Survey Results - Trainee feedback on Birketts
Survey Results - Trainee feedback on
The lowdown - Trainees (in their own words) on Birketts
Why did you choose to join this firm? ‘Culture, new opportunities and because people spoke highly of the firm’, ‘The firm offers strong legal knowledge and expertise across a range of areas’, ‘I wanted to work at a firm where there was breadth of seat options, good quality work with a good work-life balance’, ‘Reputation within East Anglia, and now beyond.’
What is the best thing about the firm? ‘The number of impressive female partners’, ‘Supportive culture, active encouragement to develop both career and as a person’, ‘Everyone is available and willing to support you when needed’, ‘Culture, and commitment to creating activities outside of work’, ‘Trainee and work culture and the emphasis on good work-life balance’, ‘The Chelmsford office has its own chef, Tony, who prepares a different array of dishes each day; I cannot fault the culture at Birketts’
What could the firm do to improve? ‘Increasing AI offering, or potentially training juniors to maximise its use’, ‘Upgrade the available tech further’, ‘Better WFH/flexibility, better bonus pay, more responsive early careers team’, ‘Increase salary and benefits’, ‘Organisation and communication from the graduate recruitment team. More notice of seat allocations.’
What has been the best moment of your training? ‘Working on a multi-million-pound procurement challenge’, ‘Being trusted to deliver work to key clients for the firm and attending a key client meeting’, ‘Participating in an in-person completion of a sale of a business’, ‘Being encouraged to join sectors I am interested in and take pro bono and business development opportunities’, ‘Attending a two-week Crown Court trial as a support to the barrister and client.’
What has been the most challenging moment of your training? ‘Completing a number of transactions in the lead-up to the October budget, right at the start of my seat’, ‘Navigating different working styles between partners and seats. Having to adapt how you do things to suit partner preference without being told what the ‘correct’ way to do things is’, ‘Not enough teaching/explaining. You need to figure things out on your own rather than someone explaining to you why we are doing what we are doing and what are the effects/consequences etc.’
The Legal 500 Future Lawyers verdict on Birketts
Birketts’ rapid expansion, strong regional roots and enviable work-life balance make it a compelling choice for trainees seeking ‘high-calibre work without sacrificing quality of life’. Recruits were drawn to the full-service firm’s ‘breadth of seat options’, ‘excellent growth in the last 10 years’ and mix of national and international work, while still valuing its East Anglian identity and ‘positive, warm and friendly culture’.
That culture appears to be more than recruitment rhetoric. ‘The people are one of the firm’s greatest strengths’, says one trainee, with others praising colleagues who are ‘friendly, approachable, and genuinely happy’. A supportive, inclusive and relatively flat structure gives juniors ‘great development opportunities’, while trainees feel trusted as ‘important team members’ and given ‘proper work’. The work-life balance is another clear selling point: respondents describe it as ‘amazing’, with one noting they ‘can leave at 5pm every day if needed’.
There is room for refinement at Birketts. Pay is a recurring theme, with junior lawyers calling for better reward packages and salaries that reflect the firm’s size and growth. Flexibility is another sticking point, particularly outside of London, where trainees would like more opportunities to work from home. Some respondents would also like to see faster progress on the technology and AI front, as well as clearer communication from early careers and more notice around seat allocations.
For aspiring lawyers who want high-quality work without losing the benefits of a regional lifestyle, Birketts offers a strong proposition: varied work, supportive people and a culture which is welcoming to all.
About the firm
The firm: Birketts is a full service, UK Top 50 law firm. With a heritage spanning 160 years, we have more than 700 lawyers and legal professionals based in Bristol, Cambridge, Chelmsford, Ipswich, London, Norwich and Sevenoaks.
We advise businesses, government and public sector organisations and individuals in the UK and internationally. Our business is divided into four principal practice groups: real estate, corporate services, dispute resolution and private client.
With our ambition to succeed comes a strong desire to make a positive contribution to the communities we serve, and we are committed to delivering the objectives set out in our ESG strategy. Diversity plays an integral part in all that we do, with female partners comprising 43% of our partnership.
The deals: Advised on the sale of Original Cottage Company, a 30-year-old family business, to Travel Chapter, including exercising options from 250 option holders and also dealing with a partial reinvestment in the business; Shaken Udder’s investment from private equity firm LDC; SDI Group’s acquisition of SafeLab Systems in a deal worth approximately £7.7m; Milbank Group’s purchase of Bruno Rimini Ltd (trading as Silostop); the sale of Manchester Underwriting Agencies Limited to Pen Underwriting, the specialist underwriting subsidiary of global insurance broker Arthur J. Gallagher & Co; Vanilla Electronics Ltd’s acquisition of Wiltshire-based electronics manufacturing services business Interconics Ltd; Goddard Veterinary Group’s sale to York-based VetPartners; Titan Motorsport and Automotive Engineering Ltd’s transfer of ownership to a new shareholder team; YFM Private Equity’s £80m Buyout Fund II (YFM) on its acquisition of Essex-based specialist property services company RGE Services Limited (RGE); FM service provider Atalian Servest’s acquisition of the Incentive FM group of companies, one of the largest independently-owned providers of specialist facilities services across the UK.
Senior partner: Chris Schwer
Other offices: Ipswich, Norwich, Cambridge, Chelmsford, London, Sevenoaks, Bristol
Who we are: At Birketts we take pride in getting the details right – doing everything, knowing that everything matters. A top 50 law firm, with over 5700 lawyers in seven office locations. We have you covered, whatever your requirements may be.
What we do: Being effective isn’t just about expertise in the law, it’s about understanding people. We always start by asking the right questions to understand your long-term objectives and the immediate outcomes you need to achieve. We build lasting relationships and many of our clients rely on us as trusted advisers over the years.
What we’re looking for in a trainee: We look for proactive and openminded individuals who show true potential. We ask for 120 UCAS points, though allow space in our application for you to tell us about any mitigating circumstances that could have affected your results. We hire individuals for what they can bring to the firm so we’re looking for your personality to shine through in your application. We like to hear about all work experience, not just legal and appreciate the transferable skills that can be learnt from this as well as extra-curricular activities.
What you’ll do: Your two-year training contract will involve spending six months in four different practice areas (known as ‘seats’). You may also gain experience in another of our offices which is great for building relationships and your knowledge of the wider firm. We invest in our trainee lawyers and as well as supporting you through your compulsory professional skills course, as required by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, we also offer a bespoke trainee content programme. This focuses on the technical, commercial and softer skills required to be a successful lawyer, including personal brand, coping with change and client-facing business development skills.
Perks: Contributory pension, including the option to salary sacrifice; interest-free season ticket loan; bonus scheme that reflects firm and individual performance; firm-wide profit share scheme; paid CSR day; subsidised gym membership through Gymflex (access savings at over 3,300 locations); dress for your day policy; fresh fruit in all offices; access to a wellbeing nurse; confidential employee assistance programme; employee referral reward programme for introducing talented candidates; enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay; enhanced shared parental pay.
Sponsorship
We provide full sponsorship of the SQE LLM through our chosen provider, University of Law. This includes sponsorship of the preparation courses and exams. You will be able to complete the course at your preferred campus location. We also provide funding for SQE Law Essentials where applicable as an alternative to the PGDL.
Tips from the recruiter
All firms will look for differing things from their candidates, so we have included our top three tips to help your Birketts application shine.
- Do your research – and then dig deeper.
Go beyond the ‘About Us’ page. Explore our recent cases, initiatives, or team members. Find something that genuinely interests you and tell us why—it shows curiosity and motivation. - Accuracy matters.
Attention to detail is a key skill for any solicitor. Double-check your spelling, grammar, and punctuation. A polished application speaks volumes about your professionalism. - Show us who you are.
We value individuality and shared values. Let your personality shine through—tell us what drives you, what you care about, and what you’ll bring to Birketts.