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Sidley Austin
A global US firm offering London trainees six rotations, including experience in its AI Knowledge Lab.
About Sidley Austin
Sidley Austin is a US law firm whose London office has served clients since 1974. London is its largest European office and a hub for international transactions, disputes and regulatory advice. Its practice spans global finance, capital markets, private equity, investment funds, insurance, life sciences, restructuring and tax, alongside litigation and competition work. The office’s combination of transactional and regulatory capabilities enables it to advise businesses on both executing commercial decisions and navigating the rules affecting their operations.
Trainees complete six seats of four months over the two years.
One of those rotations is in Sidley's AI Knowledge Lab, and every trainee does it. A dedicated AI seat built into the standard training contract is the first of its kind among the firms profiled here, introduced in 2026. Almost every firm now talks about artificial intelligence in its graduate marketing, and this is one of very few that has restructured its training contract around it.
For a candidate who is actually interested in how AI is changing legal practice, rather than in saying so at interview, four months inside a knowledge lab is real exposure rather than a seminar.
The SQE grant is £20,000, which matches the most generous in the market. Pay is £60,000 in the first year and £65,000 in the second, with newly qualified solicitors on £175,000. The intake is around 19 a year.
Practice areas & rankings
Sidley’s Chambers profile records 12 department rankings in Chambers UK 2026. These include Band 2 rankings for borrower-side leveraged finance in London and life sciences regulatory work UK-wide, alongside Band 3 rankings for debt capital markets, financial services regulation, infrastructure, insurance and data protection.
Ranked departmentsChambers UK
Explore the practice areas
Ranked Band 2 for Leveraged Finance: Borrowers/Sponsors: Big Ticket in London in Chambers UK 2026, Sidley advises private equity investors on substantial financing transactions. Chambers highlights its work for the consortium led by Clayton, Dubilier & Rice and Permira on financing the €2.2 billion take-private acquisition of Exclusive Networks.
Ranked Band 4 for Private Equity: Buyouts: £500 million and above, UK-wide, in Chambers UK 2026, Sidley advises sponsors on buyouts, investments and carve-outs across Europe, North America and Asia. Its transactional work is supported by private equity finance expertise. Chambers highlights its representation of Apollo-managed funds on the £2.7 billion acquisition of Evri.
Ranked Band 3 for Capital Markets: Debt, UK-wide, in Chambers UK 2026, Sidley advises issuers, banks and financial institutions on international debt offerings and restructurings. Its expertise includes regulatory capital, liability management, high-yield debt and US securities law. Chambers highlights its advice on Coca-Cola Europacific Partners’ €600 million notes issuance
Ranked Band 3 for Financial Services: Non-contentious Regulatory, UK-wide, in Chambers UK 2026, Sidley advises on matters including anti-money laundering, consumer protection and data security. Chambers highlights its work for Arini Capital Management on its separation from Squarepoint Capital and obtaining FCA approval to operate independently.
Ranked Band 2 for Life Sciences: Regulatory, UK-wide, in Chambers UK 2026, Sidley advises on UK and EU regulatory requirements, market access and compliance. Its lawyers also engage with the European Medicines Agency on clients’ behalf. Chambers highlights advice to Advanz Pharma concerning conditional marketing authorisation for its lead European product.
Awards
Client Service Firm of the YearLegal Business Awards 2026
US Law Firm of the YearLegal Business Awards 2025
Awarded to the US firm judged to have made the greatest progress in advancing its strategy, improving financial performance and winning instructions in the City.
International Law Firm of the YearBritish Legal Awards 2024
Recognised the strength of the London office, the firm's largest in Europe, in its 50th anniversary year.
The application process
Click on each stage to find out more.
Sidley recruits London trainees through its vacation schemes, with no direct training contract application. The online form covers academics, extracurricular activities and work experience, and applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.
Applications for the 2027 spring and summer schemes close on 8 January 2027. The published academic requirements are AAA at A-level and a 2:1 degree, or equivalent. Current deadlines and requirements.
For preparation, explain why Sidley’s London work interests you and support that motivation with specific research. Consider how its finance, corporate and regulatory practices connect, rather than simply listing departments.
Use your experiences to show what you contributed, how you approached a problem and what you learned. Check the live form for exact questions and word limits. Allow enough time to review your answers before submitting, particularly given rolling recruitment.
Sidley Austin: quick answers
How much does Sidley Austin pay trainees?
Sidley Austin pays first-year trainees £60,000, rising to £65,000 in the second year. Newly qualified solicitors at Sidley Austin earn £175,000.
When is the Sidley Austin vacation scheme deadline?
2027 spring and summer schemes open 28 Sep 2026 and close 8 Jan 2027 · the 2026 winter scheme closed 25 Sep 2026 · the scheme is the ONLY route to a training contract Deadlines can change and popular schemes may close early, so check the live application deadlines tracker.
How many trainees does Sidley Austin take on?
Sidley Austin takes on around 19 trainees in each intake, so places are competitive and strong applications matter.
What tests does Sidley Austin use in its applications?
Selected applicants complete a situational judgement test containing scenario-based, numerical and verbal questions. Prepare for the different question types separately. For scenarios, consider the facts, responsibilities and consequences before selecting a response. For numerical questions, practise interpreting tables, percentages and ratios accurately. For verbal questions, base your answer on the supplied information and avoid introducing assumptions.
What grades do you need to apply to Sidley Austin?
To apply to Sidley Austin you will generally need a 2:1 degree. At A-level, Sidley Austin asks for AAA. Requirements can flex where there are mitigating circumstances, so always check the firm's own criteria if your grades differ.
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