Each of the law firms on this list was recommended by its peers to other law firms in one or more of the 26 legal categories. Browse the list by location – England and Wales or Scotland – and by category This comfortable schedule requires a certain financial compromise: apprentices outside the capital generally earn much less than their London counterparts. A typical first-year salary at a regional business is £20,000 to £25,000, compared to around £35,000 at a city company. So it`s perhaps not surprising that over the years, interns from some regional companies have insulted us about their salaries. But once you factor in the cost of living, the difference isn`t as striking as it sounds – Gumtree`s figures show that the average rent in the UK is £665 a month, while London tenants are expected to spend around £1,516. Some cities – such as Bristol and Cambridge – have a higher cost of living than other regional centres, but pay has never been a major bone of contention for apprentices based here (note that Bristol-based Burges Salmon pays a starting salary of £35,000 at London level). See our salary and benefits comparison chart for more details on the amount paid by companies. Read our True Picture reviews of over 120 major law firms Luck may be a priority, but the largest and most ambitious regional companies still expect their lawyers to work long hours. In general, however, the city will overshadow the demands of regional businesses. One Brabners apprentice joked: “If you`re still in the office at 6:30 p.m., people tell you to make your life!” And a source at the southern law firm Trethowans once defined a late night as “working after 5:50 p.m.” — that`s probably about half the days of some of the city`s interns. “It`s the best of both worlds – you`re doing quality work, but without the crazy schedule,” enthuses an intern at Stevens & Bolton in Guildford. Exeter`s Foot Anstey also does a lot to promote a healthy work-life balance, with lawyers receiving a weekly `lifestyle lesson` they can take whenever they want, whether it`s coming home early on a Friday or having a nice leisurely lunch.
“Of course you can always expect late nights,” warned a VWV apprentice in Bristol. This provides an easy one-stop shop for business consultants and legal procurement services to gather information about the companies they want to hire. We need to stop and warn you about definitions: many law firms don`t like the label “regional law firm.” A good example is Burges Salmon, based in Bristol. The high quality of its work means that it prefers (rightly) to compare itself to its London and national competitors rather than other Bristol law firms. Other companies like Cripps Pemberton Greenish aren`t keen on being labelled `regional` either – and Chambers UK gives them several UK-wide rankings so they get points. The legal work of regional law firms is therefore certainly not to be despised. To find out which businesses are the best in your preferred area, you can use Chambers UK`s advanced search function. For example, you can search for the best businesses in and around Bristol or Wolverhampton and the Black Country.
It is also possible to search by practice and, for example, find the best business law firms in East Anglia. Today, the firm has offices in Broadstone, Christchurch, Verwood and Wimborne and serves a wide range of clients. Harold G Walker`s success stems from the fact that the firm bridges the gap between the small law firm, which may not be able to provide the expertise clients need, and the large national or regional law firms, which cater primarily to businesses. Human-centred areas of law, such as private clients, are also increasingly important in regional law firms. In Black Country, for example, it is Higgs & Sons` largest division, while VWV`s apprentices in Bristol “often rummage through fairly old document boxes” on behalf of its long-standing private clients. Many regional companies – such as Cripps of Tunbridge Wells – have ownership as a central part of their work. In a real estate agency, interns usually take sole responsibility for small files – leases, licenses to be issued – as well as support for larger issues. A high degree of responsibility is therefore added at an early stage. In short, if you`re looking for an experience beyond the social, process, and financial rates you`ll often find in street wear, then a regional business might be the ideal thing. Many regional businesses require you to show a connection to their region, or at least a demonstrable commitment to working in the region, during the application process. And that`s the reason: regional companies usually have relatively low sales and profits per partner and only a small or medium-sized number of interns. Therefore, each intern hired represents a significant investment – a significant portion of the time, money and effort is spent on educating each person.
This is in contrast to large companies with large interns who generate huge revenues and high profit margins to support their training programs. The managing partner of a regional law firm explains, “While we`re not very excited about where our new articling students are coming from, we want them to join our culture as a law firm in the North. The whole basis of our training programme is to look for the partners of the future, so we are not particularly interested in training people who want to flee to London once they qualify. Like their counterparts in London and the big cities, they are still commercial enterprises that differ from large corporations and public benefit companies in that they do not derive any part of their income from legal aid. Only 200 of the 10,000 businesses in England and Wales made the list Regional business offices can be located anywhere from charming waterfront locations to business parks on the side of the M5. Some regional businesses have chic glass and steel offices, while others are based in an old mansion, and some can “feel like a high street practice.” It`s quite common for regional businesses to have offices in a business park, which is “not the hippest or most glamorous place for a law firm,” according to a Higgs & Sons intern. But it`s certainly not all bad: the headquarters of Michelmores` Exeter Business Park, for example, is equipped with a gym, veranda and balcony with stunning views of the surrounding Devon countryside. Don`t believe us? So take a look at this recent tweet from one of their paralegals. Therefore, we certainly caution against referring to a company as “regional” in an application or interview unless you are 100% sure they are happy with the nickname – instead talk about what sets a company apart from its competitors. No one likes to be labeled, and law firms are no different. For many, a legal career goes hand in hand with a life in London – a country full of urban businesses, mega-corporations, high wages and difficult working hours.
But there is still a lot of interesting, varied and sometimes high-profile legal work outside London and other major cities. And you shouldn`t assume that working at a regional company will cut you off from a great education or well-known clients. For more businesses, including national businesses and London-based businesses, check out our guide to choosing a business by location. Some regional companies are large and may operate nationally, even if the company does not have offices throughout the country.
Comments are closed.