Squire Patton Boggs

About the firm

Casablanca is often considered one of the peaks of cinema history. The precision, the screenplay, the leading performance by legendary Humphrey Bogart. It all came together to make what many cinephiles consider to be a perfect film, and that film has reached audiences far and wide across the globe. The world of law has its own Humphrey Bogg-art with SPB, a firm with a full-service offering that’s come together to make its own mark on the world just like the 1942 classic. “We’re in a phase where we’re probably evolving into a true international firm,” begins training principal Rob Elvin, “certainly in the last 2 – 3 years we’re much more coordinated and aligned with a strategic goal.” Our insiders agreed, noting how “the international element really drew me in, we’ve got a wide global span.”

“The international element really drew me in, we’ve got a wide global span.”

Chambers UK joined the chorus of praise with 47 UK rankings in departments such as corporate/M&A, employment, tax, litigation, real estate, and more. In case you missed the mention of world domination, SPB pops up in nine of our other guides as well, showing a real foothold over the legal space regardless of where you hang your hat. “It’s a really great firm to work at,” one junior enthused, “and it’s a really exciting time to be here.”

Why trainees joined the firm

International scope from a strong UK base

There’s no scraps in the UK offices of SPB. As one junior noted, “we’re an international firm with a strong national presence.”

Level playing field

One insider gushed that “the culture is the best thing” adding that “there’s no hierarchy here, everyone gives you the time of day.”

Full-service offering

Plenty of trainees weren’t 100% certain what kind of lawyer they want to be upon qualification, and SPB gave them the chance to find out: “They do everything here, so I really got the chance to explore.”

Trainee satisfaction rankings

Training contract structure

Seat allocation

Trainees at SPB are treated to an extra two seats than most featured in our guide with a grand total of six on offer. “It’s great that we get to experience more of the firm during our contract,” one junior mused, “but it is a double-edged sword because we have less time in each.” Insiders reported getting a say in each of their seats, ranking three preferences at each time. “They prioritise second years, but I’ve been pretty happy with what I’ve got so far,” one insider explained, echoing the sentiments of most of our interviewees.

Client secondments

Trainees reported that client secondments do happen from time to time but are inconsistent in their length and regularity. “I know some people that only did it for two weeks, and some that went for four months,” pondered one insider. Most require an interview before trainees can secure a slot on one.

International secondments

SPB runs a regular secondment to the Brussels office in the competition department which we heard “is pretty consistent and usually has two trainees at a time.” Other secondments aren’t unheard of but “it really depends on your personal circumstances, like if you speak another language.”

Seat Experiences

Trainee life

Culture and environment

Data from our annual trainee survey

Our insiders were not shy about sharing how the firm’s culture was “one of the key selling points.” “You can see it from day one” one source chimed in, “everyone is just normal, supportive and full of personality.” As for socials? We heard there was everything “from parties to Pilates” including Christmas and summer parties, monthly drinks, and a trainee social budget which has gone on dinners, bowling, F1driving arcades, and barbeques. “If anything, we probably do too much together!” one junior laughed.

As for the multiple offices, the Birmingham branch has recently moved, which we heard was “pretty exciting, we liked the old office but it was a little outdated so it should be great.” London and Manchester boasted their modern fancy pads, while the Leeds office basked in their community of young professional businesses and touted the uniqueness of being the only office yet to go open plan: “I do enjoy having my own desk I can decorate, I won’t lie.”

Working patterns

Data from our annual trainee survey

Thursday is a mandatory day for all employees across the firm, but otherwise a gentle encouragement of 3 – 4 days in-office seemed to be the firm directive. That being said, a lot of our interviewees took the opportunity to be in as much as possible stating: “I will be in as long as there’s people in that I can learn from.” As for hours, we heard “each department has their busy periods and their quiet periods” with an expectation that trainees put a shift in during those more intense periods. On average though, 9am – 7pm seemed to be the norm.

Pay

Data provided by firm and our annual trainee survey

Juniors were, on the whole, pretty happy with their salary noting that “we get a nice one that reflects the hours we put in.” Multiple sources highlighted their pay was “on the higher side in the regions,” and that led to them feeling well compensated. Trainees also receive a bonus.

Supervision and training

Data from our annual trainee survey

Trainees share an office with their supervisor, which means that “you can ask questions really candidly” and “get that one-on-one time every day to touch base.” Trainees also have a mid-seat and end-of-seat review in every seat where more formal feedback is delivered. Insiders had glowing reports of their supervisors, with one divulging, “My supervisor always takes time to explain things to me, and their instructions are very good and thorough… I’ve never felt like I was silly for asking a question!”

On the training side, formal sessions typically take place early in the training contract, covering professional communication and development. These occur less frequently as trainees progress through their rotations, though departments often run individual sessions on practice-specific knowledge.

Additionally, in several departments, once a deal has closed, trainees can attend a lunchtime session where seniors on the deal talk about what went well, what didn’t and what could have been done differently. “It’s really interesting to hear partners talk about that,” one insider reflected.

“This training contract isn’t for someone who likes very structured training or feedback after every task – we work too quickly for that!”

Ultimately, on-the-job, hands-on training takes precedence at the firm, with one interviewee pointing out, “This training contract isn’t for someone who likes very structured training or feedback after every task – we work too quickly for that!” That said, trainees were keen to note, “If you have any questions, people are really happy to put time in the diary and go through it with you.”

Pro bono & CSR

The firm is more than a little enthusiastic for pro bono, clearly displayed by the fact it can be done as its own seat option. “There’s plenty of opportunities to get involved,” one insider gleaned, “it’s a great incentive to give back to your community and using your knowledge to help.” With up to 100 hours of pro bono being eligible for billable work, each of our interviewees ran with the chance to get stuck in; “you can do as much or as little as you want, but I tend to go for as much!”

Opportunities include:

• Partnership with Paddington Law Centre

• Supervise students on projects, and go into schools to do talks

• Asylum applications

Inclusion

“There’s lots of flexibility in the firm to be who you want to be.”

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the firm seemed more diverse down in the capital compared to the regions, but sources felt that was largely a geographical problem. “We have a lot of affinity groups aimed at different things,” one junior revealed, “so it’s definitely something the firm is trying to do more of.” In addition, the firm has a clear focus on mental health including the MyWellbeing team who send out reminders and host talks, as well as being general wellbeing champions. Cultural events such as Eid and Diwali are also celebrated at the firm. “There’s lots of flexibility in the firm to be who you want to be,” one newbie reassured.

Qualification

“So many partners have trained at the firm which I think is a real testament that the firm values its tenure.”

It’s a good idea for trainees to reach out to the relevant departments they’re interested in early so that the groups can work out if there’s a viable place in the released jobs list: “It’s really important you make it clear to them in advance that you’re interested.” From there, juniors will send off a CV and their seat appraisals, before being met with an interview. “There’s a lot of examples of lifers at the firm,” one optimistic insider revealed, “so many partners have trained at the firm which I think is a real testament that the firm values its tenure.”

Public InSquirey…

If you couldn’t tell by our poor attempt at a team name there, SPB runs a firm-wide quiz every year open for all to test their wits.