The Legal Cheek View
Bates Wells is a City firm that does things differently. With its pledge to create a positive impact, it eschews the traditional corporate model of “profit over all” for a mantra of social purpose and climate responsibility.
The firm’s commitment to this pledge is actually written into its partnership agreement, and you’ll find that social impact, over average profit per equity partner (PEP), is the true measure of a lawyer here. Its status as the first ever law firm to become a B Corp (a certification given to businesses that meet high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability) is a great example of how this firm operates. Bates Wells achieved this status back in 2015 and has since gone on to be recognised as “Best for the World”, placing it among the top 5% of B Corps globally for its governance and impact. This isn’t just marketing material either: the firm publishes detailed impact reports, embeds sustainability into its day-to-day operations (from procurement choices to environmental targets), and even commits a portion of its profits to charitable causes, all of which contribute to maintaining its certification.
Bates Wells was founded in 1970 by Andrew Phillips, Baron Phillips of Sudbury, who believed that “a legal system that only served the interests of the wealthiest sections of society was no legal system at all.” Ever since, this message has been the core of what the firm does. Its first recruitment advert affirmed: “We do not seek to maximise profits. We realise there is a life to live outside the office. We seek to serve the public interest as well as our own.” All that being said, the financial outlook for Bates Wells is positive and the firm’s revenue sits above the £33 million mark.
A full-service commercial firm well known and embedded within the charity sector, Bates Wells is rich in interesting projects and active in supporting the local community. One example is its annual Steven Lloyd Awards: an initiative where social enterprises nominate themselves for a grant from its charity foundation and receive additional pro bono support alongside. The firm has also directly funded impactful causes through the Bates Wells Foundation, donating over £800,000 to charities and supporting a wide range of organisations working across social justice, environmental sustainability and community development. More than half of its clients operate in the charity and social enterprise sector, though there are other opportunities here too. The firm is also known for its work in immigration, employment, parliamentary and public affairs matters, as well as its sector expertise in creative industries.
Recent highlights include winning a headline case against Uber’s racially discriminatory AI facial recognition system and successfully intervening in an employment appeal tribunal case to protect “injury to feelings” compensation for whistleblowers. The firm also boasts a “Roll A” Parliamentary Agent in Mark Abbott, meaning Bates Wells is one of a select few able to introduce and promote private Acts of Parliament for its clients.
The firm has also played a significant role in shaping the legal infrastructure of the social economy itself, not just advising charities and social enterprises, but helping to design the frameworks they operate within. This includes contributing to the development of Community Interest Companies (a legal structure now widely used by purpose-driven businesses), advising on the creation of Better Society Capital (the UK’s social investment bank), and supporting organisations at the centre of the UK’s fast-growing impact investment market.
For rookies, all this top-end work certainly trickles down. “I am entrusted with interesting work and high levels of client contact. Our clients are diverse and are always seeking to achieve fantastic things, meaning the work we do for them tends to reflect their interesting and diverse ambitions,” says one trainee. Sources emphasised the broad variety of work available to them and the consensus that each department offered its own “stimulating” and “exciting” projects, which trainees can get involved in from day one. “The work is diverse enough to keep me engaged and interested. There is a mixture of process work which keeps me churning out work that is well within my comfort zone, but also plenty of opportunity to stretch my capacity and understanding.” Or, in short: “Love the work I do.”
Training is said to be “varied, complex and well supported” thanks to a winning combination of small cohorts and hands-on experience. “You are involved in client matters from the day you step into the firm and are given both good supervision and the chance to take the lead on matters to develop skills and responsibility.” Trainees can expect a high level of responsibility while remaining well supported throughout. “You are able to learn quickly without it being too overwhelming,” said one insider. “The solicitors and partners at the firm are some of the sector’s brightest and most conscientious minds, therefore the training is of the highest order,” another added.
Bates Wells’ senior staff aren’t just some of the sector’s brightest minds; they’re some of the nicest too. Survey respondents scored their higher-ups top marks across the board. “I have a good relationship with my seniors, who I approach happily for questions and support on matters, and to have a chat with around the office,” said one happy newcomer. The firm prides itself on being non-hierarchical, and senior staff are said to be generous with their time and keen to see rookies learn and develop. “Even when I have not produced high-quality work at first, superiors continued to work with me to see me improve and to produce top-level work,” reported one source. Another echoed this supportive atmosphere: “There are no conversations I would struggle to have with my supervisor or head of department, and I know they would support me if I needed it.”
Trainee cohorts are very close-knit. “There is absolutely no competitiveness amongst peers but rather a culture of knowledge sharing and amplifying each other’s successes,” one trainee told us. Another offered high praise for their current cohort, described as “utterly dependable, relentlessly kind, and a primary reason why my training at Bates Wells has been thoroughly enjoyable. I cannot speak highly enough of the recruitment success that this cohort was, both in terms of professional quality and cultural fit.” All this has led to a thriving social scene at BW, with weekly drinks on a Thursday and a variety of events put on by the social committee including pub quizzes, theatre trips and games nights.
Each year the firm offers training contracts to around six new trainees, with a starting salary of £43,000 rising to £45,000 in the second year. On qualification, this increases to £75,000. These rates may be at the lower end of what other City firms offer, but as ever there is a work/life balance trade-off that many feel is well worth it. The Legal Cheek Trainee and Junior Lawyers Survey reveals that the average work day at Bates Wells starts at around 9am and finishes at roughly 6:30pm, a noticeably calmer pace than at many other City law firms. “I have almost always been able to attend after-work and weekend activities, and very rarely felt pressured to cancel. Even when the workload has been high, I have felt empathy from superiors who have encouraged me to attend social or life events outside of work,” says one source. Another adds: “I can count on one hand the late nights I have worked, which have only been when there was no alternative. Each time I do, it has been genuinely acknowledged and appreciated.” Partners and senior colleagues are said to “make a point of leaving on time”, with many on flexible working patterns to fit around their families and other commitments.
The firm’s only office is located on Queen Street Place, just a stone’s throw from Southwark Bridge. A roof terrace with “beautiful views across the city” makes the most of this location, though insiders note it is “not as swanky as some of the other City firms.” It is described as “perfectly pleasant” by one Legal Cheek spy: “lots of natural light and a roof garden but nothing overly impressive.”
On working from home, the firm requires a minimum of two days in the office each week but is said to be fairly flexible on this. There is a budget for equipment, though it is “limited”, as the firm is trying to strike “a balance between providing tech and remaining conscious of the environmental effects of purchasing numerous tech pieces for a WFH setup”, according to one recruit.
Perks at Bates Wells appear to be centred around the firm’s feel-good ethos. Those joining can expect the usual health and insurance benefits, a day off for their birthday, the option to buy additional holiday and a cycle-to-work scheme with showers and lockers on site. Then there are the more unique touches: B Corp discounts and an extra day’s holiday for choosing a sustainable mode of travel to a holiday destination.
If there were an award for the firm with the most extensive collection of recycling bins, Bates Wells would be a strong contender. Many respondents mentioned this quirk, noting not just numbers but variety: “There are about ten specific bins for different types of recycling, medicine blister packs, contact lens packets, anything you can think of.” One contact calls it the “greenest law firm in the City.” Employees who commit to public transport can also receive up to two extra days of paid leave per year.