NQ Salary
~£178,000
TC Salary
£65,000 / £70,000 (year 1 / year 2)
Annual Intake
~10 per year (London; first intake starts 2028)
Seats
4 seats
This profile is compiled from publicly available sources and may not reflect the latest changes. Always check Simpson Thacher's official careers page for current deadlines, application processes, and programme details.
Simpson Thacher is one of the leading M&A and private equity firms globally, regularly advising on the largest leveraged buyouts and public-company acquisitions. Its London office is a central hub for European private equity, with long-standing relationships across the major sponsors.
Culture & Values
Simpson Thacher is new to trainee recruitment in London: it launched its first training contract in 2026, focused on private equity, with an initial intake of around ten joining in 2028. Trainees rotate through six-month seats across the private capital lifecycle, working alongside the lawyers who advise many of the biggest names in the industry, and every trainee comes in through the vacation scheme. Until now the firm grew its own lawyers mainly by sponsoring paralegals through the SQE.
Generated by Folio · folioapp.co.uk · 30 July 2026
Folio is independent and not affiliated with any firm listed. Salary and deadline information is approximate. Always verify with the firm's official graduate recruitment page.
Autumn Vacation Scheme 2026
15 Jul 2026 – 27 Aug 2026
Opens July · Closes late August
Winter Vacation Scheme 2026
15 Jul 2026 – 13 Sept 2026
Opens July · Closes mid-September
Spring Vacation Scheme 2027
15 Jul 2026 – 20 Dec 2026
Opens July · Closes December
Summer Vacation Scheme 2027
15 Jul 2026 – 20 Dec 2026
Opens July · Closes December
Training Contract (via vacation scheme)
Recruited via vacation scheme; first UK cohort 2028
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Folio is an independent student project and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially connected to Simpson Thacher & Bartlett. All information is compiled from publicly available sources and may not reflect the most current data. Salary and deadline figures are approximate, based on prior recruitment cycles. Last verified: 2026-07-21. Always check the firm's official graduate recruitment page for confirmed details.