Hong Kong

Each year, Clyde & Co offers a small number of contracts to exceptional candidates to train and qualify in Hong Kong.

Looking East

Our Hong Kong office works in close partnership with our Shanghai office to provide services to clients working in the dynamic commercial marketplace that is modern China. Our office in Singapore also complements these two offices to provide services across South East Asia.

In collaboration with the global network of Clyde & Co offices, our Hong Kong office has been providing a full range of commercial legal services to both national and international clients for more than 25 years.

What to expect

During the two years of your training contract, you will complete four seats across different areas of our practice. Where possible, we will try to accommodate your individual preferences, although these will of course need to be considered in the light of the overall requirements of the firm.

As one of only a handful of trainees working in an office of over 70 people, you will benefit from diverse opportunities to be fully involved in all aspects of cases right from their outset and to make a real impact in the projects on which you work.

You will be assigned to a single Partner for each seat but, because our firm does not operate on rigid departmental lines, you may also get to experience working across different practice areas and on a wide variety of different projects.

In addition to the practical experience you will gain through on-the-job training, we provide a comprehensive programme of in-house courses designed to enhance your technical knowledge, interpersonal and client care skills.

Our joint operation with Shanghai and close connections to the UK mean that secondments to these offices are real possibilities.

What we look for

Our trainees come from many different backgrounds. We look for candidates with at least a 2.1 Honours degree or equivalent who have the ability to analyse a problem and develop focused solutions.

We look for candidates who want to be part of a team, who show enthusiasm and who are not afraid of a challenge. Candidates should be fluent in English and preferably in Cantonese and Mandarin, with the ability to get on well with people from many different backgrounds.

Before they join us, prospective trainees need to complete either a four-year Hong Kong law degree or a three-year degree and law conversion course, followed by the PCLL qualification.

Areas of practice

  • Aviation
  • Corporate and commercial
  • Corporate restructuring and insolvency
  • Dispute resolution and international arbitration
  • Insurance and reinsurance
  • Intellectual property
  • International trade and finance
  • Shipping and logistics

Recent work

  • Lead adviser in Asia for a US multinational making acquisitions in Hong Kong, the PRC, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan
  • Advising on the technology licensing agreement and the related exportation of automobile products being manufactured, using the licensed technology, in China
  • Acting in an on-going arbitration conducted under CIETAC rules between a Chinese party and a European multi-national in Shanghai
  • Assisting major US insurers in relation to a multi-million dollar recovery claim in various jurisdictions arising from default of several sovereign promissory notes/bonds
  • Assisting a European shipowner on its strategy and recourse against a Chinese shipyard arising from late delivery of several tankers

The application process

To be considered for a training contract, complete our application form (below) and send it to us, together with a brief covering letter.

Selected candidates are invited to a preliminary interview and offers are made after a second interview. Interviews are held in our Hong Kong office.

Our offer of a training contract in Hong Kong is conditional upon successful completion of the PCLL. Sponsorship is provided for the PCLL for those candidates who obtain a training contract with us.

You should apply for a training contract two years before your intended starting date.

Completed application forms should be sent to:

Ms Cheryl Mathieson
Human Resources Manager
Clyde & Co
18 th Floor, CITIC Tower
1 Tim Mei Avenue
Central
Hong Kong

Tel: (852) 2878 8600
Fax: (852) 2522 5907

Email: recruitment@clyde.com.hk 

Hong Kong trainee application form

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