A&O Shearman LLP

A&O Shearman is a global law firm with approximately 4,000 attorneys and offices spanning the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. The firm was formed in May 2024 through the merger of Allen & Overy, one of the UK's prestigious Magic Circle firms, and Shearman & Sterling, a historic White Shoe Wall Street firm founded in 1873. The combined entity generates profits per partner of approximately $3.05 million and represents one of the most consequential transatlantic law firm mergers in history, creating a platform with unmatched reach across both common law and civil law jurisdictions.

A&O Shearman holds Band 1 rankings in Chambers for Corporate/M&A, Banking & Finance, Capital Markets, International Arbitration, and Project Finance across multiple global jurisdictions. The legacy Allen & Overy platform brings dominant European finance capabilities, while the legacy Shearman & Sterling practice contributes deep strength in U.S. capital markets, M&A, and financial institutions regulatory work. The combined firm's project finance, international arbitration, and cross-border M&A practices rank among the strongest in the world. Its antitrust and competition practice spans both U.S. and EU regulatory regimes.

A&O Shearman operates a hybrid assignment system, summer associates select two practice groups for rotations but can also explore work outside those groups through a centralized assignment database, offering both structure and flexibility. Interviewers focus on getting to know candidates as people rather than running through credentials mechanically. The callback process typically involves a one-hour screener followed by a two-hour callback, and candidates report that the atmosphere is conversational and genuinely welcoming. The firm invests in professional development through structured training academies and cross-border secondment opportunities.

The A&O Shearman merger combined two firms with storied histories. Allen & Overy was founded in 1930 and helped draft the Marshall Plan, while Shearman & Sterling counted Jay Gould and James Fisk among its earliest clients. The resulting firm gives associates the rare opportunity to work within a truly integrated transatlantic platform from day one, with the institutional knowledge of both Magic Circle and White Shoe traditions.