Haynes and Boone CDG, LLP

The Legal 500 Future Lawyers verdict on Haynes and Boone CDG, LLP

With a “community feel” and a “small trainee intake within a large international firm,” Haynes Boone stood out for its blend of responsibility, high-quality work and “inclusive culture.” Trainees were drawn to the firm’s “intimate” recruitment process, close integration with the US offices, and the ability to complete seats in preferred practice areas. Culture is a consistent highlight, with trainees praising the “approachability of all my colleagues” and a “supportive” environment where senior colleagues are “always happy to answer questions and have trainees become as involved as possible.” Trainees can expect plenty of hands-on experience, especially in finance, where one recruit recalled “leading the efforts on a leveraged finance deal.” Client exposure is a key theme — “attending client events and meeting clients in person is really nice” — as is early responsibility: “Drafting [my] first letter to a client gave a real sense of achievement.” While the learning curve can be steep and some periods are described as “stressful,” trainees acknowledge that “making mistakes is part and parcel of learning.” Work-life balance is well respected: “You’re not expected to work late for the sake of it,” one insider noted. Hybrid working varies by team and is seen as “partner dependent,” though most agreed that supervisors are “approachable and understanding” when flexibility is needed. Pro bono opportunities exist, including at both the London and US level, though some felt the firm’s smaller size limits broader involvement. The biggest gripe? “We do not use as advanced technologies as much as other firms,” one respondent admitted — but this is reportedly being addressed. All in all, trainees appreciated being part of a firm that is “inclusive, international,” and where they’re genuinely trusted to contribute.

A day in the life of... Ziv Gould, trainee, Haynes Boone

Departments to date: Corporate; Contentious

University: University of Durham University of Law

Degree: Law LLB (2:1); SQE LLM

I am currently sat with the corporate team, which undertakes a range of work, including initial public offerings (IPOs), fundraisings, and takeovers.

6.30am: I’ll (nearly) always make time to go to the gym or for a run in the morning before work. It’s an integral part of my day, providing a structure outside of office work, and allowing me to reset mentally for all upcoming tasks that day. Also, more likely than not, if I leave exercise until the evening, either a social or work-related commitment will inevitably arise!

8.30am: I’ll begin my 45-minute commute into the office. I’ll typically try and use the time productively, whether that be quickly scanning any overnight emails, catching up on world news, or making a to-do list for the day ahead.

9.15am: After grabbing a quick morning coffee, I settle down to tackle the day’s work. I will always have at least one task with which to begin the day, before further work begins flowing in. This can take the form of either non-client work, or billable work, although I prefer to finish the latter before logging off for the day where possible. As a trainee, one of my tasks is to manage and update an internal database of all public takeovers. This is a great way to keep on top of my commercial awareness, while also familiarising myself with the documents involved in the process.

10.30am: The corporate team has been particularly busy during the past few months, and there are always multiple deals running simultaneously, so it’s essential to keep on top of the multiple workstreams at all times. We are acting for the banks on a particular fundraising, so I dive into reviewing the verification notes of the admission document prepared by the lawyers representing the company. Having only previously acted for the company in fundraisings, as opposed to the banks in this case, it is intriguing to see the deal unfold from the opposite perspective.

12.00pm: I have been asked to conduct some research into whether a company is able to allot additional shares by way of a fundraise to dilute the control of a shareholder (also a director) who is acting incompetently, and the potential options which the company has regarding removing the troublesome individual.

1.00pm: After a productive few hours of work, it’s time for some lunch; our office is surrounded by some great lunch spots. While I usually try and bring lunch from home to eat in the café, I decided to treat myself today. Myself and a couple of other trainees chose a lunch spot from the extensive options within the vicinity.

2.00pm: Currently, one of my biggest undertakings is managing the verification of a prospectus for our client company, as part of their IPO. Verification is a core part of a corporate trainee’s role, and its importance cannot be understated. As is often the case with verification tasks, communication with the client is an ever-present feature, so emails and calls (phone/Zoom/Teams) are always ongoing. We are also working with our US colleagues on this deal, so I also have a call with our team from across the pond for some clarification on questions for which they can provide information to assist us.

5.00pm: After working on the verification and making good progress, I turn to making changes in the prospectus, which I had flagged to myself while undertaking the verification. I have been tasked with the responsibility of various aspects of the prospectus, including cross-referencing, definitions and glossary tables, and general presentability. This demonstrates the importance of always remaining aware of the wider picture, trying not to take each task in isolation. Once the necessary changes have been made, I inform the rest of my team to ensure that we are all on the same page. Communication is essential and plays a vital role in increasing efficiency within our workstreams.

6.30pm: My last task of the day is to send out DocuSigns to directors for a fundraising which closed a few days ago. This will mark the end of our work on the matter, and it is rewarding to have successfully acted for the client in a major milestone of their expansion and progression. Later tonight, once the signatures have been received, I’ll quickly file the executed versions in our internal bible of documents on the matter. I make the most of the reasonable finish time today, after a particularly busy last few weeks and some late nights.

About the firm

The firm: The London office of Haynes Boone has experience serving the corporate, debt capital markets, energy, finance, insolvency, international dispute resolution, investment management, project finance and development, real estate and shipping sectors. The firm boasts a team of commercial and dispute resolution lawyers with deep industry knowledge in their core sectors. Many of our lawyers have international backgrounds; our lawyers are fluent in 19 languages.

The clients: Investec Bank plc; BNP Paribas; Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking Corporation; Bank of America; The Hellenic Gas Transmission System Operator (DESFA) S.A.; Stena LNG Holding Sweden AB.

Senior partner: Taylor Wilson (US)

Managing partners: William Cecil (UK) and Nick Davis (UK)

Other offices: 16 offices in the USA, Mexico City, Shanghai.

Who we are: With decades of experience, our lawyers provide clients with broad English law capabilities. These include an experienced litigation and international arbitration team that has handled numerous claims in the English High Court and before major arbitral bodies, and transactional teams that have guided clients through such diverse matters as mergers and acquisitions, IPOs, financing, conventional and alternative energy projects, and maritime and offshore operations and projects. Our London office links clients operating in the world’s interconnected energy and finance markets.

What we do: Haynes Boone is an international commercial law firm. London’s practices comprise contentious, corporate, debt capital markets, energy, finance, insolvency, investment management, project finance, real estate and shipping.

What we’re looking for in a trainee: A strong and consistent academic record and to be on track for, or have obtained, a 2(1) degree minimum; to take on responsibility and have commercial awareness, commitment, energy and spark; and to have a sense of community and enthusiasm to participate.

What you’ll do: Each contract will comprise four seats of six months’ duration each. Trainees in those seats will work with different teams across the range of the firm’s practice areas within the relevant group during each seat. Practical training will be given, with plenty of support and feedback. You will be closely supervised and mentored by the training principal, and a partner mentor.

Perks: Private health insurance, group income protection, group life assurance, group personal pension, season ticket loan, wellness subsidy, employee assistance programme.

Sponsorship

Haynes Boone offers full sponsorship of the SQE study route as well as an annual maintenance grant of £10,000 per year of study.

Seat options

Finance; corporate; investment management; contentious; energy/shipping; real estate.

Tips from the recruiter

1. When completing the application form, it is important to be specific and informative when answering the questions.
2. Meet the advertised deadline – the recruitment cycle is run on a very tight schedule so extensions cannot be granted.
3. Do the appropriate research before answering the questions.

Diversity and inclusion