Squire Patton Boggs

In-squire-d by a firm with Pat-tons of international reach and diverse departments? If so, this full-service hotshot will Boggle your mind.

Squire Patton Boggs training contract review 2026

About the firm

Any knight with even a modicum of nobility travelling the Middle Ages adhered to three key principles: honour, respect and, of course, justice. Any solicitor worth their salt needs to uphold these tenets as well, and both lawyers and knights require the same thing to help them achieve this excellence – a good Squire. “Partners take a genuine interest in you as an individual,” beamed one interviewee, “they also know if they train you to do something, then that’ll make their lives easier.”

That’s right – this is the kind of Squire that will back you up and help you enhance your growing skill sets. As another insider confirmed: “If you want to be exposed to work, they’ll make it possible and push you out of your comfort zone.”

“If you want to be exposed to work, they’ll make it possible and push you out of your comfort zone.”

Squire Patton Boggs’ bases in the UK include London, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds, but the global reach far exceeds that number with a total office count of 46. “We’ve got new offices in Geneva, the Netherlands and Italy,” reveals training principal Rob Elvin; “it makes people feel good, makes your people feel better, anyone associated with growth just makes people feel better I think.” Our interviewees clearly thought that was the case as well: “I wanted a global firm with a clear international reach, but also the really strong full-service offering of the national offices.”

That full-service aspect is no joke either. Our bannermen over at Chambers UK bestow near 50 crowns unto the firm’s various departments, including knighthood for its corporate/M&A, employment, litigation, tax, pensions, and real estate. So, if you’re looking for a global law firm with a strong national presence and a deep bench of practice areas, then maybe this Squire is king.

Training Contract Structure

The firm boasts a plentiful six-seat contract that allows trainees to see as many of the firm’s departments as possible. Elvin explains the rationale behind this, saying: “We’ve got a lot more than four groups, you’ll miss out on a lot of the firm if you only have four, it works for us, we like getting those extra experiences.”

This means that, with all that exposure, no seats are mandatory, but we did hear a corporate seat is “likely to pop up at some point, though it’s not a requirement.” The process is otherwise simple, with trainees submitting three preferences at the midpoint of each seat. Sources were happy to report that they broadly got one of their preferences on most occasions.

Seat Experiences

Trainee Life

The levels of supervision trainees are given went down a treat with our sources, with one reflecting: “They almost anticipate my needs beyond what I can even guess I’d need.” Most trainees will get a daily supervisor and a partner supervisor per seat (on occasion, this can be the same person), and although they were said to be attentive and supportive, interviewees were pleased to report that there’s no micro-management. “They know when I’m ready to take the stabilisers off and try something challenging as well,” commended one rookie, “they just let you get on with things at that point – I couldn’t ask for more really!”

Induction training sessions occur at the start of each seat, but the frequency of sessions after that is largely dependent on the department. The good news is that trainees can attend any training session for any group, regardless of whether they’re in that seat.

Central Line warriors rejoice: the London office is nestled between Liverpool Street and Bank, which, as one source put it, is “the perfect location; you can’t fault it.” With an open plan and a roof terrace to entertain guests and employees alike, those in the City felt a strong sense of collaboration. The Birmingham branch is also open plan, and interviewees were looking forward to an office move next year. The Leeds hub, though not entirely open plan, boasts a roof terrace too, as well as a sustainability garden where they can eat the fresh produce.

Across the offices, a 50% in-office policy is in effect, but most sources reported being in more often than that: “There’s a lot to be gained from being in the office, so they do encourage it.” Given the reputation of the legal world, hours were surprisingly more consistent than insiders expected, with average finish times ranging from 6pm to 7pm; this factored into their comfort with the firm’s compensation. “I have no qualms about the salary,” began one rookie, “I don’t have the crazy late nights that you see at other firms.”

“There aren’t many months where you don’t have a few invites pending!”

A benefit of those consistent hours is that trainees get to enjoy a full social calendar of events organised by the firm. As such, “there aren’t many months where you don’t have a few invites pending!” These include your Christmas and summer parties, as well as charity and business development events, quizzes, and a budget for trainee socials. “The firm is very interested in you going to these external things,” nodded one source. Luckily, all our interviewees were eager to take part, and that derived from the firm’s culture where “everybody is really approachable.” This interviewee continued: “You can go up to a partner in the same way you would a junior person, and they would be more than happy to talk to you.”

Although the firm itself may not be as diverse as some sources wished, everyone we spoke to acknowledged the firm’s efforts to promote inclusivity and growing a more diverse workforce. “There’s a lot of events around celebrating cultural and heritage points” such as Windrush and Eid, revealed one newbie, adding that “I think they’re pushing in the right direction for sure.”

Qualification

For qualification, trainees noted that they were not siloed into only applying for departments in their respective offices and could instead look to qualify into groups based in different cities. The process is simple, with some departments holding two interviews and others requiring just one. Retention was a point of concern for sources however, with some insiders feeling that there was just no space for them at the end of their contract: “There were a lot of jobs on the list that were just not for us in reality,” one confessed. Despite this, trainees were incredibly eager to remain at the firm, with one jubilantly conveying: “I was desperate to stay and had no intention of looking elsewhere.” In 2025, the firm retained 15 of 24 qualifiers.