Deacons has built a strategically managed world-class team of legal professionals who receive more accolades and consistently higher rankings by legal directories than any other Hong Kong-based law firm. We are looking for energetic, creative and dedicated candidates to participate in our continuing growth and success. Who are we looking for? We work closely with the career centres of our target universities and participate in organised events such as careers fairs. Hong Kong and United Kingdom candidates should expect to graduate with at least a 2(i) honours degree, which is at least a 60% average or a grade point average of 3.0 or higher. Australian graduates should have at least a distinction average in their combined law degree. All candidates must complete the Postgraduate Certificate in Laws course in Hong Kong. We are a full-service firm, with a mix of both local and international lawyers, and this is reflected in our equally diverse client base. Excellent English is a prerequisite. Other language skills, including written and spoken Chinese, are preferred. We recruit eight to ten trainees a year. What do we offer? Deacons is a friendly and welcoming firm with a stimulating work environment. We offer legal training and development as a full-service firm, with 16 different principal service areas. We also have a number of Hong Kong's leading specialist practice groups in areas such as Financial Services, Intellectual Property, Insurance, Dispute Resolution, Tax & Trusts, Construction, Corporate Finance, Commercial Property, Technology & Communications and China Practice. Our practice groups and partners are consistently rated in the top-tier rankings by international directories. We are a young and dynamic new leadership with a clear strategic vision investing heavily in technology. Successful applicants will meet with us in two interviews. At the first interview, you will meet with two members of the Graduate Recruitment team for approximately thirty minutes. You will also be required to take a comprehension test. The second interview is conducted by two partners. In addition, we require all candidates to take a Chinese proficiency test. We have a highly diversified range of practice areas in a global legal atmosphere. Your two-year training contract will usually consist of four six-month placements in different practice groups. During your training contract, you can expect to: receive a remuneration package generally in line with comparable law firms in Hong Kong, including: a competitive salary reimbursement of full-time PCLL course tuition fees 20 days of annual leave medical insurance benefits under the firm's Group Medical Insurance Policy covering hospitalisation, surgical and clinical treatments participation in firm's Mandatory Provident Fund scheme for professional staff work with senior associates and partners and receive valuable hands-on training benefit from our mentoring program so your training and career progress is overseen by a nominated partner develop your professional and social skills be involved in challenging and rewarding work receive encouragement and support participate in a training program designed to develop the core skills required for legal practice participate in firm-wide social events such as cocktails, junk trips, the annual dinner, the all trainees bowling tournament, Dragon Boat racing, sports events for charity and many other events We recruit trainees with a view to retaining them as associates. In 2004 and 2005, we offered associate positions to all of our newly qualified associates. When do applications close? We interview candidates in the penultimate year of their law degree or combined law degree. There is no deadline for trainee solicitor applications, however we would encourage you to send in your application before the interview season begins. Law Degree Location Interview Season Northern hemisphere: ie.Hong Kong & United Kingdom   June - September Southern hemisphere: ie. Australia & New Zealand   July and late November - February Trainee Profiles Doris Yeung, Trainee Solicitor Doris obtained her double degree in BBA(Laws) and LLB in the University of Hong Kong. She joined Deacons as a trainee in August 2006. She is currently in the third seat of her traineeship.   The sheer number of law firms that made presentations at my campus made it difficult to differentiate between them. But Deacons really stood out during the interview process. Despite their impressive backgrounds, the interviewers were incredibly nice and friendly. They also seemed to have several things in common – not the least of which was a commitment to teamwork. This, along with the firm's culture and commitment to career mentoring made joining an easy decision for me. Before joining Deacons, I heard all sorts of stories about what gruelling life in a law firm is like. But the reality here is different. I don't see cut-throat, I see people who care. What stands out in my mind about my first days with the firm was just how impressive the orientation process was. It was incredibly well planned – and that spoke volumes about how highly the firm values its people. It also gave me a good idea of how high delivery standards are here. Excellence is the norm in every area.  During my first seat as a trainee in the corporate finance practice group, one thing that impressed me from the start was its dynamic and challenging working environment. Every situation is unique; the demands are different. The works are very hands-on and a typical day just does not exist. One day I will focus on the restructuring of a company in China while on the other day I will be doing due diligence on an overseas company. This has provided me with opportunities to enhance my expertise in fields I am not trained in but are critical for me to develop a well-rounded knowledge in the legal profession. I am currently working in the insurance litigation group, which focuses on personal injuries litigation. I really wasn’t expecting a working environment as friendly as the one I have in this practice group. I think that’s one of the things we, as a team, are most proud of – how well everyone has bonded together. There is a very big support network, both formal and informal, which works very well and makes the firm a nice place to work. The partners, too, have an open door policy and are always ready to assist. As challenging as it might be at any time, you are not on your own.  I can honestly say that Deacons works hard to support its people. Upon joining I was assigned a mentor to help me acclimatize to the culture of the firm. Intensive professional development courses are offered exploring legal topics in more detail and enabling attendees to develop more in-depth knowledge and skills. These courses are also opportunities to meet lawyers from throughout the firm. There are also great social opportunities and good balances of work and lifestyle. I am looking forward to the bowling night, the dragon boat competition and the movie night coming up in the next few months. I believe that opportunities are what you make of them. There is so much to do all the time. There are so many ways to expand your skills here – but it is up to you to take advantage of them. The key is to realize this and capitalize on it. In my case, I think I have. When I look back over my time with the firm, I can see a difference in the way I work now. I can see how much I have grown professionally. What's more, I can also see the type of opportunities that might be open to me in the future. I am certainly looking forward to what lies ahead!  Elaine Poon, Trainee Solicitor A balance in life Elaine obtained her Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Law in University of Sydney. She joined Deacons as a trainee in August 2007. She is currently in the first seat of her traineeship.   I started working for Deacons in August 2007 and to this day, I am still amazed at how smooth my transition from the life of a student into full-time work was. Life at Deacons has been different to my expectations, and more. The demanding, fast-pace life style in Hong Kong is a well-known fact. What makes working in one firm different to another is the firm's culture. Deacons stood out for me in this respect even during my interviewing process. Instead of trying my best to impress some intimidating interviewer on the opposite end of the table, I found myself in comfortable conversation with two partners from the firm. This friendly attitude continued even when I started working in the firm. We have all heard of the stories where new trainees in some law firms would be lost amongst the files and the pile of paper work at their desk, and to be forever known as 'the trainee'. In this respect, the support system that Deacons provides greatly exceeds my expectations. The open door policy in the firm makes communication between colleagues more accessible. The mentoring program provides for the pairing up of a partner of the firm and a trainee for guidance and support. Continuous development programs are designed not only to nurture the young lawyers professionally, but also to mature as part of the Deacons community. I am currently in my first seat in the Commercial Litigation group. Being a trainee in this group means assisting your supervisors with research; attending three minute hearings in court; drafting court documents and attending interview with clients. Because of the nature of the work of this group, I had to do research on a wide range of areas in which I have had little experience with from law school, including defamation, professional negligence, insurance and tax law. These exercises enhanced the skills I acquired in law school. More importantly, it allows me to find my areas of interest in preparation for my legal career ahead. One interesting experience was when I had to represent a creditor at a creditor's meeting during a company's winding up. I had to vote on behalf of the creditor on several issues during the meeting. For me, this was a reality check as I was reminded that working as a lawyer is not just about the papers and documents in my office. What we do as representatives of our clients do affect their lives and that position demands great care and responsibility. The comprehensive orientation program ensured that all the trainees are familiar and comfortable with our new surroundings before we started work. Continuous social events such as junk trips, trainee lunches, the dragon boat race and yoga class organised by the social committee ensure that being part of Deacons is more than just work - it is just as important to the firm that we as trainees feel comfortable as part of the Deacons family. Annual dinner is a much anticipated event in the firm as friends and colleagues gather to celebrate the year - to most of them, I know that I will not be just another face who happens to work at the same firm. The most effective workers are the ones who are satisfied from both life at work and outside of work. A lot of people, especially working in Hong Kong, would find it hard to strike this balance. For me, this balance was not hard to find in Deacons. How to apply: If you would like to apply for a training contract in our Hong Kong office, please apply online. For further inquiries please contact us at trainees@deacons.com.hk We have increased the number of trainees for since 2006. If your grades and language skills meet our recruitment criteria please apply online and specify in the application when you would be available to start. However, as places are limited please apply as soon as possible. All correspondence will be held in the strictest confidence.   Sponsorship Programmes With over 150 years of history in Hong Kong, we have a long-standing relationship with tertiary institutions in Hong Kong. We share a commitment and responsibility for the local education system through a combination of sponsorship programmes, volunteerism and professional development programmes. Deacons has been pleased to support the following: University of Hong Kong International Client Counselling Competition 2005 Deacons Prize in Law Willem C. Vis Int'l Commercial Arbitration Moot Competition "Deacons Cup" Compulsory Mooting Programme   Knowledge, Training and Development We know that our people are the key to our success. We provide a challenging and dynamic environment, and we foster a culture in which people can interact and share knowledge freely so that everyone contributes to improving the way we work. We are committed to ongoing learning and professional development. The Hong Kong Law Society has accredited Deacons as a continuing professional development ("CPD") course provider, and we schedule more than 100 in-house CPD seminars each year. Our seminars cover substantive legal issues as well as "soft-skills" training in public speaking and presentations, time and file management, drafting of documents, client relationship management, and business writing. In addition, we provide individual desk-top access to the internet and, via the firm's intranet, to our comprehensive knowledge database. Each user has a personalised ID and email address and we encourage full use of our online resources. The process of contributing and sharing knowledge begins the day you join the firm and will continue throughout your career. We believe in helping you to achieve your full potential.