Bevan Brittan

At trainee level, the firm has recently increased its intake from ten to twelve, a number of whom told us that it’s a good place to learn your craft as a lawyer: “The firm provides excellent training and gives trainees the autonomy to take on more complex tasks and responsibility when they feel ready,” and likewise, “the quality of the supervision, range of work and responsibility given is outstanding.” Rookies boast of being given “opportunities to lead in transactions” in seats like commercial property, and you can expect “exposure and a wide variety of work” in “every stage of a litigation claim”. Supervisors are also said to be “receptive to requests” for certain types of work –– property, litigation, clinical negligence and malpractice claims are popular choices. But regardless of your seat, recruits across the board say the firm makes a “genuine effort” to give “good quality work which will form a good basis for qualification!” Inevitably, there are still some “administrative, more routine” type tasks which are passed down, but these are relatively few and far between.

Successful applicants will do four six-month seats in the firm’s various departments: clinical risk, commercial & infrastructure, litigation, advisory & regulatory, employment and property. And whilst international secondments aren’t on offer at Bevan Brittan, there are client secondment opportunities seeing trainees posted to NHS Trust legal departments, the London Ambulance Service and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

Bevan Brittan (don’t spell it “Britain” in your application) is headquartered in Bristol and has three further bases in London, Birmingham and Leeds. The firm takes trainees across all of its offices, but we understand the lion’s share of the intake head to Bristol and London. Those considering putting in an application are recommended to apply for the firm’s vacation scheme, with Bevan Brittan filling most of its trainee spaces through this route. The firm has a handy section on its careers website giving its take on the training contract applications it receives and providing top tips for prospective applicants.

The relatively small cohort is (luckily) a supportive one –– perhaps a knock-on effect of the clients being mostly dedicated to public service rather than profits. “I think one of Bevan Brittan’s biggest selling points is the friendly atmosphere, which isn’t hierarchical at all”, one current trainee tells us. Another had this to say on their peers: “I feel incredibly lucky to have had such a good cohort of other trainees (both from within the Bristol office and at the other three offices) over the last two years. Everyone is genuinely supportive of each other and there is no competition for roles. Also, when I’ve taken over seats from peers they have always been more than happy to help with any queries going forward.” Trainees have two supervisors and a buddy for each seat, so there is also “consistent opportunities, support and guidance” on hand when you need it. What’s more, we’re told that all the offices are open plan, meaning trainees will often find themselves sitting beside more senior members of the team including the odd partner.

Networking drinks for juniors are commonplace year-round and the firm is said to operate somewhat of a rookie initiation whereby first year trainees are encouraged to do a round of fundraising for the firm’s sponsored charities. There’s also been a marked effort by the firm to add some pizzazz to the social scene, as one current rookie tells us, “the social life at the firm has definitely developed in the last year or so. There are now regular junior drinks (with people of all levels encouraged to attend!) and in terms of firmwide social events there is a pizza lunch once a month, a summer and Christmas party and other fun events peppered throughout the year. Recently I attended a Locked In a Room evening with the firm, which was really fun!”

Fee earners themselves have a reputation of “going above and beyond to provide clear feedback and praise” according to LC spies. As one sentimental trainee recalls: “After doing a time pressured task, I have often opened my inbox to find a thank you email from a partner. It really makes a difference when you come to appraisals and self-reflections”. This can vary by seat and some do report of “feeling disconnected” with seniors, who can be “harder to reach” due to the firm’s very flexible home working policy but on the whole, the lawyers we spoke with told LC they “feel able to ask anyone a question, whether a partner or an NQ.”

The silver lining of the slight disconnect some rookies feel is that BB’s completely flexible WFH policy actually extends to trainees aswell –– difficult for keeping track of partners, but great for those lazy days when you don’t fancy the commute according to our insiders. The home set-up itself is said to be “really good” with the firm providing anything you want –– from monitors to docking stations to ergonomic desk chairs –– usually within 48 hours of your request.

Aside from this, perks include the standard private medical and gym subsidy package, which has left a few with a bit of perk envy when hearing of free food and trainee ski trips elsewhere. But by far and away the best perk on offer here is a healthy work/life balance, with lawyers generally expected to knock off between 6pm and 7pm. Unsurprisingly, this is greatly appreciated by the firm’s juniors: “Work life balance is probably the biggest perk of this firm… I don’t feel the need to check my emails or work phone in the evening”, one insider explains. Another offers this truncated version: “The work life balance could not be better at this firm”.

There is, of course, a trade-off to be had. As one insider summarises, a “better work/life balance than a lot of other commercial firms but then our pay also reflects that”. Still, most seem happy with this deal and it’s not hard to see why when you hear of heart-warming stories like this floating around the office: “I have had fee earners come up to me in the office or message me on Teams if I am too deep in work late on a Friday, and they have told me to either leave it until Monday if it can be done or they have asked if there is anything they can do to help”.

The facilities themselves aren’t world-beating, with one newbie dryly describing their office space as “fairly average”. It’s noted that many of the firm’s top office perks, including an on-site gym and subsidised café in Bristol, were reeled back a few years ago, and we even received a few grumbles concerning the absence of a coffee machine available for staff use. That being said, there are some positive reports of standing desks, agile working spaces and a “sunny terrace” on the tenth floor of the new Birmingham abode. The “nice and shiny” London office in Fleet Place House, just around the corner from St Paul’s, is also said to be “well located” with one describing it as “the classic corporate office –– modern, open plan and with glass walls creating an airy environment”. Bristol is “good” even if it isn’t quite “as new as the others” and Leeds walks away with some credit for having a “modern feel” and “nice views from the 7th floor.”

We’re told the firm’s tech offering is “a tad unsophisticated at times, but not to the point of hindrance”, with the firm said to be looking at trialling AI and some other legal tech in the future, though there’s “room for improvement” here, according to our sources.

If you hadn’t already guessed by the logo, Bevan Brittan has a big focus on being green! Trainees were full of praise for the firm’s “environmental credentials and Green Ambassador internal network, which focuses on ways to make the firm more environmentally conscious” and the firm has recently onboarded two new roles to deal exclusively with responsible business and green initiatives. Travelling to in-person events and printing are also closely moderated and even the more traditional fee earners are “cautious to print when anything can be sent digitally!”