Herbert Smith Freehills Reviews

Lots of opportunities for growth and HSF looks great on a resume.

Firm is very strong on pro bono and places it in high regard.

There is a very collaborative culture - with an emphasis on personal as well as professional bonding. There are informal and formal cultural initiatives, and various different opportunities to connect through work or as a standalone exercise separate from your day-to-day job. It is a high-performance law firm, and with that will be some long hours. There is no denying that this is true, but they're confined to when they are strictly necessary and I have never worked long hours without a team also working alongside of me.

The firm has a leading Diversity and Inclusion committee with many sub-committees. One of the best parental leave policies - 26 weeks paid regardless of parental role.

High-quality, interesting level of work. Good exposure to different matters, clients and sectors. Assisting with various stages of transactions, sometimes directly with partners but also with juniors and SA's.

Very accessible and put a lot of time in. Willing to give their own experiences and advice. Make time and give thought to career conversations, and are good professional and personal mentors.

Great location, really good cafe, and building facilities. The dress code depends on the team. Corporate is more formal; other teams are smart casual if there are no client meetings.

I went through the formal graduate program - I found HSF's approach to be far more welcoming, relaxed and down to earth than the process experienced elsewhere. There was a written application, followed by an in person (virtual - COVID) interview, and a few networking evenings.

The pay is very good. We got a bonus for being admitted into the legal profession. And all the grads are in lock-step so that there is no feeling of competition or stress to do well during the rotations. Only once we have settled into where we want to go does the pay become unlocked and we can earn pay rises.

Very good training across the board. The best training is always on the job, and there is lots of good on the job training. The firm is very willing to allow juniors to push themselves and have a go at things 'beyond their level', which presents great learning opportunities.

So far, my hours have been very reasonable. I have only worked on weekends occasionally, and I am generally home before 8pm.

We have responded to the carbon and energy sectors to achieve government targets.