BCLP

A revamp of BCLP hierarchy has brought renewed optimism, with the firm poaching Trevor Varnes from Perkins Coie as the new global CFO, as well as promoting M&A expert Jinal Shah to London managing partner after Segun Osuntokun received the call up to global senior partner. London is also the hotspot for partner promotions as nine of a 24-strong partner promotion round were made in the City.

Despite a turbulent few years firm-wide, one thing that has remained the same at BCLP is the importance of quality training: “BCLP invests hours of training into both firm-wide knowledge and the specific seats you sit in. Often, the teams invite leading professionals in their area (lecturers, clients, analysts etc) to give a talk on a current topic which is always insightful and is highly encouraged across the firm to attend these events,” one trainee details. Front-loaded technical sessions at the beginning of each seat are supplemented with invitations to join junior associate training in any given department and the firm’s knowledge lawyers are said to be “extremely helpful in answering any technical/procedural questions relating to a deal, which you may not want to ask a fee earner.”

“High quality work with some of the world’s largest organisations” is what you can expect as a rookie at BCLP, according to our insiders. As one spy explains, “we get work beyond what a usual trainee would be expected to do and we’re challenged, so it is very stimulating.” And that should come as no surprise when the firm is regularly advising clients such as Nike on their state-of-the-art distribution site development in Corby or Natwest on a £155 million redevelopment of London’s 100 New Bridge Street, formerly home to fellow law firm giant Baker McKenzie.

It’s worth mentioning that the quality of work can be “very team dependent” with some departments giving “trainees a lot of responsibility whilst in other departments there is somewhat of a trainee glass ceiling”. There are grumbles that this ‘trainee glass ceiling’ has been caused by an “over-hiring of trainees” which would go some way into explaining the firm’s low retention scores as of late. However, these results are outliers against BCLP’s historically good performance when it comes to retention scores and most recruits are appreciative of the work on offer: “People go to great lengths to explain the background of deals you’re working on before giving you a task. As you’d expect with the role of a trainee, the task itself isn’t always the most exciting but being able to understand and discuss its importance in the context of the wider deal is what I find stimulating.”

Note also that “the more trust you build during the seat, the more responsibility you’ll be given as it progresses, which is normally where the most exciting tasks end up lying”. And that can mean drafting opportunities that allow for client engagement, as well as the chance to run with smaller matters and be exposed to complex cross-border deals that are “really engaging and high profile”. Again, this is an area where experience differs between teams, with one rookie advising that “smaller teams can offer more insightful and stimulating work”, with the corporate and funds teams named as particularly exciting places to be!

If funds don’t sound exhilarating enough, there’s also a decent chance of getting away during your training contract, with popular destinations being Brussels, Hong Kong and Abu Dhabi. Trainees in Manchester and Southampton also frequently second to London. Client secondments are also available, and range all the way from six months at Goldman Sachs to a stint at charity Reprieve or even some time at fashion giants Dr Martens. One insider described their experience at a client firm as a “really good opportunity to get stuck in and develop so many interpersonal and legal skills”.

Expect a good level of camaraderie among the intakes too, where “everyone is really willing to help each other out”. New recruits are paired with a partner mentor and a trainee buddy from day one and the graduate recruitment team receive plaudits for being “always on hand to offer support or solutions to problems.” Another rookie says: “I’ve found my cohort of trainees to be so supportive, it makes the job more fun to have a bunch of people going through it all at the same time as you and is also a life saver in tougher moments. Even through the recent qualification process, there’s been no sense of competitiveness — we’re friends and everyone genuinely wants the best for each other”. This supportive atmosphere extends to trainees doing the apprenticeship route, which is offered in Southampton and Manchester, with newbies there praising the “supporting and understanding” teams and “very approachable” supervisors.

On the social side, recruits enjoy regular socials hosted either by the firm or within their teams and there is said to be “a fine balance between organised fun events such as bake-offs and sporting tournaments and more serious charity events”. The monthly bar night (which includes both alcoholic and non-alcoholic options) in the London canteen is touted for bringing the troops together and you can expect regular Thursday night events, especially in corporate.

Partners receive equally high praise, with one going so far as to say they “are often the most approachable people in the team”. “I’ve had superiors across different teams actively go out of their way to help me, so I feel confident saying my experiences are reflective of the wider firm culture. From helping with my work to supporting my career progression, I’ve always had positive experiences when I’ve asked for help,” says one spy. Another details: “All of the partners I have worked with or sat near in the office have been very friendly, down to earth and very interested in you and your career journey. Of course, work, deadlines and pressure may influence how talkative/approachable a partner may be but for the most part I feel comfortable enough to ask questions and raise any concerns with partners.” The graduate development team receives another shout-out for its ability to judicially select higher-ups: “The Emerging Talent team does a great job of picking supervisors who will genuinely care about helping their trainees through the two years.”

For prospective applicants, it’s worth noting that BCLP has developed a deserved reputation for innovation. One rookie reveals that “innovation is a big thing at the firm, they really value progressing legal tech solutions”, another adds: “new trainees get the new technology which is great (iPhones, laptops etc). The tech team is very supportive and always has an open door if you need IT or admin support.” The firm has recently launched a new AI bill tracker and continues to offer an ‘innovation’ seat in some practice areas for tech-minded trainees. Rookies are also “regularly asked to take part in legal tech pilots, share ideas on new initiatives and promote legal tech and AI in our teams.”

Perks include private healthcare, a subsidised canteen and coffee bar, an on-site masseuse, and a certain amount of “benefits” to spend each October on things such as Apple products, wine deliveries and the gym. A recent addition is the introduction of an in-house doctor on certain days of the month. Some insiders are disgruntled at the meal budget for late nights in the office, although this has now risen from £10 to £20.

While such freebies are not seen as stellar, they perhaps don’t have to be as they’re not compensating for crazy hours. With the exception of real estate, finance and corporate (all of which have reputations for late nights) the work/life balance is excellent for City law. One junior lawyer neatly sums this up as “definitely better than plenty of City firms, but definitely not 9-5 (except maybe on a Friday).” Our insiders report finishes of around 7pm most evenings with some “long and tough hours” coming at deal closings or other important moments. Even when you are burning the midnight oil, recruits report that “teams are really supportive and will question and check in if you are consistently working late nights.”

As one insider puts it: “Work life balance varies from seats and teams. Overall working in a commercial law firm you expect not to work 9 to 5 and that, on occasion, the hours will be long. The firm is understanding of this and every team has ‘capacity talks’ to ensure no one is feeling overwhelmed and to ensure the work is shared out evenly. Also, the firm understands that you have a life outside of work and as long as you let people know you have dinner plans no one will be upset if you log off at 7 to meet friends!”

Another comments: “For a City law firm the hours are very reasonable. The latest I have stayed is 11pm and I am mostly gone by 8pm with the occasional later finish in a busy period. I generally don’t have any issues making weekday plans and am always out on Friday for a drink with the other trainees.” The firm’s netball, hockey and football teams are also said to be a great excuse to get out of the office on time (and of course a great way to socialise with colleagues outside of the office as well).

The location isn’t bad either. BCLP’s old London gaff, Adelaide House, was on the banks of the Thames across the river from London Bridge Station. But during lockdown the firm moved a stone’s throw away to the 125,000 sq ft Governors House building at 5 Laurence Pountney Hill. Trainees describe the open-plan office as “clean and modern with a rooftop terrace, courtyard and brilliant canteen.” The Manchester office is also said to be nice and currently undergoing a refurb (which hopefully includes a canteen to match London’s or at least some new coffee machines)!

The canteen in the City is “excellent, very reasonably priced” and has a “great variety of food”. Rookies get the scintillating choice of “something with meat, something veggie, a salad bar, some kind of soup, in addition to a sandwich bar where you can either buy pre-prepped sandwiches or make your own.” The staff are also said to be “incredibly friendly and positive” and the only gripe from our sources is that they wish there was some more outdoor space to eat outside when the weather is nice.

When working from home, which trainees can do one day a week at BCLP, the set-up is said to be “good” with the firm providing rookies “with all the tech and furniture you need. You cannot ask for more” was the final word from one recruit.

The environment has also come to the fore in recent times. Metal straws, new environmentally friendly cardboard bins, reusable coffee cups and a trainee-led ESG group all bode well for the firm’s greener future.