Forsters

The Legal 500 Future Lawyers verdict on Forsters

Forsters’ ‘market-leading property and private wealth offering’ makes it stand out from the crowd. The London firm offers its clients a bespoke service, and routinely undertakes high-quality corporate and commercial work for private clients and family offices. ‘Out of the City’ in stylish Mayfair, the one-office, independent firm has a very definite identity, which translates into a ‘sense of community’ among staff. And nowhere is this more apparent than among the trainee cohort – ‘it’s small enough to get to know each other very well, but large enough that there is always someone up for having a mid-afternoon coffee’ said one recruit. The six-seat training system is ‘rare and allows trainees to experience more of the firm’s wide-ranging specialisms and to meet more people from across the firm’. There is a ‘friendly working environment’, made possible by Forsters ‘putting a clear emphasis into people’s personalities and interests’. The firm’s focus on people ‘also translates into ‘great networks of support’. Trainees are ‘trusted with running files and communicating with clients one on one from a very early stage’. Elaborating, one respondent explained that ‘colleagues are keen to challenge us, but we always have support’. Resulting best moments include ‘working under the head of a department on a few cases’ and ‘going to the Parliamentary archives’. The slight disadvantage of being so well revered in its chosen fields is that ‘some of the seats at Forsters can be very competitive and difficult to get into’! The legal technology leaves a lot to be desired too. Worst moments were few and far between but included ‘tricky times where I have made mistakes in my work, though my teammates were incredibly supportive and helpful about it!’ For a ‘small trainee intake, interesting practice areas, friendly people and good pro-bono and charity initiatives’ in an environment where ‘people genuinely enjoy being around each other at work and outside of work’, research Forsters.

A day in the life of... Alison Fletcher, trainee, Forsters

Departments to date: Contentious construction; Residential property; Dispute resolution

University: Open University

Degree: English Literature, First Class

9.30am: I usually get into the office at around 9.30am. I aim to go to the gym at least twice in the working week before work, and recently took advantage of our wellbeing fund to sign up for our corporate gym membership. With access to several gyms across London, the branch in Mayfair is just a ten-minute walk from the office! I will grab a coffee from the kitchen, and eat my breakfast while going through my task list for the day, checking in with colleagues and looking through emails.

10.00am: I have a coffee and catch up with my mentor, who is a senior associate in the dispute resolution team. The firm has been running a pilot scheme of the mentorship programme, where trainees are paired up with a senior associate for guidance over the course of the training contract and beyond. We usually grab a coffee and head out for a walk and talk, discussing how I’m doing and what my next seat choice might be. My mentor has been a fantastic anchor point over the past year, giving me advice and guidance regardless of the department I might be in at the time.

10.30am: I join a conference call with our client and counsel team. We discuss the current task list, any approaching deadlines and strategy for the upcoming hearing in a few day’s time. I take an attendance note which I review and tidy up after the call.

11.45am: I receive a message asking if I can jump on a call in the afternoon to take a note. The partner calls me to explain the context of the call and give me some background information, before giving me a small research task in advance of the meeting. I get started on the research immediately, given the close proximity of the upcoming meeting. As this is a commercial litigation matter, I look through Companies House to find the right information, alongside some brief research into a niche point the client would like some advice on. I forward my findings on to the partner in an email for them to read before the meeting.

1.00pm: I meet up with my fellow trainees for lunch on the terrace. I’ve brought a packed lunch today, but it’s always hard to resist the spread of dishes on offer in the café. We sit out on the sunny terrace and catch up, before heading out for a quick walk around Marylebone Village to get some steps in. The area around the office is very beautiful and always worth an explore!

2.00pm: I attend the monthly contentious trusts and estates know-how meeting. Each junior member of the team takes a recently decided case and prepares a note of the key points and takeaways. At the meeting, we explain the facts of the case and why the judgment might have an impact on the work we do. This leads to an interesting discussion of past cases that more senior members of the team have dealt with.

3.00pm: A senior associate has asked me to call our counsel contacts to find out availability and fees for some advice on a settlement agreement we are negotiating. I call the clerks at three different chambers, giving them an outline of the work involved and agreeing to forward them instructions for a more exact fee quote. I email the different options to the senior associate and client, before making a start drafting the instructions. Using a precedent makes the task relatively light work, and I forward the draft to the senior associate for finalising.

4.00pm: I dial into the call that I was asked to attend earlier in the day. It is a cross-departmental meeting between the corporate and disputes team, and I find myself digging out knowledge from the LPC, realising how much business law I have actually managed to remember! As usual, I take an attendance note and finalise once the meeting has finished.

5.30pm: I update the matter trackers that we keep on file, which helps the team keep up-to-date with the different workstreams on the go in the large matter we are working on. This means skimming through the file to check current progress, and reading recent correspondence from the other side to see if any dates or deadlines need putting in the calendar. Once updated, I circulate the trackers to the team so that they can update their personal task lists.

6.30pm: I go through my to-do list from the beginning of the day, before compiling a new one for the morning. I do one final check of my emails before heading off to catch up over pizza with the rest of the first-year trainees. One of my favourite parts of training here has been being one of a smaller intake of just ten trainees. We have grown to be a tight-knit group, and are always there to help and support each other.

8.00pm: We walk to Baker Street tube station together, via Chiltern Street. It’s always fun to walk past the Chiltern Firehouse and see the influencers taking pictures. Who knows, maybe we’ll spot Taylor Swift on our way past!

What attracted you to a career in law? Growing up, I didn’t know anyone personally who worked in the law and my secondary school didn’t offer a law A Level, so a legal career had never really occurred to me. I was studying an MA in English Literature at the University of York when I found out about the GDL conversion route. At the time, I was in the process of applying for a PhD and completely changed my mind! I knew that I wanted a career that was varied, interesting, used the skills I already had in English and writing, and above all, was people-focused. A legal career ticked all those boxes.

How did you decide where to apply? I applied to Forsters for multiple reasons. My family and friends have always been a big part of my life, and so working somewhere with a good work-life balance was of paramount importance to me. One of my first steps was to Google ‘firms with a good work-life balance’, and Forsters popped up! I have always been interested in art, heritage property and historic buildings, but also wanted to work with people in an advisory capacity. Forsters’ private client and real estate practice was therefore a big draw for me, as was their reputation as a boutique firm with a friendly culture. After attending a vacation scheme in 2021, I was struck by the warmth and friendliness of everyone I met, and I was certain Forsters was the place I wanted to be.

What things have challenged you? Having the opportunity to do six seats in total gives you a real breadth of experience in different areas of practice but it can also be challenging to effectively start a new job every four months! Naturally it’s nerve-racking to leave a department just as you’re starting to get the hang of things, but every time I’ve been struck by how friendly and welcoming the new team is, and how quickly you become comfortable with a new practice area. The role of the trainee also differs from department to department, and I would say the most challenging part of that is sometimes being called in to do ‘ad-hoc’ tasks without as much context as you would like!

What has been the highlight so far? From an early stage, you are given a good level of responsibility and I have really enjoyed speaking directly with clients, answering their questions and concerns, and helping in matters from start to finish. One particular highlight in my residential property seat was managing to complete the client’s house sale and purchase and having the keys ready for them just as they arrived at the estate agents! Other highlights include giving training presentations to the construction, residential and dispute resolution departments. Even the most senior partners were really engaged in the topics I spoke about, and all three sessions provoked lots of discussion and insight. Highlights like these were very rewarding and definitely built my confidence.

About the firm

The firm: Forsters is a leading London law firm which delivers exceptional legal advice to clients principally drawn from the real estate and private wealth sectors. Forsters is not just another law firm; our ability to meet the exacting requirements of our clients is enhanced by our approach, size and location. We do not seek to offer everything to everyone, but to excel at what we do, as leaders in our chosen fields.

The clients: British Airways Pension Fund; Netflix; Investra Capital; LXB Retail Properties; OakNorth Bank; Rothschild Bank International; The Crown Estate; United National Trust Bank; McDonalds.

The deals: Assisted The Crown Estate with its £120m acquisition of three Central London properties; acted for Investra Capital in connection with the sale and leaseback of a retail portfolio; advises on multimillion-pound prenuptial agreements; acts for trustees and high-net-worth individuals and families on a wide variety of contentious trusts and probate cases, in addition to professional negligence claims that arise in the context of trust and estates work; advises clients who own and invest in art; advises domestic UK families on wealth structuring.

Managing partners: Emily Exton

Senior partner: Natasha Rees

Who we are: We are a dynamic, successful firm committed to being the best at what we do. Based in Marylebone, Forsters was formed in 1998 by ten partners from Frere Cholmeley Bischoff, who decided to create a new firm rather than take part in a merger with a large firm based in the City. Their vision was to create a new firm with a distinctive culture which could provide a genuine alternative to City firms.

What we do: While we are best known for our top-flight real estate and private client practices, we also have thriving corporate and dispute resolution teams. Forsters offers interesting, intellectually challenging work, high-quality clients and fantastic people to work with and learn from. We are dedicated to providing outstanding client service in a highly professional, collaborative and supportive environment.

What we’re looking for: We enjoy meeting candidates who bring a variety of strengths and perspectives. While having the intellectual ability to solve complex problems is essential, we’re also looking for a genuine interest in Forsters and the work we do. We’re proud of our reputation as a friendly, collaborative firm, so we value personable individuals with drive, ambition, and a strong work ethic.

During the application process, we’re excited to learn more about you – your personality, your passions, and what has inspired you to pursue a career in law. Rest assured: every application is personally reviewed by a member of our graduate recruitment panel, and we do not use any automatic filtering systems.

What you’ll do: Forsters’ Training Journey: A Path of Diverse Experiences.

As a trainee at Forsters, you’ll embark on a two-year journey filled with six distinct seats, each offering a unique perspective on our legal practice. Our aim is to offer you a training contract that gives you the best exposure to our work and our clients. You will likely sit in both of our largest practice areas which are commercial real estate (CRE) and trusts, tax and estates (TTE), as well gaining contentious experience by generally having one seat in a contentious practice area (dispute resolution, property litigation, family, employment and partnership or contentious construction).

Your final seat is not just another rotation; it’s the gateway to your future. You’ll spend the last four months in the department where you’ll qualify. This gives you the advantage of eight months’ experience in your chosen field, allowing you to transition smoothly into your role as a newly qualified solicitor with confidence and a deep understanding of the team’s dynamics and work (see graduate recruitment website for more details).

Perks: Our benefits package is designed to support you in every aspect of your life, both professionally and personally. We offer 27 days of holiday, life and permanent health insurance, private healthcare, and a contributory pension to secure your future. We also provide practical perks like a season ticket loan, subsidised gym membership, and a cycle to work scheme to keep you moving forward. We appreciate that taking care of your wellbeing can look different to different people, so our ‘Wellbeing Fund’ is designed to give flexibility around personal benefits. For some people, it’s about National Trust membership, while for others it’s vouchers for nutritional food delivery services. Our employee assistance programme and staff discounts platform are there to add value to your everyday life, making sure you feel valued in all you do at Forsters.

Sponsorship

We’re proud to sponsor your journey through the PGDL and/or the SQE. We’ll pay for your courses and provide a maintenance grant of £9,000 for each year of study. If you’ve already completed these studies before receiving a training contract offer with us, we don’t sponsor the fees retrospectively.

Seat options

Practice areas include commercial real estate, private client, corporate, dispute resolution, residential property, construction, property litigation, family, banking and finance, planning, employment, and landed estates.

Tips from the recruiter

1. Use as many resources as possible to conduct your research; look at our website, listen to our podcasts, attend our open days, check our social media and review our various online profiles. This will help you to put together a varied and less generic application.
2. We want to know why something is interesting or matters to you; ensure you tell us why and you aren’t just repeating firm information back to us. We want to understand your interest in both the culture of the firm (values, CSR, D&I) as well as the work of the firm (clients, cases, partners, teams).
3. Spell the firm name correctly! We are not Fosters or Foresters.

Diversity and inclusion