BPP poaches top sports law firm from ULaw in future trainee deal

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By Thomas Connelly on

North-west outfit Brabners strikes LPC deal that kicks off this September

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BPP University Law School (BPP) has poached a top sports law firm from arch rivals University of Law (ULaw), putting pen to paper on a new deal that will see it provide future trainees at the firm with all their legal education needs.

Brabners, a three-office commercial outfit, described as being advisors to some of the “top football lawyers in the country” according to Chambers & Partners, had struck a similar deal with ULaw — or College of Law as it was known then — back in 2009.

Fast forward seven years, Brabners’ future trainee lawyers will now study the Legal Practice Course (LPC) at either BPP’s Liverpool or Manchester outposts.

The law school will also provide Brabners’ new recruits with their Professional Skills Course (PSC), a compulsory part of training before qualifying as a solicitor.

The firm — which offers around six training contracts annually — was recently appointed to act for Wayne Rooney’s charitable foundation. Its renowned senior partner, Maurice Watkins CBE, was until a few years ago a director of Manchester United Football Club.

Brabners’ managing partner, Mark Brandwood, said:

We are impressed by the quality of the provision at BPP University Law School and want to ensure that all our future trainees can benefit from it. Their Liverpool and Manchester study centres are close to our offices and this presents welcome opportunities for us to work with our trainees even whilst they are at Law School and to help to integrate them into our culture, systems and processes from the earliest stage.

With the first band of trainees due to commence their LPC studies this September, Peter Crisp, dean of BPP Law School said:

Brabners is a firm which always attracts much interest from students applying for training contracts, with its range of leading commercial and private client teams and reputation for quality work. We are immensely proud that they have become the 60th law firm to select BPP University Law School to deliver the Legal Practice Course exclusively to their trainees and we look forward to working with them over the coming years.

BPP is the exclusive LPC provider for over 60 City law firms, while rival ULaw has around 30 similar training deals in place. Fees at both providers are a shade over the £15,000 mark for aspiring lawyers who opt to study in London. For those in Liverpool and Manchester the fees are more in the region of £11,200.