JONES DAY - FIRM SPOTLIGHT
- May 11
- 3 min read
Established: 1893
Size (personnel): Global firm with more than 40 offices worldwide and thousands of lawyers across major commercial centres.
Office Locations: Australia: Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth.
Practice Areas: Antitrust & Competition, Business Restructuring & Reorganisation, Corporate/M&A, Financial Markets, Global Disputes, Intellectual Property, Tax, Energy & Resources
ABOUT JONES DAY
Jones Day was established in 1893 and has grown into one of the world’s largest and most respected global law firms. With more than 40 offices across North and South America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific, the Firm advises multinational corporations, financial institutions, governments and emerging companies on an array of complex matters. A defining feature of Jones Day is its “One Firm Worldwide” philosophy, under which all offices operate as a single integrated global partnership rather than separate regional firms.
RECENT NOTEWORTHY CASES INVOLVING JONES DAY
Jones Day advises a broad client base including multinational corporations, major banks and private equity funds in Australia and globally. In Australia, the firm has acted for clients such as Peabody, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Alcoa Corporation and Chevron on complex cross-border M&A transactions, high-stakes litigation as well as high-profile corporate insolvencies. Jones Day’s long-standing client base – which includes leading Fortune Global 500 companies – benefits from the strength of their interdisciplinary teams and the seamless transfer of resources across multiple jurisdictions and borders. Recent work includes advising a client on a $5.3 billion merger and a $5.7 billion ICC arbitration regarding terminated agreements.
ACHIEVEMENTS OF JONES DAY AND ITS PEOPLE
Jones Day is consistently recognised globally and in Australia for excellence across a number of its practice areas. The 2027 edition of the Best Lawyers in Australia has recognised 40 lawyers in 34 areas of practice from across Jones Day's four Australian offices. Best Lawyers awarded two Jones Day lawyers 2027 "Lawyer of the Year" status. The Firm is particularly known for its seamless cross‑border collaboration and its unique non‑rotational training model. The Firm’s lawyers are trusted advisers to ASX-listed companies, Fortune Global 500 companies and leading financial institutions worldwide, amongst others.
THE FUTURE OF JONES DAY
Jones Day’s future is focused on strengthening its global integration, expanding its capabilities in complex cross‑border matters, and continuing to invest in people and long‑term client relationships. Australia is one of the key strategic growth markets for Jones Day globally. The Firm is laying the foundation for the years of exciting growth to come, which starts with our paralegals and graduates. The Melbourne office is the newest Jones Day office globally (which opened in 2018), and is already home to 24 lawyers across our Melbourne practices, and we are looking forward to building on our amazing success in Melbourne to date.
EMBODYING OUR MISSION STATEMENT
Jones Day’s mission is reflected in its “One Firm Worldwide” philosophy, which ensures lawyers collaborate across jurisdictions to deliver the best outcomes for clients. Our lawyers collaborate seamlessly together across the world, without being impeded by different regional partnership structures. The Firm’s non‑rotational graduate, clerk and paralegal programs promote accountability, initiative and deep engagement with work, while its emphasis on integrity, professionalism and teamwork ensures consistent, high‑quality legal service globally.
WHAT SETS JONES DAY APART
Jones Day is uniquely positioned to provide its paralegals, clerks and graduates with a one of a kind experience early in their careers. Jones Day operates as a single global partnership, rather than an association of different regional firms under a common brand, facilitating meaningful global collaboration. For example, each year, all of the Firm’s new lawyers (including our first year graduates in Australia) gather in Washington D.C. for the New Lawyers Academy, and our graduates and junior lawyers regularly work on matters based in our overseas offices – to Jones Day, One Firm Worldwide isn’t just a slogan, it’s how we operate every day. The Firm’s non‑rotational clerk, paralegal and graduate programs allow individuals to shape their own careers, work across multiple practice areas and take on responsibility early. Rather than being siloed into a specific practice, graduates in our Melbourne office freely work on matters in several practice areas simultaneously – these matters are often cross-border matters which involve clients and colleagues across the globe.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR LAW STUDENTS AND GRADUATES
In Melbourne, Jones Day offers a Paralegal Program as an alternative to the traditional clerkship model, which is principally directed at penultimate‑year students, however the Firm is open to applicants at other stages in their degree. The Paralegal Program is non‑rotational and provides ongoing, substantive exposure to real legal work across multiple practice areas. Those who have worked as paralegals are generally given priority in our graduate recruitment process.
The Firm looks for well‑rounded students with strong academic results, sound judgment, a genuine interest in commercial law, and strong communication and interpersonal skills. Initiative, curiosity and a collaborative mindset are highly valued.
