CMS - True Picture

CMS training contract review 2024

The Firm

CMS is nothing short of a global commercial beast, with over 70 offices across 40 countries and over 5,000 lawyers between them. “The main thing that drew me to CMS was the international aspect,” said one trainee, and with such epic proportions, the firm’s reputation for global commercial expertise can hardly go amiss. CMS stands out internationally in construction, energy and technology in particular, and it’s important to understand that this firm is anchored by its sector-based approach: “It pitches itself on its work across multiple sectors – their USP.”

The eight specialist sectors at CMS are: energy; financial institutions; infrastructure; life sciences and healthcare; real estate; TMT, consumer and retail and hotel and leisure. Trainees get a choice of seats spanning all areas, which suited our interviewees: “At university, I wasn’t sure what type of commercial law I wanted to do, and CMS offered me the opportunity to explore.”

“… they are all a bit different, which the firm plays to its strengths.”

For others it was the firm’s “future-facing” vibe that sealed the deal. Notably, CMS offers one lucky trainee a stint in innovation, an “increasingly popular” non-legal seat which focuses on improving the delivery of legal advice via technology and AI. “That seat has been around since the merger,” an insider told us. On that note, it’s worth knowing that CMS was the product of an enormous three-way merger back in 2017. “There are lots of legacy partners around after the merger,” which isn’t always the case after a union of that magnitude. “And they are all a bit different, which the firm plays to its strengths.”

Bring on the rankings, then. CMS has a vast collection of accolades courtesy of Chambers UK, including top honours in real estate funds, retail, hotels & leisure, and pensions litigation. In London, the firm scoops top marks in construction, mid-market corporate/M&A, environment, and professional negligence in the tech sector. And it’s a top firm in Scotland – you can view the full list of rankings here.

With an annual intake of more than 90, CMS is one of the largest trainee recruiters. “What I always say to our new trainees and solicitor apprentices is they have a ready-made network across a very wide range of sectors and offices,” says the firm’s early talent training partner, Michael Cavers.Trainees sit across CMS’s offices in the London HQ, Bristol, Manchester, Sheffield, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Aberdeen. Northern trainees can expect to split their time between the Liverpool, Manchester and Sheffield offices, and the same goes for those in Edinburgh and Glasgow. For those with sights set abroad, CMS even offers a Dubai training contract!

The Seats

Prior to seat allocation kicking off, trainees are given the opportunity to attend a seat fair where “they get to ask trainees questions about their experiences” in different seats and secondments. Firstly, the client secondment list is released, and trainees can apply to banks and e-commerce companies. Following this, the seat preference form is sent out, in which trainees rank seven seats, and justify their selection. The most popular seats among this lot were technology and media, competition, intellectual property, energy and infrastructure, and corporate. International secondments have also taken off again, in offices such as Budapest, Prague, Dubai, Hong Kong, Mexico, and Brazil.

“… encouraged to go the clients – they want you to see the tangible thing you are working on.”

As one of its largest sector groups, CMS has four real estate teams: planning, transactions, disputes and finance, though the latter isn't a seat option. Trainees reported a fair bit of asset management for clients making “profitable acquisitions, from a few properties to hundreds.” Typical trainee tasks in real estate are “research-heavy and require keeping tabs on lots of smaller files,” with “responsibilities and tasks getting more difficult as you progress.” They also got to draft leases, licences, way leaves, and rent review memorandums. The client contact was a highlight for one trainee who was “encouraged to go to the clients, as it is easier to talk about the buildings they wanted to buy or build, and see models or an actual building – they want you to see the tangible thing you are working on.” Recently, the team advised property investment company Lazari Investments on its agreement with department store Fenwick to purchase its premises in Bond Street, London, for £420 million. Up in Liverpool, the team advised Sainsbury’s on its proposed £500 million sale and leaseback agreement of 18 stores.   

A seat in litigation and arbitration gave trainees experience with a “fast-paced team where you get stuck in.” True to its sector-based approach, trainees’ work crossed energy, construction, technology, media and telecommunications. In a notable recent case, CMS defended Jaguar Land Rover in a class action litigation and claims that it made or sold vehicles with unlawful devices that increase emissions. In another long-running dispute, the team is defending IBM in a multimillion-pound claim by Co-op Insurance relating to the implementation of a new IT system. In this seat, trainees can expect to review documents and expert reports, draft correspondence, prepare bundles for court, and prepare for hearings and strategy meetings. One trainee recalled with satisfaction, “I attended an arbitration towards the end of the six months which I did prep work for, so it was really good to see.”

A stint in the corporate transactionseat featured venture capital work, private equity, and mergers and acquisitions. In a couple of recent deals, CMS advised BT Group on its joint venture with Warner Bros Discovery to create a premium sports offering in the UK and Ireland, and was one of the firms that advised Microsoft on a $2.8 billion deal with the London Stock Exchange. “I would spend my time doing due diligence, drafting ancillary documents, fundraising for startups and sometimes other companies, and drafting documents involved with allotments of shares,” one outlined. “If there was an investment agreement headed up by the associate, I would help draft that.” Somelate nights are part and parcel of corporate life at law firms, but trainees said it was a team effort. As one recalled, “a partner was with us every day no matter what time it was.”

“Renewable energy, such as offshore wind farms.”

The energy and infrastructure seat exposes trainees to work on big energy and infrastructure projects, including “renewable energy,such as offshore wind farms, and public infrastructure, such as roads and ferry services.” The energy crisis has shaped some of the work here – notably, CMS acted for Octopus Energy on its bid to take over Bulb Energy’s 1.5 million customers after it went into administration. It also advised So Energy on its restructuring and funding options. In the renewables space, the firm gave Oman’s Department of Energy and Minerals advice on a regulatory and policy framework in line with its goal to boost green hydrogen production in the country. Trainees often get to work with their colleagues in corporate transactions on any deal with an energy or infrastructure slant. Business development is a focus here too, and trainees are asked to produce “lots of CMS Law-Now articles” for the firm’s blog, “and help with pitches for prospective clients.” Day to day, “there was quite a bit of drafting of contracts and agreements and lots of reviewing.”

Trainee Life

The London HQ, located just off Bank by Cannon Street station, enjoys “a very good canteen which is subsided – no one wants a hangry lawyer!” Thankfully, the overall CMS mood was generally agreeable across offices, from Glasgow and Edinburgh all the way down to London: “People always say morning, and no one looks at you funny!” Overall, trainees agreed “it’s very easy to have a chat, even with a senior partner.” Another elaborated: “Day to day, they will make time to chat, but usually my experience is asking them for something, or them providing feedback.” In a social setting, “it’s a fairly relaxed environment, but there’s obviously a power dynamic. Most partners are keen to provide mentor-type guidance to trainees.”

“The early talent ball for all trainees, solicitor apprentices and NQs.”

At 1,500 lawyers in the UK, “we’re too big for firm-wide social events,” but “socialising is encouraged at a trainee and team level.” The event of the season is arguably “the early talent ball for all trainees, solicitor apprentices and NQs.” It’s held in London, “so we meet trainees from different offices, who we wouldn’t otherwise meet.” For the fitness fanatics out there, “the firm-wide sport set up is great!” Trainees named football, cricket, clay pigeon shooting, and “we’re trying to get touch rugby up again!” For the athletically averse, there’s chess, knitting, choir, and “there might be a book club…” Too many clubs to keep track of, clearly.

As a firm of this size, there are also lots of active D&I networks to get involved in, including for women, social mobility, and family and carers. “Whichever religion you follow, there is a network for you – they encourage non-followers to come to lunch and learns. They did a float for Pride; anyone could come along and party.” As one trainee reflected, there is a “very inclusive culture and you feel like you can be yourself.”

Weekly emails are sent about CSR opportunities. Trainees said they’re encouraged to partake in law school clinics, initiatives with schools (like the CMS Scholarship Programme for mentoring and marking essays), as well as local charities like Whitechapel Mission and Social Bite (both homelessness charities). Putting their legal expertise to good use, trainees can get involved in The Chancery Lane Project, which focuses on “creating solid legal clauses that are climate change-related.”

Trainees are generally expected to be in the office two or three days a week, but this varied by team. Working in the office was on the up – “even on Monday and Friday, people are back in.” As told by one source, “my impression is most trainees are happy with that. It is nice to see people, and it helps with learning” to be able to talk to people directly. In the open-plan London office, “trainees sit in a pod of four with a mix of levels,” all the way up to partners. That means trainees can “listen to a call and the way they are dealing with a client – you can sit and take that in.”

“I wouldn’t say the training ever stops!”

At CMS, formal training kicks off with an induction focusing on team and soft skills. Most teams offer a weekly info session to keep everyone up to date. “Outside of that it is hands-on training – I wouldn’t say the training ever stops!” Trainees get formal feedback during their mid- and end-of-seat-reviews: “You can set targets with your supervisor about what you want to achieve in your seat.”

As for hours, most of our interviewees started work at around 9am and finished at around 6 or 7pm, depending on which team they were in. “Obviously there were late nights beyond midnight” on occasion, but “people were very aware that you were staying late and were mindful that it wasn’t a regular occurrence.” The majority seemed satisfied with the trainee salary and felt it was the “best balance with the hours you are expected to work.” With the NQ salary now starting at £105,000 in London, £68,000 and £60,000 in Scotland and Manchester, “it really does go up when you qualify!”

The graduate recruitment team runs a session on the qualification process before sending out a job list. Trainees can apply for two positions with a CV, cover letter and all of their appraisals. The next steps vary between teams, but an interview is standard, and sometimes an exam. Insiders generally agreed the whole process is “really transparent.” There’s also a second round of applications – much like a clearing process at uni – for positions that aren’t filled in the first round. In 2023, 68 out of 88 qualifying trainees remained with the firm as NQs, with one qualifying into the Dubai office. For those who don’t stay, CMS uses an external recruitment consultation to support them in finding their next position with another firm or in-house.

How to get a CMS training contract

• Applications open: 2 October
• Applications close: 4 December 2023. 
• Vacation scheme deadline: Friday 2 February 2024 

Recruitment process

The recruitment process at CMS is designed to get to know you better as an individual. The firm receives 2000+ applications for its undergraduate programmes. The application form is straight-forward - as well as providing basic information such as academics and work experience, applicants must also give written answers to three questions about the business of law and how it is changing. These questions are imperative in distinguishing between strong candidates who have a genuine interest in the firm, and the Emerging Talent team advise “Look at our core competencies and what we’re looking for in our people and consider these in your answers, and indeed throughout the application form.  This is your chance to stand out – we’re looking to recruit for future potential. We’re seeking innovative thinkers, for candidates that align to our core values, understand the business and are commercially aware. We want candidates to have done their research on the firm, to have a passion for what we do and how we can do it better.”  

Next, applicants complete an online critical reasoning test. There’s a practice test available on the CMS website for candidates to utilise as many times as they wish, with the aim being that is helps them become familiar with the types of questions that are asked in a timed environment. However, it is important for candidates to practice from a broad range of sources and really try to familiarize themselves with the process. The aim of the exercise is to test the innate critical thinking skills required as a lawyer, and whilst it’s true these can’t be learned, learning how to think in the test environment is key, and this can make all the difference between passing the test and falling below their benchmark.  

Having reviewed and scored applications along with the critical reasoning test, successful candidates will progress to a video interview. “Think of this and prepare for it like it is a face to face interview. Unlike the earlier stages of the process, this gives us a chance to get to know you and get a feel for your interpersonal skills’. Again, practice is key, so make sure you have recorded yourself answering set questions and are comfortable in that environment. When the time comes to record, ensure that you will not be disturbed when you are doing the video interview. Take a deep breath and think about the question in the time you have before answering.”  

Assessment day  

Candidates that are successful will be invited to a face-to-face assessment day, details of which will be provided nearer to the time. Inevitably, research and knowledge of the firm and the broader commercial landscape, as well as an understanding of a candidates own skillset will prove invaluable throughout the assessment process.  “We want to see how candidates think in practice, how they interact with one another and how they are able to demonstrate their skills. We are not looking for an in-depth knowledge of the law, but for individuals who are adaptable and can flex their skills across multiple problem-solving tasks and who have good learning agility.” It’s not just a one-way street, however, as they explain “We want candidates to get a feel for the culture of the firm and walk away feeling like this is the firm for them.”  

Vacation scheme  

If you are interested in a career in law and want to know what life is really like at a future facing global law firm, researching online is one thing. However, trying it for yourself is completely different – and that’s the purpose of this programme. 

Whatever your background, the programme’s blend of practical work experience, skills sessions, trainee shadowing, and networking will build your knowledge and your contacts in equal measure. You will be invited to social events, lunches, and coffee networking where you’ll get to meet representatives from across the firm. 

Successfully complete the week-long programme and you will be fast-tracked to an assessment day for the training contract opportunity.

Trainee profile  

CMS want to recruit the brightest and best future lawyers. Whilst academics and the core competencies of a lawyer are important in recruiting future talent, the Emerging Talent team emphasises that there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ lawyer at CMS. Instead, they are looking for people who are aligned to their culture: “CMS is an ambitious firm in what it wants to achieve and has already taken bold steps – so people need the ability to get on board. We are looking for people who are innovative and have a future facing outlook. We want people who will not only embrace change but create change, present ideas and see them through.” 

Find out more about applications here: Direct Training Contracts · CMS Early Talent