Kingsley Napley

The firm’s swanky seven-storey open-plan office on Bonhill Street, Shoreditch, continues to impress, with one current rookie calling it “one of the best law firm offices I have been in”. It features everything from “silent libraries” and “collaboration areas” to a wellbeing suite comprising a fitness studio, relaxation room and contemplation areas. Snazzy! But the consensus is that the best perks are the rooftop terrace, the array of great coffee shops nearby, and the canteen/restaurant ‘Lennie’s’. As one newbie put it, it’s quite simply “the best”.

When it comes to the work, Kingsley Napley sets itself apart from many corporate-focused City firms with its unusually broad range of practice areas. The firm has made a name for itself as the go-to outfit for headline-grabbing disputes, assisting on the infamous “Wagatha Christie” trial and claims against the British government over PPE procurement, and even providing support to the family of Madeleine McCann. But it’s far from a one-trick pony. From multi-million-pound claims in the medical negligence and personal injury team to cutting-edge fundraising rounds for AI start-ups in corporate, the “quality of work is the best thing about KN,” one trainee tells us.

Recent instructions further illustrate the breadth of work on offer. The firm advised UHY Hacker Young London and Nottingham on its landmark combination with Affinia, creating a £100 million-revenue accountancy group of around 1,000 professionals. Its public law team has launched a judicial review challenge on behalf of British medical students affected by new NHS training rules, while the medical negligence team recently secured a £4.45 million settlement for a client who suffered life-changing injuries following a delayed diagnosis of cauda equina syndrome. Notable names on the firm’s client list include the University of Cambridge, Fulham Football Club and even the Labour Party, and those are only the ones we know about!

As you might have guessed, trainees get to sample a variety of seats, including private client, real estate, white collar crime, corporate, immigration and clinical negligence, among others. So what’s life really like for Kingsley newbies?

Expect hands-on training and interesting work. “I have gotten to work on some very interesting, high-profile matters and do a lot of in-depth tasks, which demonstrates the trust the firm puts in its trainees. There is always some grunt work, of course, but there is an appreciation of showing trainees what the work of a qualified lawyer at the firm will be like,” one insider details. Exposure to varied and interesting cases was a common theme, and this extends to Kingsley’s pro bono offering: the firm works alongside Amicus, a legal non-profit helping to secure access to justice for those on death row. Some of the less exciting work is alleviated by a strong support network of admin assistants and paralegals.

Newbies note that “feedback is generally great and team members are happy to spend the time to ensure I understand any changes made, and make time to answer questions I have about amendments”. The trainee cohort is said to be competitive but also “extremely supportive and approachable”. As another told LC, “I have had amazing supervisors and the other trainees in the cohort are helpful”. This support from higher-ups is felt to vary between teams, with one spy divulging that “supervisors vary hugely, so you might get someone who invests time in teaching you, but otherwise it’s luck of the draw whether someone sits down and teaches you”. That’s not to say senior members of the firm aren’t approachable. “On the whole, they are incredibly approachable and want you to be the best you can be,” insiders said, even if their “seniority and capacity” can sometimes mean they have less time for trainees. Generally, though, trainees described a complete absence of hierarchy: “I could speak to anybody in the firm at request, all the way to the managing partner”.

In fact, the people are Kingsley Napley’s real strength, both at work and beyond, a point underlined by the popularity of the firm’s netball and touch rugby teams. “KN is all about the people. My peers have been incredibly supportive throughout my training, regardless of the team I was in”. The firm has a reputation for a slightly older trainee cohort than many law firm grad schemes, with it not being unusual to see trainees in their late twenties or early thirties. This is partly because many have had previous experience as a paralegal or done work experience at the firm before joining. That, however, should not deter recent graduates from applying for one of the nine training contracts on offer every year.

There were some complaints about pay being “below average”. Trainee salaries start at £40,000 and rise to £44,000 in the second year, with the NQ rate understood to be between £66,000 and £84,000, depending on the practice area. Perks are few and far between, the highlight being a £200 wellness subsidy that can be used for things like fitness equipment and classes, massages, music or language lessons. But this must be put in the perspective of an excellent work/life balance that sees trainees clocking off somewhere between 5:30pm and 7:30pm on a normal day. “One of the significant draws for KN is its work/life balance. The firm recognises you are a person with a life outside of work, and the maintenance of both is encouraged and celebrated,” explains one trainee.

Although the WFH policy differs across the firm, Kingsley offers a generous 40–60% WFH split in some departments, with an office chair, desk and screen all provided for newbies working from home.

Kingsley Napley’s socially conscious culture is mirrored in its responsible business strategy, which consists of six committees (Business Conduct, Charities and Community, Diversity and Inclusion, Environment, Pro Bono and Wellbeing) made up of lawyers and trainees. These have produced fun firm events such as a Strictly-style dance competition, along with firmwide initiatives such as ditching the term BAME to make the workplace more inclusive and offering paid leave to staff affected by the loss of a pregnancy. This year, the firm even battled Snowdon to raise money for spinal cord injury charity Back Up.