About us

With 20 offices and approximately 900 lawyers around the globe, Shearman & Sterling is one of the world’s leading global law firms.

Spread across four continents, we have offices in:

• Europe: Brussels, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, London, Milan, Munich, Paris, Rome
• Asia/Middle East: Abu Dhabi, Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore, Tokyo
• Americas: New York, Palo Alto, San Francisco, São Paulo, Toronto,
  Washington DC

History

More than 135 years ago, Thomas Shearman and John Sterling formed a partnership that would come to play a significant role in the evolution of business and the law. Shearman, who earned a reputation as one of the most prominent litigators of his time, and Sterling, whose legendary relationships made him one of the first true boardroom lawyers, made an effective team. Their powerful combination of courtroom acumen and corporate astuteness laid the foundation for a strong tradition that is still embodied by the firm today.

Soon after the firm’s beginnings, practices began to be established in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Latin America. From this global base, we participated in major developments in the business lives of our clients.

The London Office

In London, Shearman & Sterling is recognised as one of the leading international corporate and commercial law firms. Our ability to offer integrated English and US legal advice across a broad range of practices has made us one of the most successful US firms in the UK market. Trainees have now been a part of this success story for more than 10 years, and continue to play a pivotal role in the growth of the firm.

Established in London for almost 40 years, we represent major UK and international companies and financial institutions. We are ideally placed to work closely with our offices in the Americas, continental Europe, the Middle East and Asia to advise clients on complex corporate transactions. As a trainee you’ll be working on a regular basis with colleagues from around the world, and you may have the opportunity to take an overseas secondment. These capabilities have contributed to substantial growth in the business and size of the office, making the London office instrumental to our European practice.

There are now approximately 120 legal staff in London who have experience working in legal markets across the globe. This provides a wide market knowledge that trainees are able to draw on and a wide range of individuals to learn from.