Based on their respective specializations and personal preferences, associates will join one of our practice groups.  As part of a team, you will advise our clients in your field of specialization, participating in various phases of transactions, projects and proceedings.  We believe that your training and work responsibilities should be focused, yet comprehensive and integrated across our practices.  We aim for our team members to find a balanced understanding of their areas of specialization and the broader legal, commercial and technical opportunities and challenges our clients face.  In this respect, we encourage academic activities such as pursuing writing and public speaking opportunities.

A professional working environment is essential for successful legal work. We therefore maintain state-of-the-art offices with modern telecommunications equipment. We also believe that personal development is crucial. This applies not only to our lawyers’ daily work, but also to their personal lives. For example, we are open to discussing part-time arrangements.

We expect our associates to have the best qualifications in the marketplace. Here’s what you can expect from us:

• Dedicated Training and Development. We understand the importance of your practical training and career development. We offer you the opportunity to work closely with highly reputable partners who are leading practitioners in their fields of practice, and who will closely monitor your career development.

• Cutting-Edge Matters. We are regularly sought to provide sophisticated advice on major headline transactions. From day one you will be involved in handling some of the most challenging and intellectually stimulating matters.

• Excellent Career Development. As a fast growing and leading law firm, we provide opportunity for tremendous career development. Partner promotions depend upon your individual success and are not subject to “allocations” of “slots” from abroad.

• International Approach. We work closely with our other offices in New York, Washington, Paris, London, Brussels, Rome and Milan. You will have the opportunity to experience different languages, cultures and new perspectives on handling international deals. Depending upon your qualifications, we can discuss secondments in our other offices or at our clients’ offices.

• Early Client Contact. You can expect to have significant client contact at an early stage. We work very closely with our clients and see you as an integral part of our team. We will facilitate your involvement in client meetings, negotiations and external discussions.

• Teamwork. You will find a workplace environment at Willkie that emphasizes client needs and team play. We are proud of our collegial environment and believe that true teamwork is a major part of our formula for success.

• Individuals Welcome. We encourage our attorneys to express and rely upon their creative and entrepreneurial spirit. We feel that individualism and team play are not mutually exclusive and that diversity adds true value. We do not brand you as part of a legal organization, but rather provide you with a basis to develop your individual profile in the legal market.

• Flexible Approach. We are open to your individual needs, including part-time arrangements.

• Competitive Compensation. Our basic compensation is at the top of the market. Additionally, we offer a discretionary bonus of up to 20 % based on performance.

We believe that traineeships are an excellent way for us to get to know one another.  We therefore welcome applications of recent university graduates (Referendare) and students (Praktikanten, Studenten der Rechtswissenschaften) with ambitions to work for an international law firm.  Depending upon the interest of the candidate, trainees as well as students will join one of our practice groups and work closely with our lawyers on the transactions, projects and proceedings we are advising.  We consider trainees and students as full members of our teams.

The candidates should possess a genuine interest in international business law and be fluent in English.  Candidates for a traineeship (Referendar-Station) are expected to have obtained 9 points or above in their first state exam (1. Staatsexamen).  The judicial training curriculum should show initiative, openness and career planning orientation.

In addition to being granted the opportunity to develop professional skills and to get to know the work atmosphere in a successful international law firm, trainees and students working in our office receive competitive compensation.

The Frankfurt office of Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP has entered into an official cooperation in August 2013 with one of the world’s leading business schools, INSEAD, regarding INSEAD’s MBA Program. INSEAD is among the largest and most prestigious business schools in the world with its main campuses in Fontainebleau, France and Singapore and offers inter alia a 1-year MBA Program for professionals with work experience.

Willkie is widely perceived in the market to not only provide high-quality legal advise but also understand the clients’ business. With this cooperation we want to further build on this reputation. The firm will coach current and future employees throughout the application process and support them financially up to 50% of the tuition in case of acceptance into the program, which remains at the sole discretion of INSEAD.

As official “Cooperator of the INSEAD MBA Program” Willkie is to its knowledge the first law firm in Germany to officially support its associates in obtaining a full MBA.

In 2011 the Frankfurt office of Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP entered into an official cooperation with one of the world’s leading law schools, University of California, Berkeley School of Law (Boalt Hall) regarding Berkeley Law’s Professional LL.M. program. Berkeley Law is constantly ranked among the top ten law schools in the United States.

This Professional LL.M. program is in particular addressed to legal professionals who have already started or are about to start a career in the law business. To comply with the working environment of its students, the program is split into two consecutive summers each up to 3 months of duration.

Willkie Frankfurt supports its associates who wish to participate in the Berkeley Law’s Professional LL.M. program and keeps a constant and vital relationship with Berkeley Law.