2024

[My name]

[My address]

[Date]

Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP 

5 Aldermanbury Square, Barbican, London 

EC2V 7HR

Dear Dan Hirschovitz,

My name is [redacted], and I am a penultimate-year law student at the University of [redacted]. I am passionate about pursuing a career in commercial law and believe Davis Polk & Wardwell ('Davis Polk') is the correct Firm for me as it offers simultaneous challenge and support. Therefore, I am writing to apply for a place on a Vacation Scheme in 2024. 

From my extensive experience working in hospitality, I was drawn to a client-centric career. I confirmed this notion by undertaking virtual work experience programmes with firms, including Weil, Gotshal & Manges and Clifford Chance, where the client was the focus of each task, and I derived satisfaction from each hypothetical scenario. Furthermore, I am incredibly passionate about my studies and find detail-oriented analysis stimulating. Participating in a contract law moot last year showed me the importance of legal research. I successfully combined information from various sources into persuasive, concise points. I care about staying connected with the business world and international affairs; hence, the legal sector is distinguished by its instability. I am intrigued by how lawyers use innovation and awareness to tailor transactions to the broader climate. 

As an intellectually curious person, the multiservice and multijurisdictional work at Davis Polk is my primary motivator in applying. I am keen on understanding how finance practice interacts with private equity, especially in light of the recent rise of alternative financing and private credit. This led to my fascination with Davis Polk's work for Harvest Partners in closing their fund with an exceeding amount of commitments. This demonstrated the Firm's strength in eliciting investor confidence, and its excellence increased my desire to work there. Furthermore, Davis Polk's growing antitrust practice and strategic opening in Brussels are alluring factors. This area fascinates me, particularly in discerning the appropriate amount of regulation and liaising with authorities like the C.M.A. 

Additionally, I admire Davis Polk's unique approach to training. The small intake allows bespoke learning and exposure. It appeals to me as I wish to meaningfully contribute to client work even early in my career. After speaking to members of the Firm at an [redacted] Society for Commercial Law Event in November, the supportive atmosphere was confirmed to me through the explanation that senior lawyers are genuinely invested in your development. Additionally, I have learnt about how trainees share an office with a senior lawyer, which motivated me to apply as I thrive on verbal feedback and discussion, and this demonstrates the value the Frim places on their future lawyers' careers. 

Finally, Davis Polk's working culture drives me to apply. The programme to integrate London trainees into the New York office demonstrates that the Firm's international offices are indeed a part of the Firm, not just satellite operations. Ultimately, I respect this asset as it confirms that the Firm's fundamental value of cooperation prevails. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I am driven to work for a firm that is genuinely moving forward in diversity. Davis Polk fulfils this category through their extensive employee network, which hosts regular events, and its genuine commitment to promoting the professional development of diverse lawyers. Ultimately, the Firm's awareness that profitable businesses correlate with a diverse workforce will enable me to pursue a fulfilling career.

Alongside my enthusiasm, I have the essential skills that would allow me to contribute meaningfully to the business. First, I have immense interpersonal skills, which would allow me to assimilate into the collaborative culture at the Firm and stay responsive in changing circumstances. Secondly, I am comfortable taking accountability and exclusively view mistakes as a learning opportunity. I have cultivated this through dealing with customer complaints and being a founding member of a student initiative. Given the independent nature of training, this quality would aid me at Davis Polk and make me an empathetic team member even when I am beyond my comfort zone. Finally, resilience is crucial, given the complexity of client demand at the Firm. My hardworking nature was tested at the beginning of my undergraduate education when my tutor explained that the quality of education others received set them ahead of me. However, after long hours, I exceeded expectations and leveraged my differences by mentoring similar students. Therefore, I would now approach workplace challenges with determination and fulfil the Davis Polk value of hiring exceptional individuals. 

Thank you for taking the time to consider my application, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely, 

[Name].

2023

Dear Dan Hirschovits,

I am a penultimate year law student at the [redacted], and I am applying for the 2023 summer vacation scheme at Davis Polk. I was motivated to apply following the ‘Insight into Davis Polk’ evening on the 23rd of May 2022.

My interest in business led me to study accounts and economics in school. For my accounts project, I analysed the acquisition of Ranbaxy by Sun Pharmaceuticals for $3.2 billion. Evaluating how a smaller company by revenue and size could acquire a larger company through equity financing gave me a strong understanding of M&A and finance. In addition, I was intrigued by the legal aspects of the deal, which propelled me to intern at a local law firm. During my internship, I conducted legal research, drafted case summaries, and analysed a tax waiver case. This gave me insights into commercial law and sparked my interest in the field. 

During my 1st year at university, apart from Davis Polk I attended open days at Dentons, Linklaters, Shearman & Sterling, and Kingsley Napley. These helped me understand that I am personally suited to working within US firms due to their focus on the industry’s most complex types of work and their smaller trainee intake, which enables closer working relationships and collaborative culture. Following this, I interned in India's second-largest national bank's corporate credit and legal compliance department. I enjoyed analysing company financials and calculating ratios to determine lending facilities for companies. However, I was drawn more to work in legal compliance, where I undertook due diligence, ensured compliance, and analysed the regulatory impact on transactions. This further cemented my interest in pursuing a career in commercial law.

Davis Polk’s leading M&A practice appeals to me. My interest in this practice area stems from working on a suite of corporate authorisations and mitigating shareholder pressure for an M&A deal during my internship at the [redacted]. During my internship I worked in a small team and enjoyed the high level of responsibility, similar to what trainees at Davis Polk are given. I was intrigued by the firm’s advice to Ferrero Group on its acquisition of Wells Enterprises. I was fascinated by how M&A lawyers liaised with different departments like tax, antitrust and finance while remaining at the heart of the deal. Thus, the opportunity to work with various departments of the firm while taking high levels of responsibility as a trainee attracts me to Davis Polk.

Davis Polk’s core finance and capital markets practices also interests me. During the Insight evening with the firm, I learnt about the role of lawyers in the process of an initial public offering (IPO) which piqued my interest in the capital markets practice. During my internship at India’s 2nd largest national bank, I worked on evaluating the value of stocks for the IPO of India’s largest wine producer and seller. This experience gave me a perspective into the operations of IPO’s from a client’s perspective. The opportunity to work with market leading clients like JP Morgan, Citigroup and Goldman Sachs among others appeals to me and draws me to the firm. 

Davis Polk’s commitment towards diversity and inclusion further appeals to me. During the Insight evening I learnt from trainee [redacted] that over 70% of firmwide committees are chaired or co-chaired by a diverse partner and that diversity is an integral part of the firm. I also learnt that as part of its pro bono work, the firm worked on around 55 racial justice matters. This shows that it values and addresses such concerns both internally and as a part of its work. Being an ethnic minority and a student advisor at the [redacted] the firm’s diversity and pro bono initiatives instil confidence in me and motivates me to apply to Davis Polk. 

I believe that I would be a good fit in Davis Polk’s culture that requires proactive on the job learning and collaboration. I have been playing cricket competitively for over 6 years. Chasing big targets while batting and defending small scores while bowling has taught me to manage high-pressure situations and effectively collaborate with my team. These attributes will aid me in Davis Polk’s environment. 

Last winter, I worked at Shake Shack. Despite being designated to handle the milkshake station, I proactively took more responsibility to handle the tills and serve customers without any formal training. My resilience and adaptability ensured that over 250 customers received the best possible service every day. These skills that I developed will further help me excel as a Davis Polk lawyer.

Thank you in advance for your time and consideration.

Yours Sincerely, 

[redacted].

January 2023

Dear Dan Hirschovits,

I am a penultimate year law and business student at the Queen Mary University of London and I am applying for the 2023 vacation scheme at Davis Polk. Attending the ‘Insight into Davis Polk’ session on the 23^rd May 2022 motivated me to apply for a vacation scheme.

My initial interest in commercial law was sparked when I interned at a local law firm in Mumbai. I took notes during client meetings and reviewed case files. The client-centric nature and commercial focus of the role appealed to me. It led me to pursue the law with business course at university where I have been studying modules like contemporary issues in law and business along with core law modules. In my coursework, I dealt with the legal framework applied in business activities. For instance, the regulatory obligations that companies adhere to when launching an IPO, altering share capital or granting charges to creditors. I was fascinated by the impact of such transactional matters. My inclination towards economic and business issues made me realise that I’m better suited for a career in commercial law over other types of law. To further my interests, I attended open days at leading US law firms like Davis Polk, Covington & Burling, Shearman & Sterling and City firms like Linklaters, Clyde & Co and Fieldfisher. During the open days, I learnt how commercial solicitors play an indispensable role in client’s business activities. By comparing the various firms, I realised that I am motivated to pursue a career at US law firms that focus on catering to industry leading and high profile corporate powerhouses. The culture of these firms promotes taking high responsibility and this would allow me to tangibly see the impact of my work on important corporate transactions. 

I am motivated to pursue a career at Davis Polk as I find its cutting edge financial regulatory work fascinating. The firm is currently working with Brookfield Business Partners in connection with the $16 billion acquisition of American media outlet Neilson Holdings. The transaction is subject to approval by Neilson’s shareholders, regulatory approvals, and the UK Court pursuant to a scheme of arrangement. The complex multi-faceted nature and scale of the investment in this deal makes it interesting. Additionally, it showcases the firm’s strength in seamlessly collaborating with its New York offices. Having completed a work placement with Fieldfisher, I reviewed a suite of corporate authorisations for the financing of an M&A deal. I observed how the firm’s London office liaised with its European offices in ensuring compliance and regulation. My interest in working on such complex cross-jurisdictional transactions and collaborating with lawyers from global offices motivates me to apply to the firm. The New York secondment would also further these interests.

I am further attracted to Davis Polk because of its expertise in the largest and most innovative M&A transactions in the market. The firm regularly deals with leading M&A transactions worth over £500 million, in the upper mid-market or premium deals segment. It has worked with huge corporations like Comcast, Tencent and Ferrero Group among others. Additionally, I learnt from trainee solicitor Alexander Wright during the insight into Davis Polk session that trainees are encouraged to take on high levels of responsibility. This would enable me to be directly involved in deals and tangibly see the impact of my work on such important transactions, which is truly important to me. 

Davis Polk’s commitment to pro bono also inspires me to apply to the firm. In the past year, the firm has advised 60 non-profits on corporate or transactional matters and conducted 37 entrepreneur clinic consultations. Having volunteered at the Queen Mary Legal Advice Centre, I’ve advised clients on criminal and company law related concerns. This has motivated me to invest time in pro bono activities and the opportunity to work at Davis Polk will further encourage me to do so. 

Lastly, I will thrive well in the firm’s close-knit and collaborative culture. Working part-time as a residential assistant, I’ve worked in small teams to set up rooms, conduct flat meetings and arrange events for residents. I’ve also filled in for my team-members when we were short staffed. I was able to help over 2000 students have an easy and comfortable moving-in experience. Through this role, I’ve proactively taken ownership of my work and learnt to effectively collaborate with a small team, which will help me be a good fit for Davis Polk. 

Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

2022

Dear Graduate Recruitment,

I am writing to apply for Davis Polk’s 2022 Summer Vacation Scheme. I am currently a penultimate year student studying law at [redacted Oxbridge college].

I wish to pursue a career in commercial law because my experiences as sponsorship officer for student societies at university have taught me to be commercially minded and client-focused. As I met and negotiated with over 50 clients from a wide range of industries, such as technology, education, and property, and ultimately securing contracts worth over £40,000, I enjoyed learning about the different commercial needs and motivations of my clients. I also derived great satisfaction from delivering bespoke solutions to my clients to help them achieve their commercial goals.

After starting my own business in retail, I also realised how important commercial law is to running a business and making sound business judgments. As a law student, I naturally considered the relevant legal issues of running a business and sought advice from partners at City law firms, which made me appreciate commercial law’s advisory role. When I delved into areas such as M&A and private equity in my free time, I learned more about the transactional nature of commercial law.

Therefore, having got a taste of commercial law, I believe it is the right choice for me because it combines delivering great client service and gaining a deeper understanding of commercial activity.

Furthermore, the firm’s strong emphasis on pro bono, which sees it devoting thousands of hours helping NGOs and individual clients, is also very appealing to me because I enjoy pro bono work very much and started my own initiative at university to help international Chinese students with legal matters. In 2021, I assisted in approximately 20 matters such as landlord-tenant disputes, fraud and domestic abuse, which were the most common problems Chinese students faced. My work often involved researching and clarifying laws surrounding their issues, acting as a mediator to settle disputes, and referring their cases to local law firms.

I believe I have practised many of the skills needed to succeed as a commercial lawyer through my experiences. Furthermore, I also believe that I possess the entrepreneurial spirit and initiative required to thrive in Davis Polk’s tight-knit community. For example, starting my own business practiced my skills at identifying and researching unfamiliar legal and business issues, such as choosing a right legal structure, determining voting rights of shareholders, and ascertaining the tax implications of different jurisdictions. Equally, running a business requires me to coordinate and communicate with different parties to ensure everything is moving in the right direction. I frequently had to liaise between different parties such as the architect, the estate agent, my own legal advisors, and the landlord’s solicitors when signing the commercial lease. This experience practised my organisational and communication skills, which will be useful in a transactional seat where trainees need to do lots of transaction management.

Finally, my experience of leading a team of 90 students and directing my first film also demonstrated my teamwork skills as I naturally strived to help and empower others to succeed when working towards a common goal. I also take pride in the fact that my first film received recognition by China’s biggest media network, CCTV, who made a documentary about the making of the film, which was broadcast nationally in China. I always strive to produce the highest quality work to the best of my ability and will continue to do so in a professional setting.

I am very excited to apply to a world leading law firm such as Davis Polk. I hope to tell you more about myself during the application process.

Yours faithfully,

[Redacted]