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Dentons
A global commercial law firm offering UK training across transactional, advisory and contentious practices, with client and international secondment opportunities.
About Dentons
Dentons is a global commercial law firm advising clients on transactions, disputes and regulatory matters through a network spanning more than 85 countries. Its UK trainee opportunities are based in London, Milton Keynes and Scotland, including Edinburgh and Glasgow.
The firm’s practice encompasses corporate transactions, banking, commercial advice, real estate and dispute resolution. Its international reach supports clients operating across markets, while its UK offices also advise on domestic business activity and regional investment.
For prospective trainees, Dentons offers the opportunity to explore several areas of commercial law within a large international organisation. A strong application should connect that breadth with particular work or clients that interest you. Explaining how teams collaborate on a financing, acquisition or development will demonstrate more understanding than simply referring to the size of the network.
The two-year Trainee Solicitor Programme comprises four six-month seats. Trainees gain experience across different practices, supported by structured learning, feedback and career development. Client and international secondments are available subject to business requirements, performance and eligibility.
Future trainees joining before their professional studies receive course-fee support. Preferred providers include BPP for the PGDL and SQE. Current full-time maintenance grants are £10,000 for the PGDL, £17,000 for the SQE and £10,000 for the Scottish Diploma.
England and Wales and Scottish programmes lead to qualification in their respective jurisdictions, so applicants should check the academic and professional requirements of their chosen location.
Practice areas & rankings
Dentons has 58 ranked departments in Chambers UK 2027. Recognised practices include corporate M&A, lending, technology and outsourcing, planning, employment, restructuring and environmental law. Its rankings span different UK regions, with bands and geographical coverage varying between practices.
Dentons won Planning Law Firm of the Year at the Planning Awards 2026. It also won Real Estate Team of the Year at the Legal Business Awards 2025 for its work on the redevelopment of Marks & Spencer’s Marble Arch store, including the planning inquiry and High Court proceedings.
These awards provide concrete examples of work connecting planning strategy, property development and disputes.
Ranked departmentsChambers UK
Explore the practice areas
Ranked Band 2 for Corporate/M&A: £100–800 million in London in Chambers UK 2027, Dentons advises on acquisitions, disposals and other corporate transactions. The practice forms part of a wider offering covering investment, governance, competition and tax. Its international network provides context for applicants interested in how lawyers coordinate transactions involving different markets.
Ranked Band 2 for Corporate Finance: Lenders: Mid-Market in London in Chambers UK 2027, Dentons advises traditional and alternative lenders. Its work includes cross-border financing and investment-grade transactions, with experience in emerging markets. Relevant sectors include technology, oil and gas, and financial services.
Ranked Band 2 for Information Technology & Outsourcing in London in Chambers UK 2027, the practice sits within Dentons’ broader commercial offering. It provides a useful area for exploring how legal advice supports organisations adopting technology, procuring services and managing business relationships. Applicants can connect their research with questions about contractual risk, service delivery and digital change.
Ranked Band 3 in London in Chambers UK 2027, Dentons advises on development projects, infrastructure and planning disputes. Its work includes major regeneration and retail developments, alongside involvement in national planning policy. The practice’s recent awards illustrate how planning advice can determine whether significant commercial projects proceed.
Awards
Planning Law Firm of the YearPlanning Awards 2026
Real Estate Team of the YearLegal Business Awards 2025
For its work on the redevelopment of Marks & Spencer's Marble Arch store, including the planning inquiry and High Court proceedings.
The application process
Click on each stage to find out more.
The vacation scheme is currently the sole route into Dentons’ UK Trainee Solicitor Programme. Applications for the 2027 London, Milton Keynes and Scotland schemes close on 23 November 2026.
The London and Milton Keynes schemes run from 5–16 April 2027. The Scotland scheme runs from 7–18 June 2027. Participants receive £500 per week.
Candidates submit one application to one location per recruitment cycle. Applications are reviewed after the deadline.
London and Milton Keynes opportunities accept penultimate-year qualifying law students, final-year non-law students and graduates. Scottish applicants need to be studying or have completed a Scots law degree, including the accelerated route.
Explain why your chosen office and its work appeal to you. Select a transaction, dispute or sector issue and explore the client’s objectives, the commercial pressures involved and the contribution lawyers make.
Use examples showing how you organise work, learn from feedback and approach unfamiliar problems. Academic projects, employment and volunteering can all provide evidence. Make your own contribution clear and explain what changed because of your actions.
Dentons: quick answers
How much does Dentons pay trainees?
Dentons pays first-year trainees £54,000, rising to £59,000 in the second year. Newly qualified solicitors at Dentons earn £112,500.
When are the Dentons application deadlines?
Dentons has more than one deadline in the 2026/27 cycle: the training contract closes on 23 Nov and the training contract closes on 31 Mar. Deadlines can change and popular schemes may close early, so check the live application deadlines tracker.
How many trainees does Dentons take on?
Dentons takes on around 25 trainees in each intake, so places are competitive and strong applications matter.
What tests does Dentons use in its applications?
Candidates complete the Legal High Potential Assessment, comprising scenario-based, numerical and verbal questions. It is untimed and typically takes approximately 45 minutes. Prior legal knowledge is not required. Use the practice assessment supplied by the firm. For numerical questions, check units and distinguish the information needed from background detail. For verbal questions, base conclusions on the material provided. In scenarios, consider the client’s needs, competing priorities and when guidance would help.
What grades do you need to apply to Dentons?
To apply to Dentons you will generally need a 2:1+ degree. At A-level, Dentons asks for ABB. Requirements can flex where there are mitigating circumstances, so always check the firm's own criteria if your grades differ.
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