Skadden
London·New York
M&A·Hostile takeovers·Capital markets
Founded on April Fools' Day 1948 by lawyers the establishment firms overlooked, Skadden built its reputation defending against hostile takeovers and developed the 'poison pill' defence still used today.
Why this firm
Invented the modern hostile-takeover playbook
Founding partner Joe Flom pioneered representing target companies against hostile takeovers in the 1960s, when white-shoe firms refused the work entirely; The American Lawyer named him one of its 'Lawyers of the Century' in 1999
Ranked #4 globally by M&A deal value in 2025 (Bloomberg Law), advising on $550bn of transactions, proof the playbook still delivers real results today
Chambers UK 2026 ranks the London office Band 1 for International Arbitration, real practice depth well beyond the M&A identity the firm is famous for
What this firm looks for
Drawn from Skadden's own recruitment materials
Based on the firm's published recruitment materials, graduate recruitment commentary and stated values.
Character over pure cleverness
Training principal Danny Tricot has said the firm doesn't only hire on the basis of candidates being clever. It looks for people with their own opinions who don't follow the crowd.
Genuine enthusiasm, thinking on feet
Tricot says there's nothing better than someone who is genuinely enthusiastic about what they've done, and wants candidates able to think actively on their feet rather than deliver pre-rehearsed answers.
A named route into social-welfare law
Skadden runs the JUST Programme with the Legal Education Foundation's Justice First Fellowship, sponsoring one trainee a year to train in immigration, family law and human rights, a specific track for candidates motivated by social welfare law.
Past applications
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