22 July 2008 - Gide Loyrette Nouel London launches graduate recruitment programme in London:

Gide Loyrette Nouel has launched its first graduate recruitment programme in the UK. The Firm expects to take on at least two graduates each year, starting in March 2009.

Gide already has four trainees in London, all of whom were previously paralegals at the Firm. Gide’s 15-strong paralegal team plays an important part in its international capital markets practice and the Firm began offering training contracts to high performing paralegals in 2007. The London office also has three "stagiaires" (an internship programme for French law students) on secondment from Gide’s international offices.

The launch of the graduate recruitment programme coincides with the recent qualification of Gide’s first UK trainee, Ricky Champion, who will join the Firm’s banking & finance practice.

Gide’s London office has grown rapidly since it was launched in 2003, trebling in size to 57 fee earners in five years. It is now the second largest office in Gide’s 21 office global network; only the Paris head office is larger. Originally a niche finance practice focusing on capital markets, banking and tax, the Firm added a common law dispute resolution practice and a mining, oil & gas team during 2007.

Worldwide Gide has over 700 lawyers drawn from 30 nationalities. All of the Firm’s offices outside France practise the law of the country where they are located as well as French law. Gide's London office advises on English, US and French law.

Applications for Gide’s training contracts may be made online through the Firm’s London web page at www.gide.com. Trainees are not expected to speak French.

Pierre Raoul-Duval, Gide’s senior partner based in Paris, said: “This is an important landmark for Gide and shows how far we have come since we opened in London in 2003. Gide has a unique ethos and our first choice is always to grow organically.”

Colin Mercer, partner and training principal at Gide London said: “Our rapid growth and, particularly, the opening of our common law dispute resolution practice, meant this is the right time to start recruiting graduates. Despite market conditions we continue to be busy and we can promise trainees challenging and varied work in a world class legal environment.”