Survey Results - Trainee feedback on Wedlake Bell

The lowdown - Trainees (in their own words) on Wedlake Bell

Why did you choose this firm over any others? ‘Because of the small trainee intake and its good reputation among other lawyers’, the non-adversarial recruitment process’, ‘size, practice areas, and a healthy attitude to work/life balance’, ‘the size of the firm’, ‘the culture’, ‘the quality of the work and client base’, ‘because of the non-adversarial recruitment process’

Best thing about the firm? ‘I think we are definitely allowed to get stuck in a lot more, they don’t shy away from letting us take the lead if they believe we can and we show enough enthusiasm to want to!’, ‘the training for trainees is excellent. And as a mid-sized firm, it’s advantageous that you can get more involved than you probably would do at a larger firm’, ‘the support and approachability of partners and fee earners’, ‘the approachability and attitude of senior colleagues’

Worst thing about the firm? ‘Opaque processes at times, and not enough being done to promote diversity in its fullest sense’, ‘there are some traditional cultural aspects of the firm which have been a bit slow to move with the times’, ‘the trainee bonus’, ‘it could improve on its internal diversity and inclusion initiatives’

Best moment? ‘Working on a very large-scale fraud case’, ‘external publication, good feedback during reviews, seeing work sent out externally to clients with only minor amendment’, ‘writing an article for the Financial Times’, attending a client meeting at the client’s house and leading part of the meeting’, ‘running whole transactions alone has been pretty cool’

Worst moment? ‘Being on the receiving end of someone else’s stress and anxiety and being made to feel it was my fault (it wasn’t)’, ‘being told off by a judge during a costs and case management conference’, ‘whenever I’ve had too much capacity’, ‘not feeling adequately trained due to the partner I was assigned to work with, but that was a rare occasion’

The Legal 500 Future Lawyers verdict on Wedlake Bell

Wedlake Bell has a ‘thriving private client department, whilst also offering high-quality services to corporate and commercial entities’. Recruits appreciated the ‘personable nature of the interviews’ where they ‘didn’t feel like just a number, and genuinely felt listened to’. Trainees were drawn to the ‘medium-sized firm’ in London in the hope of ‘more client contact and more responsibility’. And this has proven to be true on the ground: ‘my responsibilities have, in most cases, gone far beyond administrative support. I have run files under supervision, taken client calls and contributed work of substance’, said one respondent. Supervisors are ‘extremely approachable and friendly’ and give trainees ‘significant responsibility without overwhelming us’ so that they feel ‘closer to the core/front of deals’. Another plus is that ‘there is no expectation for late hours (at our level anyway!)’, though trainees still ‘have our fair share of difficult experiences, and have at times struggled under a heavy workload and stress’. Other things that concern trainees are that there are ‘some growing pains as the firm moves into higher value work, e.g. retaining legacy clients’ and that there is a ‘lack of transparency regarding seat choices and qualification’. Thankfully, work highlights such as ‘winning on a child abduction case at the Royal Courts of Justice’ and ‘working closely with a major client and leading update meetings (sometimes on my own) on a £50m transaction’ help to soften the blow. To always ‘feel like a valued member of the team’ in a firm with ‘wonderful people and a good mix of high-quality work’, consider Wedlake Bell.

A day in the life of... Bart Preston, trainee solicitor, Wedlake Bell LLP

Departments to date: Commercial property (planning); Private client; Family (current)

University: University of St Andrews

Degree: Medicine 2(1)

5.00am: Law is not my first career and in a previous role I was up very early each day, and I’m afraid the habit stuck. I turn on my coffee maker and wait for a pot to brew. My dog, Agnes, makes her way sleepily to my bed for morning cuddles. I listen to some calming music and pick up the book we’re reading in the firm’s book club while guzzling coffee. To be honest I’m not a huge fan of this one (Widowland by C J Carey) but I’m persevering.

6.15am: I take my dog out for her morning walk. I live in Hackney, about 25 minutes from work and next to a large park which is great for dogs.

7.15am: I get home, take a quick shower and then head to the gym for a spin class before work. We have a number of gyms the firm has agreements with offering good discounts on membership. Once done I cycle to work on the bike I bought through the Cycle to Work scheme.

8.45am: I arrive at the office and grab some eggs and mushrooms as it’s Monday and the firm puts on a great breakfast for us today! I take a look at my outstanding tasks from last week and at whether anything has come in overnight. We have a couple of court hearings in the next few weeks so it’s common for counsel (the barrister we instruct) to send documents for urgent review. I have a quick chat with my supervisor who sits next to me, and we agree to meet later in the day for a training session on financial remedies in divorce hearings.

9.30am: I have a client meeting with a senior associate in my team and the consultant (a senior lawyer with a lifetime of experience in family law). It involves someone going through a divorce and hoping to settle the financial side of things. The skill is to assist the client in achieving a successful outcome, and help them make reasonable compromises if it’s in their longer term best interests. My task is to take an attendance note which has to be as detailed and accurate as possible, and draw up a list of action points.

11.15am: It’s a busy morning: we have another client meeting, this time a Teams call. Our client is seeking to increase contact with his son, so we discuss what the proposal will be at the next court hearing in a week’s time. Following on from this I need to research which agencies can supervise handover sessions and assess the costs involved. I’ll also need to complete the relevant referral forms when the court and our client agrees to the arrangement.

12.30pm: I pop upstairs for some soup which the firm provides in return for a small donation to our annual charity. I see some friends from my first seat in commercial property and sit with them for a chat. Wedlake Bell is a really friendly place to work, and I’ve made some close friends here already.

1.00pm: I have an hour-long teach-in with my supervisor who makes it very easy to ask what feel like silly questions. I make notes of the session in a OneNote file I keep of all training throughout my training contract so that I remember to include it in my training record.

2.15pm: After catching up briefly with one of the partners in my last seat, private client, I head back to my desk. I need to lodge a bundle with the court by 4.00pm for a hearing we have in two days’ time. After this I work on finalising a note for a client from last week, and drafting to the other side on a matter currently in court for my supervisor to approve.

3.30pm: I grab a quick coffee from the shop across the road and come back for another client meeting with my supervisor; we have a meeting with a client who needs to complete a Form E which is a financial statement presented to the court within divorce proceedings. It is a wide-ranging discussion, at times emotional, but the client was hugely appreciative of our assistance. I take notes of prescient points.

5.30pm: I get back to my desk and spend some time clearing my inbox of some small internal issues. I need to complete and return two letters of engagement for experts we are instructing to value some assets within proceedings.

6.15pm: I leave the office and make my way to an organisation I am a member of to listen to a former prime minister talk about polarisation in politics. Days in the family team vary in length, but it’s generally possible to make plans in the evening and enjoy everything London has to offer!

About the firm

The firm: Independent law firm Wedlake Bell is headquartered in London. The firm is renowned for its family law and private client practice, as well as for its real estate work. Wedlake Bell advises clients ranging from FTSE 100 companies to owner-managed businesses and ultra-high-net-worth individuals.

The clients: Bank of Ireland; Countrywide; Honest Burgers; HSBC; Hugo Boss UK; Kuehne + Nagel; Lacoste; Millennium Hotels; Royal Academy of Arts; Tesco Stores.

The deals: Acting for YoBike on licensing arrangements relating to its patented YoBike bicycle rental system and mobile app; advised OKI Europe on the employment elements of the reorganisation of its EMEA operations; advised Warburg HIH Invest on lease transactions with H&M and Sushi Mania at a retail scheme in Cambridge; acted for Taylor Wimpey and Jaynic Suffolk Park in relation to the promotion agreement and construction documents for a 90-acre greenfield site in Suffolk; obtained injunctions for Fresh Wharf Estates Limited against boat owners who have moored their boats adjacent to land which is set to undergo a major residential development; assisted Pearson Lloyd Design with contractual negotiations with a major European airline relating to the design of the business class seating and cabin interior of a new fleet of Boeing 777-9 aircraft.

Managing partner: Martin Arnold

Senior partner: Camilla Wallace

Who we are: We have strong expertise in real estate, private client, dispute resolution and business services. Our driving force is to empower our clients by providing quality legal advice, insight and intelligence that enables them to achieve their goals, whether personal or business. We are large enough to advise on the most complex matters, but small enough to ensure that our people and our work remain exceptional and dynamic.

What we do:  With 78 partners supported by over 200 lawyers and support staff, we operate on a four practice group model: private client, business services, real estate and dispute resolution.

What we’re looking for:  We are looking for self-motivated trainees – individuals with potential who will thrive in a small, close-knit trainee intake. The key areas that we focus on are strong technical skills, enthusiasm and a strong work ethic.

What you’ll do: The training contract consists of four six-month seats in four different practice areas. Trainee solicitors are closely supervised but have client contact and responsibility from day one.

Trainees are allocated a trainee buddy and a mentor to help them settle into life at the firm. Alongside their day-to-day role, the trainees will also attend a bespoke learning and development curriculum which covers core skills to complement their learning.

Wedlake Bell runs firmwide events (such as firm socials and the annual walking trip) which trainees are encouraged to participate in.

Perks: Pension, health insurance, dental insurance, personal health and wellbeing support including virtual GP service, life assurance, season ticket loan, corporate gym membership, additional holiday scheme, give as you earn, cycle to work scheme, employee mortgage advice, birthday leave, subsidised firm-wide trips.

Sponsorship

PGDIP, SQE funding and maintenance grants available, subject to terms and conditions of any offer. Wedlake Bell will be working with the University of Law as our SQE preparation course provider. PGDIP/PGDL course sponsorship is only for those completing the SQE route who have not yet begun the course.

Seat options

Commercial property; banking; property litigation; construction; private client; residential property; arts and luxury; commercial disputes; insolvency; IP and commercial; corporate; pensions and employee benefits; employment.

Tips from the recruiter

  1. Be clear and concise with your writing style – make the most of the limited word count!
  2. We want to get to know you in your application, be authentic!
  3. Triple check your application for any spelling or grammar errors.

Diversity and Inclusion

Wedlake Bell is committed to being a diverse and inclusive workplace.

Wedlake Bell runs a mentoring scheme and hosts wellbeing events throughout the year. The firm offers mental health and wellbeing support with access to therapy services, an employee assistance programme and trained mental health first aiders.

The firm works with Rare Recruitment and also offers work placements through the Sutton Trust, the Law Society Diversity Access Scheme, City University Micro-placements and 10,000 Black Interns. We have recently launched a Solicitor Apprenticeship programme and partnered with Causeway Education to run an open day and application workshop for students from a social mobility background.

The firm also has active internal networks and a diversity and inclusion committee. Recent sessions include a series covering micro-aggressions in the workplace and neurodiversity.

UK female associates: 63%

UK female partners: 35%

UK BME associates: 15%

UK BME partners: 9%