Taylor Wessing Vacation Scheme - March 2025

What was the full recruitment process?          

1. Application and cover letter  

2. Psychometric test:  blended assessment including situational judgement, verbal reasoning, and personality sections 

3. Written exercise: online two-hour assessment, conducted on the platform TopScore. 

4. Assessment centre 

5. Vacation scheme 

Which aspect does this report cover? 

Vacation scheme assessment centre 

Where did the assessment centre take place?             

The firm's London office 

What did the assessment centre involve?       

1. Competency and motivation interview: answered competency-based questions and some motivation questions (~ 1 hour with 1 partner and 1 associate) 

2. Commercial exercise/case study interview: oral presentation on advice I would give a client based on a fictional transactional scenario (~25 minutes reading and preparation time, ~35 minutes with 1 partner and 1 associate) 

Case study interview / commercial exercise       

This exercise was referred to as a ‘commercial exercise’, but it is essentially a case study. I was first given a 7-page bundle of documents relating to a potential acquisition of an electric vehicle fleet. I was told to assume the role of a trainee solicitor at Taylor Wessing, acting for the sellers.  

The documents included background information about the buyer and seller, information about a product safety recall notice relating to one of the cars, email correspondence from one of the sellers about a new eco-friendly skincare range she wanted to launch. The background information explained that the sellers had a very eco-friendly ethos which was central to their business philosophy. Their entire fleet of cars were electric. The company was also the primary source of wealth and income for the sellers, and it formed a family trust.  

Information about the buyer included a news article about their significant use of fossil fuels and high emissions, plus criticisms from regulators and from consumers. It also included information about a previous acquisition, in which the buyer had bought another electric vehicle fleet and replaced every vehicle with its own petrol and diesel vehicles and retained only the brand name of the former company. I had 25 minutes to read the information and prepare an oral presentation that covered the following questions: 

• What are the advantages of the acquisition? 
• What are the disadvantages of the acquisition? 
• Which areas could Taylor Wessing advise on? 
• Are there any other risks the client should be aware of and if so, how could these be addressed? 

The partner also asked follow-up questions and provided me with a paper including details of rumours surrounding fraudulent activity of the sellers and information about a licensing agreement the seller has with its app developer (who was a third-party contractor), noting that no formal contract could be found between the contractor and the seller.  

• Assume you are now acting for the buyer, based on this material, can you tell me about any potential risks for the buyer? 

Competency and motivation interview          

Motivation questions  

• Why do you want to participate in the vacation scheme at Taylor Wessing?  
• Which aspects of the vacation scheme do you think you might find challenging?   

Competency questions  

• Tell me about your work experience to date.
• Tell me about a time you had to work with a difficult team member or colleague.
• Tell me about a time when something you did had an impact on a situation.
• Tell me about a time you faced a significant challenge; how did you manage the situation?
• Tell me about a time when you had to balance multiple deadlines; what did you do to manage your workload?

What was the outcome?                                                   

The firm called me 2 weeks after the AC and offered me a place on the vacation scheme. 

Do you have any specific advice on how to prepare? 

The motivation interview is very straightforward. They ask lots of questions to test their key competencies, which are: teamwork, motivation, communication, organisation, and planning. They ask for lots of examples and scenarios where you demonstrated these competencies. My advice is to prepare a bank of scenarios that you can draw on during the interview, and practice answering interview questions in a concise way.   

For the commercial exercise, develop an understanding of the practice areas of Taylor Wessing and the areas they advise clients on. Perhaps read up on some of the recent transactions the firm has advised on to draw upon as examples. Create a list of practice areas that Taylor Wessing operates within, and explain how they support clients in each of these areas.  

Taylor Wessing Vacation Scheme - February 2024

What was the full recruitment process?         

1. Application

2. Psychometric tests: this included verbal and numerical reasoning questions.

3. Assessment centre

4. Vacation scheme

Which aspect does this report cover?

Vacation scheme assessment centre 

Where did the assessment centre take place?            

Via an online platform called TopScore. 

What did the assessment centre involve?      

1. Technical exercise: case study discussion (~45 minutes, with 2 associates).

2. Written exercise: writing an article (~2 hours)

3. General interview: competency and motivation questions (~45-60 minutes with 1 graduate recruiter and 1 senior associate).

Technical exercise  

I was given 20-25 minutes to review an information pack and consider certain pre-set questions. The information pack included information about a fictional pharmaceutical client planning to make a strategic acquisition. There were two potential targets and information was provided about each. The task was to answer these 3 questions using the information and my knowledge of the firm:

• Which of the two companies do you think would be a better option for the client to buy? 
• What further information should the client request from either company that might influence your recommendation? Is there anything you might want to clarify or ask about the client itself?
• What specialist practice areas in Taylor Wessing might be able to help the client if they go ahead with the deal? What other factors make Taylor Wessing a good fit to advise them?

I had a 20-minute discussion with my assessors and gave justifications for my answers. The assessors then threw in an curveball - an emergency scenario - and asked further questions about this change in circumstances.

Written exercise

I assumed the role of a trainee at Taylor Wessing within the Private Client department and the task was to write an article that would be added to the team's monthly client newsletter.  I had a choice of two topics to write the article on. One was about Stamp Duty Land Tax and the other was about Capital Gains Tax.

I was also instructed to outline why I chose the topic in no more than 50 words and suggest potential wording and hashtags that Taylor Wessing could use to promote the article on social media (280 characters).

The task lasted 2 hours in total.

General interview                    

Competency questions

• Tell me about a time you worked in a team and led by example.
• Tell me about a time you dealt with stress or an overwhelming situation and how you navigated it?
• Tell me about a time you had to be organised.
• Tell me about a time you had to update someone on a piece of work or a task.
• Tell me about a time you had to adapt your working style.
• How have you remained motivated during a task?

Motivation questions

• How would you sell the firm to a friend?
• Why commercial law?
• Where else have you applied?

What was the outcome?                                                  

I had not heard at the time of writing (they conducted assessment centres throughout February and March).

Do you have any specific advice on how to prepare?

Know the firm well, including any additional services it offers, as this will be invaluable in showing your passion and helping you answer the motivation questions. Work as efficiently as possible for the case study section and think commercially, especially when navigating the emergency scenario (if they include one).

Taylor Wessing Vacation Scheme – February 2024

What was the full recruitment process?         

1. Application

2. Psychometric tests: the firm used a psychometric test which included numerical and verbal reasoning sections as well as a critical thinking section (which was similar to a Watson-Glaser test).

3. Assessment centre

4. Vacation scheme

Which aspect does this report cover?

Vacation scheme assessment centre 

Where did the assessment centre take place?            

Via the firm’s online platform.

What did the assessment centre involve?      

1. Technical exercise: case study discussion (~45 minutes, with 2 associates).

2. General interview: competency and motivation questions (~45-60 minutes with 1 graduate recruiter and 1 senior associate).

3. Written exercise: written article case study (2 hours reading and writing c. 800 words)

Technical exercise

I was given 20-25 minutes to review an information pack and consider certain pre-set questions. The information pack included information about a fictional pharmaceutical company (my “client”) whose main product was reaching the end of its patent. In order to solidify its future revenues, the company were looking to acquire one of two possible targets. 

The information pack included information about the goals of the pharma company and the current products which it had developed (there was a focus on aligning the new acquisition with the brand’s current strengths). The pack also included information about each potential target, including employment information, financing, growth history, and multiple other tangible and intangible factors.

I then had a 25-minute discussion with my assessors. I started by answering the pre-set questions (for example, what decision had I come to for the client, why, what other information would it be useful to receive from the client, and which practice areas at Taylor Wessing could assist in the deal) and gave justifications for my answers. 

The assessors then threw in a curveball (mine involved an emergency scenario which was an opportunity but also risked the firm’s reputation) and asked further questions about this change in circumstances.

General interview 

Competency questions

• When have you demonstrated exceptional client service?
• Please can you describe a time where you have communicated within a team.
• How do you develop your commercial awareness?
• Please describe a time when you have failed to balance responsibilities.
• In hindsight, how would you specifically change your approach?
• Talk me through your extra-curricular activities.
• What skills have you developed most from these?

Motivation questions

• Why commercial law?
• Please can you explain your interest in a vacation scheme at Taylor Wessing?
• Which practice areas stood out to you when researching the firm?
• Where else have you applied?

Commercial Awareness Questions

• If you could create one new law, what would it be?
• Discuss a commercial story you have been following and explain how it might impact Taylor Wessing and its clients.

Written exercise

I was given two hours to read a series of documents regarding two pieces of legislation (the documents were hosted within the online platform). I then had to write an 800 word article explaining the consequences of one of the two laws, in a tone that would be accessible to the firm’s clients. Alongside the legal statute itself, I was given access to a specific piece of case law for each law, which helped in developing my argument. Finally, I was asked to describe how I might market this article in a social media post, using various hashtags/captions etc.

What was the outcome?

I had not heard at the time of writing (they conducted assessment centres throughout February and then began contacting people in March).

Do you have any specific advice on how to prepare?

Be aware not only of the firm’s broader practice areas, but also the sub-teams within certain sectors – this will be particularly useful in the technical exercise. For the written exercise, read the question very carefully and spend more time planning than you think – because of the length of time, it is important not to start writing until you’ve planned your answer properly.

The firm is proud of their entrepreneurial culture and technological expertise – this is a good area to ask questions about and show your interest in (if this is where your interest lies).

From a more technical perspective, I would recommend trying to get access to an additional monitor if doing the interview virtually. Especially in the technical exercise, trying to balance eye contact with the assessors on one half of the screen and technical data on the other is a challenge! 

Taylor Wessing Vacation Scheme - March 2022

What was the full recruitment process?         

1. Application

2. Psychometric tests: the firm uses Arctic Shores, which is a game-based system. It was fairly unique, and involved memory and hand eye co-ordination from what I remember.

3. Assessment centre

4. Vacation scheme

Which aspect does this report cover?

Vacation scheme assessment centre 

Where did the assessment centre take place?            

Via the firm’s online platform. 

What did the assessment centre involve?      

1. Group exercise: group discussion around a commercial scenario (~45 minutes, with 2 observers from the firm’s operations team).

2. Technical exercise: case study discussion (~45 minutes, with 2 associates).

3. General interview: competency and motivation questions (~45-60 minutes with 1 graduate recruiter and 1 Senior Associate).

Group exercise       

We were all given information packs at the start, although the last page of the pack was different for each group member. We were the operations team of an electric vehicle manufacturer and the pack provided information about the company’s background and strategic aims (one aim related to sustainability, for example). My unique information was that ancient ruins had been found under one of the car showrooms.

We were then given 25 minutes to discuss the commercial scenario as a group, before delivering a 10 minute group presentation on our recommendations for dealing with the issues presented across our information packs. After this, we were asked questions about the decisions we reached as a group for a further 10 minutes.

Try to remain calm and do not be confrontational when you disagree with someone. Be collaborative and a good listener, but also try to offer your opinion where applicable. The primary goal is to demonstrate that you are a good team worker, not a commercial genius.

Technical exercise  

I was given 20-25 minutes to review an information pack and consider certain pre-set questions. The information pack included information about a fictional medical testing company (my “client”), which manufactured and sold respiratory tests, as well as tests that athletes could take to gauge their overall fitness. The pack also included information about a proposed joint venture with a company that also created fitness tests, but also had a significant digital presence and an app.

I then had a 20 minute discussion with my assessors. I started by answering the pre-set questions (for example, what services could the firm offer the client, and what would the client need to look out for when carrying out due diligence) and gave justifications for my answers. The assessors then threw in a curveball (mine involved an emergency scenario) and asked further questions about this change in circumstances.

General interview                    

Competency questions

• Please can you describe a time where you demonstrated teamwork?
• How to you deal with high workloads and pressure?
• What do you do to stay organised?
• When have you demonstrated leadership skills?
• Talk me through your extra-curricular activities.

Motivation questions

• Why commercial law?
• Please can you explain your interest in Taylor Wessing?
• Where else have you applied?

What was the outcome?                                                  

I had not heard at the time of writing (they conducted assessment centres throughout March and then began contacting people in April).

Do you have any specific advice on how to prepare?                              

Know the firm and what it does, as demonstrating a passion for the firm’s work and clients will be invaluable in helping you answer the motivation questions.  I definitely think that for the case study, having good commercial knowledge is essential. For the group exercise, this could also be useful, but not as essential.