Sullivan & Cromwell
London·New York
M&A·Banking·Capital markets
Founded in 1879, S&C's early lawyers advised J.P. Morgan on creating General Electric, helped form U.S. Steel, and worked on financing the Panama Canal, a genuinely historic footprint in American business.
Why this firm
Helped build General Electric and US Steel
Led all law firms in global M&A for Q1 2025, advising on 46 deals worth $124bn, roughly 20% ahead of the next-ranked firm
Advised Credit Suisse on its emergency 2023 merger with UBS, the first-ever merger of two global systemically important banks and arguably the most consequential bank M&A deal since 2008
One of the only top-tier firms with no formal departments; associates and trainees work across practice areas rather than being tied to one partner's book of business, deliberately building generalists
What this firm looks for
Drawn from Sullivan & Cromwell's own recruitment materials
Based on the firm's published recruitment materials, graduate recruitment commentary and stated values.
Confidence to carry real responsibility
Recruitment manager Kirsten Davies has said that because trainees are given a much higher level of responsibility at S&C, it's important they have the confidence to handle that level of work, tied to the firm's genuinely small, high-stakes London office.
"Common sense" named as a specific trait
Davies lists common sense alongside commercial aptitude and analytical skills as something she is explicitly screening for: plainer, less corporate-speak phrasing than the usual "commercial awareness" boilerplate.
A one-page motivation letter, not deal trivia
Davies explicitly advises against copying deal information off the firm's website, asking instead for a punchy letter of motivation, covering no more than one side of A4, explaining why particular deals interest the candidate and how the role matches what they want.
Past applications
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