Who we are

Debevoise & Plimpton is a leading international law firm with market-leading practices with offices in New York, Washington DC, San Francisco, London, Paris, Frankfurt, Luxembourg, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Tokyo. The London office works on many of the highest profile and most complex transactions in Europe and worldwide. We do this by virtue of our English and New York law expertise and our close integration with our other offices. Our clients look to us to bring a distinctively high degree of quality, intensity and creativity to resolve legal challenges effectively and cost efficiently. The firm’s culture fosters a collaborative approach across disciplines and regions, and, as a result, clients benefit from the dedication, cohesiveness and superior quality that we bring to all of our work worldwide. 

What we do

In developing our practice in London, we have sought to replicate the core strengths of our practice worldwide. Our focus is on private equity, insurance, international disputes and investigations, financial institutions, M&A, finance, capital markets and tax.

We offer three two-week placements throughout the spring and summer months. Candidates are eligible to apply if they are in their penultimate year of a law degree, final year of a non-law degree or beyond. Vacation scheme students will receive £550 per week. We recruit all of our future trainees from the vacation scheme.

One of Debevoise’s basic principles is that each of our associates should become ‘well rounded’ lawyer – an effective counsellor, advisor, and advocate – who can combine specific legal knowledge with the ability to deal with a broad range of situations. We believe that lawyers best develop their skills through a combination of formal training and on-the-job experience, in a respectful and collegial environment. The two years are split into four six-month seats and trainees have the opportunity to gain experience in at least three distinct areas of law with a mandatory seat in litigation/arbitration. Trainees may have the opportunity to spend time in the Hong Kong office. Also, second year trainees complete a two-week business and finance education program (mini-MBA) at Columbia Business School, New York. 

Our 2027 trainee cohort will complete the SQE. 

Debevoise has long been committed to promoting equality of opportunity and respect for diversity and dignity in the workplace, recognising it as both central to the firm’s practice and fundamental to its ongoing success. We are dedicated to attracting, retaining and promoting lawyers and administrative staff from diverse backgrounds.

That doesn’t happen by itself. To ensure a continued focus on this commitment, the firm has an active London Diversity Committee, drawn from all levels of the firm in London. Its mandate is to ensure recruitment is open to all based on merit, ensure access to relevant development programmes and initiatives, retain and promote a diverse team of staff and lawyers, raise awareness of equality, and cultivate an inclusive culture.

As well as the Diversity Committee, the London office has an active Women’s Resource Group, BAME affinity group, and LGBTQ+ affinity group, ensuring regular forums for discussion and support.

We also look outside the firm for inspiration, hosting high profile guests as part of our D&I London Speaker Series. The firm regularly seeks out credible and effective external schemes to engage with, and currently works with initiatives such as Change 100, Impact 100, the Oxford University Disability Law and Policy Project, and General Counsel for Diversity & Inclusion.

We recognise these efforts need to be ongoing and to grow if we are to deliver on our commitment to diversity and inclusion, and so the team will continue to look for new ways to support this mission.

We partner with The University of Law for the SQE. Full tuition fees are paid, together with a maintenance grant of £15,000 per year.

• Corporate
• Litigation
• Tax
• Finance
• Funds
• Competition
• Insurance
• Regulatory affairs

• Corporate & Commercial
• General Practice

• New York
• Washington DC
• San Francisco
• London
• Paris
• Frankfurt
• Hong Kong
• Shanghai
• Tokyo
• Luxembourg

• Aspire Foundation
• Free Representation Unit
• i-Probono
• PILnet (Public Interest Law)
• TrustLaw Connect
• UnLtd

• SEO London