Bevan Brittan

About the firm

Pairing interesting and socially purposeful matters with a culture trainees say, "lives up to the hype," Bevan Brittan might just be your golden buzzer moment! Home to over 300 lawyers, Bevan Brittan is a full-service firm headquartered in Bristol, with offices in Birmingham, Leeds and London, with the trainee cohort split relatively evenly between them. It's a big name in the public sector, particularly healthcare, housing, local government and regulatory work, with clients like the NHS and local government. As trainees were quick to highlight, the hours are more palatable, the people are warm and the work, as more than one pointed out, is interesting. As one source summed it up: "I can't see any reason I'd want to leave."

“If you’re interested in public sector work, you’ll get that, but it also exceeded my expectations…”

Of course, we also heard that there’s more to life at Bevan Brittan than you might think: “Working here, I now know it’s much broader than the public sector work,” one interviewee explained, “the TC gives you exposure to a really good mix of work. If you’re interested in public sector work, you’ll get that, but it also exceeded my expectations, and I found some really interesting areas.” Chambers UK awards the firm top-tier rankings in administrative & public law (mainly public sector & charities), local government, healthcare, and mental health providers nationwide, employment and real estate in London, and social housing in the North East and South West.

Why trainees joined the firm

Public sector expertise

Trainees were drawn to the firm for being “one of the best firms in that space,” which “sounded much more interesting than doing commercial M&A work – it’s more academically stimulating and politically driven.”

Work/life balance

Fully hybrid with more manageable hours than a City firm, Bevan Brittan comes out pretty well when it comes to work/life balance: “Usually, it’s about 9am-6pm, and for a law firm that’s really quite good,” one trainee noted. Another added that there is “definitely no expectation to work late.”

Public image & values

In terms of public image and caring about the community, one trainee said that “the firm is reflective of the image it projects publicly, and I think that is rare.”

Trainee satisfaction rankings

Training contract structure

Seat allocation

Trainees submit ranked seat preferences ahead of each rotation, with allocations balancing individual preferences alongside departmental availability and qualification requirements. Sources told us that second-year trainees are typically prioritised during the process to help with NQ planning and added that the firm is currently making changes to the system, including trialling an AI-assisted process.

Client secondments

There are opportunities for client secondments in areas including healthcare, construction and local government. Examples included placements with NHS and mental health trusts, energy providers and local councils, with some trainees placed on secondments as a separate seat and others on a part-time basis alongside their departmental work. Sources said opportunities are available but generally dependent on client demand and availability.

Seat Experiences

Trainee life

Culture and environment

Data from our annual trainee survey

As one trainee put it: “You see people say they love working here – they are so great and so supportive.” We heard that supervisors genuinely want juniors to succeed, and that there was a collective attitude of “if we invest time in you, you will invest time in us.” This extends beyond the specific department trainees are placed into too: “Even if they don’t know you, they’re still willing to nurture you and be really kind,” one source told us, recalling colleagues proactively checking in and offering help. Across the board, trainees stressed that people were approachable enough to ask questions: “There’s a very good level of interaction between partners and juniors, every level of seniority is approachable. I can go to a partner and feel comfortable.”

“There’s a very good level of interaction between partners and juniors, every level of seniority is approachable.”

Sources explained that trainees are automatically enrolled onto the social committee and given a budget to organise events - recent trainee socials have included bowling, escape rooms and sip-and-paint nights. One source described the balance as “50/50 between trainee stuff and firm-wide stuff,” adding that “a lot of the social life for trainees is just us deciding to go for a drink or lunch.” The offices do host more formal events, including summer and Christmas parties.

Working patterns

Data from our annual trainee survey

Bevan Brittan is a fully hybrid firm with no set minimum days in the office, but trainees told us that it is at least twice a week for team anchor days, and that they tended to “try to be in three days a week because it’s social and there’s a good cohort or trainees and NQs who are quite good friends. You can come in as much as you want to and there’ll always be space for you.” Trainees also mentioned a lot of cross-office work – for example a London team member may well have a seat based in Leeds and use the Leeds office. In terms of office perks, the Bristol office hosts monthly ‘pizza days’ and the Birmingham office has a rooftop balcony. More generally, “the open plan nature of the offices facilitates the culture of learning in a really great way.”

The hours were generally described as manageable, with interviewees typically finishing between 5.30pm and 6.30pm on a typical day. A number of trainees emphasised that the official 5.15pm finish time is not unrealistic: “Usually it’s about 9am-6pm, and for a law firm that’s really quite good,” one trainee noted. Another added that there is “definitely no expectation to work late.”

Some trainees mentioned occasional late nights during especially demanding periods, though many stressed that this was more the exception than the norm. Sources also highlighted the flexibility on offer, explaining that as long as deadlines and targets are met, teams are generally accommodating around working patterns.

Pay

“In reflection to the amount of work we do and the support provided, I think it’s definitely a good salary,” concluded one trainee. Another seemed to agree: “I work 9am-6pm so I can’t complain that it’s not salaried like a US firm. Compared to peers at other firms I work good hours. Although I do feel that they could do more to reflect the cost of living.” “It’s not as much as other firms,” another agreed, “but to an extent that’s justified by the culture and often reasonable hours. I believe the culture and flexibility we get justifies the salary.”

Supervision and training

Data from our annual trainee survey

Trainees are assigned a supervisor and a ‘buddy’ in each seat. They have weekly 1:1 check-ins “in the diary if we need them,” but added that supervisors are very accessible in between that as well. “They keep a really close eye on your workload,” said one trainee, while another shared that “in one of my seats I spoke to my supervisor every day.” More informally, a trainee explained that “anyone in your team can give you work and they are supervising the work that you are doing for them, so they become a supervisor in a way.”

In terms of training, one trainee shared that they had attended ten sessions on ‘how to make the most of your TC’ and that there were drop-ins with the Early Talent team available each month. Generally, each seat has regular lunch-and-learn sessions, and some mentioned Professional Skills Course webinars as well as skills workshops covering topics like networking, confidence and time management.

“…we’ve recruited you; we want you to stay - how can we help you? They really back you.”

The early talent team also received high praise for being very proactive and supportive during the training contract, with one trainee describing the team as “BB’s biggest asset.” They continued, “they are actually incredible - I can’t stress that enough.” The mentality was described as “we’ve recruited you; we want you to stay - how can we help you? They really back you.”

Pro bono & CSR

Several trainees described the firm as being very engaged with charity and community initiatives. One source called pro bono work “massive,” explaining that trainees are trusted to take ownership of matters under supervision. In one example, a trainee worked on behalf of a council, drafting a lease for a plot of land and assisted with planning-related work.

Other opportunities include:

• The Birmingham Law Society’s legal advice clinic, where trainees help provide free legal advice to members of the public.

• Age UK

• Great Western Air Ambulance Charity

Inclusion

Trainees felt the firm makes a genuine effort when it comes to inclusion, with many pointing to the range of networks and initiatives on offer across the offices. Trainees highlighted groups including South Asian, LGBTQ+ and Black employee networks, alongside regular events celebrating occasions such as Lunar New Year, Eid and Black History Month. One source also pointed to the firm’s wellbeing initiatives, which include mental health-focused events and discussion groups around topics like International Women’s Day and men’s mental health. Some mentioned events including a Black History Month quiz where the prize was a voucher for Black-owned restaurants.

“There’s definitely a conscious effort,” one trainee explained, adding that the culture “doesn’t feel like lip service.” Others noted that the firm has recently introduced a more formal EDI working group to help bring together the different networks and initiatives already in place. Female representation at partnership level also stood out to trainees, with several mentioning that the number of female partners had an impact on the culture of the firm: “There is a real understanding of working circumstances and family situations,” one source told us.

Qualification

Qualification was described as a transparent process, with trainees explaining that conversations about NQ roles begin surprisingly early. HR begin discussing qualification plans during trainees’ third seat, with vacancies then typically released around the April of trainees’ final seat. Trainees hoping to secure an NQ position submit a CV and cover letter before interviewing with partners and senior associates.

Those we spoke to generally felt that the firm makes a good effort to prepare trainees for qualification. One NQ recalled that in their final seat, they were trusted to lead meetings, draft reports and handle witness statements to make the jump to NQ less daunting: “They made a real effort to gear me up,” they explained, noting the increase in hours as an NQ. We heard that “their aim is retention,” adding that the firm values “a harmonious cohort.” Many trainees also spoke positively about staying long-term, citing approachable partners, supportive teams and feeling genuinely valued within the firm.

Building a better Brittan…

Trainees at the firm run CV volunteering sessions and mock interviews for students at local schools, as well as fundraising efforts for office charities and environmental initiatives such as the Bristol Spring Clean, where staff went litter picking across the city.