Graduate and Trainee Committee
Morrison Foerster is committed to your early career development. Alongside our Training Principal, Trevor James, we have introduced a Graduate and Trainee Committee comprised of senior attorneys in the London office. The committee acts as another level of support throughout your training helping you to navigate your first two years at the firm. At least one committee member will be part of your interview process, and you will have the opportunity to connect with them during the vacation scheme, offering a thread of constant support from application to qualification.
Trevor has over 30 years of experience in providing corporate and international tax advice. His practice focuses on advising client on the tax planning aspects of international transactions and strategic tax planning for global clients. He has particular experience in advising clients in the technology sector and IP-rich companies.
Trevor has also advised clients on the design and implementation of global private equity and investment funds, including advising executive teams on the structuring of their carried interest arrangements. He is familiar with the legislation, HM Revenue & Customs guidance and current market practice in relation to such arrangements.
Read More »Trevor L James
tjames@mofo.comLondon, +44 (0)20 7920 4087
Download vCardStuart Alford is a partner based in the Corporate Group.
Stuart’s practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, private equity investments, joint ventures, reorganizations and general corporate advisory matters. He has particular experience in the technology space, and regularly advises European, Asian and U.S.-based clients on complex cross-border mergers and acquisitions and investments.
Read More »Stuart Alford
salford@mofo.comLondon, +44 (0)20 7920 4034
Download vCardEmma Bosworth is an Of Counsel based in the London office of Morrison Foerster, a member of the Corporate M&A Group, and a co-chair of the ESG + Sustainability Associates Committee.
Emma advises clients on a range of corporate matters, including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, shareholder arrangements and general corporate advisory matters. She has broad experience advising domestic and international clients on large complex cross-border and domestic transactions across various industries, including financial services, real estate, automotive and pharmaceuticals.
Read More »Emma Bosworth
ebosworth@mofo.comLondon, +44 (0)20 7664 1667
Download vCardMercedes Samavi is a member of both the Technology Transactions Group and the Global Privacy Group.
She advises domestic and international clients in relation to commercial contracts, tech licensing, digital regulatory compliance, outsourcing, and M&A and investment deals. As part of her privacy work, Mercedes advises clients on a spectrum of complex privacy compliance matters, ranging from developing global and pan-European privacy programmes and strategies, responding to regulatory requests and investigations and implementing data protection contractual arrangements. In the words of her clients, “Mercedes Samavi is incredibly responsive and a dream to work with. Nothing is ever too much trouble, she will always go the extra mile to ensure the client’s needs are met, and her legal expertise is exceptional and her advice always delivered in a practical, realistic way for the client.” (Legal 500 UK).
Read More »Mercedes Samavi
msamavi@mofo.comLondon, +44 (0)20 7920 4170
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“No matter the outcome, the vacation scheme is a great learning experience and provides fantastic insight into the world of work in a commercial law firm. At MoFo, we are driven by excellence.”
Hattie Lodge, Attorney Recruiting Manager
What We Look For
We are looking for talented, ambitious individuals who value collaboration, teamwork, and commitment to excellence and display a genuine enthusiasm for a career in law and interest in our core London practices.
Strong academics are vital, and we require you to be on track for or to have already achieved a minimum of a 2:1 degree and a minimum of AAB (or equivalent) at A Level.
If you are currently a law student, you can apply from the penultimate year of your law degree. Non-law students should apply from the final year of your degree. We also welcome applications from individuals with relevant industry experience who are considering changing careers.
London Trainee Wellness
MoFo is committed to being a supportive workplace for mental health and well-being. The firm has prioritised mental health across the organisation, investing in training, resources, and benefits to support this initiative. Our mental health steering committee provides resources, sponsors training, and develops communications to promote best practices for a healthy workplace. Additionally, partnerships with leading health and well-being providers offer employees access to health coaches and inter-office challenges focused on exercise, nutrition, and mindfulness.
We are also partnered with WorkLife Central, which supports employees through all strands of life, including the four pillars: career, family, inclusion, and well-being. The digital platform offers live talks, networking events, on-demand content, and a library of blogs and podcasts.
Our benefits include an employee assistance programme that provides confidential emotional support, legal guidance, and financial information. We also have dedicated wellness spaces in our offices for colleagues to use as needed.
At MoFo, we understand that individuals approach mental health and well-being differently. In addition to firmwide and regional offerings, all trainees attend core programmes during their onboarding and training period, covering a range of topics relevant to private practice. We aim to reduce the stigma associated with mental health, providing tools for self-support and mutual aid among colleagues, fostering a workplace environment where everyone can thrive.
Meet the Team
Come and speak to us about graduate careers in London:
- Aspiring Solicitors Virtual Diversity Law Fairs: 9, 18 & 25 September 2024
- St Andrews University Virtual Skills Session: 26 September 2024
- TargetJobs: Self Made in Law: 8 October 2024
- All About Law: How to Turn a Vacation Scheme into a Training Contract: 21 October 2024
- University College London Law Fair: 21 October 2024
- All About Law: Mastering the Art of Applying to Law Firms: 22 October 2024
- Warwick University Law Fair: 22 October 2024
- Bright Network: Diverse Legal Leaders: 25 October 2024
- All About Law: Digital Campus: 5 & 21 November 2024
- Cambridge University Law Fair: 6 November 2024
- All About Law: Diversity & Inclusion: Just Buzzwords?: 11 November 2024
- Manchester University Law Fair: 12 November 2024
- Legal Cheek: Commercial Awareness Panel: 12 November 2024
- Oxford University Skills Session (on campus): 14 November 2024
- All About Law: Life as an LGBTQ+ Lawyer: An Unfiltered Discussion: 14 November 2024
- TargetJobs: Black Excellence in Law: 15 November 2024
- Legal Cheek Virtual Law Fair: 19 November 2024
- All About Law: Beyond Billable Hours: Redefining Success Through Pro Bono: 21 November 2024
Frequently Asked Questions
Applications open on 23 September 2024 and will close on 6 January 2025. We review applications on a rolling basis throughout this period and do not accept late applications. You must apply via our online system; we cannot accept CV submissions.
Our 2025 Vacation Schemes will run from 16 June to 27 June and from 30 June to 11 July.
Strong academics are vital, and we require you to be on track for or to have already achieved a minimum of a 2:1 degree and a minimum of AAB (or equivalent) at A Level.
You are still able to apply if you do not meet our grade boundaries; however, please be aware that our process is incredibly competitive.
We encourage you to include any mitigating circumstances that may have affected your grades within your application form. We are also pleased to be working with RARE’s contextual recruitment system that helps us to assess your grades within the context they were achieved.
Yes, we accept applications from students and graduates completing their postgraduate legal education.
Our preferred training supplier for future trainees is the University of Law; however, if you have already started study with another provider, your application will not be at a disadvantage. Providing you receive an offer from us for our trainee programme and have achieved strong grades, we will reimburse your study fees for the above courses from any legal university or college in the UK.
No, we recruit all our future trainees through our vacation schemes. You must apply to our vacation scheme before the deadline to be considered for the London trainee programme.
If your application was unsuccessful previously, you are welcome to reapply. We would encourage you to consider if there has been significant change in your application from your previous application to us that demonstrates your development. We are unlikely to re-interview candidates who were previously unsuccessful in our vacation scheme.
Unfortunately, we are unable to provide feedback at application stage due to the volume of applications received.
You are given the option to interview virtually or in-person at the first stage. We appreciate that travelling to London may be disruptive for some applicants and are pleased to offer a hybrid approach to suit you.
We do ask that all second-stage interviews be conducted in person and can assist with reimbursing travel costs.
Yes, we pay £500 per week. If you receive an offer for a place on our vacation scheme and require additional financial assistance, please email LNRecruiting@mofo.com.
If you are yet to commence your PgDL (if you are a non-law student) and SQE, the firm will pay full course and exam fees for your study at the University of Law. We also offer a maintenance grant of £15,000 for PgDL study and £17,000 for SQE study. We no longer sponsor the LPC route to qualification; however, if you have already studied or are part-way through studying the LPC, you may still apply.