European law firm association Advant has launched a secondment programme for its member firms’ associates intended to offer enhanced career development opportunities across its international footprint.  

Advant said that providing such opportunities on an international scale for its team was one of its strategic priorities. 

The initiative will see associates from the member firms – Advant Altana in France, Advant Beiten in Germany and Advant Nctm Italy – apply for placements lasting between three weeks and three months in one of seven locations across the association’s network. 

The available locations currently include Berlin, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Milan, Munich, Paris and Rome. 

Guido Fauda of Advant Nctm and one of the coordinators of the initiative, said: “The competition for legal talent is fierce and it is increasingly important that our professionals have the opportunity to expand their horizons and experiences, as well as get to know their colleagues and peers at other Advant member firms. 

“This new programme will help ensure we offer a market-leading work experience for the industry’s brightest and most ambitious,” she added. 

Advant said the secondments will be considered on a rolling basis, with candidates selected based on their motivations and ambitions, seniority, English proficiency and department approval. A spokesperson said there was no set number of secondees for any period. 

The Advant association was launched last September by the three founding firms as a Swiss Verein. 

The firms said at the time they would operate as a ‘single entity’ to ramp up cooperation under the Advant title to serve existing clients in continental Europe and internationally with a specific shared goal of becoming more visible to clients outside their home markets in North America and Asia. 

The trio had combined revenues of €216m in 2020, which put it just outside the top 10 European law firms. Altogether, the association has a combined team of more than 140 equity partners and more than 600 legal and tax professionals. 

Last month Advant Beiten hired a 16-strong team from German rival Friedrich Graf von Westphalen – led by longstanding co-managing partner Barbara Mayer – to help open an office in Freiburg in the second half of this year.

The move will see the Munich-based firm expand Advant Beiten’s footprint into Germany’s southwestern state of Baden-Wuerttemberg, which managing partner Philipp Cotta said had been a strategic ambition ‘for some time’.