We are a full-service, business-oriented law firm with around 650 lawyers across 10 offices, providing sophisticated, high-value legal services. Our London office is growing, and currently has 40 fee-earners. 

Worldwide, our lawyers serve as valued partners to public and private companies, including many of the leading UK financial institutions and corporations, nearly half of the Fortune 100, nine out of 10 of the largest investment banks on Wall Street and a full spectrum of leisure and entertainment companies. In London we have a strong focus on the financial services and hospitality and leisure sectors in particular, across the various practice groups, including hotels, motion picture studios and television networks.

At Katten, you will find a culture that is uniquely entrepreneurial with opportunities for trainees and associates that are very different from your typical law firm, including:

The opportunity for early hands-on experience – our trainees and associates participate in cutting-edge, creative legal work through notably lean staffing: in most matters you’ll find a 1:1:1 ratio of trainees, associates and partners.

The opportunity to shape your career path – our trainees and associates are encouraged to seek out the type of work they are interested in and have the opportunity to specialise early on in their careers.

The opportunity to feel valued – we see our trainees as valued team members and as a result trainees often get a greater exposure to more senior work than they might get elsewhere.

Katten offers up to twelve one-week summer vacation scheme places over two weeks in June each year. The programme provides practical experience, with vacation schemers undertaking a variety of work from different practice areas, benefiting from the opportunity to see first-hand how our trainees, associates and partners work. Those interested in being considered for a training contract at Katten must first secure a place on the summer vacation scheme.

We have a wide variety of practice groups providing a full service to clients. We are flexible in our trainees’ choice of seats, offering a bespoke training contract. Trainees have four six-month departmental ‘seats’, but frequently work on matters across complementary departments at the same time, which ensures as broad an experience as possible. Our trainees are just as key to our client service, business development and office growth as our partners, associates and staff.

Our training contract is flexible, incorporating your interests as well as our desire to create a rounded, commercial, qualified Katten lawyer with strong legal knowledge, excellent client service skills and sound business acumen. 

We will be starting our SQE transitional arrangements in Autumn 2023, when we will be sponsoring students to do SQE1 and 2, ready to start their two years' QWE with us in August/September 2024. 

Payment of all course fees.

£8,000 for GDL maintenance grant in London.

£8,000 for LPC maintenance grant in London.

• Corporate
• Real estate
• Commercial/intellectual property
• Banking
• Financial services
• Employment
• Tax
• Litigation

• General Practice

• London

• LawWorks
• TrustLaw Connect

• Aspiring Solicitors
• Inspire!
• PRIME
• Social Mobility Business Partnership