Arthur Cox or MOP for training contract?

Sarahaw

Hi Guys

just wondering if anyone has an opinion on this. Im quite undecided and any opinions would be appreciated....and reasons for them!

tks!

Arsenal1986

Do you have offers from both or are you deciding which to apply to?

If offers, tough one to decide! Both excellent firms, very good reputation right across the board practice area wise. I know ppl that have worked for both and have never heard a bad word said about either. Obviously alot of hard work is required in both.

Sarahaw

Hi Arsenal

I have an offer from one and was shortlisted for the other last year..but I am now wondering whether I should reapply for the latter this year. It would mean that i'd be in the sept 2012 intake instead of sept 2011 but if the fe1's dont go well the first time around, that might happen anyway!

So do you think they're both equal then? What about if one was thinking of going abroad in the future? Which name would carry the most weight? - i'd love to work in Oz at some point.

Arsenal1986

Hmmm dont know which would be better known abroad, they both seem equal enough on Chambers in every area so if thats any reflection of their international standing then theyd both have roughly the same good reputation.

If you did get an offer from the other one, you could say that if at all poss you want to start in 2011 and tell them you have other offers, i know of pppl that have negotiated start dates when they had a few firms to choose between.

nuac

Both excellent firms. Go with either. Don't defer. No guarantee economy will improve.

johnfás

Accept both, there is no guarantee you will commence in September 2011 or September 2012.

32minutes

johnfás wrote: »

Accept both, there is no guarantee you will commence in September 2011 or September 2012.

out of curiosity, if you accept both can you then just renege on one without any consequences ?

johnfás

32minutes wrote: »

out of curiosity, if you accept both can you then just renege on one without any consequences ?

Most employment contracts have a four week break clause, which is more than enough to put them both on the long finger and work out at a later date which you will go to.

In any case, you will likely find that what you sign with either firm is not your indentures but a simple offer and acceptance of a job with the firm - you will sign your indentures nearer the time. This is of course so that an employer can defer you depending on the economic situation of their company. Accept both and you can at least play them off against each other for as long as you can.

drkpower

johnfás wrote: »

Most employment contracts have a four week break clause, which is more than enough to put them both on the long finger and work out at a later date which you will go to.

In any case, you will likely find that what you sign with either firm is not your indentures but a simple offer and acceptance of a job with the firm - you will sign your indentures nearer the time. This is of course so that an employer can defer you depending on the economic situation of their company. Accept both and you can at least play them off against each other for as long as you can.

Only problem with that approach is that if you ever want to move to the other firm, that is the type of thing that is recorded on HR files and may come back to bite you. The top tier Irish legal world is a small one, reputation travels quickly - its unlikely that, at the infancy of your career, such a mis-step would be remembered, but it is possible.

nuac

With respect to Johnfás, I agree with Drkpower here.

If either of these eminent firms think a potential trainee is seeking to play one of them off against the other they will not be impressed.

The legal world in Dublin is still a small one. Be careful how you go.

AnnAh1986

Has anyone got experience of asking a big five firm if you can defer your training contract for a year having already signed contracts/ accepted etc.

crystalmice

AnnAh1986 wrote: »

Has anyone got experience of asking a big five firm if you can defer your training contract for a year having already signed contracts/ accepted etc.

Not direct personal experience but from speaking with the trainee coordinators in a few firms, and friends of mine who have done the same with very large firms (baker mckenzie for example!), they are generally very accommodating and will have no problem accepting a defferal. They hire so far in advance that they are ususally flexible, the only time they wont be is if you wanty to start earlier than offered, but deffering a year is fairly normal and accepted.

Sarahaw

yeah, they wont mind at all. Just contact the HR department and let them know. They're well used to people deferring - no biggie!