London

At Sidley, there are boundless opportunities to work on interesting and challenging projects for high-calibre clients.

We have built a reputation as a premier legal advisor for global businesses, financial institutions and government entities, providing exceptional legal representation spanning the full range of litigation, transactional and regulatory matters.

The quality of work given to associates in London is first rate—cutting edge and complex, and often high profile.

We are pleased to provide a comprehensive compensation and benefits package to support our personnel and their families. Our package is designed to support mental, physical and financial wellbeing, working parents and much more. We regularly review and enhance our offering to ensure that it remains competitive and meets the needs of our personnel.

Group Personal Pension Scheme – The firm will contribute to your pension provided that you contribute also in order to meet current legal requirements.
Pension Cash Alternative – To help employees manage their personal tax position, the firm allows higher earners to request a capped pension and to have the excess contribution returned as salary, with the excess firm contribution paid as a cash allowance. The part of the cash allowance that represents the excess firm contribution will be returned net of employer National Insurance.
Financial Advice Vouchers – You are able to receive regulated financial advice regarding your firm pension from either your own Independent Financial Adviser or from the firm’s employee benefits consultancy. By selecting a voucher, you can receive £500 worth of advice but at a much lower cost.
Life Assurance – Provides a lump sum benefit to family or next of kin should you die whilst employed by the firm. Paid at 4 x salary.
Income Protection – Paid at 75% of salary after 26 weeks continuous absence if you are unable to work due to illness or injury, subject to the claim being approved by the firm’s insurer. There is a cap of £150,000 on the benefit. You can apply for cover above this amount by completing underwriting.
Travel Insurance – Personal accident and travel insurance for business and personal travel. Also available to your immediate family.

Private Medical Insurance (“PMI”) – The firm’s comprehensive PMI scheme is available to all employees, with single cover funded by the firm. It is possible to add immediate family members at a personal cost.
Private GP Service – Unlimited access to a private GP, both in-person and virtually. The service also includes access to a number of urgent care centres across London.
Health Screening Checks – Employees under the age of 40 are eligible for a health screening check every two years. Employees aged 40 and above are eligible for an annual screening.
Virtual GP Services – 24/7 access to a virtual GP. Available to immediate family if covered under PMI scheme.
Menopause Support Service – 12 month support programme with a private, specialist GP.
In-house Counselling Service – Confidential one-to-one sessions with the firm’s in-house counsellor. Lawyers are entitled to book up to two sessions per month.
Gym Allowance – Annual allowance of £400. The firm has secured a number of corporate discounts to gyms local to the London office.
Complimentary Access to Headspace – Mindful meditation app. Offers hundreds of guided meditations and exercises on everything from stress to sleep.
Employee Assistance Programme – 24/7 telephone access to trained mental health advisors. Eight sessions of face-to-face counselling also available.
Flu Vaccinations – Available in the Autumn each year.
Annual Eye Screening and Prescription Allowance – £20 towards cost of the examination and a £50 contribution towards lenses, if prescribed for VDU use.
Aviva DigiCare + Workplace – The app provides complimentary access to a number of wellbeing resources, available to you and your immediate family. The service includes: a health check, digital GP service, second medical opinion service, mental health consultation and a nutritional consultation.
Mental Health First Aid – A dedicated group of Sidley employees are trained to spot the signs of a mental health issue, identify when an individual may be at risk of harming themselves or others and signpost individuals to appropriate treatment.
“Living Well” Wellbeing Programme – Activities and events held throughout the year to support mental and physical wellbeing.

Cycle to Work Scheme – Tax efficient way to purchase a bicycle and/or accessories via salary sacrifice up to a maximum of £2,000 in a twelve month period.
Cycle Insurance – Select cover to suit your needs. Sidley employees can benefit from a special 15% discount.
Dental Insurance – Various levels of cover available. It is possible to add immediate family members. The cost would be deducted from your salary over a twelve month period.
Season Ticket Loan – Save on travel by applying for a season ticket loan, with the cost deducted from your salary over a twelve month period.
Will Writing Service – Standard and advanced options available, with the option to include your spouse/partner. The cost would be deducted from your salary over a twelve month period.

Maternity Leave – The firm offers enhanced maternity pay of 22 weeks at full pay, subject to 26 weeks employment by the end of the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth.
Shared Parental Leave – The firm offers enhanced shared parental pay of 22 weeks at full pay, subject to 26 weeks employment by the end of the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth.
Paternity Leave – Enhanced pay.
Emergency Childcare, Back-up Adult and Eldercare – Access to emergency childcare, school holiday cover and backup eldercare. You are entitled to receive sixteen complimentary sessions in each 12 month period.
Parental Transition Coaching – The firm provides lawyers with up to four confidential one-to-one sessions with a coach trained to explore the personal challenges surrounding becoming a working parent. It enables individuals to express and work through deeper concerns, barriers, hopes, and expectations..

25 Days Paid Holiday Per Year
Employee Referral Scheme – Employees who refer a candidate for employment who is subsequently hired by the firm may be eligible for a referral bonus of £15,000 for a lawyer and £2,000 for a member of support staff.
Discounted Shopping Portal – Provides discounts on top brands. Available to employees and their immediate family.
Culture Whisper – Helps you maximise your free time by providing invaluable information on what to see and do in London. Complimentary tickets available for you and a plus one.
Matched Giving – The firm will match a fundraising donation up to a limit of £250 per year.
Payroll Giving – Tax efficient way to make charitable donations to any UK registered charity.
Community Investment Days – Paid time off for volunteering. You are entitled to volunteer on two occasions per year, with a registered charity of your choice. In addition, a number of volunteering opportunities are organised by the firm, including mentoring and assisting with work experience for young people.

We are committed to providing career-long learning and professional development for our lawyers.

In addition to the New Associate Programme delivered annually, we offer a superb technical training programme designed by and for each individual practice group. In addition, a wide range of skill-building workshops are provided to enhance your performance as a lawyer and is tailored to your level of qualification. Our Business Development Programme provides high-level, personalised coaching around communications and networking, client engagement and winning new business.

Sidley is dedicated to cultivating a culture of career-long learning while making considerable investments in the future of our associates. In support of this commitment, we launched Built to Lead℠, the firm’s new associate development program. This leadership and executive development model is uniquely designed to help our associates become world-class lawyers with greater business acumen and boardroom prowess.

We are always looking for talented lawyers to join us. Successful candidates will have an excellent academic record coupled with high-quality experience, most likely gained at a premier City firm.

We recruit from a variety of backgrounds, nationalities, ages and experience. There is no Sidley stereotype, although there are some essential attributes that Sidley lawyers have in common. They have strong business instincts and are genuinely intrigued by the commercial world and the world of finance in particular. They are approachable and easy to work with. They are self-disciplined and ambitious, driven to deliver results.

If you are interested in a career at Sidley, please click here.

Working in London

Sidley’s London office was established in 1974 and is the firm’s largest office in Europe. Our lawyers advise on domestic and cross-border matters across a full range of practice areas. We have a particularly strong footprint in London in structured finance, capital markets, restructuring, mergers and acquisitions, and private equity.

Talent. Teamwork. Results.
Sidley’s reputation for excellence is a result of the firm’s commitment to cultivating a deep reserve of legal talent in numerous substantive areas, modelling an environment of teamwork and mutual respect, and achieving results for clients across all industries and stages of the business cycle.

Work Environment
Sidley has built an inclusive, collegiate culture firmwide that supports internal cooperation and rewards good work. We believe our culture sets us apart from other firms and enhances the professional experience and satisfaction of our lawyers.

Our London office offers the best of both worlds—the experience of working in one of the largest international law firms along with the relaxed, down-to-earth friendliness of a smaller office. Here you will find high-quality work on par with Magic Circle firms and an energetic, meritocratic and supportive environment.

We are located in a distinctive new development at 70 St. Mary Axe with panoramic views across London. Based in the in the heart of the City and close to Liverpool Street station with all the area has to offer - fantastic restaurants and bars, shopping and sporting facilities. You’ll find a great social scene within the office, with organised events including sailing and skiing weekends, seasonal parties and charitable team activities.

Career Development
Sidley has made a deep and ongoing investment in our world-class learning and development function, which plays a critical and strategic role within the firm and supports our stellar client service ethic. For the past 10 years, Sidley has been the sole law firm to be named to Chief Learning Officer magazine’s LearningElite, in recognition of the firm’s sustained commitment to training and development.

We provide comprehensive resources to assist all lawyers in reaching their professional goals. Our training opportunities for experienced lawyers reflect the firm’s dedication to career-long learning.

Commitment to Diversity
Sidley has a long history of taking committed action to diversify its own ranks, to achieve an inclusive and welcoming culture, and to increase the diversity of the legal profession as a whole. Our mission is to continually attract, retain and promote to partnership and leadership outstanding lawyers who reflect the global marketplace and communities that we serve.

Tradition of Service
Sidley lawyers recognise their responsibility to use their training, skills and experience to provide legal services to underserviced communities and to charitable, community, governmental and educational organisations that could not otherwise afford legal representation. Sidley lawyers and staff devote more than 100,000 hours annually to serving those most in need.

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