Freeths

For TC seekers, one of Freeths’ biggest draws is just how much is going on under one roof. Rather than being pigeonholed into one corner of the legal market, trainees can find themselves exposed to a genuinely broad mix of commercial, contentious, public sector and private client work. As one junior explains: “We have a diverse client base, which means you get involved in a wide range of matters and industries. The variety keeps things interesting and means there’s always something new to learn.”

On the commercial side, Freeths covers much of the usual national firm spread, including corporate transactions, banking and finance, commercial contracts, employment, restructuring and insolvency, IP and technology. But that only tells half the story. The firm also has sizeable private client, family, agriculture and public sector practices, meaning rookies can end up doing something rather different depending on where they land. Its client roster is similarly broad, with household names such as Aldi, Mercedes-Benz UK, Tarmac, Experian and Lloyds Bank sitting alongside entrepreneurs, privately owned companies and growing businesses.

Recent corporate matters give a decent flavour of the action. Freeths has advised Inflexion on its majority investment in Ranger Fire and Security, PayCaptain’s shareholders on the payroll company’s sale to Citation Group and YFM Equity Partners on an investment in engineering consultancy BE Design. Its lawyers have also worked on the University of Birmingham’s spin-out of health-tech business Dexter AI and Core Group’s sale to US-listed NV5 Global. So while private equity and M&A are certainly part of the diet, there is plenty else to get stuck into, from venture capital and university spin-outs to international transactions. One junior backs this up, noting that Freeths is winning “more and more complex, high-value work”, with matters that are “intellectually challenging” and bring “a lot of job satisfaction.”

Real estate is another big part of the Freeths operation, covering everything from commercial property, development and investment to construction, planning, environmental law, property disputes and social housing. The different strands often come together on larger projects, which should give trainees the chance to see how a development moves from an initial proposal through planning, infrastructure and environmental hurdles before anything actually gets built. The scale can be substantial, with the firm recently advising LNT Care Developments on a £1.1 billion sale-and-leaseback involving 45 care homes. The practice is growing too, with Freeths’ planning team increasing from 18 lawyers in 2024 to 24 in 2026.

There is plenty beyond deals and development work as well. Freeths advises more than 200 public sector bodies, including schools, education providers and NHS trusts, while its private client, family and agriculture teams act for individuals, families, business owners and landowners on everything from tax and succession planning to trusts, divorce and rural property. For rookies who have not yet decided whether they fancy a career buried in transaction documents or something a little more personal, having that kind of breadth under one roof is no bad thing.

And then there is the Post Office Horizon litigation, which put Freeths firmly in the national spotlight. Led by disputes partner James Hartley, the case secured landmark victories for 555 subpostmasters and helped expose the failings of the Horizon system, with Hartley later portrayed in ITV’s Mr Bates vs The Post Office.

As for getting through the door, Freeths does things a little differently. Its direct entry route is aimed at first-year and penultimate-year law students, taking candidates from an insight day through to a legal placement and, for the strongest performers, a place on the traineeship. Final-year law students and law graduates can instead apply for the six-month Legal Graduate Programme, while non-law graduates will need to have completed a conversion course. Candidates join a specific department and support trainees, lawyers and partners. A training contract is not guaranteed, with Freeths deciding at the end of the programme who progresses. Successful candidates receive SQE1 and SQE2 preparation through the University of Law before completing two years of qualifying work experience, with no minimum grade requirement. For one trainee, the route began in a legal assistant role: “I was a legal assistant before becoming a trainee via the Graduate Apprentice Route. When I sat my SQE2 exams, I felt like I had been given every opportunity to succeed to the best of my ability.”

Once the traineeship itself gets underway, rookies complete four six-month seats over two years, with no compulsory rotations. Depending on office and business need, trainees can spend time across Freeths’ mix of commercial, contentious and private client practices, with a supervisor in each seat and a separate trainee mentor providing another source of support. “You’re definitely thrown in at the deep end,” says one rookie, with trainees “expected to operate as a day one solicitor” and given “plenty of opportunities to take the lead on matters”. For those still trying to work out whether corporate, litigation, property or something more people-focused is their thing, the lack of compulsory rotations should leave a decent amount of room to test the waters, although that breadth is not identical for everyone. “I’ve only had experience in two areas over four seats, whereas other trainees have got experience across four,” another tells us.

The learning itself appears to combine formal and informal training. One rookie describes “a mix of hands-on work and structured training sessions”, adding that Freeths makes an effort to develop “soft skills” alongside the substantive training.

There is also the possibility of heading out on client secondment. Juniors report six-month stints with the likes of Mercedes-Benz UK, Travis Perkins, Centrica and Btomorrow Ventures, as well as clients in the real estate and construction sectors. One rookie who spent six months with a construction client sums up the experience simply: “It was great.”

Culturally, Freeths seems keen to keep things fairly down to earth as it grows. “It’s genuinely a very supportive firm where everyone wants others to succeed,” one trainee tells us, adding that there is not much in the way of “sharp elbows and internal competition”. The firm talks up flexible working, mentoring and progression, while its work with the Sutton Trust and Birmingham Black Lawyers, plus the fact that almost half of employees attended non-Russell Group universities, points to a broader-than-usual approach to recruitment.

Hierarchy does not appear to weigh too heavily either. One junior says it “doesn’t feel particularly apparent”, with senior associates, directors and partners generally willing to answer questions and talk through issues. Another, who has worked directly with partners throughout their four and a half years at Freeths, says they have “never felt afraid to ask silly questions”.

The hours appear relatively manageable for a commercial outfit, although, as at many law firms, experiences vary depending on the team and deal flow. “Late evenings are usually rare and noticed (and appreciated),” reports one trainee, who recalls even being told by a partner to log off. Transactional teams can face busier periods, however. Real estate rookies report regular 7pm finishes and later nights when matters heat up, while those in corporate can find sometime find themselves working into the early hours, with occasional weekend work too. Despite this, another junior describes the overall work-life balance as “generally good”, comparing it favourably with that at many London firms.

There seems to be a decent amount going on away from the desk too, although the social scene again varies by office. One rookie reports “lots of junior and office-wide socials”, while another lists axe throwing, darts, boat tours and Friday drinks among the activities on offer. Freeths also runs a Trainee and Legal Assistant Conference every two years. Not everyone is convinced, however, with some juniors suggesting that the social scene “used to be better”. Perks cover health insurance, cycle to work and discounted gym membership, alongside more unusual all-staff trips to Centre Parcs and West Midlands Safari Park and Freethstars, a peer-nominated recognition scheme carrying a £50 reward.

There is also a responsible business angle. Freeths became a B Corp in 2024 and has since continued to build out its ESG credentials, while recent investment in generative AI, cybersecurity and internal systems suggests tech is moving up the agenda too. One trainee describes Freeths as “very forward-thinking when it comes to legal tech”, pointing to its investment in Legora and Microsoft Copilot and adding: “Trainees are encouraged to get involved, whether that’s building workflows in Legora, testing new AI use cases or contributing ideas through innovation initiatives and competitions.”

All told, Freeths offers a broad national-firm training experience for students who want to keep their options open. With corporate deals, disputes, property, public sector and private client work all under one roof, there is plenty to get stuck into without defaulting to the usual Square Mile suspects.