Debevoise & Plimpton

Debevoise was founded in the Big Apple in 1931 and still boasts of its “strong New York roots”, while insisting that the London office “has its own voice and culture”. Globally, Debevoise has a fairly condensed offering of nine offices across the US, Europe and Asia. The firm’s name, incidentally, isn’t Frenchified as some might think — it rhymes with “noise”, like Theydon Bois on the Central Line. Luckily, grads who make it at Debevoise won’t need to consider living that far out, with trainee salaries starting at £55,000 and NQ wages rising to a recently improved £168,000 — this is one of the highest-earning gigs in legal London. Pay packets are increased in “lockstep” with other lawyers in the same qualifying year, and at the giddy heights of partnership the money positively cascades in.

The firm’s latest financial results, taken in isolation, may present a mixed bag. But don’t be fooled — the numbers remain impressive. While profit per equity partner (PEP) dipped 8.9% to $4.04 million (£3.2 million), this seven-figure sum remains double that of some Magic Circle partners. Overall, total revenue increased slightly from $1.33 billion (£1.04 billion) to $1.36 billion (£1.06 billion). However, there’s certainly no cause for concern; the firm is growing in headcount and its London office saw income climb a staggering 60% in just five years.

As with all megabucks US outfits, you lose in downtime what you gain in filthy lucre. While the workload is “seasonal and depends on the team”, the hours of the fabled litigation team “can be absolutely brutal” — and this seat is mandatory. “It’s never going to be a 9-6 (or even 7) job”, warns one insider, but you might at least get some flexibility: “The general attitude in my team is super laidback — come in when you want, if you want to do something in the evenings, that’s fine — so long as the work gets done. It does sometimes mean getting to dinner and working afterwards until quite late, but I’d rather that than miss out on all my social commitments.” We’re also told that “people are generally respectful of boundaries and there will be a good reason if you need to work late”. Another rookie provides this advice for Debevoise-hopefuls: “Make sure you stick around supportive friends and family who can help you when you’re working hard.”

The rise in agile working has only “blurred work/life boundaries”. As one trainee remarked: “The culture of the firm requires you to be extremely responsive, and so there are fewer safe evenings and weekends compared to when we were in the office.” Generally, the firm’s WFH set-up is said to be “pretty good” and we’re told it recently issued “top of the range laptops, phones and iPads in addition to a very large screen for a work from home set up”. Unfortunately, the firm’s legal tech doesn’t follow suit: “the software the firm uses does leave a lot to be desired”, reports one junior. Another adds that it is “on the mend, but lagging”, meaning tasks are often “made much longer because of this which can be frustrating”.

Unsurprisingly, training at Debevoise adheres to the norms of a US firm: “You learn by doing.” “The firm has a very good set of formal training presentations for each department [with] practical advice in addition to teaching about the topic in question” explains one rookie, “however, the most effective training is done on the job”.

Moreover, insiders report that senior colleagues are always available for support: “Debevoise has an open door policy, meaning everyone should feel comfortable walking into other people’s rooms (at an appropriate time) and asking for support. This principle is practised well — I have never felt awkward or uncomfortable approaching my superiors, even the most senior partners.” Knowing when to approach superiors for help is a sentiment mirrored in other trainees’ responses, with another summarising: “provided you find the right time (i.e. not the middle of a closing) and have thought about the question, all team members (including partners) are willing to talk to you about any issues on matters. I also find that your opinion is typically respected as a trainee”. Second year trainees also complete a two-week, mini-MBA at Columbia Business School in New York, which makes a pretty cool addition to any junior lawyer’s CV.

The work at Debevoise is described as “generally stimulating” but can vary between departments. And the right to more interesting work does have to be earnt, with one newbie explaining: “You get a lot of responsibility early on once you’re trusted.” But trainees who make the grade have enjoyed “client work for major British and American private equity sponsors”. That said, the lack of paralegals in some departments means “you can get stuck doing long administrative jobs”. However, owing to the small nature of the teams, “everyone must be able to pull their weight on substantive tasks”, which includes getting involved in “market-leading matters”. So, on balance, rookies consider it a good deal.

Debevoise “places a big emphasis on hiring trainees who get along”, one new arrival says, and small intakes mean the trainees are tight-knit once they have bonded — “You need to learn to pursue a good relationship with your peers, but they are very supportive once that is established”, one insider tells Legal Cheek. The firm advises that it “recruits all of its trainees from vacation scheme students”, so trainees are encouraged to apply for that as the firm doesn’t accept direct training contract applications.

Perks include the usual Deliveroo allowances, private healthcare, free iPads and taxis after 9pm as well the aforementioned mini-MBA in New York. “Good pay and a nice bonus for the work we do” is the top perk for one rookie. Back in 65 Gresham Street, the office is said to be “fine” and “in a decent location” but luckily for any unimpressed trainees the firm is set to relocate to the Daily Mail’s former swanky, 1920s Art Deco-style digs at The Northcliffe, near Blackfriars. The move is pencilled in for early next year so we’ll be back then to see what they’ve done with the place…