With some UK Singaporean law students venturing to another Asian Dragon to begin their careers, Lex Loci explores the less trodden path of training to be a Hong Kong solicitor. While most Singaporean law students would return home or remain in the UK upon completion of their legal studies, a small handful have been going down a less travelled alternative path: that of working and training in Hong Kong, another Asian financial powerhouse. Lex Loci speaks to Ms. Priscilla Kam, Graduate Recruitment Officer at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer Hong Kong, to get a better idea of the overall career trajectory of a Hong Kong trainee and learn more about the recruitment process. 1. We note that the training and qualification process in Hong Kong is quite different compared to Singapore’s. Would you mind telling us what a Hong Kong trainee at Freshfields can expect in terms of: a. Pre-training contract steps for a UK law student There are three main steps involved: First, the student must attain a qualifying law degree (ie an LL.B or J.D) from universities in Hong Kong, England, Australia etc. Second, the student must ensure that he completes all the Conversion Examinations (http://www.pcea.com.hk/). There are a total of 8 papers, and the exams are organized biannually in Hong Kong each January and June. Students may take any number of exams at any point of their legal studies, and there is no limit on the number of attempts. Third, the student must apply and be accepted to the Postgraduate Certificate in Laws (PCLL), which is a professional legal qualification programme. This is offered at three local universities – Hong Kong University, Chinese University of Hong Kong, and City University of Hong Kong, and can be undertaken on a full-time or part-time basis. Admission is competitive and students are generally required to achieve a Second Upper or better. b. The training contract itself The training contract will last for 2 years. At Freshfields, trainees may rotate seats every 3 months, spending time in up to 6 practice groups. For the Hong Kong office, we require trainees to spend 6 months in our Corporate practice group, and 3 months each in Disputes Resolution and Finance. Trainees may also elect to be seated in our Intellectual Property and Information Technology or Anti-Competition and Trust practice groups. We ask trainees to indicate their preferences in advance, and do our best to accommodate them. Freshfields Hong Kong also offers a unique opportunity in that all trainees are guaranteed two secondments – one to London which lasts for 6 months, and one to either Shanghai or Beijing for 3 months. c. Qualifying into a seat and trainee retention rates In June of a trainee’s second year, we will consult him on his seat preference post-qualification, and again, we try to accommodate our trainees wherever possible. At Freshfields Hong Kong, we usually attain a 100% trainee retention rate. Trainees are a valuable but expensive investment for us; we generally aspire for all our trainees to remain with us as associates upon qualification. 159
d. Post-qualification There are opportunities to be seconded to clients, depending on the availability of suitable supervisors. Although client secondment is available to trainees as well, it generally more likely to take place after your qualification. In terms of inter-office transfers, we have seen some transfers and secondments to Freshfields’ Singapore office. This depends on business need, although we also take interest into account. Transfers to London or China are also common. e. Support from the firm and other perks We sponsor PCLL course fees for all trainees. In addition, we offer overseas graduates a maintenance grant during PCLL, as well as financial reimbursement for Conversion exam fees. Trainees are also sponsored to attend language classes if need be. We see our future trainees a part of the firm even prior to the commencement of their training contract – trainees are invited to join our spring dinner, Christmas party, and even our dragon boat and football teams. Trainees also help out in graduate recruitment events, such as the UK law fairs and open house days. Upon joining the firm, trainees undergo a series of on-boarding training. Trainees also undertake training in house, covering both technical and soft skills. Lunch seminars with esteemed speakers are organized as well. Each trainee is also allocated a principal under Law Society regulations as well as a buddy, who is likely to be either a second year trainee or a newly-qualified associate. Both the principal and the buddy are there to guide the trainee, providing advice and support. 2. Could you take us through the recruitment process at Freshfields please? (e.g. deadlines, interviews with HR/ partners, competency tests) Whilst it is not compulsory for students to complete an internship before applying for a training contract, we do recommend they do if possible. The aim of the internship is to give students an opportunity to experience working at Freshfields so that they can make an informed decision regarding their training contract. We offer training contracts two years in advance, and thus, applicants should generally be in their penultimate year. Applications for our summer internship programmes open in October and close in January. In addition, we also offer a winter internship programme aimed at Australian law students. In general, we receive around 300-500 applications each year, and look to recruit around 30 interns, with around 20 places for the summer programme. There are three stages; first, applicants complete an online application form, which includes a personal statement and information regarding an applicant’s academic transcripts and CV. This is then followed by SHL competency tests in verbal, numerical and logical reasoning. We look at the overall picture across all three tests in determining whether an applicant is suitable. Finally, the applicant will be invited to an interview, which is conducted jointly by Human Resources and a Partner. Applicants who successfully pass through all three stages will be offered a place on our summer internship programme, and asked to indicate a preference for either the June or July scheme. Interns who do not have permission to work in Hong Kong will receive assistance in applying for a training visa. We offer competitive remuneration and interns who are not resident in Hong Kong also receive a cash allowance.