Jones Day London, with over 200 lawyers, offers the breadth and depth of legal services expected of a City firm servicing both national and international clients, yet -- unlike some of our competitors -- retains the atmosphere of a mid-sized City firm. 

The London Office is an integral part of the global firm and is one of the largest in the Jones Day network.  It is at the centre of the firm’s extensive European network which also includes offices in Brussels, Frankfurt, Madrid, Milan, Moscow and Paris.

Principal areas of work in London include M&A, capital markets, private equity, banking and finance, business restructuring, investment funds, litigation, intellectual property, tax and real estate.  We also have teams of lawyers experienced in areas such as competition, environmental, employment and pensions law.

                   

Highlights

• London Office ranked #1 in the Corporate/M&A mid-market category in the United Kingdom in Chambers Europe (2010 Edition)
• Five practice areas and seven lawyers in the London Office are ranked in Chambers Europe (2010 Edition)
• Jones Day London wins 'Litigation and Regulatory Team of the Year' in recognition of high profile work undertaken for Sibir, Digicel and Weavering (British Legal Awards 2009). Earlier in 2009 the London office also won 'Dispute Resolution Team of the Year' in recognition of work undertaken in 2008 and in particular their successful defence of Goldshield against the SFO's charge of conspiracy to defraud (Legal Business Awards 2009).

The London Office holds an array of social and sporting events throughout the year: five-a-side football matches, quiz nights, cricket, rugby and softball matches, the odd karaoke event, and the Christmas pantomime which takes place before the Christmas party.

On Friday nights, our staff will often congregate in a local hostelry to catch up over a quiet beverage, but people will find an excuse to meet up on any night of the week, whether it is to celebrate a new baby or merely to commemorate the completion of a particularly taxing piece of work. 

Entertaining clients is also a key part of the job and can be a pleasant diversion from the usual routine: you may find yourself at a sporting event, a concert, or merely enjoying good food at a fine restaurant.

The pantomime is probably the social highlight of the year at Jones Day.  Written and performed by the trainees, the story is loosely based upon a traditional tale but with characters based upon the partners at the firm and free licence to shoehorn in as many jokes as possible.  Fortunately, the partners generally have thick skins or perhaps try desperately to forget as much of the panto as possible during the Christmas break.  They are often more upset if they don’t get a mention!

You may wonder whether Jones Day's lawyers actually have any time away from work to enjoy a social life.  In all honesty, there will be days when you do work very long hours, and there may well be the odd occasion where you have to cancel a prior engagement because you need to finish a piece of work or because an emergency has arisen that affects one of your clients: it is part of being a professional to realise that occasionally you will have to put the needs of your client ahead of your own.  However, the independence given to both qualified lawyers and trainee lawyers at Jones Day means that you have the flexibility to plan your workload and try to work around your social calendar.

When you do want to plan an evening out, you can take advantage of the fact that our office is situated in the heart of one of the world's great cities.  The office is walking distance from the West End and Covent Garden and is just the other side of the Thames from the Globe Theatre and Tate Modern.  There is no excuse for being bored with so much entertainment on your doorstep. 









 

 


 

We know that our training system produces successful lawyers because of the number of our trainees who have remained with the Firm after qualification and gone on to become senior associates and partners.

On this page, you will find the profiles of some of our associates, of counsel, and partners.

Associates | Of Counsel | Partners

Adam Brown Jesus College, Oxford, Classics and Modern Languages, Trial Practice I first arrived at Jones Day as a Christmas placement student in my final year studying languages at university. I was really struck by two things: first, how far removed this seemed from my preconceptions of a stuffy law firm; and second, by how the trainees and other members of the Firm were convinced that their unique system of training offered so much more than that provided by the raft of other firms whose brochures I had ploughed through during the recruitment process. Two weeks was more than enough time to convince me. I could see why junior lawyers really did relish the opportunities for early responsibility that the Firm encouraged and that the training system enabled. From 2003 I was one of those trainees, involved in an amazing variety of litigation, property, and corporate work, being given the freedom and responsibility to manage my own workload. Unlike my contemporaries in other firms, I did not have to move seats every six months. I was therefore able to see the files on which I worked through to completion and to take a hands-on role in more than just the one discrete aspect of the transaction that a "traditional" training affords. Not only was I attracted to the Firm by the fact responsibility really does come on day one, but it is also an extremely rewarding place to work. Although the London Office is approaching 200 lawyers (and is indeed one of the Firm's larger global offices) it retains a collegial feel, which makes for a much more pleasant working environment and means that there are always people more than happy to give advice (and to go for a drink after work!). This combines with the international reach, varied work, and impressive client list of a truly global firm. The best of both worlds. I qualified into the Litigation Practice in 2005 and, as a trainee and then as an associate, have been involved with a number of extremely varied cases. I have advised on a number of issues in various areas including: fraud, insurance, insolvency, restructuring, and employment in both arbitration and litigation claims. Again it is testament to the way that the Firm operates that there was no real change when it came to qualification, just a steady learning curve throughout, albeit a steep one. I am currently working for (and indeed have been for a number of years now) a client subject to the largest ever fraud alleged to be perpetrated on the London AIM market. Cases such as this are not only extremely high-profile (it is not every day that a company finds it is missing $660 million), but involve a team of us working closely together. Everyone has a role to play and everyone's input (be it trainee, associate or partner) is highly valued. Taking the matter through to the eventual outcome, be it a favourable settlement or trial, gives a fantastic sense of individual and team achievement. Dominic Hornblow Worcester College, Oxford, Jurisprudence, Intellectual Property Practice In the summer of 1997, I faced the difficult task of choosing a law firm. Fortunately, I'd managed to secure a place on the vacation scheme at Jones Day where I was able to assist in defending a fraud case. I was amazed by the amount of involvement I had and was slightly sad at the end of my two weeks because I wouldn't see the case taken to its conclusion. At one and the same time, I could see what was great about the non-rotational system and what would be so irritating about a seat system. By the end of the scheme, I knew that there was only one firm that I really wanted to join. I joined the Firm in 1999, and since then I've not looked back. I now work in the Intellectual Property Practice, focusing on noncontentious matters. I get to be involved in a huge variety of deals, and the experience I gained during my training is still incredibly useful. As a trainee at Jones Day, you have to be capable of working on a property matter at one moment and then a corporate matter the next, which can require you to think in quite different ways. Similarly, today I may be working on an international franchising agreement for a restaurant chain at one point and then looking at a military technology contract the next: I still find this mental agility to be a real asset. As a Jones Day trainee, I think that you get far more experience in working directly with clients than you would at other City firms. This means that you get an instinct for knowing what is really important to a client so that you aren't perhaps pursuing a theoretical issue that won't be relevant in practice. This commercial sense is what really differentiates a competent lawyer from an outstanding one, and Jones Day trainees develop this sense far quicker than those at other firms. Pat Stafford University of Strasbourg, France, French Law. London School of Economics, English Law, Private Equity Practice I joined the Firm as a trainee in September 2001 and during my training contract experienced the transition to Jones Day. I have not been disappointed and feel privileged to have been offered the opportunity to work at this Firm. I joined the Firm for a number of reasons which remain today - the training contract coupled with the ability to take on responsibility from an early stage and against the backdrop of a summer scheme among a group of people with whom I felt comfortable and who obviously enjoyed where they worked. The training contract in many respects sells itself. For example, having your own office from day one and participating in the non-rotational training system can be a great advantage over the more rigid six-month rotational system at other firms where you are placed in an office with an associate or partner. The nature of the training system means that the Firm works very much on the basis of an 'open door' policy. Because trainees do not need to move seats every six months, they feel part of the team they are working with as they see transactions through to closing. In many ways, the training system empowers trainees in the sense that there is no assumption that a trainee will work with a particular team, associate, or partner. Trainees are more likely than not to choose their own work, which puts the onus on the associates and partners to build working relationships with trainees that will result in the trainee wanting to continue working with that team. The transition to qualification is seamless. Again, largely because of the nature of the training system, you will by the time of qualification be working within the practice in which you are to qualify and with clients and colleagues you will continue to work with on qualification. The quality of work undertaken by the Firm is high, and whether you are working on a purely domestic transaction involving colleagues in London or international transactions involving colleagues in offices around the world, you will feel a real sense of teamwork and cohesion. After six years at the Firm and the benefit of hindsight, if I were making the decision now, I would look no further than Jones Day. Kirsty Rogerson UCL, Law, Real Estate Practice I joined Jones Day in September 2003 as a trainee having initially applied to join a mid-sized City firm known as Gouldens. I was surprised (and a little nervous!) to learn shortly before I started my training contract that it had merged with the somewhat larger Jones Day. However, I quickly found that the atmosphere of the firm remained little changed. Jones Day's London office remains a mid-sized firm where you will be able to get to know everyone in the office but now with the opportunity to be involved in high value international transactions acting for clients who are household names. If you have spent anytime looking at the comments made on this website you will have seen that Jones Day's non-rotational training system is different to any other firm in the City. The reason why it is mentioned so often is that the majority of the associates and partners here trained under that system and are justifiably very proud of it. Throughout my training contract I found myself naturally gravitating towards working with/for people who I got on well with and who helped to bring the best out in me. Also, I appreciated the ability to manage my own workload and see a transaction through from start to finish. Having qualified into the property department in September 2005 I am still involved with managing properties and developments that I purchased as a trainee. I also found to be a seamless transition from being a trainee. There is no drastic change as by the time you qualify you will already have been working primarily in your chosen department. Since qualification I have been involved in a wide cross-section of transactions. In particular I manage several out of town and inner city retail and office parks and have been involved in the redevelopment of a number of offices in the City of London. I work with a number of different partners in the department and for many different types of client which ensures that there continues to be variety in my day to day workload. In terms of life outside of work you will be pleased to know that you are allowed one! If you work for any City law firm there will be times when you will need to work hard but at Jones Day I have always enjoyed the ability to have control about guiding the type of work that I wish to do. If I need to leave a little earlier to go to the football etc on occasion that is not a problem. There is a certain amount of work that needs to be done in whatever timetable the relevant transaction requires. It is up to the trainee or the associate to make sure that all the deadlines are met. After more than five years at the firm I am still more than happy here. If you look at the senior assistants and partners you will see that a large proportion of them trained at the firm and have stayed here their whole careers, which I think speaks for itself! Anna Cartwright Oriel College, Oxford, Philosophy, Politics and Economics When I began the daunting task of trying to decide what to do after university, I went to as many law firm presentations as possible to see what they were all about. One of the first firms that I met on the milkround was Jones Day. I immediately warmed to the friendly and approachable nature of the people and applied to do a placement scheme that Winter. The aspect that most appealed to me about Jones Day was the non-rotational training system. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the two week placement mirrors the trainee system and we were encouraged to walk around the offices and look for our own work from any department. I was given some very interesting work and I discovered that even a placement student can contribute usefully in a law firm! I have now been at Jones Day for over five years and throughout that time I have often been thankful that I chose Jones Day. The training system undoubtedly allowed me to become fully involved in the work of the firm from day one. I strongly believe that the high level of responsibility given to trainees has an impact on the workings of the entire London office: an open door approach is essential and the more junior members of teams can make a far more valuable contribution to each job than seems to be possible at other firms. As a trainee it was typical to work on a corporate deal, a property deal and a litigation matter all in one day. Since trainees do not move departments in a set time period, it is possible to become fully involved in deals from start to finish and to get more client contact. Trainees are therefore given a realistic view of the exact type of work that each different department does, which means that choosing the area in which you’d like to qualify is far easier. I chose to qualify into the corporate department and after all the responsibility I was given as a trainee, I hardly noticed the transition from a trainee to a qualified lawyer. I have worked on transactions of many different shapes and sizes. My clients vary from small companies owned by individuals with all of their business based in London, to large international businesses with offices throughout the world. The types of deals I have worked on include acquisitions and disposals of varying sizes, private equity investments, joint ventures, IPOs and real estate fund work. Aside from the excellent quality of work, the reason I enjoy life at Jones Day is down to the people. Everyone is extremely open and friendly and whilst we do often work hard, we are all equally keen to enjoy each other's company outside the office – whether when entertaining clients or in the pub!

Each year, Jones Day publishes a Pro Bono Report.

Please click the link to read our 2008 edition.

Jones Day is proud of its long tradition of pro bono work.  Through its various pro bono projects, the Firm ensures that lawyers who are willing have the opportunity to become involved in helping those less fortunate and less able to help themselves.

The Firm believes strongly that pro bono work should be treated in the same way as all other work, not only in the care and professionalism that goes into that work, but also in the way it is treated in appraisals and assessments. Nonetheless, the decision to become involved in pro bono work is a personal one.  While Jones Day promotes its pro bono activities amongst all lawyers, no one is required to carry out any work simply because it is pro bono.

The London Office is involved in a wide range of local and international projects.  London-based projects include the Waterloo Legal Advice Service, which the Firm has supported for many years.  A number of trainees and associates are regular advisers at the centre and provide legal advice to individuals who do not qualify for Legal Aid, but who cannot afford paid legal advisers.  The Firm also provides administrative and other services to the centre.

London is also deeply involved with LawWorks, and through them have been introduced to a large number of not-for-profit organisations that we have helped with legal problems.  In 2009, one of these organisations nominated two of our lawyers for a pro bono award.

As well as established local and international projects, the London Office welcomes pro bono proposals from all those at the Firm and have developed pro bono relationships through proposals from a number of trainees and associates, as well as partners.  The Firm helps organisations from local sports clubs and youth centres to the Royal Academy of Arts, wherever pro bono work may be appropriate.

The office also has an official charity of the year, voted for by all staff on an annual basis.  The firm liaises with the charity to organise fundraising events (from sponsored activities to sales) and add an optional fundraising angle to a number of firm social events.  Everyone is encouraged to suggest, organise and take part in events, with the full backing of the firm.  The present office charity is the Stroke Association.

Jones Day Pro Bono site