With more than 70 offices globally and a team of 13,000 people, including over 6,500 lawyers, Baker McKenzie is one of the world’s largest law firms. We work with our colleagues across the firm’s global network to serve clients and meet their evolving needs, providing tailored advice underpinned by deep practice and sector expertise and enhanced by first-rate market knowledge. Trainee solicitors are a vital part of our network, exposed to the international scope of the firm from the moment they start, with possible overseas secondment opportunities. Recent secondees have spent time in Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo, New York, Sydney and Melbourne.

Types of work

Our London office provides our clients with solutions to complex and often cross-border situations through a network of lawyers and offices that are locally embedded and globally integrated. We advise on some of the most significant and largest cross-border transactions, complex disputes and investigations, and international advisory matters in the UK and global markets.

With more than 500 lawyers, our London office is the largest in our firm and a major city practice in its own right, providing domestic and cross-border legal advice in banking and finance; M&A; tax; competition; dispute resolution; employment; technology; and intellectual property to a number of leading multinational corporations and financial institutions on complex matters.

Through connected thinking and integrated legal solutions, our London team works with colleagues across the globe to help clients achieve their objectives, while mitigating risk.

To find out what it is like to work at Baker McKenzie read the firm's Meet the Lawyer profile.

Our vacation schemes offer the ideal opportunity to experience what it’s like to work for a city-based, global law firm. Each vacation scheme gives you the chance to experience two of our key practice areas. Training is provided throughout to familiarise you with some of our typical transactions and to help you develop key skills. We place great emphasis on involving you in ‘live’ work.

Spring vacation scheme: 31 March – 17 April 2024

Summer vacation scheme: 16 June – 4 July 2024

The two-year training contract comprises four six-month seats which include a corporate and a contentious seat, usually within our highly regarded dispute resolution department. We also offer the possibility of a secondment abroad or with a client. During each seat you will have formal and informal reviews to discuss your progress and regular meetings to explore subsequent seat preferences. Your training contract commences with a highly interactive and practical induction programme which focuses on key skills including practical problem solving, presenting and the application of information technology. The firm’s training programmes include important components of management and other business skills, as well as seminars and workshops on key legal topics for each practice area. There is a trainee solicitor liaison committee which acts as a forum for any new ideas or concerns which may occur during the training contract.

During the SQE1 prep course, trainees will have learning coach support and oppourtunities to attend face-to-face 'Prep for Success' workshops. Trainees will sit several practice exams prior to undertaking the actual SQE1. The SQE2 prep course provides practitioner expertise on practical transactions and legal skills. In addtion to SQE1 and 2, trainees will take part in our practice group overview practical workshops to build commercial awareness, client relationship skills and soft skills to ensure they are fully prepared ahead of their qualifying work experience.  

Baker McKenzie offer an SQE grant of £16,000 to law graduates and £17,000 to non-law graduates. Baker McKenzie are no longer funding the PGDL as they now only fund the foundation course with BARBRI. 

• Commercial litigation
• Intellectual property
• Technology & media
• Employment
• Private client
• Commercial property
• Commercial
• Corporate M&A
• Banking & finance
• Capital markets
• Private equity & funds
• Restructuring & insolvency
• Tax
• Competition
• Energy

• Corporate & Commercial

• London

• Benefacto
• Prisoners’ Advice Service
• Victim Support

• Afro-Caribbean Network
• Aspiring Solicitors
• Black Lawyers’ Directory
• Black Solicitors Network
• Bright Network
• Career Academies
• City Solicitors Horizons
• DiversCity
• Lawyers in Schools
• Mindful Business Charter
• MyPlus Consulting
• Pathways to Law
• PRIME
• Rare Recruitment
• SEO London
• Social Mobility Foundation
• Stonewall
• StreetLaw
• Sutton Trust
• Uptree
• WCAN: the Black Women's Network
• Working Families