Job description

A&O Shearman is a new global industry-leading law firm, with nearly 50 offices in 29 countries worldwide. Our fluency in English law, US law, and the laws of the world’s most dynamic markets, enables us to provide unmatched insight and seamless delivery to clients. We work on challenging and important deals and disputes that have the potential to shape the future.

We offer exceptional opportunities for our people; opportunities to work for the world’s leading businesses; to transform the status quo, and to deliver your best work, helping you and your career to thrive, while delivering unparalleled outcomes for our clients.

Whether you're helping clients solve complex challenges, transforming the ways we manage our business, or ensuring the smooth-running of our operations, this is an environment where you can belong and excel. We provide first-rate training and development, we are committed to an inclusive environment, and we provide support and ways of working that help you optimise your wellbeing.

What truly defines a career with us? We recruit the best and ask for the best of you. And together, we will redefine success.

Launch your legal career with A&O Shearman
A&O Shearman Belgium is recruiting junior associates to join its Brussels and Antwerp offices as from September/October 2027. Starting your bar traineeship with us offers an excellent opportunity for ambitious law graduates to gain first-hand experience of working on high-profile Belgian and international matters.

Practice areas
We are currently recruiting bar trainees in the following practices:

mergers & acquisitions (Brussels/Antwerp)
antitrust (Brussels)
litigation & investigations (Brussels/Antwerp)
debt finance (Brussels/Antwerp)
financial services regulatory & capital markets (Brussels/Antwerp)
real estate (Brussels/Antwerp)
digital, data, IP & technology (Brussels/Antwerp)
environmental, administrative & regulatory (Brussels)
employment litigation (Brussels/Antwerp)
tax (Brussels)

Who we are looking for

You have obtained or will obtain a Belgian Master’s degree in Law (or Master’s degree within the EU for our antitrust practice), with strong academic results.
You are looking to start the bar traineeship in the fall of 2027.
You are fluent in English and have an excellent knowledge of French and/or Dutch.
You enjoy working in a team-oriented environment, while also being able to work independently.

What we can offer you
At A&O Shearman, we invest in our junior associates from day one:

You will join a closely integrated team, working on complex and high-profile Belgian and cross-border matters.
You will benefit from early responsibility and direct exposure to top-tier clients and transactions.
We make a long-term commitment to the development of our lawyers, with varied and intellectually stimulating work.
You will have access to national and international secondment opportunities, allowing you to gain experience in other teams and cultures across the firm.
We provide dedicated local and global training programmes, including professional skills development and language training.
You will be supported by specialist know-how lawyers, dedicated business teams and advanced systems.

In addition, we offer a work environment designed to support both performance and wellbeing:

We provide a modern, purpose-designed office space, with a mix of collaborative areas and quiet working zones.
We offer technology and infrastructure that support flexible and hybrid working.
We have an in-house café with a barista.
We provide access to a gym and optional personal training.
We organise regular social events and team activities, fostering a strong community culture.
We support flexible and hybrid working arrangements, depending on business needs and team requirements.

Application process (please read carefully!)
We are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive and welcome applications from all eligible candidates.

We invite you to submit your application via the online tool available on our careers website (www.aoshearman.com/careers). Please note that applications submitted by email will not be considered.

To support your application, kindly upload your CV and cover letter (in English), as well as your Bachelor’s and Master’s transcripts. Only complete application files can be taken into consideration.

Please note that a Belgian law degree and/or (future) qualification are required for most of our departments. For our antitrust practice, we welcome applications from any (future) EU-qualified lawyer. We kindly encourage you to clarify your areas of interest and qualification plans in your cover letter.

Please do not hesitate to contact Tamara Nouwen (tamara.nouwen@aoshearman.com) or Bénédicte Forton (benedicte.forton@aoshearman.com) in case you would need any advice on the application process or if it would be helpful to speak to any of our current trainees.

As part of our recruitment process, and in order to comply with our legal obligations and internal policies, we require successful candidates to undergo a background screening. The screening also involves providing information on your criminal history through a separate private statement. We will only process information that is necessary and relevant to the position you are applying for. Access to this statement will be strictly limited to the local recruitment officer responsible for your application. Your background screening data will be deleted at the latest six months after receipt. Please see our data privacy notice for more details. If you have any questions, feel free to contact HRBelgium@aoshearman.com.

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