The Legal Cheek View
Apple launched the very first iPad, the vuvuzela made its debut at the South African World Cup and an Icelandic volcano paused the world’s travel plans. All significant events in the history of 2010. But most importantly, this was the year of the pioneering transatlantic merger between London-based Lovells and Washington DC’s Hogan Hartson. At the time of the merger there was much speculation over what the new name would be — Love Harts? HogLove? Unfortunately for us the firm sensibly settled on Hogan Lovells and it hasn’t looked back since. The combined megafirm now has 45 offices in 22 different countries, including a substantial presence in South America and Asia as well as Europe and the US.
In fact, the Hogan Lovells merger was such a success that the firm is thinking about doing it again — after talks with US outfit Shearman & Sterling collapsed last year, CEO Miguel Zaldivar has said that the firm are still ‘open for business’ as far as a tie-up is concerned, despite there being nothing ongoing.
In the meantime, the firm is back to doing what they do best – posting record financials. After an uncharacteristic dip last year, Hogan Lovells has broken the £2 billion revenue barrier with double digit growth. Global revenues increased by 10% to a record $2.68 billion (£2.15 billion). Profit per equity partner has also jumped a staggering 20% to $2.74 million (£2.2 million) in what has been an impressive year for the firm.
In the UK, the numbers were also back on track as revenues in London and Birmingham surged 15% from £365 million to £420 million – making up for last year’s 13% dip and then some. The two UK camps now make up almost 15% of the firm’s total revenues worldwide.
Hogan Lovells specialises in just about every practice area you can imagine. Though it is slightly more corporate and finance heavy, with these departments accounting for 41% of the firm’s total billings, the rest of the firm’s practice areas are well-balanced. Intellectual property, media and technology (IPMT) and global regulatory make up 31% of Hogan Lovells’ billings, whilst disputes generate 28%. This all-roundedness is particularly attractive to students in that it allows them to keep their options open while training and then qualify into a first-rate team. Indeed, we’re told that it is a requirement for all trainees to do at least one seat in each of the firm’s corporate, litigation and finance practices, which rookies cite as giving them “a holistic experience of commercial law and takes the pressure off having to specialise too early”.
Typically, there is also a wide range of opportunities for international secondments with around one-quarter of trainees recently enjoying spells in far-flung destinations such as Singapore, Dubai, Hong Kong and Paris. The firm has also recently opened a new office in Riyadh so don’t be surprised to see this list expanding soon. Client secondments are also up for grab in industries from banking and finance to automotive to pharmaceuticals.
What’s more, Hogan Lovells has one of the leading pro bono and corporate social responsibility operations in the City, with a wide variety of clients including the British Paralympic Association. Other efforts include a pro bono clinic led by the firm focusing on helping people with the cost of living crisis, as well as joining forces with other firms to found the Domestic Abuse Response Alliance. And they are becoming increasingly conscious of their environmental impact too. As one insider told us: “The travel policy was recently updated to ban short-haul flying where there is an appropriate train option available.”
Whilst not every trainee will complete a secondment or undertake extensive pro bono work, they all get to experience “top drawer” training. Upon starting at the firm, rookies undergo a week-long induction which is said to be a “strong introduction to the firm and its processes”. Rookies then receive a few more introductory sessions each time they move seats, but some report feeling that this process isn’t thorough enough with the firm relying on a learning-by-doing approach: “you generally learn by doing and are expected to ask associates or other trainees for help in completing your work.” Others, however, feel that the firm has got the balance just right, with one offering this glowing assessment: “Second to none and expertly balanced between hands-off, real-world experience coupled with a supporting, patient atmosphere bolstered by broad formal training sessions both internal and external.”
Seat-specific training is also given at the start of each seat “to ensure you are comfortable with the initial tasks expected of a trainee”. Although we’re told by one spy that this can vary in quality depending on “how busy your team is, and how engaged your supervisor is”, another LC insider had this to offer: “I have really enjoyed working with each and every one of my supervisors. They have been incredibly supportive, have looked to give me new levels of independence as I progress and always take the time to explain a case/deal to ensure that I have a good level of understanding and can really get into the weeds of the work I am doing. I would really recommend the training at Hogan Lovells to any aspiring trainees.” High praise indeed. Trainees also tout the optional master’s training that can be taken during the SQE training course.
Junior fee-earning work “varies from seat to seat”, “but generally you are given a really broad range of work tasks, which keeps things consistently interesting”. Transactional seats receive more positive feedback for giving “a lot of responsibility and a lot of interesting work”, whilst litigation and arbitration receive some flack for the “huge amounts of admin such as preparing trial bundles and doing tasks related to billing” that they come with. By contrast, another rookie tells us that in their finance seat they “had quite a substantial amount of client contact and felt integral to the transaction.” Overall, H&L rookies are pleased with the level of work afforded to them: “I am regularly given particular sections of transactions and asked to manage these areas myself, which offers trainees substantial responsibility,” one content insider tells us. “I’m very pleased with the level and type of work I receive as a trainee.” Another adds: “I have been given work that pretty much no other firm would give trainees”.
Trainees’ confidence that Hogan Lovells is “willing to keep up with the competition” has proven to be well-placed. Levels of responsibility increase sharply in the associate ranks, where its London NQ base rates hit £135,000 in the summer of 2024. Having made it to NQ, you have a decent chance of reaching the top of the firm, with Hogan Lovells boasting a good reputation for promoting its own to partner level. And the firm does also offer a handful of training contracts in their Birmingham office, too — and sticking around to become an NQ there will now net you a midlands-leading £85,000.
But you have to work hard to get there. Trainees say their work/life balance is “seasonal” but confess that they can be particularly “challenging” at times. That said, juniors recognise that “for a corporate law firm, I couldn’t do better” and colleagues are always on hand for support: “you’re most probably not going out for that dinner at 6pm, but then again, no one else is — you’re not left behind whilst everyone else lives their best life!”. Another insider offers this anecdote: “In 10 months I’ve had to cancel one dinner plan and have been given a lot of freedom to leave early / start late to attend sporting and social commitments. I have also only worked on the weekend once in 10 months.” There is also said to be no facetime culture and colleagues “really encourage you to enjoy the quiet periods.”
Despite the occasional late night, morale seems high among the firm’s rookie ranks. Several individuals told us that they had formed lifelong friendships with members of their cohort: “My peers in general are very supportive and want to see me do well” said one recruit. “We all very much focus on our own training experience and qualification prospects, rather than comparing against each other”. Another tells us the “lovely Lovells reputation holds true; everyone at the firm (specifically in the tax team) is impressive and at the top of their game but without being pretentious, aloof or unfriendly. It really is a lovely place to work.” And you need to look no further than the firm’s introduction of a new internal channel for all staff to report incidents that have made them feel uncomfortable in the workplace for proof of this.
Whether its book clubs, cycling events or Thursday night dinner and drinks at nearby HL haunt Gigi’s, Hogan Lovells has a social life to match its lovely trainees. More formal events include an annual summer party and leaver/joiner drinks at the end of each seat which trainees leaving and going into the seat can attend.
As far as HL superiors are concerned, all the rookies we spoke to considered everyone at the firm to be “very approachable” — a consequence of the open door policy. “You build such a great rapport with your supervisors, it’s quite sad to actually leave them – they’re incredible people, teachers and sources of support and inspiration” said one trainee which Legal Cheek spoke to. The inside tip is that junior lawyers are expected to make the first move when it comes to building relations with higher-ups so don’t be too shy!
The firm announced in early 2022 that its London office would be moving in 2026 just across the road to a new “bespoke” space which, whilst smaller than its current digs, will be more eco-friendly. “The new office looks impressive and lawyers (including trainees) have been asked to give feedback on our preferences,” one HL spy tells us. And trainees are looking forward to the move with their old abode in Atlantic House “starting to feel worn”. Another recruit told us that “Atlantic House is still a very nice place to work, bright, airy and spacious with well-kept offices and plenty of facilities” and the “enormous water feature in the atrium is a nice touch!” We just hope that the Ancient Roman remains found during an excavation at the firm’s new digs doesn’t keep some restless trainees waiting too long!
Slightly less exciting than a new office is the tech initiative — but the firm’s tech initiative ELTEMATE have recently launched their own legal AI chatbot CRAIG (we could have thought of a better name too) for HL lawyers. Though, judging by the lawyers LC spoke to were not sure this innovation has reached the front lines yet with recruits describing the tech situation as “totally analogue” and “not great”. The firm does have some great tech at its disposal, namely its Libor Tool, a system which tracks the latest regulatory developments across the major currency benchmarks, and Kira, an AI-powered document review platform but we’ll keep an eye out for this reaching the trainees in the near future!
And we can’t complete this review without mentioning the perks. Not only do the trainees enthuse about the “excellent” free in-house gym equipped with personal trainer and “Kulan Kitchen” — the firm’s canteen, where the food is “genuinely excellent and fairly cheap”, as well as being completely free one day a week — but there’s private medical insurance, an option to buy extra holidays, free mortgage advice, free counselling, private healthcare and a ‘passport’ scheme where juniors can work in one of the firm’s international offices for a period of time.
