Continuing Our Commitment to Growth
A career with Vinson & Elkins in our London office represents an outstanding opportunity to fulfil professional ambitions.
In 1971, Vinson & Elkins was one of the first U.S. firms to establish an office in London, and the continuing growth of our London office is a vital part of V&E’s overall strategy. Our long-standing and significant experience in London along with our Texas roots gives us a unique perspective and a rich and friendly culture, which those who have joined us find refreshingly different.
Our strategy for growth in London is simple, yet effective: to build steadily on our strengths and to focus on the long term. We believe that by hiring the best lawyers and giving them every opportunity to develop their practice in a supportive environment, they will flourish, and so will our firm.
Vinson & Elkins currently offers four-six training contracts commencing in September each year. Training contracts are not run on a rigid seat system, but instead, a trainee will gain wide experience in many different areas simultaneously, working with a variety of associates and partners from across the firm.
Whilst being based in London, trainees often take secondments in our other offices (particularly our offices in the Middle East and Houston), and travel is a likely part of any training contract with us. Trainees will have the support of an associate mentor to provide an extra, and hands-on, port of call for support and assistance.
Vinson & Elkins looks to recruit from the best candidates, and we believe our training contracts reflect this — both in quality of training and work, as well as in the highly competitive salary and benefits:
- £50,000 for first-year trainees (2020)
- £55,000 for second-year trainees (2020)
- £159,500 newly qualified salary (2022)
In addition, we offer funding for V&E preparatory course(s) and examination for the SQE and a maintenance grant of £12,500 for the SQE year.
Don’t just take our word on it, take a look at Chambers and Partners‘ profile of the quality of V&E’s London trainee programme.
For further information about the training programme and V&E as a whole, please contact us at graduaterecruitment@velaw.com.
How To Apply
Applications for the 2023 Vacation Scheme will open on 1 October 2022 and close on 13 January 2023. Direct applications for the 2025 Training Contract will open on 16 January 2023 and close on 30 June 2023. Please note we predominately recruit from our Vacation Scheme and only review Training Contract applicants in the event we do not identify our future trainees from the Vacation Scheme cohort which is rare. We strongly recommend all candidates apply for the Vacation Scheme if they wish to be considered for a Training Contract with the Firm.
We view vacation placements as an invaluable tool for allowing both the trainee candidate and V&E to assess each other, and accordingly, when considering training contract applications, we give first preference to those who have completed a placement with us.
During the course of the one week that candidates spend in Vinson & Elkins’ London office, they will get full exposure to the different areas of practice offered in the London office. Not only will a candidate share a room with an associate or partner, they will also have the opportunity to meet and work with a variety of different practice groups during the week.
Our vacation placements are limited. To be eligible, applicants should be, at a minimum, in the penultimate year of their degree.
We would expect all candidates to have achieved a minimum of AAB at A-Level (or equivalent) and 60% or above across all first-year university modules or, if a graduate, a minimum of a 2.1 in their undergraduate degree.
Successful applications will clearly demonstrate a genuine commitment to the law and a real interest in V&E’s core practice areas in the London office.
How to Apply
Applications for the 2023 Summer Vacation Scheme will open on 1 October 2022 and close on 13 January 2023.
Students in the first year of their degree who would like to learn more about Vinson & Elkins may be interested in attending our Open Day, which will be held in spring 2023.
During the day with V&E London, you will have the opportunity to learn about the Firm; gain insight into life as a trainee; participate in our commercial awareness workshop; fire questions at partners during our panel Q&A; and have the opportunity to chat with our associates and trainees in a relaxed environment during our networking event to round off the day.
How to Apply
Applications for our 2023 Open Day will open on 1 November 2022 and close on 3 February 2023. Places are limited and we would encourage you to apply early.
Our Graduate Recruitment Team, trainees and associates attended and hosted a number of events throughout autumn 2021. Stay tuned for our 2022 event dates which will be added here. You can register your details with to hear more about our 2022 recruitment calendar by following the link here.
University Law Fairs:
7 October – University of St Andrews
12 October – University of Durham
13 October – University of Bristol
18 October – University of Cambridge
22 October – University of Oxford
24 October – University College London
9 November – University of Leeds
17 November – University of Exeter
Additional Fairs:
V&E will be attending Virtual Fairs Aspiring Solicitors and Legal Cheek.
Aspiring Solicitors Diversity Law Fair Series: 12 September, 26 September, 10 October, 24 October
Legal Cheek Virtual Law Series: 8 September, 11 October, 22 November
Bespoke V&E Virtual Events & Networking
An Evening with V&E: Energy – Monday 28 November, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
An Evening with V&E: International Disputes – Wednesday 7 December, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
An Evening with V&E: Meet the Trainees – Tuesday 13 December, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
London Graduate Recruitment Contacts
Rebecca HiltonLondon TraineeI completed a vacation scheme at V&E in my 2nd year at university and by the end of the week, I knew it was where I wanted to train. All the associates and partners were very welcoming, keen to explain what they did on a day-to-day basis and get me involved in real client work. The scheme itself is an accurate reflection of being a V&E trainee, with a focus on independently seeking out the work you want to get involved with and the ability to work on a variety of tasks. Over the course of the week, you are encouraged to talk to and work with all of the departments – during my week I sat in CCL but was able to complete ETP, Finance and Tax work as well!
Celebrating 50 Years in London
Read MoreFrom our humble beginnings at 170 Piccadilly to our location today in the iconic Walkie Talkie building, we want to thank our clients and colleagues for their trust and collaboration over the last 50 years. We look forward to servicing your needs for decades to come.