Mishcon de Reya LLP

The Legal 500 Future Lawyers verdict on Mishcon de Reya LLP

Mishcon de Reya is a firm with a personality all of its own: high-profile, disputes-led, commercially ambitious and, in the words of one respondent, ‘authentic’ and ‘edgy’. Recruits are drawn to the London firm’s ‘top-tier disputes practice’, ‘private client offering’ and the chance to experience a ‘variety of training opportunities across both personal and commercial areas of law’.  Juniors admire that Mishcon ‘boldly takes risks and is humble enough to share when it trips up’. 

Culture is a major draw – the firm is full of ‘vibrant personalities and varied backgrounds’. Trainees praise the fact that ‘everyone is approachable, including the partners’, with little sense of hierarchy or ‘divide based on seniority’. Mishcon is also said to ‘breed and demand excellence’, but this sits alongside a supportive atmosphere where trainees feel encouraged to take initiative. The firm ‘empowers its employees to make a difference’, particularly through trainee-led initiatives and support for lawyers seeking to develop their own careers and practice areas. 

Training highlights reflect the quality and variety of the work on offer, from ‘attending a three-week final hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice’, to client contact and producing live legal commentary on autumn budget day. Still, Mishcon’s environment can be demanding: trainees cite ‘competing deadlines’, ‘long hours’ during busy periods and ‘high-pressure’ matters as challenges. Some respondents would like to see better benefits, stronger trainee support, and more progress on diversity. 

Mishcon is an energising firm where trainees are exposed to excellent work, interesting clients and ambitious colleagues from the outset. For those attracted to litigation, private wealth, entrepreneurship and a culture that values individuality, Mishcon is a superlative place to train. 

A day in the life of... Shreya Chakraborty, trainee, Mishcon de Reya LLP

Departments to date: Corporate; Employment; Family

University: UCL

Degree: Law

8.30am: I head into work. My commute is only around 30 minutes, so I try and come into the office four days a week. I pick up a coffee from my favourite coffee shop next to Holborn station (a pumpkin spice latte feels appropriate).

9.00am: Once I’ve settled into my office for the morning, I review my emails and Teams messages to check whether any urgent work has come in. I then write down my action list for the day based on emails and my calendar. I like to have a hand-written copy of my list on my desk so that I can tick off tasks as I go along.

9.30am: I have a catch up with my supervisor, with whom I share an office, to check whether I can assist her with any tasks during the day. I then make a start on the first task of the morning, which is to prepare a Form H for a hearing at the RCJ that I am attending next week. In divorce and finance proceedings, each side is required to fill in a Form H to inform the court of legal costs that have been incurred and remain outstanding. This involves working through the fees incurred on our billing system and allocating them to categories on the form. While this can be a lengthy process, as a trainee, it is a good task to help develop attention to detail and gain a general overview of how the case has been run so far.

10.30am: I head to the kitchen after an hour or so to take a quick break from my screen and catch up with colleagues.

10.40am: I continue working on the Form H until lunch, stopping in between to reply to emails or complete ad hoc tasks. I have found that in departments where you work with private clients, you have far more matters running simultaneously, and you often dip in and out of your matters during the day. For example, today I have to pause work on the Form H to obtain translations of foreign bank statements that are needed for financial disclosure on a different divorce and finances case. I contact our designated Litigation Support Hub who are very helpful in obtaining urgent translations.

12.45pm: A few of the other trainees and I head down to the canteen for lunch.

1.30pm: I have an in-person new client meeting with one of the partners at 2pm. To prepare, I read through the documents that the client has provided to understand the context of the meeting.

2.00pm: The partner and I head down to collect the client. As a trainee, my role in client meetings is to take a verbatim note of what is discussed, making sure I have recorded important details such as names of any children, properties or important assets. I find that client meetings are a great way to learn because the partner will be explaining legal concepts, such as how assets are split on divorce, in more basic terms to the client.

3.15pm: After the meeting, I head to the lounge for a coffee with my development partner. At our firm, trainees are paired with a partner who will oversee your progression during your training contract and will be on hand to discuss your career goals. We discuss how I am enjoying my seat so far, as well as my involvement with the M: BRACE racial equality strand at the firm.

4.00pm: I head back up to my office to tidy up my attendance note from the client meeting. I then check my emails and see that I have been asked to prepare an exhibit to a witness statement in child arrangement proceedings. I run through the task with the associate and then spend the afternoon locating the documents on the file management system and compiling the exhibit. Again, this is a good task to gain a general overview of a case.

6.00pm: I check my emails and flag any tasks that will need to be picked up in tomorrow’s action list. I then make sure I have submitted my time recording for the day before leaving the office.

6.30pm: I walk over to Covent Garden to catch up with a uni friend for dinner before heading home.

About the firm

The firm: The Mishcon de Reya Group is an independent, international professional services business with law at its heart, employing over 1,450 people with over 650 lawyers. It includes the law firm Mishcon de Reya LLP and a collection of leading consultancy businesses that complement the firm’s legal services. Mishcon de Reya LLP is based in London, Oxford, Cambridge, Singapore and Hong Kong (through its association with Karas So LLP). The firm services an international community of clients and provides advice in situations where the constraints of geography often do not apply. Its work is cross-border, multi-jurisdictional and complex, spanning six core practice areas: corporate; dispute resolution; employment; innovation; private; and real estate.

The deals: Successfully defended an appeal against the Federal Republic of Nigeria brought by former P&ID director Seamus Andrew; instructed to pursue a pardon for Ruth Ellis (pro bono), advised Holiwise on its €1.45m pre-seed funding round,  advised management of Unity Advisory on its equity arrangements with Warburg Pincus.

Senior partner: Kevin Gold

Managing partner: James Libson

Other offices: London, Cambridge, Oxford, Singapore and branch office in Hong Kong in association with Karas So LLP.

What we do: Based in London, Cambridge, Oxford and Singapore, with an association with Karas So LLP in Hong Kong, the firm services an international community of clients and provides advice in situations where the constraints of geography often do not apply. The work we undertake is cross-border, multi-jurisdictional and complex, spanning six core practice areas: corporate; dispute resolution; employment; innovation; private; and real estate.

In times of such far-reaching and profound change we want to be the law firm that enables our clients – and our own people – to shape the world’s possibilities. We are here to help our clients benefit from new economies, new geographic centres of wealth, the new global movement of people and capital, and the impact of new technologies and new knowledge.

What we’re looking for: At Mishcon de Reya our junior lawyers are the future of the firm. So we need bold individuals, shapers, who can revolutionise the way we work. We keep our intake small so that you take on a high level of responsibility from day one. Responsibility to shape your career, shape the future of the firm, and shape the future of law.

What you’ll do: Our training contracts are the foundation of our graduate schemes. Working with some of the best and brightest individuals, you get to shape your training contract across a two-year scheme, gaining exposure to four six-month seats in our leading practice groups, varying from large-scale dispute resolution, to representing the firm’s private clients across a wealth of specialisms. Not only do you work with expert lawyers in their field, you have continuous development from our Academy to help carve your career as a Mishcon de Reya lawyer.

Perks: While on the training contract there are core benefits including: 25 days’ holiday, income protection and life assurance. Other optional benefits include: health screening, dental insurance, private medical insurance, travel insurance, critical illness cover, gym membership, season ticket loan, group pension scheme, yoga classes, childcare vouchers, cycle scheme, in-house doctor, bonus scheme and give-as-you earn schemes.

Sponsorship

Full funding, plus £10,000 maintenance grant for the PGDL, £12,000 maintenance grant for the LPC, £14,000 maintenance grant for the SQE.

Seat options

Tax disputes and investigations; white-collar crime and investigations; fraud; insolvency; contentious regulatory and enforcement; commercial litigation; insurance litigation; international arbitration; private commercial litigation; reputation protection; art law; immigration; private wealth and tax; family; private wealth disputes; private real estate; private equity; corporate tax; corporate transactions and advisory; corporate innovation and venture capital; emerging companies; commercial real estate; real estate finance; real estate planning; real estate construction (non-contentious); real estate litigation; employment core; employment innovate; IP (disputes and brands); competition and EU; tech, life sciences, commercial; data; Mishcon purpose; charities and social ventures; client and international secondments.

Tips from the recruiter

Make sure you research the firm – ‘Many candidates often fall short in this area, failing to mention our landmark legal work or a lack of knowledge of our group businesses. Show us you’re not just looking for a training contract with some law firm, show us you’re interested in Mishcon and what we have to offer.’

Proofread/attention to detail – ‘Attention to detail can significantly influence the impression you make; a well-polished application is often the difference between progression and rejection. Take the time to proofread thoroughly or have someone else check your work to confirm that your application presents you in the best possible light.’

Be yourself – ‘We look for ‘Shapers’: people who are proactive, passionate and look to innovate. Tell us something you’ve been involved in, an initiative you interact with or have set up yourself, or a project that you’re particularly proud of. This is your opportunity to showcase your unique skills, interests, and values.’

Diversity and inclusion