• Known for its expertise across a range of industry sectors, and particularly recognised for its deep knowledge of technology, life sciences, and private wealth.
• A full-service law firm offering practice areas such as banking and finance, brands and advertising, commercial and consumer contracts, disputes and investigations, but with the opportunity to also work for private clients and venture capital firms.
• Band 1 ranking from Chambers and Partners for its Media & Entertainment: Publishing department.
• The firm has a decentralised structure with no head office, with strong international reach (given its 28 offices around the world, including in locations such as Vienna, Dubai, New York and Beijing).
• Demonstrated a strong commitment to developing technological solutions for clients, with its own in-house incubator programme TW:in alongside TechSet, its Blockchain employee initiatives and the Global Data hub initiatives. 
• Ample involvement in pro bono work, including partnering with the Schools Consent Project and the Human Dignity Trust, and assisting with the City Community Advice Centre.

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

Practice areas / services

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

• Banking and Finance
• Brands and Advertising
• Commercial and Consumer Contracts
• Competition, EU and Trade
• Copyright and Media Law
• Corporate Crime and Compliance
• Corporate/M&A and Capital Markets
• Data Protection and Cyber
• Disputes and Investigations
• Employment, Pensions, and Mobility
• Environmental, Planning, and Regulatory
• ESG
• Information Technology
• Multi-service
• Patents and Innovation
• Private Client
• Private Equity
• Projects, Energy, and Infrastructure
• Real Estate and Construction
• Restructuring and Insolvency
• Tax
• Venture Capital

Chambers and Partners, a leading analyst of the legal market, has awarded Taylor Wessing its highest ‘Band 1’ ranking for its Media & Entertainment: Publishing department. See here for more information

Key sectors / industries

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

• Technology, Media, and Communications
• Private Wealth
• Real Estate, Infrastructure, and Energy
• Life Science and Healthcare

In addition, Taylor Wessing services the following industries: aerospace and defense; automotive and mobility; business and professional services; chemicals; consumer and retail; financial institutions and insurance; hotels, hospitality and leisure; logistics and transport; manufacturing and industrials; and public services and education.

Work

Taylor Wessing is consistently involved in cross-border, high-profile work. Examples include:  

• Monzo: The firm advised Monzo Bank on its $500 million Series H fundraising. 
• The Roald Dahl Story Company: Taylor Wessing advised the Roald Dahl Story Company and its shareholders on the sale of the business to Netflix. 
• Premier Inn: The firm advised Premier Inn on the acquisition of a property for a new hotel in Hamburg.

Older examples

• Thought Machine: the firm advised cloud native banking technology company Thought Machine on its $160 million series D funding round. 
• Cognism Limited: Taylor Wessing worked with Cognism on its acquisition of the entire issued share capital of Kaspr SAS, a sales prospecting provider. 
• Viola Credit: an international team at the firm advised Global Alternative Credit Investment Manager Viola Credit on the venture debt financing of Habyt, the biggest European co-living company. 

Offices / global footprint / expansion

Headquarters: Taylor Wessing is decentralized, so has no formal head office.

Offices: Taylor Wessing has a total of 28 offices around the world, with some of the firm’s locations including Vienna, Dubai, New York, and Beijing.  

Insights, internships and other opportunities

Taylor Wessing offers several opportunities for students to gain an insight into working life at the firm. To gain a casual insight into Taylor Wessing, the firm runs a webinar series in which lawyers talk through the firm’s work and sectors. For students in first year, the firm runs yearly Insight Days to provide the chance to network and learn how to think commercially. To secure a training contract with Taylor Wessing, aspiring lawyers must complete a vacation scheme with the firm. Ran during the summer, the two-week programme enables attendees to become fully immersed in two practice areas, as well as get involved in social events, assessed tasks, and networking. 

Training contract

Taylor Wessing offers a four-seat training contract, with each seat lasting six months. At the start of the programme, trainees are matched with a former trainee from the same practice area to act as their buddy, which involves introducing them to the firm and ensuring they settle in as well as possible. During each seat, trainees can expect to get heavily involved in real work, which encourages them to hone technical skills right from the start of their career. 

Secondments

Taylor Wessing provides the opportunity for its trainees to apply for an international secondment at one of its offices. For those wishing to stay in the UK, the firm also offers client secondments, with previous placements having been completed with Farfetch and Conde Nast.

Taylor Wessing encourages all its employees to engage in pro bono work to “help those who would otherwise not be able to gain access to justice”. Initiatives carried out by the firm include:

• City Community Legal Advice Centre: The firm has partnered with City, University of London for many years to provide free legal advice appointments through the university’s City Community Advice Centre on a range of areas of law to people who are not eligible for legal aid and cannot afford to pay. 
• Human Dignity Trust: Taylor Wessing is a member of the legal panel for the Human Dignity Trust, a charity which uses strategic litigation to decriminalise same-sex relations in foreign jurisdictions. 
• Schools Consent Project: The firm has partnered with the Schools Consent Project, a lawyer-run initiative which discusses the legal definition of consent and key sexual offences with students aged 11-18. 

Diversity and inclusion

Taylor Wessing is dedicated to recruiting “the best people”. To this end, the firm has introduced several initiatives aimed at ensuring talented individuals from any background can access the opportunities the firm provides. Examples include: 

• MyGwork: The firm has partnered with myGwork which is the largest global business community of LGBTQ+ professionals, graduates, inclusive employers and anyone who believes in workplace equality. It helps those within the community to connect with employers, find jobs and mentors, and attend professional events. 
• International Women’s Leadership Programme: Taylor Wessing run an International Women’s Leadership Programme which helps equip female partners and senior counsel with the tools to address the challenges of taking a leadership role in the firm and with clients.
• Cultural Diversity Network: The firm has a cultural diversity network which helps employees of the firm learn more from each other and celebrate various cultures.