• Known for its emphasis on international collaboration, the firm uniquely offers trainees a guaranteed international secondment to one of 16 of its 44 offices.
• Chambers and Partners have awarded White & Case its highest Band 1 ranking for the following departments: Capital Markets: Debt, Capital Markets: Equity, Construction: International Arbitration, Energy & Natural Resources: Oil & Gas, Infrastructure and Projects: Mainly International.
• Notable clients include Nestlé, Barclays Bank, JP Morgan, Republic of El Salvador, HSBC, Blackstone and Bitpanda.
• Global Pro Bono Practice provides free legal services to individuals and organisations in need, with a total of 146,500 hours of pro bono work provided by the firm in 2020 alone.
• Recruiting 50 trainees per year, the firm is among the larger US firms in London.
• Ranking in the top 10 US firms for ethnic diversity at partnership level, the firm has several initiatives to foster a respectful and accepting workplace. For example, the firm launched Spectrum LGBT+, a network that supports the firm's LGBT+ lawyers and colleagues (in part through partnering with external organisations to attract a broader talent pool), and the Global Women's Initiative, to increase the proportion of women in partnership and leadership roles.
• Commitment to utilising technology to provide clients with flexible and innovative legal services, seen in initiatives including Practice Innovation Days, a Global Business Intelligence Unit, and partnerships with document analytics firm Luminance to streamline document processing.

We cover these selling points in more detail below, alongside other relevant firm facts and characteristics.

Practice areas / services

White & Case is a full-service law firm, with a wide range of practice areas including:

• Antitrust/Competition
• Asset Finance
• Business and Human Rights
• Capital Markets
• Commercial Litigation
• Construction
• Data, Privacy and Cybersecurity
• Debt Finance
• Derivatives
• Employment, Compensation and Benefits
• Environment and Climate Change
• Financial Restructuring and Insolvency
• Financial Services Regulatory
• Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Reviews
• Intellectual Property
• International Arbitration
• International Trade
• Islamic Finance
• Mergers and Acquisitions
• Private Wealth and Family Offices
• Pro Bono
• Project Development and Finance
• Regulatory and Compliance
• Tax
• Technology Transactions
• US Public Company Advisory
• White Collar/Investigations

Chambers and Partners, a leading analyst of the legal market, has awarded White & Case its highest ‘Band 1’ ranking for the following departments: Capital Markets: Debt, Capital Markets: Equity, Construction: International Arbitration, Energy & Natural Resources: Oil & Gas, Infrastructure and Projects: Mainly International. See here for more information

Key sectors / industries

White & Case services a broad range of industries, with some of its highest-value clients operating in the following sectors:

• Energy
• Financial Institutions
• Private Equity
• Aviation

In addition, White & Case services the following industries: Consumer & Retail, Infrastructure, Transportation & Logistics, Life Sciences and Healthcare, Mining & Metals, Real Estate, Sovereigns and Technology. 

Work

White & Case works consistently on high profile, cross border work, including, for example: 

• Nestlé: The firm advised Nestlé on the drafting of Binding Corporate Rules and navigating the rigorous process of obtaining regulatory approval from the Commission Nationale de l’Informatique et des Libertés, as lead supervisory authority, and the European Data Protection Board (EDPB). 
• Barclays Bank and JP Morgan: White & Case advised Barclays Bank and JP Morgan acting as joint sponsors, joint global coordinators, joint bookrunners and underwriters on a fully underwritten £7 billion rights issue by National Grid. 
• Republic of El Salvador: The firm advised the Republic of El Salvador on the world’s largest debt-for-nature conversion for river conservation.

Offices / global footprint / expansion

Headquarters: New York, United States of America

Offices: White & Case has a truly global presence, with 45 offices across 31 countries. Office locations include London, Berlin, Geneva and Sydney. 

Insights, internships and other opportunities

White & Case offers a number of opportunities for individuals wishing to gain experience in the legal industry and learn more about life at the firm. Opportunities for interested applicants include: a range of non-selective, virtual learning programmes (including a programme delivered via The Forage); a selection of open days, during which attendees can tour the office and attend talks relating to life as a trainee solicitor; an insight scheme for first year students, during which attendees spend two days at the London office learning about a career at White & Case; and winter, spring, and summer vacation schemes, which are open to penultimate-year students, finalists, and graduates from any degree discipline.

Training contract

White & Case offers a four seat training contract, with each seat lasting six months. Trainees must choose at least one seat in finance and one seat in a contentious practice area. The firm combines on-the-job training with in-house courses and workshops, including regular Lunch & Learn sessions. 

Secondments

A major draw of the White & Case training contract is the guaranteed six-month overseas seat. The secondments take place across 16 of the firm’s offices, and provide valuable insights into different working practices, as well as the opportunity (in some locations) to take free language lessons. The firm also offers client secondments for trainees who choose not to undertake an international secondment. 

White & Case launched its Global Pro Bono Practice in 2010 and since then, the practice has continued to grow in size with a total of 146,500 hours of free legal services provided by the firm in 2020 alone. Some recent examples of pro bono initiatives include:

• Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit: White & Case participated in a multi-firm collaboration with Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit which helped victims of the Windrush scandal apply for compensation from the UK Government. 
• Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR): The firm has a 15 year+ pro bono relationship with the CRR. This relationship has seen the firm conduct projects on the issue of reproductive and digital rights and contributing to the UN-focused global research on intersectional discrimination and the right to reproductive and sexual health. 
• Public International Law & Policy Group (PILPG): The firm helps the PILPG, a global pro bono law firm. In particular, White & Case has assisted the PILPG on various projects related to the war in Ukraine. 

Diversity and inclusion

White & Case ‘celebrates and welcomes difference’, and accordingly pursues a number of initiatives to foster a respectful and accepting workplace, including:

• Global Women’s Initiative: The firm has 24 local women’s networks and runs a Sponsorship Program for lawyers on a potential track for partnership and a Coaching Program offering associates and counsel the opportunity to receive individual, executive coaching and participate in group coaching sessions. 
• Spectrum LGBTQ+ Affinity Network: White & Case’s Spectrum LGBTQ+ Network spearheads the firm’s global Pride and LGBTQ+ History Month celebrations, while also informing programs and policies. 
• Listening Groups: The firm runs regional Listening Groups for colleagues with experiences of disability. These groups offer an informal mechanism for colleagues to connect and build an internal community.