Commercial Law
White & Case Application Guide
US law firm with a genuinely global network, top-of-market NQ pay and a market-leading project finance and international arbitration practice. Every stage of the process, the questions White & Case actually asks, and the prep that gets candidates through, in one place.
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The firm
About White & Case
The business today
White & Case is a premier global law firm headquartered in New York and run as a single, fully integrated international partnership rather than a loose network of local practices. In the UK the London office is the central hub for the firm's Europe, Middle East and Africa mandates, steering complex cross-border transactions and high-stakes international disputes. It functions as a core engine of the global enterprise, not a satellite.
The business model is advising multinational corporations, sovereign states, financial institutions and private equity sponsors on cross-border matters that need multi-jurisdictional coordination. The firm earns structuring and execution fees on large debt allocations, cross-border M&A and project finance, alongside high hourly rates for complex international arbitrations and commercial litigation.
Global performance is strong: revenues approaching $3.6 billion and profit per equity partner of about $4.4 million. Unusually for a US firm in the City, the London office runs at real scale, taking in around 50 trainees a year, a volume closer to Magic Circle operations than the leaner 10-15 trainee cohorts of typical New York-headquartered peers.
Recent strategy has pushed hard into private equity and infrastructure finance to capture institutional sponsor mandates alongside legacy strength in bank-side debt finance and project development. Culturally the firm is intense but cosmopolitan: trainees enter a one-firm global culture where cross-border work is a daily reality, balanced against the high-stamina expectations of an elite City practice.
Why people apply to White & Case
Accessing the £175,000 NQ salary means accepting unpredictable and often gruelling hours, with late nights and weekend availability normal when executing cross-border deals. Because around 50 trainees qualify at once, securing a permanent seat in the most competitive groups (Private Equity or International Arbitration) requires proactive internal networking and strong performance.
Guaranteed international secondment is the standout draw. White & Case is one of the only elite firms in London that guarantees every single trainee a six-month overseas seat, in hubs such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, New York, Paris, Singapore, Tokyo and Hong Kong.
The scale-pay hybrid is the second. Candidates choose White & Case to get the institutional scale and structured training of a Magic Circle firm while accessing the top-of-market compensation of a New York player.
The work architecture is inherently international. A typical transaction routinely spans four or more jurisdictions, so juniors learn to manage local counsel and analyse conflicts of law early, rather than staying inside a single domestic system.
Divisions inside White & Case's Commercial Law
Banking and Debt Finance
Day-to-day
A dominant London practice acting for financial institutions, private credit funds and corporate borrowers on leveraged finance, acquisition finance, high-yield debt and asset and aviation finance. Trainees manage conditions precedent trackers, organise signature packs, draft ancillary corporate resolutions and liaise with international local counsel to close cross-border security packages.
Interview style
Commercial and conversational: expect the creditor-versus-debtor tension, why a company chooses high-yield bonds over syndicated loans, and what security or covenants a lender demands.
High difficultyProject Development and Finance (EIPAF)
Day-to-day
A crown-jewel practice advising sponsors, lenders and governments on multi-billion-pound energy, infrastructure, mining and oil and gas developments across EMEA. Trainees review concession agreements, draft security documentation, track regulatory approvals and prepare cross-border due diligence reports.
Interview style
Tests understanding of project finance structures: the special purpose vehicle ring-fencing risk, non-recourse or limited-recourse debt serviced from project cash flows, and how offtake, EPC and concession contracts allocate risk.
High difficultyInternational Arbitration
Day-to-day
A top-ranked global practice defending sovereign states and corporates in investment-treaty and commercial disputes. Trainees handle document review, legal research on public international law and jurisdictional conflicts, factual chronology construction and hearing bundle preparation.
Interview style
A high analytical bar. Expect to explain why parties choose arbitration over litigation (neutral forum, expert tribunal, confidentiality, New York Convention enforcement) and to defend any writing sample under stress-testing.
Extreme difficultyM&A and Private Equity
Day-to-day
Advising corporates and PE sponsors on domestic and cross-border acquisitions, joint ventures, carve-outs and secondary buyouts. Trainees coordinate electronic data rooms, project-manage due diligence, draft initial disclosures and update share purchase agreement ancillaries.
Interview style
Understand why a PE buyer differs from a strategic corporate (leverage, a 3-5 year exit, operational efficiency) and be ready to discuss a recent cross-border deal and its commercial drivers.
High difficultyCapital Markets and Financial Restructuring
Day-to-day
Capital Markets covers debt and equity issuances and structured finance, with high trainee involvement in drafting prospectuses and managing closing opinions. Financial Restructuring and Insolvency activates in downturns, advising creditors and distressed debtors on restructuring mechanisms and inter-creditor negotiations.
Interview style
Commercial reasoning around capital structures, covenant breaches, the shift of duties from shareholders to creditors in distress, and counter-cyclical demand.
Moderate-high difficultyTry it now
Score your CV against White & Case's sift
White & Case talent acquisition screens thousands of CVs per cycle. Most are read in under 30 seconds. The candidates who get to interview have CVs that signal commercial relevance fast, in the format White & Case expects.
What White & Case looks for in a CV
Quantified impact
Numbers in every bullet: deal size, team size, percentage uplift, revenue managed. "Led a team" is filler, "led a 6-person team that delivered £400k of revenue" is a signal.
Named firms and deals
White & Case recruiters skim for brand names they recognise. Name your prior internships, the deals you observed, the clients you worked on. Specifics beat generic descriptions.
Industry-relevant language
Use the vocabulary of the commercial law world: drafting, due diligence, commercial context, matter experience. Generic "analysed data" reads as not-yet-in-the-industry; the right terms read as ready.
Tight, structured layout
One page max. Reverse-chronological. Three to five bullets per role. No long paragraphs, no dense blocks. The skim test decides the read.
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The application
How White & Case hires
6 stages, real interview questions, the criteria that decide it, and the moves that separate offers from rejections.
The process, stage by stage
- 1
Online application and CV
Opens September; closes late October (Winter) and early January (Spring/Summer)Reviewed on a rolling basis, so apply early. Tailor every motivation answer to White & Case's cross-border, US-in-London model, not a generic 'top firm' pitch.
- 2
Immersive online assessment (Cappfinity)
Link within 15-30 minutes of applying; strict 7-day completion windowAn untimed 'Day in the Life of a Trainee' simulation. Treat it as if it were timed: accuracy and consistency beat raw speed, and idle time hurts the hidden efficiency metric.
- 3
Video interview
Invite 3-7 working days after the written screen; 5-7 calendar days to completeExactly 3 questions with a single 2-minute clock per question that covers both prep and recording. Plan for ~30 seconds, then leave 75-90 seconds to speak. Zero retakes.
- 4
Live first-round interview
Rolling through the cycle; result usually within 1-3 weeksA 45-60 minute conversational panel of two (partner or counsel plus senior associate). Conversational and commercial, no DCF or LBO drills. Hold your ground under pushback.
- 5
Assessment centre / final round
Half or full day at 5 Old Broad Street; decision within 3-7 working daysCase study and partner panel, timed drafting exercise, competency interview and a group negotiation. Stay consistent across every block, including the trainee lunch.
- 6
Offer
Vacation scheme place or training contract; often by phone the same weekAbout 80% of trainees are hired through the vacation schemes, so a scheme place is the main route to a training contract.
What White & Case asks at each round
Motivation
- Why White & Case specifically, rather than a Magic Circle firm?
- What attracts you to a US-headquartered international law firm in London?
- Why commercial law instead of a career in banking or management consultancy?
- Why are you interested in our project finance or international arbitration practices?
- How do you think our global network affects the day-to-day work of a trainee?
Behavioural / competency
- Tell me about a time you had to balance multiple competing deadlines with high stakes.
- Describe a situation where you had to work with a difficult team member. How did you manage it?
- Give an example of a mistake you made in an academic or work environment. How did you rectify it?
- Tell me about a time you had to grasp a highly complex concept quickly.
- Describe a time you delivered exceptional client service even when it was inconvenient.
Commercial awareness
- What is a major trend affecting the global debt finance markets right now?
- How do rising interest rates or inflation alter the risk profile of a cross-border infrastructure project?
- Tell me about a recent news story you have been following and how it impacts White & Case's clients.
- Who do you view as White & Case's primary competitors in London, and why?
- How might geopolitical tensions in Europe or Asia affect our international arbitration practice?
Substantive / analytical
- If a corporate client wants to acquire a target in an emerging market, what risks should they consider?
- What is the difference between debt and equity financing from a company's perspective?
- If a client enters a joint venture for a wind farm project, how might they protect their investment?
- A client wants to sue a state entity over a cancelled contract. Why might they prefer arbitration over local courts?
- You spot a clear typo in a draft contract right before signing, but the partner says send it immediately. What do you do?
Curveballs
- If you had a £10 million budget to start any business tomorrow, what would it be and why?
- If you could change one UK law right now, what would it be and what would the unintended commercial consequences be?
- What would you do if your supervisor gave you advice you knew for a fact was legally incorrect?
- If you could invite three business leaders to dinner, who would they be and what would you ask them?
What White & Case looks for
Global mindset and cross-border curiosity
Genuine interest in multi-jurisdictional work across a network of over 40 offices in more than 30 countries. Prior international exposure, study abroad or language skills all help, though extra languages are useful rather than mandatory.
Commercial awareness
An ability to connect macroeconomics, interest rates and geopolitics to cross-border lending, M&A and project finance, and to translate a headline into the specific legal work a firm actually does.
Academic consistency
A solid 2:1 or First, with AAB at A-level as a benchmark. Consistency across modules and strong marks in core transactional subjects (Contract, Tort, Land) are heavily scrutinised, reviewed contextually via Rare Recruitment.
Attention to detail
Trainee work is precise: conditions precedent trackers, signature packs, ancillary drafting and document review. The drafting and immersive assessment both punish careless errors.
Resilience and drive
Evidence of balancing work with study, leading societies or navigating tough projects. The £175,000 NQ pay comes with long, unpredictable hours around closings.
Collaboration (United and Human)
The firm rewards a collaborative, non-arrogant style that fits its one-firm culture. Aggressive lone-wolf behaviour in group work or the situational assessment is a fast route to rejection.
The edge: what separates offers from rejections
Specific moves most applicants skip. None of them need talent, only preparation.
- 01Tailor everything to White & Case; firm-agnostic answers that could fit any London firm are the most common failure.
- 02Know the firm's true strengths: Project and Asset Finance, Energy and Infrastructure, Debt Finance and International Arbitration, not domestic UK corporate work.
- 03Reference the single global profit pool and guaranteed international secondment as concrete reasons a US-in-London model suits you.
- 04Cite a specific cross-border London-led matter (sovereign debt restructuring, EMEA energy and infrastructure, cross-border tech M&A) rather than generic prestige.
- 05In group exercises, advance the task and pull in quieter candidates; do not dominate or go silent.
- 06Show you understand the trainee reality (CP trackers, due diligence, ancillary drafting, coordinating local counsel), not a day-one strategist fantasy.
Prep, stage by stage
Drill each White & Case round
Dedicated pages for the four rounds White & Case runs. Practise each round on Intervyo.
Psychometric Tests
SHL, Cappfinity, Watson-Glaser and more, in the exact format White & Case uses.
HireVue
Real White & Case questions, identical timer, scored on six competencies.
Live Interview
Conversational mocks tuned to White & Case's style, with follow-ups.
Assessment Centre
Case work, technicals, group exercises. Full-day rehearsal.
Pay & culture
Working at White & Case
What they pay
Graduate
£62,000 Year 1 trainee, rising to £67,000 in Year 2
Internship
Paid vacation scheme placement (Winter, Spring or Summer), the main route to a training contract
Perks
| Firm | Comp | Hours / week | Exit options |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clifford Chance | £52K TC / ~£125K NQ (est.) | 50-65 / week | Similar City and in-house routes; secondments competitive, not guaranteed |
| Kirkland & Ellis | Top US scale | 60-70 / week | Elite PE and US-firm laterals |
| Latham & Watkins | £52K TC / ~£150K+ NQ (est.) | 60-70 / week | PE and US-firm laterals |
| Freshfields | £52K TC / ~£125-150K NQ (est.) | 50-65 / week | Similar; more London-weighted than emerging markets |
What working at White & Case is like
- One-firm global culture built on a single global profit pool, so cross-border cooperation is systemic rather than episodic
- Structured four-days-a-week in-office policy at 5 Old Broad Street in the City
- About 50 trainees per year (Magic Circle scale) paired with US-market pay
- Guaranteed six-month overseas seat for 100% of London trainees
- Intense but cosmopolitan, described internally as high-stretch, high-support
- Market-leading in Project Finance, Energy and Infrastructure and International Arbitration
- Core values of Pioneering, United and Human anchor the recruitment bar
- Contextual recruitment via Rare Recruitment with active affinity networks
Timeline
When White & Case programmes open and close
By programme. Use these dates to plan applications across the cycle and submit early on rolling lines.
| Programme | Opens | Closes | Assessment | Offers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First-Year Scheme (Insight / Discover) | September | Autumn deadlines | Autumn and winter | Rolling | An entry route for first-year and non-final-year students; strong performers are steered toward the vacation schemes. |
| Winter Vacation Scheme | September | Late October | November | Late autumn | Earliest close of the schemes; the OA and video interview precede a full assessment day. |
| Spring Vacation Scheme | September | Early January | January - February | Late winter | Around 80% of trainees are hired via the schemes, so a place here is the main route to a training contract. |
| Summer Vacation Scheme | September | Early January | February - March | Spring | The largest scheme intake; AC exercises and partner interviews run dynamically across the two-week placement. |
| Direct Training Contract | September | May | June - July | Summer | A standalone assessment centre with a written legal memo, a group business simulation and consecutive partner interviews. |
FAQ
White & Case application questions
How hard is it to get a training contract at White & Case?
It is highly competitive. The firm recruits around 50 trainees a year, more than most US peers in London, but receives an estimated 2,500-3,000+ applications a cycle. Success requires strong, consistent academics (a solid 2:1 or First against an AAB benchmark), clear commercial awareness and a genuine international mindset. The funnel narrows at every stage: the written screen and Cappfinity assessment, the three-question video interview, a live panel interview, and finally a full assessment centre. Because about 80% of trainees are hired through the vacation schemes, winning a scheme place is the main route in.
Do I need a law degree to apply?
No. Around half of White & Case's trainees come from non-law disciplines, an approximate 50/50 split between law and non-law graduates. Non-law applicants complete the Post-Graduate Diploma in Law conversion course before the Solicitors Qualifying Examination, while law graduates proceed straight to the SQE track. The firm funds both the PGDL and SQE in full and adds maintenance grants (£17,000 for the PGDL phase and £20,000 for London-based SQE study), so the qualification pathway is fully supported.
Is an international secondment really guaranteed?
Yes. White & Case is one of the very few elite firms in London that guarantees every single trainee a six-month overseas seat within its global network of over 40 offices. Rotations include hubs such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, New York, Paris, Singapore, Tokyo and Hong Kong. The secondment builds an internal network across the firm's footprint and deepens a trainee's understanding of cross-border practice early, which is a genuine differentiator against Magic Circle firms where overseas seats are competitive rather than guaranteed.
What is the current NQ salary?
Newly qualified associates in London receive a base salary of £175,000, one of the highest in the market, alongside performance-based bonus eligibility. Trainee pay is around £62,000 in Year 1 rising to £67,000 in Year 2. The trade-off for top-of-market pay is long, unpredictable hours around cross-border closings, and intense internal competition for the most sought-after qualification seats such as Private Equity and International Arbitration.
Does the firm use contextual recruitment?
Yes. White & Case uses contextual recruitment platforms such as Rare Recruitment's Contextual Recruitment System to evaluate academic performance fairly against a candidate's socio-economic and educational background, with A-level benchmarks adjusted for structural factors. It supports affinity networks (including the Black Affinity Network, Spectrum for LGBTQ+ and Beyond Barriers for disability and neurodiversity) and provides tailored interview adjustments through the Graduate Resourcing team.
Does White & Case sponsor visas for international trainees?
Yes. White & Case fully sponsors Skilled Worker visas for international candidates who secure a training contract in London, covering the qualification transition through the SQE and the start of employment, and it accepts applicants on the Graduate Route visa. The firm coordinates transitions through its internal immigration specialists, provided candidates meet the standard UK Visas and Immigration eligibility requirements.
How not to fail
Mistakes that cost candidates White & Case offers
Specific failure modes the firm screens out. None of these need talent to avoid, only awareness.
- 01Generic firm descriptions. Answers that could apply to any top London firm. Tailor everything to White & Case's cross-border, US-in-London model.
- 02Not knowing the practice strengths. London focuses heavily on Project Finance, Energy, Debt Finance and International Arbitration, not domestic UK corporate work. Know what the firm actually leads on.
- 03Unbalanced group work. Dominating discussions or staying silent in assessment-centre exercises. Advance the task constructively and pull others in.
- 04Imprecision on the application form. Simple typos or missing module marks can trigger an early rejection during the initial screen.
- 05The trainee-reality miss. Positioning yourself as a day-one strategist. Show you understand the real work: CP checklists, due diligence, ancillary drafting and coordinating local counsel.
If you are rejected
What to do next
Treat a rejection as a datapoint and review your performance objectively. White & Case allows candidates to reapply in a subsequent cycle, and AC-stage candidates can request feedback. Use the time to build your profile before trying again.
Strengthen the profile
Secure additional legal work experience and sharpen commercial awareness, particularly around cross-border finance and disputes.
Video interview rejection
Rehearse the compressed STAR structure inside a strict 75-90 second window and fix eye-line and pacing.
Assessment centre rejection
Drill three adaptable anchor stories, practise timed drafting, and learn to defend a case-study view under partner pushback.
Adjacent firms
Keep other elite international options open, such as Shearman, Latham & Watkins, Milbank and Mayer Brown, alongside the Magic Circle.
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Intervyo is not affiliated with or endorsed by White & Case. Process details are sourced from past applicants, the firm's published guidance and our own research; verify timings on the firm's official careers site before applying. Last updated 21 July 2026.
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