A day in the life of... Fraser Langley, Second-year Solicitor Apprentice

9:00 – 9:15         I tend to get into the office around this time. This gives me time to make a cup of tea, set up my laptop and check if any urgent tasks have been sent to me. It is also a chance to have a quick morning chat with some other members of the DR department.

09:30    We tend to have a morning call within our team. We discuss any work that needs to be completed and what our individual capacities are. Then, I tend to get on with some of the tasks given to me. This could include some legal research on case law for a new matter or organising the documents for a court bundle.

11:00    I have a quick chat with an associate about the court bundle that I am assisting in preparing. The chat helps to clear up any queries I had.

11:30    I walk to the Royal Courts of Justice to drop some documents off there for a trainee. The documents are for the Central London County Court.

13:00    I go to lunch with the other apprentices. It is a great time to catch up with each other and to see how everyone is getting along in their individual departments. If it is bright and sunny outside in the summer, we go to Lincoln’s Inn Fields for lunch.

14:00    I have some admin tasks to complete. These include allocating incoming funds to certain matters and transferring funds to third parties that require it. I also have a quick call with the apprentice who joined my previous department regarding a Land Registry application.

14:30    I have a catch up with my supervisor. This is to discuss how I am getting on and what targets I would like to set myself for the rest of my time in the department.

15:00    I assist with onboarding new clients and opening new matters for fee earners. I then draft a client care letter and accompanying cover email for the fee earner to approve prior to sending to the client.

16:30    I finish off the day by sending out some invoices to clients and producing billing guides for various partners.

17:30    Off to play football in a 6-a-side league, followed by some drinks with a few of the other apprentices, before getting the train home. We try our best to do as much as possible with each other outside of work in a relaxed environment.

About the firm

Senior partner: Stephen Lewis

Managing partner: Grant Gordon

Who we are: Fladgate LLP is an innovative, progressive and thriving law firm which prides itself on its friendly and professional working environment. We are based in modern, attractive offices in London’s Covent Garden.

What we do: Fladgate has a broad skills base that covers a wide spectrum of legal services across the business lifecycle, and is shaped to operate collaboratively to move fast and flexibly:

  • Dispute resolution: includes regulatory, corporate governance and investigations, banking and financial services litigation, international commercial arbitration, insurance, contentious trusts and family, civil fraud and asset protection.
  • Corporate: including private capital, capital markets, M&A, tax, restructuring and employment.
  • Real estate: including planning, construction, real estate finance and real estate litigation.
  • Funds, finance and regulatory: including investment funds, private equity, fund managers, asset and investment managers, promoters, sponsors and investors; alternative finance providers, banks and debt funds, family offices, owner/manager businesses, private equity funds and corporate borrowers; FCA applications, advice on UK regulatory frameworks, fund-related advice. Our practice is varied and includes the full range of real estate finance, both for investments and developments, and we also have a number of sector specialisms within real estate finance.

What we’re looking for in an apprentice: We value academic ability, relevant extra-curricular activities, and excellent organisation, communication and teamwork skills. We seek candidates who demonstrate commitment to a legal career, and an understanding of the level of commitment required to complete a solicitor apprenticeship. We look for enthusiasm and leadership potential while also understanding the value of teamwork and the importance of culture and inclusion. We value individuality and strive to create an environment where our employees can truly be themselves at work.

What you’ll do: The solicitor apprenticeship is a six-year programme working alongside lawyers in our core fee-earning departments, while simultaneously working towards an LLB with The University of Law. You will start at an administrator level in years one and two, progressing to a paralegal level in years three and four. In year five and six you will join our trainee cohort while attaining your SQE qualification, in order to be admitted to the Roll of Solicitors in England and Wales.

Perks (any perks available to an apprentice, eg health insurance, travel loan, gym, etc): A generous holiday allowance of 26 days, staff introduction bonus, life assurance, group income protection, private medical insurance, employee assistance programme, free online GP service, contributory pension, season ticket loan, corporate gym membership loan via GymFlex, cycle2work, options for private dental cover, eye test vouchers and free weekly personal training and yoga sessions. We also have a ‘dress for your day’ policy which allows smart-casual wear in the office to suit your schedule when you have no external meetings.

Seat options

Dispute resolution; core corporate; commercial, sports and intellectual property; finance, funds and regulatory; employment; private client; immigration; real estate; real estate – residential; real estate – disputes; real estate – construction. In the first two years, you will be based in the core departments (dispute resolution; corporate; real estate; funds, finance and regulatory).

Diversity and Inclusion

At Fladgate we run our business in ways that promote equality of opportunity and respect for diversity. Ours is a business that thrives on bringing together people with different perspectives to address our clients’ challenges, so we value and encourage diversity, both internally and externally. Furthermore, the firm recognises the importance of the health and wellbeing of all our people and that it can play a part in promoting an environment which allows everyone to flourish and reach their full potential.

Promoting diversity and inclusion is a key element of our commitment to being a great place to work, enabling us to attract and retain the best talent, and we take our responsibility to this seriously. We will continue to strive for a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture, where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

Our strategy is led by the Director of People and Culture on behalf of the Executive Board, who works closely with our Partner Lead for I&D and Senior Culture and Inclusion Manager. We also have employee and partner led networks across the firm who support and inform our inclusive culture at Fladgate. We are also proud to partner with a number of organisations working hard to improve access to the legal sector.

This includes the PRIME commitment, which aims to provide fair access to meaningful work experience within the legal sector for school-age students who may not otherwise have the opportunity. Following our work experience programme, we are proud to have seen these students filter through our graduate and apprentice pipeline.

We ensure equity within our recruitment processes and monitor the data to ensure that we are reaching a diverse range of candidates. We use RealRating when reviewing our trainee and apprentice applications. This is a feature developed by UpReach, a social mobility charity, to help us to understand academic performance in the context of factors such as type of school attended and background.

We also uphold a strong commitment to corporate social responsibility, dedicating fundraising to two nominated charities per calendar year.

We care deeply about the wellbeing of our people and have a strong commitment to employee wellness. Our wellbeing programme consists of four key pillars: physical health, mental health, financial health and social & CSR. As part of our programme we offer a range of benefits to staff and provide regular updates and seminars on health and wellbeing. Furthermore, the firm has run various physical and mental health seminars, led by internal champions and external experts such as Nutrable, Mind and LawCare, encouraging staff to feel comfortable to bring their whole selves to work. As part of our commitment to employee wellbeing, we also offer a wellbeing information session guiding our trainees and apprentices on ways to manage their wellbeing and how to access the resources we have available. We were delighted to be win the “Best Health and Wellbeing Initiative” entry at the People in Law 2020 Awards, recognising our efforts and commitment to encouraging and support the wellbeing of our people.

Please visit www.fladgate.com/about-us/inclusion-and-diversity.