Legal Professionals

Today’s young professionals want to work differently, maintaining a good work-life balance. McDermott therefore regards Flexibility as a key element in developing a healthy career.

We offer a 35-38 hour working week model to our associates, providing a greater degree of certainty and the ability to more effectively plan life around work.

Associates following this model are still actively involved in more challenging work, and still take part in all training programs and associate retreats.

Getting to know our colleagues and socializing across offices is very important to us and we regularly organize events including:

• Opera/Theater Visits
• Wine & Cheese Evenings
• Annual Christmas Party
• Office Outings
• Annual Summer Party
• National and International Attorney Retreats
• Welcome Lunches
• Trainee Events

Associates will be assigned a McDermott mentor from day one at the Firm. They will also have the opportunity to work with partners and counsel across different practices and offices.

McDermott offers the following workshops in association with Bucerius Education GmbH:

• Junior Associates: Presentation techniques and key soft skills
• Mid-Level Associates: Client Relationship/Business Development
• Senior Associates: Negotiation Skills
• Corporate Finance Seminars
• Internal McDermott Academy
• Subject-specific presentations and workshops by partners, counsels and associates

McDermott was proud to be nominated “Law Firm of the Year for Diversity” at the Azur Awards 2018.

McDermott considers diversity to be one of our key attributes. Our teams are composed of lawyers of different nationalities working together on a daily basis. Our international Diversity Committee, includes partners, counsel and associates, who focus on all aspects of diversity and inclusion, ensuring our policies reflect the need to consider ethnic, gender, LGBT diversity. Our global strategy is continuously reviewed, developed and implemented consistently worldwide.

The work of our Diversity Committees is supported by Diversity Sponsor Partners in each office. These partners organize diversity events, develop new initiatives and act as key diversity contacts for all employees.

McDermott’s aim is to create a working environment that offers everyone the opportunity to succeed – regardless of ethnicity, age, gender, religious affiliation, sexual orientation and physical ability.

To further this goal, McDermott follows the “Mansfield Rule” (based on the “Rooney Rule” introduced by the NFL in 2003) which requires that female and BAME candidates make up at least 30% of the candidate pool for partner promotion and management committee appointments.

To actively promote gender diversity, we offer programs such as the Female Mentoring Program. Our McDermott Women’s Summit 2018 was essential in highlighting gender diversity in the workplace.

Learn more about our diversity and social responsibility efforts here.

We are seeking outstanding lawyers who are excellent communicators and team players.

Associates who join us at McDermott will be assigned a mentoring partner who will support, train and promote you throughout your career from the very beginning.

The Firm’s mentoring program allows many opportunities to network within McDermott, working with counsel and partners across the Firm and developing both personally and professionally.

McDermott offers many select training programs, including:

• Training partnership with Bucerius Education GmbH
• Corporate Finance seminars
• In-house training on internal promotions

We offer our trainees the opportunity to work outside of McDermott during their traineeship. We also offer the possibility of an international secondment at the end of the trainee period.

Offer research positions to applicants who are PhD candidates or recent graduates who have excelled in the ‘First Legal Examination’ and are seeking further study, throughout the traineeship attorneys at every level will be available to assist the trainee as a mentor.

McDermott offers trainee lawyers and research assistants a full in-house training program, including:

• Examination partnership with Kaiser-Seminare
• Monthly full-day revision events in Civil, Criminal and Public law papers
• Preparation seminars for oral examinations
• Trainee networking evenings

Four-week internships at McDermott are offered to students who have completed the intermediate law examination with a minimum threshold of 9 points.

Interns will have the opportunity to become involved in daily client work and will be offered intensive support and training by our partners, counsels and associates.

View all of McDermott’s opportunities.

Legal Recruiting Contact
Lizete da Costa
Head of HR Germany
Ldacosta@mwe.com

A note to search firms and recruiting agencies: McDermott does not accept unsolicited online submissions and resumes from agencies. Recruiting agency contacts must be made through the human resources department at the office in which the agency is seeking to place a candidate.