Mishcon de Reya

About the firm

Mishcon de Reya certainly knows how to make the right impression. There’s no getting past it: if you could conjure up a memorable name for a law firm, Mishcon de Reya would be it. Its famous name, “high-quality work” and impressive roster of “big clients” all helped cement its reputation.

But as you look beyond the headline credentials, there is far more to the firm than just a name: “I wanted a firm that had personality, that was my drawing point. For so many firms, you look at them and they seem to be the same on paper, but Mishcon stood out to be exciting, willing to try new things and be different.”

“For so many firms, you look at them and they seem to be the same on paper, but Mishcon stood out to be exciting…”

The firm bags its fair share of Chambers UK rankings too, with top nods for its corporate/M&A, employment (employer, High Court litigation, and senior executive), real estate litigation, and restructuring/insolvency litigation in London. UK-wide, there are top-tier acknowledgements for the firm’s art and cultural property law, financial services: contentious regulatory, and gaming. The firm’s UK offices are based in London, Oxford and Cambridge, with three overseas locations in Hong Kong, Singapore and its newly released UAE branch. A majority of the firm’s UK trainees are based in London, with a sprinkle of some in Cambridge coming 2027!

Why trainees joined the firm

Specialist practice groups

Trainees told us that a big part of what attracted them to the firm was the availability of the more niche practice areas. As one stated, “I had specialist interests which I really wanted to try, and if you have that desire, there’s only a small range of firms you can go to and Mishcon is one of them.”

Retention rate

For those who would feel a bit better about a firm known for keeping its trainees on for “donkey’s years,” sources highlighted that the firm “is somewhere people stay for a long time. There are big names here and we are regularly celebrating people who have been here for 30 years.”

Work-life balance

Those we spoke to were looking for a firm that could offer the right balance of substantive work and a life outside of it: “I wanted a high-achieving, high-quality firm with big clients, and Mishcon is a great fit.”

Trainee satisfaction rankings

Training contract structure

Seat allocation

Trainees pointed out that the way the firm processes seat allocations has recently changed with the introduction of AI into the process. Trainees rank the seat options from one to ten, with one being the practice that interests them most, and the programme (Ruth) is then used to allocate seats. That said, interviewees did point out that the firm’s Early Careers department still looks over the recommendations to ensure it all adds up. Sources emphasised that “if you’re gunning for a seat, you should put it in the top three.”

Client secondments

Client secondments are on offer at the firm to places such as the media company Global, which is the longest running. “Typically, the individual who wants it will be someone who is interested in IP or innovation,” one trainee explained. If a secondment at Global sounds like your cup of tea, trainees rank the secondment opportunity as they would a seat option. Also on the books for secondees is Meadow Partners – a real estate private equity manager based in London.

International secondments

There is only one international secondment on offer at the firm, to Hong Kong. For those who are interested, “you have to do a short application: three questions about what interests you about Hong Kong and practicing law there, before you then interview with two people in the team, and they choose who they want.” The trainees we spoke to were also quick to highlight that “they just announced a UAE secondment too!”

Seat experiences

Trainee life

Culture and environment

Data from our annual trainee survey

The general consensus among trainees was that Mishcon is made up of “nice people, in a down-to-earth, very supportive” culture. Trainees praised the “flat hierarchy. They are clever and good at what they do, but people haven’t got airs and graces about them.” When it came to the social life, insiders emphasised that “it’s dependent on how social you want to be, there’s always groups of people in the pub towards the end of the week.” We also heard that, come lunchtime: “In the summer, everyone goes to Lincoln’s Inn Fields and has lunch outside, so you’ll see 50 Mishcon people at any one time eating!”

When the weather isn’t quite so nice, one described the Africa House office as “nicer than any building I’ve ever been in,” featuring a client lounge, rooftop bar, pods for calls and open-plan meeting rooms. Trainees in London are generally encouraged to visit the Oxford and Cambridge offices too.

Working patterns

Data from our annual trainee survey

Trainees told us that there is no official in-office policy at the firm, but those at the junior end are strongly encouraged to be in four days a week. “Ideally, as a trainee, I like to be in five days a week as you learn more,” highlighted one junior. The number of late nights as a trainee, of course, depends on the details of the deal. As one source put it, “if you’re working to a deadline, you can be at the office until midnight, it’s inevitable.” But they did highlight that during the quieter periods, it’s not unheard of for supervisors to tell trainees to leave early. There is a billing target of 1,000 hours to receive a bonus, a target that those we spoke to felt “isn’t high, as they want you to be able to do training and learn, I’ve never felt under pressure to hit the targets.”

Pay

Data provided by firm and our annual trainee survey

When it came to compensation, there were few complaints. However, trainees did point out that they hoped NQ salaries would grow with the profile of the firm: “Mishcon is growing out now and we are getting to the silver circle level.”

Supervision and training

Data from our annual trainee survey

Mishcon “picks supervisors intentionally,” which, of course, means that “people are supervisors because they want to be.” Trainees share an office with their supervisor during their training contract: “It’s quite a big ask to sit in their office for six months and for them to constantly face questions, but they’ve all been very good, the firm makes an effort to pick the right people for the role.” Structured training is facilitated through the firm’s academy. At the beginning of each seat, newbies receive department-specific training: “Some departments are very training-heavy and get external providers in regularly, others have the expectation that internal fee earners do the training.”

Inclusion

“Mishcon is about bringing different people in, they put in a lot of effort,” one junior told us. One point of focus is the committees within the firm that promote DEI, such as the gender and disability committees. One insider said: “The firm is keen to promote it and not make it a tick-a-box exercise. They want to make it something that impacts people and brings the best out of everyone in a space that encourages differences.”

Pro bono & CSR

If you’re one of those who prefer the old-fashioned way and find a pen and paper an everyday essential, you’ll be pleased to hear that when you hit your six-month required 25 hours of pro bono, the firm awards you a notepad, and again when you hit 50 hours. “The firm makes it so easy for you to do pro bono work, you can take your pick of what suits you most,” one told us. Trainees described the process as accessible, joking that “the firm will name and shame you if you’re on the naughty list!”

Other opportunities include:

• Age UK phone-in

• Pink Law Initiative

• Spires

• Citizens Advice

Qualification

Come qualification time, a jobs list is released informing trainees of which roles are available for an NQ position. Trainees can apply for as many jobs as they want to, even if they’re in a department that they haven’t yet spent time in. Applicants must submit a CV and cover letter for each role: “It depends on the department whether they want to give you a formal interview, no interview or a case study.”

Memorable motto…

At Mishcon, trainees emphasised the firm’s slogan of ‘It’s business. But it’s personal.’ Our interviewees highlighted that it “sums up what working here is like.”