Type of practice: Leading City firm, predominantly company/commercial work. Recent work: The merger of ntl and Telewest; flotation of Pinewood Shepperton (the James Bond and Harry Potter film studios); the sale of Jimmy Choo shoes, Molton Brown and the Tussauds Group; the acquisition of Aston Villa F.C. and West Ham F.C. Travers Smith is a City firm with a major corporate and commercial practice. Although we are less than a quarter of the size of the dozen largest firms, we attract top quality work but still offer a professional yet relaxed working environment providing the best of both worlds. A high proportion of the firm’s work has an international dimension – to service this, we have opened an office in France and developed close working relationships with independent law firms who share our high standards. Principal areas of work Our areas of expertise include: corporate law (including takeovers and mergers, financial services and regulatory laws), commercial law (which includes competition and intellectual property), dispute resolution, corporate recovery/insolvency, tax, employment, pensions, banking and real estate. Training Travers Smith has earned a phenomenal reputation in relation to its size. The work we undertake is exciting, intellectually demanding and top quality, involving blue-chip clients and big numbers. This means that our trainees gain great experience right from the outset. The firm has a comprehensive training programme which ensures that trainees experience a broad range of work. All trainee solicitors sit in rooms with partners and assistants, receive an individual and extensive training from experienced lawyers and enjoy client contact and the responsibility that goes with it from the beginning of their training contract. The firm operates an exchange programme for assistant solicitors with US and European law firms. Pro bono We offer a range of pro bono opportunities within individual departments and on a firm-wide basis. Solicitors from the firm were recently awarded two separate national awards in recognition of their outstanding contributions to pro bono work. Work/life social balance On the social front, the firm fields teams in rugby 7s, five-a-side football, mixed hockey, softball, cricket, squash and golf against clients and other law firms. Because of our size, most people know each other well and a group of trainees can usually be found in a local bar most evenings. Skills and attitudes sought We look for people who combine academic excellence with common sense; who are articulate; who think on their feet; who are determined and self-motivated; and who take their work but not themselves seriously. Applications are welcome from law and non-law undergrad