Not surprisingly, the presence of global firms in Australia has its advantages for Australian lawyers looking to make a move overseas and, in particular, to London.

Not surprisingly, the presence of global firms in Australia has its advantages for Australian lawyers looking to make a move overseas and, in particular, to London. While lawyers working at Australia's top-tier firms are still well-placed to land themselves a job in a London firm, there are now many valuable opportunities for lawyers working in the Australian offices of global firms such as Allen & Overy and Clifford Chance.These firms can provide employees with the perfect stepping stones to a career in London."People within [Clifford Chance] have an ability to look at moving throughout offices within the network, virtually at will," says Clifford Chance Sydney managing partner Mark Pistilli."Wherever there's a demand for lawyers and the desire from within the network to go there, we seek to facilitate it. That is certainly one of the key attractions to the Australian offices in joining Clifford Chance. That opportunity is now available to our people to work anywhere in the world."According to Pistilli, since Clifford Chance made its Australian debut in May this year, there has been significant interest from lawyers at national firms across Australia - at all levels - who want to work within Clifford Chance's global network."They want to work in the Australian office but they also see it as a launching pad to everywhere else in the world, including London," says Pistilli.Aside from the growing interest of Australian lawyers hoping to join the global networks in London, there are now more attractive career opportunities in Australia for the Australian lawyers looking to come home after a lengthy stint at a magic circle firm."People within [Clifford Chance] have an ability to look at moving throughout offices within the network, virtually at will"Mark Pistilli, Sydney managing partner, Clifford Chance 

According to Pistilli, until now, Australian lawyers working at magic circle firms in London who were thinking about returning home did not have much choice when it came to finding an appealing firm through which they could re-enter the Australian legal market. Now, as global firms enter Australia, Australian lawyers working in London's magic circle can find an equivalent experience, with the same cross-border work, to come home to in Australia.

"The biggest problem that Australians had faced - if you go back to the old market, the domestic market - is that they moved from Australia to the UK, established credentials in a firm like Linklaters, Clifford Chance, Freshfields or Allen & Overy, and then had to come back five or six years later and start again - there was no-one who knew them," says Pistilli. "Now, Australians have an opportunity to work in Sydney or Perth, get their credibility recognised, move to an offshore office and then come back five years later with the firm knowing how good they are."

Additionally, even if Australian lawyers aren't looking for a long-term stint in London, the ease with which secondments can be arranged between the Australian and London offices of global firms is another benefit on offer in 2011.

"We have the University of Banking and the University of Corporate, as we call it, where lawyers with about two years of experience get to go to London (for two weeks)"

Fiona Spender, head of human resources, Allen & Overy

According to Allen & Overy Australia's head of human resources, Fiona Spender, the firm's international secondment program allows lawyers with two to four years of experience to go to any of the firm's offices across the globe.

In addition, while UK trainee lawyers can choose to spend the last six months of their training contract at any office in the firm's network, Australian lawyers at Allen & Overy have the opportunity to attend a training program in London.

"We have the University of Banking and the University of Corporate, as we call it," explains Spender, "where lawyers with about two years of experience get to go to London (for two weeks), with all lawyers of a similar level from around the world."

London Report 2011

>> London Report 2011: How to land a role in London

>> London Report 2011: Global firms as stepping stones to the UK

>> London Report 2011: Taking the 'homegrown' route to London

>> London Report 2011: What to expect when you get there... and when you return home