Cleary Gottlieb Partners With National Literacy Trust to Offer Students Insight Into Deal-Making

Cleary Gottlieb volunteers from the London office participated in a unique initiative designed to introduce a diverse group of 30 sixth-form students to the roles played by accountancy firms, banks, law firms, and private equity firms in corporate transactions in London.

The “Tour of the City” mock scenario, written by Cleary, TPG, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, and KPMG, in partnership with the National Literacy Trust, engaged students directly in the accountancy, financial, legal, and private equity aspects of a single fictional transaction. The interactive activity aimed to provide real insight into how London works, while enabling students to develop the skills and commercial awareness that will be vital for their future careers.

The students, all of whom are enrolled in Business Studies at the Lilian Baylis Technology School in Kennington, were introduced to key business concepts relevant to buying and selling a business, as well as how the work of lawyers, accountants, bankers, and private equity advisers intertwine.

Over 90 percent of the students are eligible for the Pupil Premium and/or Free School meals, most of them are from an ethnic minority background, and over half speak English as an additional language.

This initiative emerged from the efforts of all four participating firms, Cleary, TPG, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, and KPMG, to widen access to London, particularly for those groups historically under-represented in corporate roles. The “Tour of the City” initiative also aligns with the core aims of the National Literacy Trust to provide children and young people with the literacy and communication skills to succeed in life.

The participating firms plan to host another “Tour of the City” event with further schools to give students interested in the corporate world a unique start to their career journeys.