Culture and benefits

What unites us

We’re committed to delivering exceptional results for our clients; to being experts in our field, giving our best, and working as one firm. We’re ambitious about growth and innovation, and we look to balance these with the sustainability of our planet and our communities.

We believe in belonging and excelling, which are our core values. We consciously build a great working environment, where we can all thrive and do our best work. Our culture is one of high performance, professionalism, collaboration and mutual respect. When everyone is empowered to excel and feels they belong, we all benefit.

Belonging and excelling with us

There’s a lot to consider when joining a new firm; this video will help you understand what we offer, how we bring our values to life and what’s expected of all of us. Discover what it’s like being part of A&O Shearman.

A professional smiling outside of the office.

High performance and ways of working

Being part of a high-performance environment means that we engage in inspiring and challenging work and deliver outstanding outcomes.

It's essential that we work sustainably, and not only do we expect excellence from each other, but we also support each other to succeed.

We recognize that the nature of our work brings intensity, pressure, and moments of challenge. This is the reality. But how we work together can make all the difference.

Our culture is built on practical ways of working that minimize unnecessary stress and helps us focus on doing what matters, better. Our 'ways of working' framework brings our values of belonging and excelling to life, and we encourage everyone to use it daily.

Well-being

We want to help you to be at your best to deal with the everyday and the exceptional with excellence, and to feel fulfilled in your work. Each of our offices has a local well-being plan and we have 40+ mental health advocates in leadership roles as well as many trained mental health allies and champions. We promote well-being through mental health awareness, education and support, and we encourage openness by sharing stories, running programs and webinars, and normalizing conversations about this important aspect of health.

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Inclusion

Inclusion is fundamental to who we are and how we succeed as a firm.

Our people span many characteristics, backgrounds, and generations, bringing a wealth of perspectives. We recognize and respect the many dimensions and intersections among us, and we want everyone to feel that they belong here, that their voices are heard, that they are treated fairly. This is a space where you will be valued as an individual and as a professional, and you’ll be supported to bring out the best in yourself to work.

We weave inclusion considerations through all aspects of the experience we offer our people. This consideration extends to communities, career and workspace support as well as our expectations around how we conduct day-to-day interactions.

We are resolute in our drive for inclusion, putting this mission at the heart of the firm’s work, for the benefit of the individual, the community, the firm, our clients and the wider world. We expect everyone to play their role in making this a great place to work for all.

Benefits

Our range of benefits is designed to meet your changing needs, providing support for physical, mental and financial well-being. We regularly review our reward and benefits programs to ensure they remain relevant and competitive. We believe it’s important for our people to share in the success of the firm and be recognized for their contributions. We do that through a range of salary, discretionary bonus plans and market-competitive benefits.

Our benefits packages vary by location but are guided by the same global principles:

Health and wellness

Access to check-ups, insurance cover, extra support when needed, and well-being platforms.

Remuneration and rewards

We recognize contribution to client work, or business teamwork, as well as to the firm and the community. We share the financial success of the firm in a fair and transparent manner.

Financial benefits

We look to provide financial peace of mind, which can include insurances, assurances, and saving for retirement (market-dependent.)

Family and lifestyle

We aim to support you in managing your demands and commitments effectively alongside your working life, as well as providing perks and discounts to assist with travel, fun and well-being.

Learning and development

We invest in your performance and progression by giving you access to top-quality training and development through an ongoing blend of structured and informal learning opportunities.

Social impact

With us, you’re encouraged to volunteer your time and skills, whether you’re a lawyer or business professional, junior or senior. You’re free to choose a cause that matters to you, or to support our chosen global charity.

Hybrid and flexible working

We support an agile and flexible working culture, based on trust. For most offices, this means being together in the office 60% of the time (for some offices, the requirement is 80%), but there are no fixed attendance patterns. We also offer job-shares, part-time arrangements, amended start and end times, career breaks, temporary cross-border remote working flexibility (up to 20 days in 12 months) and sabbaticals.

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Responsible business

At A&O Shearman, we are focused on making a positive and lasting impact on our clients, our people, and wider society. Responsible business is inseparable from business excellence, and it is at the heart of who we are and what we do. That’s why we’re all in on setting new standards in inclusion, social impact - including pro bono, community investment and charity support - sustainability, and well-being. We measure and report progress where legislation allows, and review the effectiveness of our initiatives through transparent, data-driven governance. Our approach is global in reach and local in execution, delivered in line with the realities of the communities where we live and work. It supports the UN Sustainable Development Goals where we can have the greatest impact on our people, our clients and wider society.