William Fry LLP |

With a long-standing reputation for innovative advice and superior client service, William Fry is one of Ireland’s premier law firms. Our clients include leading Irish companies in all major sectors of the economy, Government departments and agencies, and household names in the FTSE 100 and Fortune 500.

We have over 460 people working in Dublin, Cork, London, New York, San Francisco and Silicon Valley, as well as a formal association with Tughans, Northern Ireland's largest commercial law firm.

We are ranked by international directories, clients and market commentators alike as being a leader in our main areas of work: Corporate & M&A, Banking & Finance, Litigation & Dispute Resolution, Asset Management & Investment Funds, Real Estate, Insurance, Tax, Projects & Construction, Employment & Benefits and Technology.

William Fry is an exciting, challenging environment. Working as a team, we demand a lot of ourselves and never settle for second best. Our friendly open-door approach fosters learning and encourages and rewards initiative. Drawn from a diverse range of backgrounds and academic disciplines, William Fry people welcome new ideas and want to make a difference – both in our work for clients and through involvement in charitable, community and environmental initiatives.

Our graduate programmes include our Trainee Solicitor programme, Summer Internship programme and WFirst Open Day for first & second year students

We strive to create and foster a positive, respectful and healthy work environment where everyone can meet their potential and have a sense of pride in their place of work. In support of this, we invest in policies and programmes that promote the recruitment, retention and development of our staff. Workplace programmes incorporate health & wellbeing, learning & development, as well as diversity & inclusion.

• Double matched Pension scheme.
• Paid leave, including paid maternity leave, access to PHI cover and life assurance.
• Subsidised annual travel pass.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• 22 Days annual leave.
• Hybrid work model.
• Firm pays a contribution towards health insurance annually.
• Access to a tailored Learning and Development programme.
• Firm wide social events including a summer BBQ and Christmas party.
• Subsidised canteen and free on site gym.
• EAP programme and access to regular well being events.
• Referral bonus scheme.
• CSR opportunities

As a William Fry trainee, you will benefit from a structured programme designed to build your knowledge and experience during your traineeship

CONSULTATION

Share your ideas with our managing partner and trainee liaison partner.

CAREER PROGRESSION

Defined career path to becoming a future leader with the firm.

ROTATIONS

Option to request seats.

LIFE BEYOND WORK

Enjoy social events.

CHALLENGING WORK

Involvement in large and complex transactions with leading clients.

REGULAR REVIEWS

Regular feedback sessions with your partner.

RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS

Participate in our programme.

BUDDY SYSTEM

Assignment to a current trainee to help you settle in.

WHAT WE LOOK FOR

Penultimate and final year students, postgraduates and graduates from
all disciplines, ideally on target to achieve a 2.1 degree. We look for highly motivated people with a passion to pursue a career in corporate law. We seek good team players with excellent written and spoken
communication skills and an eye for detail.

APPLICATION PROCESS

1. Applications open in September via our online application form.
2. Meet with our recruitment team at college fairs.
3. Application deadline.
4. Assessment centre & two interviews for candidates.
5. Offer

We believe that talent comes in many forms. Fostering a diverse workforce enables us to attract and retain the best, brightest and broadest range of talent.

Creating an inclusive environment where people are encouraged to reach their full potential enables us to harness the unique perspectives and experiences of our staff to provide innovative solutions to our clients. As part of William Fry’s commitment to Diversity & Inclusion, we have appointed Brian O’Callaghan as D&I Partner. In this role, Brian frequently monitors and reviews our policies and practices to ensure we consider different aspects of diversity and inclusion and are acting in line with our values of Big Thinking, Energetic Engagement and Powerfully Principled.

DiversiFRY

diversiFry is William Fry’s staff support network. The aim is to celebrate diversity and promote inclusion within the firm.

We have a steering committee made up of staff volunteers from across the firm who work together with our HR and Learning & Development teams to provide staff with workshops and seminars aimed at increasing inclusivity as well as development opportunities and policies that support people achieving their full potential.

Some of the key initiatives include:

• Role Model Lunches
• Mentorship Programme
• Maternity & Paternity Coaching
• Mental Health First Aid Training
• Staff Survey
• Unconscious Bias Training
• Employee Assistance Programme

We are currently working with the Irish Centre for Diversity to gain a deeper understanding of the experience of our staff and our diversity and inclusion statistics which will help drive our efforts moving forward

William Fry has a comprehensive Health & Wellbeing programme that is offered to all staff. It includes:

• Healthy eating options and nutrition advice in our canteen
• An on-site gym, open 24/7, with access to personal trainers and fitness classes
• A series of seminars, covering everything from mindfulness to health eating to budgeting and finance
• An Employee Assistance Programme, specifically design to support staff health and wellbeing
• A Family and Career Integration Programme
  … and much more!

At William Fry we invest considerably in continuous learning, education and professional development for everyone and we recognise that as a trainee you have significant and specific learning needs. As a William Fry trainee, you will benefit from a bespoke in-house learning and development programme which offers you the best opportunity to excel and reach your potential.

Trainees enjoy the support of William Fry’s industry leading in-house learning and development team. The L&D team is lawyer-led and includes a dedicated learning and development manager for trainees.

Our smaller trainee group size (circa 30-35 trainees) allows for a more personalised traineeship experience, enabling you to thrive. We get to know you better one-on-one and there are more opportunities for you to get involved with firm initiatives and to influence firm strategy.

The trainee development programme at William Fry comprises personal and professional skills development, including a bi-monthly legal seminar series with industry experts. The programme is focused on building your legal technical, client care and practice/business skills, to help you achieve your full potential.

Trainees at William Fry have the option to take part in ‘STRIVE’, the firm’s award winning dedicated personal and professional coaching programme for trainees. Trainees can also participate in the firm-wide mentorship programme where they are matched with a more senior colleague.

Trainees rotate through four departments as part of the William Fry traineeship and complete their first rotation before attending Blackhall PPC. Trainees work directly with a partner in each rotation, building up their on-the-job experience and working with professionals who are experts in their field.

As part of each rotation, trainees benefit from both a mid-rotation and end-of-rotation review. These regular check-ins ensure trainees are given feedback on their performance throughout their traineeship.

During the summer months, trainees engage in innovative summer projects which enable ‘big thinking’ and empower them to bring ideas to fruition and work collaboratively with others in the firm. Examples of previous summer projects include the trainee designed and led pro-bono ‘FryTY’ programme for TY students. Trainees also have the opportunity to go on secondment to our offices in Cork and London, and externally to clients such as IBM.

The William Fry trainee community support each other across teams and departments with many taking on trainee buddy responsibilities. Trainees have a dedicated social committee and social budget which they control, allowing for plenty of opportunities to network and have fun with the trainee community during your traineeship.

Our approach to sustainability is guided by our values of big thinking, energetic engagement, and powerfully principled, which shapes the way we do business. Operating responsibly is a fundamental part of our business strategy and we strive to embed environmental, social, and governance considerations throughout the company. We have a range of sustainable and ethical practices, including building strong relationships with clients and the community, working towards greater environmental sustainability, and ensuring responsible governance in our supply chain. We are grateful for the support of senior sponsors, committees, and partners, as well as all employees who have contributed to their responsible business program over the past year. Together, they have made a positive and lasting impact