Withers

About the firm

When faced with a litany of corporate clients at a lot of law firms, it can be easy to lose sight of the real human beings behind all the board rooms and shareholders. That’s not a problem at Withers, which puts the individual at the heart of its business; both in terms of its clients and its employees. “We’re the largest international private client firm in the world,” lays out training principal Natasha Stourton, “we’re a full-service law firm for successful people” advising on a range of practice areas for companies, charities, and governments.

“Everything is very human.”

Chambers UK also brandishes the praise for the firm, awarding top marks in 16 departments such as family/matrimonial finance, employment, charities, art & cultural property, and defamation/reputation management. Making sure every one of the firm’s trainees is given the time and attention they need to develop is important to Withers, Stourton explains clearly that with the smaller cohort “we spend a lot of time making sure we get the right people.” Juniors agreed, highlighting how “everything is very human” and there’s “a good combination of high-end work and a great culture which I think is becoming increasingly rare.”

Why trainees joined the firm

Private client focus

Unsurprisingly, the chief attraction for our interviewees was the firm’s private client specialism, with one source heralding: “It’s one of the most prestigious firms for private client work in the UK and across the world.”

International presence

Trainees at the firm were quick to highlight the international spread of the firm’s 14 overseas offices. As one put it: “Being in a global law firm was huge for me.”

Warm & welcoming culture

For many we spoke to, it was important that “I didn’t feel like I was in a cutthroat environment,” and they got their wish at Withers: “Everyone is really nice and inviting” one source capped off.

Trainee satisfaction rankings

Training contract structure

Seat allocation

At Withers, trainees will have the pick of 17 total seats on offer, and the allocation is decided in the same way for all four rotations. Juniors begin by ranking all available seats from 1-15, and then HR will make the decision from there. “We’re free to tailor the contract to the areas we want,” explained one source, “most people are happy I think with what they’ve had.”

International secondments

With the firm’s “strong Italian client base,” it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that a corporate stint in the Milan office is seemingly “always on offer.”

Seat Experiences

Trainee life

Culture and environment

Data from our annual trainee survey

The kind of person that finds the right fit at Withers was described as “lovely, social and having a bubbly personality.” With such a pleasant environment, it’s no wonder that everyone at Withers tends to have an appetite for social events and the firm provides. The annual summer party moves location every year with a Christmas party also on offer. Internal drinks also happen within each seat rotation which trainees noted as “a great way to get to know the team.” After that, the amount of socialising can vary by team, but all partake to a certain extent. Trainees also have their own specific “trainee club” where they can get together for food and drinks every few months.

“I thought people only complimented the chef in cartoons, but I’ve done that a few times here.”

The office itself is located in the shadows of St. Paul’s cathedral, providing an excellent hub for commuting from both in and outside of London. “It’s really convenient and there’s plenty of places to eat and socialise around,” reported one source. That’s the outside though, on the inside there’s free coffee machines, onsite showers and bike racks, and a canteen known as the Hub. “I thought people only complimented the chef in cartoons, but I’ve done that a few times here,” one junior told us of the subsidised menu.

Working patterns

Data from our annual trainee survey

How often a trainee frequents the office will depend on the department they reside in: “Private client is every day, employment is three times, it really varies,” one insider explained. Of course, you’re welcome to come in more than your allotted days, with one source revealing that “I’m in every day for the coffee and the air conditioning.”

Hours would also fluctuate by group, but on the whole 9am – 6/7pm seemed to be the average from our interviewees. The firm was praised for its flexible working while “weekend work is rarely a thing here” and “if you’re a parent, they work around the fact you may have to go home early and log on later.”

Pay

Data provided by firm and our annual trainee survey

Almost all our interviewees shared the same rationale when it came to their salary: “For the hours we do, I’d say the salary is good.” It’s true the culture and benefits were weighed up as well, but overall, juniors acknowledged that “we’re working a lot less hours than other lawyers are” and that was more important than a more significant salary bump. The only point that some trainees raised was that everyone is paid equally, even though some departments are busier than others.

Supervision and training

Data from our annual trainee survey

Juniors were generally positive about the level of supervision, which they said comes in the form of the whole team looking to develop them: “It took a village in a way which I really liked.” As for specifically assigned supervisors, we heard there is no uniform approach, with some “being quite hands on” while others “are quite happy to just let you get on with things.” Insiders noted that everyone at the firm “genuinely cares about what you’re learning” and are always down to talk about any goals and ambitions trainees have.

On the development side of things, supervisor catchups can be as often as weekly, and there is both trainee-specific and department-specific training sessions. “The training is really good I’d say,” recalled one source, “they front load it with soft skills training when you join, followed by practice group sessions through the seat,” which were praised as “structured, clear and helpful.”

Pro bono & CSR

Although pro bono opportunities did exist for trainees, most of our sources hadn’t got round to partaking, noting that “you’re not pushed to do it, it’s up to you.” Withers isn’t lacking in options however; the firm circulates a weekly email of new matters coming in that trainees may put themselves forward for. “It’s quite rewarding,” began one junior who had a chance to get involved, “it’s just very team dependent what work is available to who.”

Inclusion

Juniors were proud of the fact that “most of the partners I’ve been dealing with have been women” which was put down as a clear indication of progress at the firm. In terms of racial diversity, the needle seemed slower to move, but that said, “it’s a wider issue within law I think,” reasoned one insider, “our cohort can be a consequence of that, but I think they want to improve that.”

“You can tell people make a great effort to bring out what makes them special and unique”

One signpost of those intentions comes from the firm’s extensive network of affinity groups including LGBTQ, Black, Latin American, Christian, and Jewish representation. The firm even has a newly minted neurodiversity group to show Withers is constantly looking to improve its offering. “You can tell people make a great effort to bring out what makes them special and unique,” one junior assured, “it’s a great aspect that brings out the best in the firm.”

Qualification

The process was described as both formal and structured with signposted dates and deadlines. Each department runs a different hiring process with certain groups electing for just a straightforward interview, while others may ask for a competency test or a presentation as well. “Some processes are definitely harder than others,” one junior pondered, “but overall, I think our retention is quite good.”

Enough to pique your interest?

The firm boasts a variety of Special Interest Groups trainees can join including gardening, baking, football, cricket, fashion, art, and more!