HFW

The Legal 500 Future Lawyers verdict on HFW

Trainees at HFW consistently cite the firm’s specialist focus as a major draw. “Sector focus” came up repeatedly, with trainees particularly impressed by the firm’s strength in areas like shipping, commodities, and insurance. “I chose HFW because of its strong commodities department as well as the guarantee to be placed abroad for a seat,” one insider told us. Another highlighted the “sector-focused work, especially in insurance and shipping,” and the firm’s “reputation for acting in high-value and complex disputes.” The international nature of the work also proved attractive: “Travel opportunities,” “international secondments,” and “a global reach” came up again and again. The training itself earns solid marks, with several noting that HFW offers “more opportunities for seats in litigation teams,” greater exposure to partners, and “significant levels of responsibility” early on. “I do the first draft of everything and am involved in strategy and client comms,” one trainee said. Another shared that they’d drafted a client memo that went out “with only minor amendments.” Compared with friends at other firms, trainees feel they’ve got a better “work-life balance,” with a “friendly, down-to-earth” vibe and no excessive pressure to hit billable targets. International secondments are a highlight. Trainees had completed seats in Dubai, Hong Kong, Shanghai and beyond, describing them as “excellent,” “seamless,” and “great for developing my understanding of different cultures and legal systems.” One described attending a Middle East aerospace conference that included four days of events and “even a boat party.” That said, there were downsides. A number of respondents mentioned “limited social interaction across departments,” gripes with legal tech, and “tight” expense policies. Some had experienced “inconsistent supervision,” while others pointed to patchy support from HR. Still, most trainees seemed content — praising the firm’s culture, the chance to do meaningful work, and the breadth of international exposure.

A day in the life of… Farzin Bakhtiar,

Departments to date: Commodities Litigation

University: University of Bristol

Degree: Political Science & International Relations (Toronto), MA Law (Bristol)

9:10am: I arrive at HFW’s London office at Bishopsgate, having completed my morning exercise (usually consists of a run or a F45 class). I pick up a quick breakfast from the complimentary mini breakfast bar on the way to my desk.
When I arrive at my desk, the first thing I do is check my inbox for any outstanding / urgent tasks. I usually prioritise getting these tasks done in the morning and plan the rest of my day by updating my to-do-list.

10:00am: I attend an ‘Introduction to Commodities Trainee Training’ session delivered by a Partner in the team. As a first seat Trainee, this was an opportunity to gain insight into the fundamental legal principles and contractual frameworks that underpin commodities and international trade.

11:00am: My supervisor asks me to draft a Part 8 Claim Form and Consent Order in a dispute involving yacht construction contracts for clients in Hong Kong. I review the documents sent by clients, relevant witness statements, and advice from counsel to help me produce the initial drafts.
Having the opportunity to draft court documents early on in my training contract has particularly helped me build confidence in legal drafting and enhanced my understanding of procedural requirements.

1:00pm: I grab lunch with some of the Trainees in my cohort at Leadenhall Market, which is just a stone’s throw from the office. Joining a firm with a small trainee intake has been a great experience, as it’s been easier to build genuine connections and develop strong friendships with others in my cohort.

2:00pm: After returning to the office, I check my inbox for emails that may have come in over lunch and plan my afternoon accordingly.

2:15pm: I prepare a research note on the enforcement of a judgment in Bangladesh to assist a Partner in HFW’s Paris office with an upcoming matter. I will continue to assist the Paris office as I am fluent in Bangla and have a good understanding of the country.
At HFW, our global offices work together constantly to service clients and share matters across jurisdictions – something that sets the firm apart from others, as integration to such degree is less common. For example, matters initially picked up by our Australian offices are often passed across time zones—to colleagues in Hong Kong, Singapore, Dubai, etc.— to ensure continuous client support, even after the local office has closed.
Given the nature of the sectors HFW operates in and the international scope of its client base, it’s rare for matters to solely encompass the UK. It’s an ideal firm for anyone looking to gain exposure to cross-border matters, international clients, and globally oriented training, especially with the guaranteed international secondment to one of HFW’s overseas offices.

3:30pm: An associate asks me to assist a client in a Charterparty dispute draft a witness statement. The dispute concerns cancellation of voyages between Asia and Europe where the cargo consisted of modules for the construction of a biofuel production facility. I spend the rest of the afternoon carefully reading into such modules and then draft parts of the witness statement.
One of the advantages of working at a sector-focused firm is the opportunity to develop deep expertise in highly specific areas—such as biofuel production—which enables us to deliver more tailored and effective advice to clients.

6:00pm: I attend the monthly team drinks with the wider Commodities Group, which is a great chance to connect with colleagues across the different sub-teams within the Group. HFW is generally considered a ‘social’ firm, and there are various events that trainees are encouraged to attend, including external and client events such as London International Shipping Week events.

8:00pm: After the event has finished, I say goodbye to my colleagues and head home.

About the firm

Introductory paragraph about the firm:  Every year we recruit only a small number of trainees – around 16 per year, split across a September and March intake. This enables us to give every trainee our full attention, and means that your individual contribution makes a real difference. Overall, we aim to provide you with a dynamic, supportive and varied environment in which you are challenged to become the best lawyer you can be and encouraged to contribute to the success of our global business.

List of clients: ABN AMRO Bank, Alpha Petroleum Resources Limited, BP plc, Excelerate Energy, Gategroup, HSBC Bank plc, ING Bank, Klaipėdos Nafta, Maersk Group, Markerstudy Holdings Limited, Northern Offshore Services, Qatargas, Swedbank, Trafigura, Tsakos Energy Navigation, Tullow Oil plc, Turkish Airlines Inc, Victoria Group AD and existing shareholders.

List of deals/cases in which the firm has been recently involved: Acted for the financiers on the amendment of loan facilities pursuant to the Hermes cruise debt holiday programme in respect of the Saga cruise ships ‘SPIRIT OF DISCOVERY’ and the ‘SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE’ whereby repayments of principal were deferred as a result of the Covid-19-related effects on the cruise market; acting for BW Epic Kosan Ltd. (previously Epic Gas) in connection with the refinancing of 17 LPG ships owned and operated by Lauritzen Kosan; acted for Northern Offshore Services in respect of (1) their purchase of two transfer vessels from SureWind and (2) the lease financing of those vessels provided by Flexam Invest; advised Trafigura Nala Matter on the formation of Nala Renewables – a new joint venture company with IFM Investors; advised Victoria Group on the disposal of its edible oil business, Victoriaoil, to Sun Valley and its co-owner Vaja Jhashi; advised Markerstudy on its acquisition of the Co-operative Group Ltd’s carrier, CIS General Insurance Ltd; advised Lithuanian LNG terminals operator Klaipėdos Nafta on its acquisition of a floating, storage and regasification unit (FSRU) following a public tender involving nine other leading international law firms; advising Qatargas, the world’s largest supplier of LNG, which is partly owned by Qatar Petroleum, on its vessel acquisition project, which forms a key element of the expansion of its North gas field; advising a leading commodities trader on a bid to purchase mining interests in Greece, including on international merger control aspects; advised a leading brand owner on its licensing and distribution arrangements in Europe, with particular reference to competition law.

Senior partner: Giles Kavanagh

Managing partner: Jeremy Shebson

Other offices: 21 global offices across the Americas, Europe, Middle East and Asia Pacific.

Who we are: We are a sector-focused, entrepreneurial law firm. We have a passion for the sectors we work in – whether solving complex issues across construction, aviation and shipping, or providing advice across insurance, commodities and energy. We are people who like to get things done. We are specialist lawyers here to add value to our clients.

What we do: Aviation, commodities, construction, energy, financial institutions, insurance and reinsurance, logistics, mining, ports and terminals, shipping, space, yachts, travel, cruise and leisure.

What we’re looking for in a trainee: We are looking for trainees who are bright, commercially focused and hard working. Strong communication and team working skills are a must. In addition, as our training contract is truly international, we look for individuals who have a global perspective and an interest in completing international work.

What you’ll do: A training contract at HFW consists of four six-month seats – typically three contentious and one transactional, with at least one seat spent abroad gaining a global perspective of our work and clients.

Perks: Contributory pension; season ticket loan; group life cover, personal accident insurance and income protection; non-contributory medical insurance; private GP scheme; other voluntary benefits including gym membership, class pass, cycle to work scheme, dental insurance, dining card, home insurance, travel insurance, Give as You Earn. Onsite massage.

Sponsorship

Law school fees paid, depending on the point of offer, and a maintenance grant of £17,500 is available for each year of study for the PGDL and SQE.

Seat options

Aerospace, commodities, construction, contentious insurance, corporate and commercial, fraud and insolvency, non-contentious insurance, oil and gas, regulatory, shipping finance, shipping litigation, trade finance.

Tips from the recruiter

1. Do your research – not every firm is going to be the right place for everyone. Take your time to work out what is important to you from your place of work. This will help you narrow down the list of firms to which you want to apply (it takes a long time to do a good application form!), as well as help you tailor your answers on application forms and in interviews.
2. Be yourself throughout the recruitment process – you will shine much more and end up at the firm that is right for you if you show your true self throughout the process.
3. Proofread everything – attention to detail is a key skill for lawyers. The recruitment process is a competitive one and it won’t matter how great your answers are if an application form has lots of spelling or grammatical errors in it.