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What factors should I consider when choosing a law firm?

Despite having the common goal of qualifying as a solicitor, everyone will have slightly different priorities when choosing where to do their training contract.  

Whether your aim is to get as much client contact as possible, work on headline-making deals or earn a sky-high salary, it’s important to find out exactly what each firm has to offer before you apply.  

In this blog we set out some of the most important considerations when choosing a law firm: 

 

Practice area 

One of the first and most important things to consider is whether the firm actually has a department or team practising the area of law you’re most interested in.  

A firm can win countless awards and be making headlines daily, but if it doesn’t have a property department and you want to be a property lawyer, it’s probably not for you.  

Equally, if you’re interested in a niche area of finance or corporate law, you will need to check first that the firm practises that particular type of law. 

Some law students and prospective trainees will know from the outset that they want to be a corporate or finance lawyer and may set their sights on the City, international or US firms. These firms often have plenty of advertising and marketing materials available and are relatively easy to find. 

Other prospective trainees will know that they want to be a family or employment lawyer, or even an art or sports lawyer. A bit more research might be needed to find firms which specialise in these areas.  

Whichever area of law you think you’ll want to qualify into, it’s best to go into your training contract with an open mind.  

Law in practice can be very different to what you study at law school. It’s definitely worth waiting to see which area of law you actually enjoy working in day to day before you make your final decision. 

Consult The Legal 500 to see which firms practice in your preferred areas of law. 

 

Inclusiveness 

It’s no good if a law firm is a specialist in its field if it isn’t inclusive. You will want to be confident that you can bring your whole self to work, regardless of socioeconomic background, ethnicity, sexuality or just your personality.  

Despite the legal industry having a bit of a fusty reputation, most law firms have made inroads and now have much more diverse and inclusive workforces than in previous decades. 

Many firms also have plenty of diversity initiatives in place – whether it’s a LGBTQ+ networking group or a parent lawyer society.  

If you’re wondering how you’ll fit in at a firm, consult our inclusiveness winners table to see which firms came up trumps in this arena. 

 

Approachability 

The key to a successful training contract is often the supervision. And that supervision needs to come from someone who is approachable.  

Supervisors can be senior associates, partners or any solicitor who is qualified and more senior than you, but a good supervisor should be getting you involved in their work, answering questions and giving you regular feedback so that you can improve.  

Look out for firms that have an ‘open-door policy’, which means that you can freely knock on a senior lawyer’s door to ask a question, no matter how silly it may seem! 

 

Client contact 

Dealing with clients is a huge part of being a solicitor. During your training, you will learn how to manage and communicate with clients. This might be through observing your supervisor or by meeting with clients directly. 

Bear in mind that at larger firms, it’s unlikely you’ll be having high levels of contact with clients in your junior years. This is because big firms tend to have big clients, and the deals they’re involved in can be complex. Client contact at these firms will be largely reserved for partners and senior lawyers. 

At mid-sized and smaller firms you are much more likely to be put in front of a client early on. This could include drafting emails, calling a client or even attending client meetings, with (or sometimes even without) your supervisor. 

Compare how trainees rated their firms for client contact here. 

 

Salary 

There’s no getting away from the fact that how much you get paid might influence where you want to work.  

Some US and City law firms pay eye-wateringly high salaries which are sure to grab your attention as you browse their websites and brochures. It goes without saying that you’ll be required to work very hard in return for these competitive packages. Still, it’s nice to know that your hard graft is valued.  

Always consider the NQ salary when making your decision. NQ salaries are often significantly higher than trainee salaries and if you’re hoping to stay on at the firm post qualification, this is the amount you can expect to be paid longer term. 

Smaller firms will not pay as much as their City counterparts. The trade-off however is probably (though not always!) a much better work/life balance and earlier responsibility. 

Salary is a very important thing to consider when choosing where to apply. No amount of money will make up for you feeling unhappy when you’re working day and night, but feeling like your hard work is not adequately compensated can feel equally frustrating. 

Consult our salary winners table to find out how much you can expect to get paid at each firm. 

 

Work/Life balance 

Yes it’s fulfilling, but law can be an intense career path. Tales of missing out on birthdays, dinners and even holidays because of work deadlines are not uncommon and, although perhaps more frequent at larger firms, lawyers at all types of firms will likely encounter late nights at one point or another. 

Some law firms have a better track record of promoting a healthy work/life balance than others. Year on year we are told by trainees at certain firms that their colleagues respect that they have a life outside of work. If this is high on your agenda, have a look at our work/life balance table. 

Work/life balance is something that is likely to greatly impact your training experience and is not something to take lightly. 

 

Social life 

OK, so social life may not be your top priority when choosing a law firm. But in reality it’s good to know that your colleagues are going to be a sociable bunch who enjoy a drink at the pub or a game of football on a Thursday evening.  

The Future Lawyers Training Contract comparison table is an easy way to narrow down the firms which fit your criteria. 

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Partner promotions: Cleary Gottlieb makes up two in London as BCLP unveils 21-strong round

Cleary Gottlieb has made up nine new partners in its latest round of promotions, two of which are in London, while Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner (BCLP) has included five UK lawyers in its latest cohort.

The promotion of Chrishan Raja and Naomi Tarawali to partner in Cleary’s London office is indicative of firm’s steady approach. Raja, a capital markets lawyer, has experience representing Barclays, Citigroup, J.P. Morgan and UBS, while the disputes-focused Tarawali specialises in representing financial institutions, funds and sovereigns. The 2022 round matches last year’s efforts in the City, which saw Henry Mostyn and Gareth Kristensen welcomed into the equity, though in total, the latest class falls short of the 11 partners made up across the firm in 2021.

Speaking to Legal Business, Cleary M&A partner Tihir Sarkar (pictured) said: ‘In the UK we’re 23 partners so we’ve increased by 10%, which is significant. For us to do two is slightly unusual. It’s a reflection of practice groups where we’ve identified the right candidates. The UK-focused disputes practice started from scratch about 10 years ago, and Naomi is our second home-bred associate-to-partner candidate [James Brady-Banzet was made partner in 2019]. That shows the growth and continued importance of the disputes practice. On the capital markets side, we haven’t made up somebody for quite some time. Historically, it’s been a very important practice for Cleary Gottlieb, so we’ve bolstered our English law capabilities with Chrishan.’

Globally, the firm promoted a further three partners in New York, as well as two in Paris and one each in Hong Kong and Frankfurt.

On Europe, Sarkar added: ‘Europe is a big part of our DNA. We opened in Paris soon after we opened in New York, so we’ve been in continental Europe for a long time. If you look at the standard of our lawyers and matters in Paris, Brussels and Rome, we feel we have got one of the strongest European franchises. We need to continue to keep replenishing those areas.’

Meanwhile, BCLP has announced 21 new partners. The new cohort, which is spread across 13 offices, will take up their new positions on 1 January 2023.

Seven of the class are based in the UK, including five in the capital. Corporate and M&A lawyer Tom Bacon, real estate specialist James Banks, commercial litigator Benjamin Blacklock, construction-focused Kimberly Roberts, and tax lawyer Andy West have all made the grade this year. They are joined by a further two new partners in the Southampton office: Eleanor Penton, who focuses on real estate finance; and Emma Sadler, who advises on non-contentious real estate issues.

Though sizeable by the firm’s standards, this year’s class did not surpass the cohort of 2021, where the firm unveiled 25 new additions to the equity in November last year, the largest promotion round in its history.

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This article first appeared on Legal Business.

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‘It means business in London’: Vinson & Elkins takes Hogan Lovells’ Higson as City corporate head

Hogan Lovells’ London M&A partner Ben Higson has been appointed as Vinson & Elkins’ London head of corporate.  

He takes up the role after 15 years at Hogan Lovells, including eight years as head of the corporate team. He also served as an elected member of the firm’s global management board between 2014 and 2020.

Higson’s experience includes energy, infrastructure, natural resources and diversified industrials transactions. He recently advised Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation on its $735m acquisition of Bahia Minerals and ExxonMobil on its $1.75bn disposal of the North Sea assets of Mobil North Sea and other projects.

Speaking to Legal Business, Higson said: ‘Vinson & Elkins is clearly one of the world’s leading firms in energy and infrastructure, and has always been in that position, so there was a natural synergy with the practice that I already had.  

‘Energy and infrastructure is an area that is continually evolving and what Vinson & Elkins has achieved in following and staying ahead of the trends is impressive. It is at the forefront of some of the cutting-edge deals including those supporting the energy transition and moving from a carbon-heavy to a carbon-neutral world.’

Kaam Sahely, V&E’s co-head of corporate, added: ‘During 2022, we have seen increasing demand from our private capital and strategic clients for our experience in infrastructure transactions across the digital, transportation and energy sectors, including specifically energy transition.

‘Ben’s experience in these areas together with his ability to lead deal teams make him a perfect fit.’

Higson’s arrival follows that of former colleagues Roberta Downey and Angus Rankin, who joined V&E’s international construction disputes practice as partners from Hogan Lovells in October 2021. 

Higson concluded: ‘We will be looking to build the practice up at partner level as well as associate level. For people doing this type of work, the firm presents a really attractive proposition and I hope with me joining the market will see that Vinson & Elkins means business in London.’ 

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This article first appeared on Legal Business.

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How much does a barrister earn?

Barristers are self-employed and are paid by their clients (usually law firms) for each case that they work on.  

The exception to this is pupils, who are paid a ‘pupillage award’ by  chambers during their training year. 

Pupils 

Pupillage awards can vary greatly depending on the location and specialism of the set. 

Pupils in top commercial sets can expect to receive up to £75,000 in their pupillage year, whereas at family and criminal sets, pupillage awards start from around £30,000. 

From 1 January 2023, the minimum pupillage award will be £20,703 for 12-month pupillages in London and £18,884 per annum for pupillages outside London. 

Qualified barristers 

It’s widely known that being a barrister can be a lucrative career path. In reality though, the amount that barristers earn depends on their level of seniority and in which area of law they practise.  

In 2020, according to the Bar Standards Board, 2% of barristers earned £1m and above, whilst 11.88% earned less than £30,000.  

The largest proportion of those surveyed (22.26%) were earning between £90,000 and £150,000. 

It’s worth noting that these are gross figures and are exclusive of chambers’ fees, clerks’ fees, insurance, travel costs, tax and more. 

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What is a vacation scheme?

A vacation scheme is a period of one or two weeks spent at a law firm as part of the training contract application process.  

A vacation scheme is essentially work experience, the difference being that you will be assessed throughout for your suitability to get a training contract at that firm. It’s also likely that you’ll have an interview at the end of the scheme. 

During the scheme you’ll be given real work to do, and you should tackle these tasks as if you were a trainee. Don’t worry if you don’t have any legal knowledge yet; the firm will not expect you to be an expert on the law! Instead, they will be looking to see what your thought process was and, most important of all, that you approached the task with enthusiasm. 

It is essential that you are on your best behaviour throughout the vacation scheme. This applies just as much to your time at your desk as during a social event with your fellow vac schemers. Your prospective future colleagues and supervisors will be watching you! 

Having said that, you need to be yourself too. Of course the firm wants to see if you’ll be a good lawyer, but they also want to see that you’re someone that other people will want to share an office with. If you come across as arrogant, laid back or even too intense, you might give off the wrong impression. Be friendly and engaging, ask questions and take an interest in what’s going on around you. 

Remember that doing a vacation scheme is a two-way process. It’s as much a chance for you to find out if you like the firm as it is for them to work out if you’ll be a good fit. 

Vacation schemes are an integral part of the training contract application process and are very important. Many firms now recruit solely from their vacation scheme so this could be your one and only chance to show them what you can do. 

If you’re lucky enough to nab a spot on a vacation scheme, work hard and take every opportunity to find out as much as you can about the firm. 

Our vacation scheme deadline table has all the dates you need. Start researching now! 

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Womble Bond Dickinson and BDB Pitmans table merger

Womble Bond Dickinson (WBD) and BDB Pitmans are continuing to pursue a strategy of development through consolidation, having confirmed they are in talks over a potential merger.

After RollOnFriday broke the news of the merger talks on 21 October, the firms said in a joint statement: ‘Leading transatlantic law firm Womble Bond Dickinson and leading UK firm BDB Pitmans confirm that they are in early discussions around a potential merger. Both firms regularly review opportunities to advance the best interests of their clients and their respective firms. Womble Bond Dickinson and BDB Pitmans are focused on where they see the greatest opportunities for a merged business, including those offered by complementary practice areas and office locations.

‘As discussions are ongoing, both firms have no further information to share at this time.’

Staff at both firms are well acquainted with the merger process, given their respective strategies in recent years. WBD in its current form was established in 2017, when national firm Bond Dickinson (itself the result of the 2013 union of Dickinson Dees and Bond Pearce) joined up with its US strategic ally Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice. A year later, partners of Bircham Dyson Bell and Pitmans voted for a £50m merger and move to an alternative business structure, establishing BDB Pitmans in its current form.

Any deal that is struck would not represent a merger of equals, given the disparity in size between the two firms. With offices both sides of the Atlantic, WBD’s latest revenue figure reached £379m after a 2% increase, while UK-only Pitmans’ came in at £53.3m following a 3% fall. The benefit to WBD is likely to come from the boost a tie-up would have on its UK business, which this year generated £113.8m. For Pitmans, a merger would grant access to a network of US offices previously unavailable to the national firm.

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This article first appeared on Legal Business.

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What is the difference between a solicitor and a barrister?

If you’ve been researching the legal industry you’ve probably come across the terms barrister and solicitor countless times. You might be wondering what they mean and how they differ from each other in terms of role and responsibilities. 

In very simple terms, the difference between the two is that a barrister stands up and represents clients in court while a solicitor prepares legal documents and mostly works in an office setting. Of course, there are some exceptions to this rule. 

Solicitors 

Most of the time, when people need legal advice, they’ll go and see a solicitor first. Then, if the case or matter needs to go to court, the solicitor will instruct a barrister. If the case deals with a specialist area of law, a solicitor might also ask a barrister to write an ‘opinion’ or a piece of legal advice on the subject.  

Solicitors who work in contentious practice areas, such as litigation, family or employment will do much of the preparatory work, including drafting documents and submitting them to the court, ahead of a hearing.  

Sometimes, litigation solicitors will stand up in court and represent their clients themselves – this is called advocacy. More frequently though, they will instruct a barrister who specialises in a particular area of law to do this on their behalf. 

Many solicitors, particularly those in corporate or City law firms, don’t do any contentious work at all and will never go near a court room. This is common in transactional practice areas such as finance or corporate. A property solicitor specialising in conveyancing (the process of buying and selling houses) is also very unlikely ever to go to court. 

Solicitors are typically employed by a law firm (private practice) or company (in-house) and will receive a monthly salary. Solicitors who have climbed up the ranks of a law firm to become an equity partner will also share in the profits of the firm. 

The career path of a solicitor is roughly as follows: 

Private practice: trainee solicitor – solicitor/associate – senior/managing associate – salary partner – equity partner. 

In-house: trainee solicitor – (junior) legal counsel – senior legal counsel – general counsel. 

Barristers 

Barristers are typically instructed by solicitors to represent a client in court. The solicitor will provide the barrister with details of the case, which the barrister will then study and analyse before presenting their argument in court. 

You may have seen that barristers sometimes wear wigs and gowns in court. This was historically an easy way to distinguish between the different types of lawyer in the court setting. As of 2007, wearing a wig is no longer a requirement in family and civil court proceedings, although some barristers continue to do so.  Barristers in the criminal court still wear wigs. 

Barristers are typically self-employed and work in a chambers or set alongside a number of other barristers. They are responsible, with the help of their clerks, for finding their own work, and each case or matter will be paid for separately.  

Some very experienced barristers will eventually become King’s Counsel (KC). This is a title which can usually only be obtained once a barrister has at least 10-15 years’ experience. KCs are informally referred to as ‘silks’ because of the silk gowns they wear. A KC takes precedence over other barristers in a court setting. 

Training 

The routes to becoming a solicitor or a barrister are different too. 

A solicitor will need to do an undergraduate degree in law or a non-law subject, followed by the Solicitors Qualifying Examination and then a training contract or period of recognised training. 

A barrister will need to undertake a Bar training course after completing their undergraduate degree. Non-law graduates who want to be barristers will also need to do the Graduate Diploma in Law. 

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What is a pupillage?

What is a pupillage? 

Pupillage is the last step of training before qualifying as a barrister. Pupillage starts after you have completed your barrister training course. 

Pupillage lasts 12 months and is split up into two six-month stints, known as ‘first six’ and ‘second six’. Occasionally, pupils also undertake a ‘third six’ before qualification.  

Pupillage is usually undertaken at barristers’ chambers. 

You will be assigned a pupil supervisor for the duration of your pupillage. At some barristers’ chambers you will have several supervisors and you will rotate around them, gaining exposure to different areas of law.

At the end of the 12 months, you will hopefully be offered tenancy at the chambers and be called to the bar. 

 

Breakdown 

The first six is ‘non-practising’ and will typically see you spend six months shadowing a more senior barrister. You will likely accompany your supervisor to court, assist them with research tasks and have a go at drafting documents and court submissions. 

During your second six, you may start to take on your own cases under supervision. The amount of work you will be allowed to take on will depend on your set.  

At large commercial sets the cases may be too complex and high-profile for you to manage yourself, so you will continue to assist your supervisor. But at smaller and more specialist sets, you could be allocated your own small caseload. 

If you are not offered tenancy after your second six, or you decide to change practice areas or chambers, it is sometimes possible to undertake a third six (at a different set). 

When to apply 

Before you can start your pupillage you will need to have completed an undergraduate degree (law or non-law) followed by a Bar training course. The old Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) has been replaced by a number of new courses, the names of which vary according to the providers. 

Non-law graduates will also have to undertake the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) before embarking on a Bar course. 

Law undergraduates should apply for pupillage in the final year of their studies, whilst non-law undergraduates should apply for pupillage during the GDL.  

The Pupillage Gateway is the main recruitment portal for the Bar. The gateway will be open for prospective pupils to browse vacancies from 28 November 2022. Applications open on 4 January 2023 and close on 8 February 2023.

Competition for pupillage is fierce, so if you do not obtain one at this stage, you can of course continue applying after you’ve finished your legal education.

Pay 

You are in training during your pupillage (hence the job title ‘pupil’), but you will still be paid.  

Your pay will come in the form of a pupillage award, and the amount will vary depending on the type and size of chambers at which you are working. Check a set’s website for details of the exact amount of their pupillage award. 

As of January 2022 the rate for the minimum pupillage award is £19,144 for a 12-month pupillage in London and £17,152 outside London. 

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Travers Smith Presentations/Open Evenings 2022

Travers Smith is hosting presentation mornings/evenings over the next couple of months.  The talks will be held at universities and at the firm’s London office. See below for details and dates:

“An award-winning independent City law firm with an entrepreneurial and innovative culture, we are looking for law and non-law students wanting to be challenged from the start of their career.

Join us for a short presentation in which we will cover more about the firm, practical tips for a successful application, and how to impress at interview.

This will be followed by an opportunity to chat informally with partners and trainees over drinks and canapés”

13 October – University of Exeter

13 October – University of Cambridge

18 October – University of Durham

19 October – University of Warwick

25 October –  London

27 October – University of Edinburgh

27 October – University of Oxford

27 October – University of Bristol

3 November – London

 

 

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Norton Rose Fulbright called to Qualcomm’s £480m class action defence as Quinn’s London team drops out

Norton Rose Fulbright (NRF) has been called up to a new-look legal team for Qualcomm as it defends itself from a class action brought by UK consumer charity Which?.

The dispute hinges on a Which? claim that wireless technology company Qualcomm breached competition law, and in doing so inflated the royalties paid by smartphone manufacturers for Qualcomm’s technology, which in turn led to increased prices for customers.

In May this year, the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) certified the collective action, worth £480m. Which? will represent roughly 29 million consumers who purchased certain Apple and Samsung smartphones since October 2015.

Qualcomm had previously been represented by a London-based competition litigation team from Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, namely department head Kate Vernon and of counsel Maria Campbell. However, recent filings from the CAT show that Qualcomm is now being advised by NRF and a Brussels-based Quinn Emanuel team.

NRF’s team is comprised of head of antitrust and competition Mark Simpson, partners Caroline Thomas and Helen Fairhead, as well as a team of ten associates and trainees.

The new Quinn Emanuel team consists of Brussels EU competition partner Miguel Rato, counsel Mark English, counsel Marixenia Davilla, of counsel Athena Kontosakou, associate Hyunseok Doh and associate Maria Belen Gravano.

Quinn Emanuel and NRF instructed Brick Court Chambers’ Nicholas Saunders KC, Mark Howard KC, Tony Singla KC, and David Bailey, Alexandra Littlewood of Monckton Chambers and Tom Foxton of One Essex Court.

Which? meanwhile is being advised by Hausfeld, with a team made up of partners Nicola Boyle, Wessen Jazwari, Lucy Rigby, four associates and a legal intern. Hausfeld instructed Jon Turner KC, Anneli Howard KC, Michael Armitage and Ciar McAndrew, all of Monckton Chambers.

Quinn Emanuel declined to comment. NRF has been approached for comment.

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This article first appeared on Legal Business.