who will give you regular feedback. You will also receive formal feedback through an appraisal system that takes place in the middle and at the end of each seat.

Our Hong Kong training contracts consist of four seats of six months each over two years including litigation, banking, corporate and a secondment to one of our UK offices.

Once you qualify, you will be able to apply for any of the vacancies on offer. Historically every Hong Kong Eversheds trainee has been offered a permanent position on qualification.

Your support networkWe’ll certainly stretch your capabilities and give you the chance to take on significant challenges throughout your training contract. But at Eversheds, we also give you some of the best support in the industry. There will be a Supervisor for each six-month seat. Where possible a more experienced trainee in the same office will act as your ‘buddy’ on all matters relating to your professional development. What’s more, the Hong Kong Graduate Partner will be on hand to help and guide you through your seats, help you build on your strengths and - where necessary - address areas for further development. But that’s just the start. As part of our collaborative environment you will learn a huge amount from more experienced colleagues within your practice area. Add to that the opportunity to work directly with clients and you’ll understand why you will always be learning and developing.

Why Eversheds Hong Kong?


Vishal Melwani is our Graduate Recruitment Partner for Hong Kong and a Partner in our Litigation Practice. Vishal is also a qualified Certified Public Accountant, an associate member of the Hong Kong Institute of Arbitrators,

a Distinguished Professional Mentor of the Chinese University of Hong Kong Faculty of Law and an accredited mediator.

“Trainees are our future leaders and Eversheds considers graduate recruitment to be vitally important. We are looking for hard working and entrepreneurial students who have achieved academic excellence and who possess language skills of the highest standard. In return for these demanding expectations we offer solid training, international exposure, interesting cases and transactions and the chance to be part of a fast-growing international law firm.”

Vacation schemeWe run three-week vacation placement schemes in our offices. Placements offer you a great opportunity to get a feel for what Eversheds is all about, and most of our vacation students are amazed at the variety and level of work they can get involved in. You will typically have opportunities to:

• Attend court;

• Assist with research;

• Draft documents;

• Spend time in all three of our different fee-earning departments;

• Meet partners, solicitors and trainees at social events; and

• Attend a range of informal talks to discover more about Eversheds, our practice areas and our people.

We welcome applications from penultimate year law under-graduates as well as candidates who’ve already graduated or taken different career paths.

You will need to complete an application form and, if shortlisted, you will be considered for a face to face interview with an Eversheds Lawyer. You will then attend a second interview to meet more partners and associates, and complete some assessments in our offices. If you are successful at this stage, we will offer you a place on one of our summer vacation schemes.

If you do well on the vacation scheme, you may be offered a training contract.

“What impressed me the most about Eversheds was its friendly culture and wealth of opportunities made available to interns during our internship. We were given exposure to the firm’s core practices by rotation to all of its major departments. Briefings and workshops given by partners and senior associates were organized for us to better understand the firm’s vision and culture, as well as the latest developments in the firm and the legal industry. Everyone was approachable and friendly in giving us feedback or advice. This summer internship is definitely challenging but genuinely rewarding.”

Fion Lo, Summer Internship Programme 2014

“The recruitment and internship process provided at Eversheds has been the most fruitful and educational experience as a law student yet. The internship was designed in a way to provide us with the chance to perform tasks related to work that really mattered so we could see what it was like to work in an international law firm. The open-door policy and the friendly atmosphere created an extremely effective work culture at the firm. Everything I have gained from interning at Eversheds will definitely play a big role in my future professional life.”

Kamaljeet Kaur, Summer Internship Programme 2014


Secondments - clients and internationalOnce you are six months into your training contract, you will have the freedom to apply for both client and international secondments. Given the exceptional quality and variety of our client portfolio, there are exciting and rewarding opportunities to develop and extend your experience across multiple industries and sectors. Secondments typically last between three and six months. We encourage all our Hong Kong trainees to apply for a secondment in one of our UK offices as we see this as an important part of your development.

“My international trainee secondment showcases Eversheds’ immense investment in people. Throughout my 6 months in London, I met and worked with many great people. The

open plan office structure was also new to me which made it easier to interact with and learn from my colleagues. I am also certain that my experience will enable me to play a key role in the growth and development of Eversheds.”

Alex Mok, 2012 - 2014 Eversheds trainee

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EUROPE

AFRICA

ASIAMIDDLE EAST

1. London2. Ipswich3. Cambridge4. Cardiff5. Birmingham6. Nottingham7. Manchester8. Leeds9. Newcastle10. Dublin11. Edinburgh12. Paris13. Brussels14. Stockholm15. Warsaw16. Munich17. Vienna18. Budapest19. Rome20. Milan21. Madrid22. Tallinn23. Riga24. Vilnius25. Bratislava26. Prague27. Berne28. Zurich29. Amsterdam30. Rotterdam31. Geneva

32. Hamburg33. Berlin34. Bucharest35. Amman36. Baghdad37. Riyadh38. Doha39. Abu Dhabi40. Dubai41. Erbil 42. Singapore43. Hong Kong44. Shanghai 45. Beijing46. Tunis47. Johannesburg

(Sandton)48. Johannesburg

(Bryanston)49. Port Louis50. Tangier51. Casablanca52. Durban


Corporate law The corporate group advises clients on high-level corporate activities. The main areas of focus are Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) (both public and private), Capital Markets including Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) and issuance of bonds, corporate reorganisations, venture capital transactions and joint ventures. We provide advice and support in areas such as finance and restructuring. We also have strong expertise in the financial services industry and significant M&A capability in our Hong Kong office and internationally. Our extensive coverage enables us to add value to our clients through in-depth local market knowledge, our multi-disciplinary expertise and our ability to effectively manage international teams on cross-border projects. Importantly, we offer our clients sector expertise, ensuring we can talk their language as well as provide legal expertise.

Stephen Mok is the Head of Corporate for Asia. He has 20 years of corporate finance experience advising Chinese enterprises (including state-owned enterprises and privately-owned enterprises) and international investment banks. He has

assisted over 30 companies to list successfully on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Stephen also specialises in cross-border mergers and acquisitions including private sales and purchases and public takeovers.

Litigation and dispute managementIn today’s fast moving, highly regulated business environment disputes are inevitable. We help clients resolve them without damaging valuable relationships. The work we do is broad ranging and it includes business disputes between companies and between shareholders, court and arbitration proceedings, regulatory investigations, antitrust, IT, shipping, IP, employment and enquiries into corruption.

You’ll find yourself not just litigating but building relationships, developing sector based expertise, focusing on providing a great service and getting genuine satisfaction out of reducing the time and costs needed for a successful conclusion.

We cover everything related to disputes: both dealing with them and avoiding them. Our international client base includes global household names, national giants, financial specialists, property developers, and even a pop star or two (we’ve acted for the Beatles in their dispute with Apple Inc in the UK). That means you’ll get the best cases to work on - the ones that will stretch your abilities and challenge you every step of the way.

Mark Yeadon is the Head of Litigation for Asia. He has practised in Hong Kong for the last 22 years, having spent his early career in the City of London. He is admitted in both England and Wales and Hong Kong and he is a qualified mediator. He

specialises in the resolution of commercial disputes by arbitration, mediation and court proceedings as well as advising on the conduct of and response to regulatory and other types of inquiry and investigation. He has acted for major banks and financial institutions, as well as corporates in many different industries. He is currently advising the Hong Kong regulator of broadcasting and telecoms on the key issues affecting these industries, including the application of rules against anti competitive conduct.

Focus on practice groups


Banking and FinanceBanking and finance is still the powerhouse of the global economy, despite the financial crisis of 2008. Eversheds’ 100 strong international banking and finance law team has a wealth of experience advising leading corporates, funds and financial institutions on a full range of finance transactions, from highly structured debt arrangements to vanilla loans.

In Hong Kong we provide advice in the following areas:

(a) Commercial banking;

(b) Asset and project finance; and

(c) International trade finance – transaction structuring and trade dispute resolution.

Listed below are details about some recent transactions in Banking & Finance:

(a) Revising various banking and trade finance documentation for over 10 international banks in the region;

(b) Advising on various real estate and loan transactions for PRC and HK corporates; and

(c) Assisting various PRC and foreign banks in handling trade fraud and L/C injunction cases in China.

King Tak Fung is the Head of our Banking & Finance Practice in Asia. He advises on all kinds of commercial banking transactions and specialises in International Trade law and practice. His experience includes advising on global trade transactions,

Commodities Structured Trade Finance, International Commercial Terms, receivables finance, sale and purchase contracts, L/C and Commercial Disputes Resolution without litigation.

King Tak’s clients include most international and PRC banks in Asia and he can offer an excellent understanding of how the system works in China as well as connections with the major players. Before becoming a lawyer he was the Vice President and Head of Trade Finance at Bank of America and his background very often helps in the amicable settlement of banking and trade disputes between foreign and Chinese parties.


What we are looking forOur firm attracts great people and we’ve created an environment where they can achieve great things. So it will come as no surprise that Eversheds is home to some of the most innovative and inspiring lawyers in the industry - or that we look for trainees with the ambition and enterprise to keep us ahead of the competition in the future.

You will need a strong academic background and proven ability to apply your intellect to complex problems. But that’s just the start. Eversheds trainees need to be multi-faceted people who combine extreme professionalism with outstanding expertise, genuine approachability and real personality.

While all trainees must have studied law, we also welcome applications from students with JD or CPE qualifications. The reason is simple. Trainees from a non-law background bring a wealth of alternative experience that can only benefit a growing and diverse firm like ours.

Whatever your background - and our trainees are an incredibly diverse community of people - you will need to demonstrate a number of other skills and aptitudes to succeed as part of our team:

• Strong Academic Performance Have you achieved or are you on track to achieving a minimum of ABB from HKALE (or equivalent), a 2.1 degree (or equivalent) or a GPA of 3.3, as well as a relevant law qualification such as an LLB, CPE or JD.

• Language Applicants must have excellent language skills. Those who are proficient in written English and Chinese and trilingual (English, Cantonese, Mandarin) will be given preference. Nevertheless all qualified applicants are encouraged to submit applications because outstanding achievements in other areas may compensate for lower than expected proficiency.

• Outstanding Problem-Solving Skills Do you have the mental agility and intellectual rigour to analyse problems and develop novel, unexpected solutions?

• Proactive Mindset Are you naturally inquisitive with an openness to new ideas and the initiative to turn them into practical results?

• Commitment to Excellence Do you hold yourself to the highest standards of performance even when the going is tough? And are you passionate about continuously raising and refining your own performance levels?

• Strong Interpersonal and Communication Skills Can you communicate fluently, clearly and concisely? Persuade and negotiate with others in both group and individual situations? Make complex information understandable to clients?

• Working with Others Do you have the confidence to collaborate, seek feedback, share ideas and build credibility through your interaction other people?

• Organised with an Eye for Detail Can you manage your own workload, stay organised under pressure, pay attention to detail and be relied on to complete each task accurately and completely?

• Commerciality Do you have the ability to see situations from a business or commercial perspective? Are you comfortable dealing with financial information and being accountable for achieving productivity goals?

• Motivation Are you passionate about a career as a Lawyer and a career at Eversheds?

Is this you? Then you’re likely to fit in perfectly as part of our high-performing, inclusive and meritocratic culture.

Application formOur application form is holistic in nature. It is designed to focus on your academic history, work experience and previous positions of responsibility.

You will be asked to detail examples of work experience that are relevant to a career in law and examples of positions of responsibility you have held. Please be sure to select the most relevant and most recent examples of these.

We also ask you some questions on why you want to work with us and what you feel are the challenges and considerations that the legal industry face.

The recruitment process


Interview You will be interviewed face to face of our offices. This gives us both the chance to meet you in person as well as allowing you to get a feel for Eversheds’ culture.

We will be using a structured interview with questions based on the information you give us in your application form and CV as well as the skills and behaviours we have identified as being necessary for our trainee solicitors.

The interview will last approximately 45 minutes to an hour, and there will be time for you to ask questions. The dress code for the interview is smart business dress. You are likely to meet one partner and one associate at this stage.

Final round assessment dayThe assessment day is an opportunity for you to show us your competence, skills and motivation for wanting to join Eversheds. This half day event allows Eversheds to test your ability and skills while giving you the opportunity to find out more about Eversheds and the work that we do.

Throughout the day you will complete the following activities:

• Second round interview with a partner and associate

• Two sets of in-Tray / written exercises

• Written English / Chinese translation test (where appropriate)

Second Interview

Chance to meet more partners and associates and get a feel for Eversheds

In-tray Exercises

Business simulation exercises. Typically you will be given a selection of documents and emails in paper or electronic format which somebody doing the job might find in their in-tray or email inbox first thing in the morning.

You have to read each item and complete related tasks such as drafting a letter, proof-reading a document or replying to an email. Tight time constraints are usually applied.

Why are assessment days used?Accuracy - they are considered one of the most effective tools for recruitment. Employers have the opportunity to assess skills and competencies required to do the job.

Equality - it is a fair and consistent approach and assesses a number of skills and competencies by using different exercises.

Buy-in - There is buy-in from the business because they feel they are assessing a candidate across a number of different exercises for skills required to do the job. Buy-in from the candidate as you have an opportunity to demonstrate your ability but also an opportunity to see the working environment and meet potential future colleagues

The Law Society of Hong KongWe adhere to the Law Society’s voluntary Code of Good Practice in the recruitment of Trainee Solicitors. Please consult your career advisor or speak to the Law Society for more information.

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