Legal Cheek Quotes Justin Williams on Working in London’s Legal Industry
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Legal Cheek and The University of Law held the virtual event “Secrets to Success London” on February 15 to share with participants insights and information on working in large law firms in London.
Akin Gump international arbitration partner Justin Williams was one of the speakers at this event, which Legal Cheek reported in its article “Working at a US law firm in London.”
He spoke of how, given that the City, London’s historic and financial center, offers what he calls the most “complex, interesting and cutting-edge legal work,” he headed there to begin his career. Williams added, “The City of London has more international disputes work than anywhere else, meaning you mix with people and clients from all over the world.”
London being a legal hub, during this remote work period, Williams said that, while its law firms may be more tolerant of working from home, lawyers will still need to be in London most of the time.
Regarding the advantages of working in a U.S. firm versus a U.K. firm—Williams trained at one of the latter—he noted that U.S. firms offer “the best of both worlds” due to their leaner teams, which makes a difference for junior lawyers. He added that third-party litigation funders generally agree that leaner teams offer better, more efficient client service.
