Fox Williams
- London
"This urban Fox knows its way around the City: from employment and disputes to financial services and corporate work, Fox Williams has the A to Z on commercial law."
About the firm
- 6
- Trainees
- 69
- Associates
- 51
- Partners
- 1
- National Offices
1989 was a big year, and not because a certain global popstar was born. It was when two City lawyers took a look around the corporate law scene and thought, ‘Surely there’s a better way to do this?’ And sure enough, where there’s a Will(iams), there’s a way, and thus was born Fox Williams. Built on the premise that lawyers shouldn’t have to choose between high-quality work and access to responsibility, that balancing act still seems to define the firm decades later.
Despite being a single-office operation in the City, the firm is no small player, taking on High Court trials, private M&A deals and FCA-related investigations for clients ranging from entrepreneurs and startups to household names and multinational corporates across specialist sectors like technology, media and fashion. Not convinced? Take it from our colleagues over at Chambers UK, who highlight the firm’s national partnership and travel (regulatory & commercial) work. In the City in particular, the firm receives praise for its employment (employer & senior executive), corporate/M&A and real estate know-how.
“For a small firm, we have great clients, and that ties into the quality of the training.”
This expertise translates into various opportunities for trainees, not least access to impressive clients and hands-on development opportunities, as one insider enthused: “For a small firm, we have great clients, and that ties into the quality of the training.” It’s a two-way street, as training principal David Butler notes, Fox is equally on the hunt for quality in its recruits, namely those who are “good academically, but also can show the ability to be commercial and think of the client’s business as a business – not just a collection of legal problems in need of a solution.”
Why trainees joined the firm
Warm culture
Smaller environment with hands-on training
Niche specialisms
Warm culture
“I liked that Fox Williams was slightly smaller but didn’t compromise the quality of work,” one trainee told us, “the other thing was the culture. People want to go for a coffee and chat.”
Smaller environment with hands-on training
Because teams are relatively lean, trainees explained they’re pulled onto matters quickly and work closely with senior lawyers from the outset: “I am the only trainee on the teams most of the time, so they come to me when they need stuff done.”
Niche specialisms
Multiple interviews noted their interest in specific practices; “I was really interested in employment law,” noted one, while another added their penchant for real estate law.
Trainee satisfaction rankings
- Strong
- Compensation
Training contract structure
- 4x6
- Seat Structure
Seat allocation
Trainees have a conversation with HR to indicate their top two seat preferences, and HR endeavours to give trainees their first choice at some point during the training contract, though it is ultimately dependent on business need.
- Yes
- Client secondments
- No
- International secondments
Client secondments
While client secondments aren’t widely available, there is occasionally scope for those who express an interest every couple of years.
Seat Experiences
The corporate team at Fox Williams focuses on private M&A, often in the mid-market range, for a wide range of industries, including fintech, publishing and pharma. For example, the firm recently advised Starling Bank on its acquisition of Ember Digital, a UK-based fintech company. The team also supports banking and finance debt work and collaborates with a corporate secretarial team. Interviewees described the team as “a well-oiled machine; it’s very clear what everyone does.” This was reassuring for newbies who admitted that corporate seats can seem intimidating at first, but that they were “really pleasantly surprised that that wasn’t my experience at Fox Williams.”
Because the team is small, work can move quickly, for example, “We’ve turned around investments in two weeks!” one trainee enthused. With the fast pace of the work, trainee tasks are varied, but always hands-on. Trainees described plenty of admin and process driven work, “like getting a Docusign up and running,” as well as putting together document packs and drafting key documents like board minutes and shareholder resolutions. Sources were also able to get involved in client calls, often taking notes, but occasionally getting involved in the conversation too. Alongside all the hands-on experience, interviewees noted training and support were a real highlight in this seat, with around 18 to 20 hours of training in total, as well as monthly meetings with supervisors to review their progress.
The employment department is one of the biggest teams at Fox Williams, so as one trainee put it, they “do quite a lot of heavy lifting.” The work covers both contentious and non-contentious, as well as employer-employee work, for a range of clients from those in the financial services sector to fellow law firms. In one example, the team recently defended Revolut, its founder-CEO and a senior employee against a whistleblowing claim.
At the trainee level, that translates to experience spanning “a good mixture” of litigious and advisory work. On the litigious side, trainees get involved in employment tribunal litigation proceedings, with some trainees attending hearings in court. Meanwhile, the advisory side gives rise to lots of drafting: HR policy refreshers, employment contracts, ‘without prejudice’ letters, and settlement agreements, as well as helping with Data Subject Access Requests (DSARs). The advisory experience was described by one trainee as “helpful in practicing how to make something understandable to a client who has no legal background, which is a good skill to have.”
Trainees sat in the financial services department work across banking, specialised finance and regulatory matters, with the regulatory side split between contentious and non-contentious work. “The contentious regulatory stuff often involves investigations by the FCA,” one source explained of the work. On the non-contentious side, the firm recently advised Santander on the regulatory aspects of its new business launches across lending, deposit taking and insurance.
Sources described the seat as particularly varied, explaining that “day to day depends on who you’re working for,” with trainees often moving between different types of work throughout the week. Typical tasks here often include participation in client calls, as well as a mix of chargeable and non-chargeable work. Alongside early exposure to clients, trainees also described getting involved in the team’s wider business development efforts, including article writing and research for a pitch. Alongside this, trainees help with legal and commercial research across both transactional and regulatory matters.
Dispute resolution at Fox Williams is split into two main areas: commercial litigation and securities litigation. The commercial litigation side covers a broad mix of disputes, with particular strength in civil fraud. In a recent example, the team is representing SEGA Europe against a former employee who has brought proceedings against the company, claiming ownership of a two-metre Sonic the Hedgehog statue in SEGA’s offices. The claim highlights issues about the appropriate use of Data Subject Access Requests, breaches of settlement agreement and what a ‘waiver of all claims’ encompasses in that context.
For trainees, the experience can differ depending on which side of the department they are working with. One source felt that securities litigation could be “a bit more admin driven” for trainees, as partners often take the lead on strategy and client development, while juniors help manage the client base and keep communications moving.
On the commercial litigation side, trainees described getting more direct involvement in the substance of matters. Typical tasks included document review, drafting letters, preparing bundles, costs work, coordinating with other parties and sending emails to clients or the other side. Sources also stressed that the firm “really tries hard to get you involved in the actual important stuff,” including drafting settlement agreements, attending mediations, going to court and carrying out a first pass analysis of arguments.
One trainee recalled getting “really, really good experience in disputes,” including attending the whole of a three-week expedited trial in the High Court and working closely with barristers. Others also mentioned exposure to arbitration and employment litigation.
Trainee life
Culture and environment
- 100%
- Trainees were happy in their current role
Data from our annual trainee survey
Collaboration was the watchword among trainees who described a culture where “everyone is super friendly and very willing to help you.” Additionally, trainees noted that “teams are a lot smaller, so you’ve got a lot more partner contact than you would at a larger firm.”
This collaborative spirit is perhaps enhanced by the many social events the firm hosts, including sports clubs, including rounders and running, and book clubs. Departments also host lunches every few weeks. “There’s lots of people mixing at different levels,” one insider enthused. The firm also provides trainees with a budget for socials. “Within reason, we can spend it how we want to… we tend to opt for breakfasts,” one source mused, but previous examples include drinks and shuffleboard!
Working patterns
- 3 days a week
- Expected office attendance
- 46.7 (Varies by seat)
- Typical billable hours in a week
Data from our annual trainee survey
In keeping with the friendly vibes, sources felt the firm generally strikes a good balance between quality of work and quality of life. They explained, “You’re not expected to be in the office from 8am to 11pm every single day.” That said of course, it depends on the team and how busy things are, and late nights certainly aren’t unheard of. The firm has a three-day in-office policy, with working hours typically between 9am and 6.30pm.
Pay
- £48,000
- 1st Year Salary
- £50,000
- 2nd Year Salary
Data provided by firm and our annual trainee survey
Sources reported being content with salaries, though one trainee noted that the NQ pay lags behind other City firms a bit.
Supervision and training
- 100%
- Feel they receive high quality learning & development
Data from our annual trainee survey
Training received high praise from trainees, who highlighted both the firm’s formal training programme and the hands-on support available. The firm hosts regular sessions covering everything from practice area knowledge to the firm’s internal systems. At the start of each seat, departments also make sure to get newbies up to speed on all they need to know: “Whether it’s certain systems or something else, it’s always made clear. There’s a precedent handover note which gets updated every time someone hands something over, so all the info is in that document.”
As for supervision, trainees were similarly impressed, both by the contact points with seniors and the amount of feedback received. Trainees often sit with their supervisors who regularly hand them work and coordinate feedback. “I get feedback on everything I send in,” said one trainee: “If I send a draft, I’ll get it back with comments or they’ll copy me into the final version so I can see what’s changed.” Trainees also have access to ‘Performance Leader’, a piece of software that allows them to request feedback from anyone at the firm.
Inclusion
Trainees spoke positively about the firm’s approach to inclusion, particularly its efforts to support and retain female talent; “I was really impressed with their intentions in maintaining a representative workforce,” one source told us, adding that the focus appeared to be on developing lawyers throughout their careers, rather than simply improving statistics at senior levels.
Insiders also highlighted the firm’s efforts around diversity initiatives, including an annual diversity survey and regular training sessions. Sources pointed to D&I presentations and Pride parties as past examples.
Pro bono & CSR
The firm has a volunteering scheme where trainees can take half a day per quarter on volunteer leave to assist at a charity of their choosing.
Qualification
Trainees described the qualification process as transparent and relatively informal. While trainees noted that the firm can’t always accommodate practice preferences for qualification, they are invited to submit their preferences, and HR will have conversations with the heads of departments to find out what spots are available.
The application process varies by department and often depends on how many people apply for a certain department. “If there are multiple trainees going for one position, there might be an interview,” said one insider.
- 100%
- Trainees Retention
Foxtrotting…
The firm recently embarked on a 22-mile hike in the Lake District to raise money for the charity Go Beyond.
Contact this law firm
Top Figures
- £48,000
- 1st Year Salary
- £50,000
- 2nd Year Salary
- £85,000
- Newly Qualified Salary
- 4
- Training Contract Vacancies
- Firm recruits exclusively through its vacation scheme
- Application Closing Date
- Yes
- Apprenticeship
