• One of the world's largest law firms by headcount, with more than 70 offices across 30 countries. This global presence, combined with a strong regional presence in the UK, allows Eversheds Sutherland to provide clients with unique access to legal expertise and resources across jurisdictions and industries.
• Chambers and Partners has awarded the firm Band 1 rankings for its Education: Institutions (Higher & Further Education), Health & Safety, Investment Funds: Open-ended Funds, Parliamentary & Public Affairs: Parliamentary Agency, Pensions Litigation, Public Inquiries, Public Procurement, Sanctions, Transport: Rail: Franchising and Transport: Rail: Planning & Authorisation departments.
• Services a uniquely broad range of sectors, including consumer, education, government, health and life sciences, industrials, public sector, media, and timber and agribusiness.
• Flexible training contract options, including part-time training, and a focus on working closely with supervisors to identify and develop trainee strengths, fostering a personalised and supportive training environment.
• Strong focus on diversity and inclusion is demonstrated by its People Networks, its Female Talent programmes and its Gender Network.
• Deep commitment to innovation evidenced through its development of Diversidata and AI Risk Navigator tools for clients.
• Notable clients include the National Grid, Morrisons and GSK.

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

Practice areas / services

Eversheds is a full-service law firm, with a broad range of practice areas including:

• Banking and Finance 
• Competition, Trade and Foreign Investment 
• Construction and Engineering 
• Corporate and M&A 
• Corporate Crime 
• Data Privacy, Security and Technology
• Employment, Labor and Pensions 
• Financial Services Regulation 
• Insurance 
• Intellectual Property 
• Litigation and Dispute Management 
• Real Estate and Planning 
• Strategic Contracts 
• Tax 

Chambers and Partners, a leading analyst of the legal market, has awarded Eversheds Sutherland its highest ‘Band 1’ rankings for the following departments: Education: Institutions (Higher & Further Education), Health & Safety, Investment Funds: Open-ended Funds, Parliamentary & Public Affairs: Parliamentary Agency, Pensions Litigation, Public Inquiries, Public Procurement, Sanctions, Transport: Rail: Franchising and Transport: Rail: Planning & Authorisation. See here for more information

Key sectors / industries

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

• Construction and Engineering
• Real Estate
• Financial Services
• Insurance

In addition, Eversheds services the following industries: Consumer, Energy, Governments and Infrastructure, Industrials, Life Sciences and Healthcare and Technology, Media and Telecoms. 

Work

Eversheds consistently works on high profile, cross border matters. Some examples of its work include: 

• National Grid: The firm advised the National Grid on the creation of its Great Grid Partnership, which involves a pioneering enterprise delivery model to support the construction of an initial Accelerated Strategic Transmission Investment (ASTI) project across England and Wales. 
• Morrisons: Eversheds Sutherland advised Morrisons on key elements of its strategic partnership with Motor Fuel Group (MFG). 
• GSK: The firm advised GSK on its sourcing of a new global headquarters in London.

Older examples

• Inflexion: the law firm advised the global leader in technology-led risk management and compliance solutions on the sale of Alcumus to Apax.
• HS2: Eversheds was instructed by the Department for Transport and HS2 Ltd to advise on the latest stage of the development of the HS2 network. 
• Aviva: the firm advised the UK’s leading insurance, wealth and retirement business on its acquisition of Succession Wealth.

Offices / global footprint / expansion

Headquarters: London, 1 Wood Street

Offices: Eversheds has more than 70 offices across 30 countries around the world. Some of the firm’s locations include Johannesburg, Shanghai, Cambridge, and Chicago. 

Insights, internships and other opportunities

Eversheds offers several opportunities for students to gain direct experience of working life at the firm. For students early-on in their journeys, Eversheds runs its Unlocked Programme. Open to those aged 16 to 17 and from state schools, the 3-day scheme provides students with the opportunity to interact with current employees at the firm, with one-to-one coaching sessions supporting the development of non-academic strengths such as communication skills. 

The firm also offers an alternative route to becoming a solicitor, through its Apprenticeship scheme. This is open to those aged 18+ who have a strong academic profile. Eversheds also offers budding lawyers a more traditional route into the firm, with its Vacation Schemes enabling attendees to draft documents, assist with research, and interview for a training contract. 

Training contract

Eversheds offers a four-seat training contract, with each seat lasting six months. At least one of these seats must be in a contentious area. During these two years, trainees can expect to work closely with their supervisor to identity and develop their strengths. The firm also offers a part-time training option.  

According to the firm, the training programme helps to enhance trainees’ knowledge around legal innovation and digital transformation, with each trainee undertaking a new innovation project during each seat (these are based on developments such as AI, machine learning, document automation, robotic process automation, data visualization, and so on).

Secondments

Eversheds offers its trainees a number of international opportunities, including through the firm’s dedicated secondment programme. This programme enables trainees to apply for a secondment at a client or one of the firm’s international offices, with past trainees having travelled to Paris, Milan, and Madrid. 

Eversheds encourages its lawyers to use their skills and expertise to “give something back”. To this end, the firm has completed a number of pro bono projects, with examples including:

• WaterAid: The firm supports the international charity whose mission is to transform lives by improving access to safe water. The firm fundraises and conducts awareness campaigns for the charity.
• International Rescue Committee (IRC): Eversheds Sutherland provides the IRC with financial and pro bono support. The IRC’s mission is to ‘help people affected by humanitarian crises to survive, recover and gain control over their future.’ 
• Kids in Need of Defense UK (KIND UK): The firm helps undocumented children to make applications for formal British citizenship and has over 50 UK colleagues participating in this work. 

Diversity and inclusion

Eversheds “places respect and support for everyone at its core”. To build a culture “inclusive of everyone”, the firm has established several initiatives, including:

• People Networks: The firm has a variety of People Networks which are active groups of colleagues that are full of enthusiasm and passion for making a positive change to the business and beyond. They are open to all employees, partners and allies. 
• Female Talent: Eversheds Sutherland has a number of career development and progression programmes for female talent which include specialist coaching and sponsorship. 
• Gender Network: This group champions gender equality across the firm, with clients and across the legal profession generally. It acts as a think-tank, generating ideas to propel work in relation to gender. It also focuses on ways to help support working parents and drive positive change across the business.