Survey Results - Trainee feedback on Stephenson Harwood

The lowdown - Trainees (in their own words) on Stephenson Harwood

Why did you choose this firm over any others? ‘I had an interest in the practice areas, particularly aviation, shipping and data protection, as well as others in which the firm is strong and has a good reputation’, ‘because of the breadth of practice’, ‘the sociable and friendly culture’, ‘culture, secondment opportunities and variety of work’, ‘whilst it sounds cliché, I wanted a firm with a ‘friendly feel’

Best thing about the firm? ‘The camaraderie between trainees’, ‘the culture’, ‘the community and supportive nature of the team’, ‘the overall friendly vibe’, ‘the culture and the very friendly and approachable people’, ‘the balance between quality of work and clients with not the worst of City law firm hours/demands (though it can still be intense)’

Worst thing about the firm? ‘The remuneration’, ‘trainees can lack support and guidance and be left in the ‘deep end’ depending on the team’, ‘its profile relative to its competitors – it sometimes seems not as well known within the industry as it should be for a firm of its size. But this seems to be a legacy issue which is gradually improving’, ‘low morale re senior management and the direction of the firm’, ‘the IT setup could be improved’

Best moment? ‘Going on secondment’, ‘assisting the team on a completion and celebrating afterwards’, ‘getting very strong feedback from supervisors at the end of my first seat, ‘drafting a regulatory advice note for client on the back of my own research which went to the client with minimal revisions following partner review’, ‘dealing with a major bank with regard to a sponsorship deal for an upcoming exhibition whilst on an in-house international secondment’, ‘drafting pleadings for a claim’

Worst moment? ‘Feeling stressed and unsupported while under time pressure’, ‘occasional quiet periods in my second seat where I didn’t have much to do. Not really something I can complain much about at all!’, ‘being given a complicated task with an impossible deadline by a senior partner, or having no work for multiple weeks in one of my seats’, ‘staying late in order to review dozens of boxes of deeds’

The Legal 500 Future Lawyers verdict on Stephenson Harwood

Stephenson Harwood ‘excels in both marine and commercial litigation’. The international firm also shines in aviation and data protection, among other practice areas. An ‘extremely positive atmosphere, especially among trainees’ pervades, and ‘there is no sense of competition, but rather support’. Stephenson Harwood puts a big ‘emphasis on training’, which in certain departments is ‘excellent – the finance group has a particularly good trainee curriculum’. In the marine team too ‘there is a real push to attend internal training sessions that are put on at regular intervals’. Some recruits lauded the ‘balance of high-quality work and clients, without having to contend with the time demands of some of the larger City law firms’. But others, who applied to the firm in the hope of ‘a mid-tier appropriate work/life balance, medium hours and medium pay’, think that ‘this isn’t really the case anymore – we get the same pay as before but there is an expectation to work more hours’. Respondents felt a bit frustrated that ‘sometimes seems not as well known within the industry as it should be for a firm of its size’, although it was also acknowledged that ‘this seems to be a legacy issue which is gradually improving’. Best moments of the training contract so far include ‘being the lead fee earner on closing out an aircraft transaction which I had managed from start to finish with a high degree of independence’, and ‘my international secondment’ which was a ‘brilliant opportunity’. In fact, the overseas opportunities have won the multitalented firm a Future Lawyers Winner medal. For ‘breadth of work, client contact and impressive secondment opportunities’, consider Stephenson Harwood.

About the firm

The firm: Stephenson Harwood is an international law firm with over 1,200 people worldwide. It has eight offices, a variety of sectors to explore and unlimited opportunities for you to develop an incredible career. At the firm, you can expect to work in tight, focused teams alongside associates and partners, where you’ll always be right at the heart of the action.

The clients: The clients that Stephenson Harwood works with are hugely varied. Whether they’re corporations, institutions or individuals, the firm assembles teams of bold thinkers to match clients’ needs and ensure they receive the right advice, from the right person, at the right time. The firm’s experience encompasses corporate, commercial litigation, employment, pensions and private wealth, finance, marine and international trade, and real estate. Specific clients include: Hotel Chocolat Group plc; easyHotel; TyraTech; Transport UK Group (formerly Abellio); China Development Bank; Acadia Healthcare; Al Dahra Group; ENGIE.

The deals:  Advised Schroders Capital in relation to its co-lead investment into G Square’s €500m continuation vehicle; advised Inspired Education Group (Inspired) on Stonepeak’s €1bn investment in the company; advised Elysian Capital, and the management team of the company, on the £103m sale of Wellbeing Software to The Citadel Group, a company listed on The Australian Stock Exchange; advised Oxford Biomedica, a gene and cell therapy company, on a clinical and commercial supply agreement for Covid-19 vaccine with AstraZeneca; advised Nordea Bank on a US$533m secured revolving credit facility provided to Teekay Tankers group, in relation to the refinancing of 31 vessels across two flag states; advised Mirae Asset Securities (HK) Limited on a US$450m acquisition and financing of three Boeing 777 aircraft, on lease to China Airlines Limited.

Partner in charge: Eifion Morris

Senior partner: Roland Foord

Other offices: Dubai, Hong Kong, Paris, Seoul, Singapore, Piraeus, Shanghai.

Who we are: The firm’s headquarters are in London, with eight offices worldwide across Asia, Europe and the Middle East. The firm has also forged close ties with other high-quality law firms. This diverse mix of expertise and culture results in a combination of deep local insight and the capability to provide a seamless international service.

What we do: We advise a wide range of clients, including listed and private companies, institutions and individuals. Our experience encompasses corporate, commercial litigation and arbitration, finance, marine and international trade, real estate and projects, and employment, pensions and private wealth. We pride ourselves on supporting our people to reach their full potential, so as a trainee you can expect to work in close-knit teams, where associates and partners will take responsibility for ensuring that you get in on the heart of the action on the matters on which you work.

What we’re looking for: In addition to a 2(1) in any subject area and 128 UCAS
points or equivalent, applicants need to demonstrate strong analytical skills, sound judgement, imagination and meticulous attention to detail, as well as excellent communication skills, drive, determination and a keen interest in business.

What you’ll do: Every seat provides a balance of commercial awareness and practical legal experience, and the flexibility to move between projects and matters. At every stage of the training, trainees will be coached and mentored by a partner or senior associate; they will give regular feedback, advice and guidance.

Perks: We offer a range of flexible benefits including: critical illness cover, cycle to work scheme, dental insurance, give as you earn, gym membership subsidy, 25 days’ paid holiday a year, private medical insurance and health screening, life assurance, group personal pension, private GP services, retail vouchers, subsidised café and season ticket loan.

Sponsorship

We will pay future trainees’ fees for the SQE preparation and assessments and offer maintenance awards of up to £12,000 if you’re still studying.

Diversity and inclusion

Percentage of female associates: 56% (UK)

Percentage of female partners: 29% (UK)

Percentage of BAME associates: 21% (UK)

Percentage of BAME partners: 11% (UK)