The Legal Cheek View
In 1797, when John King first established the firm now known as Moore Barlow in Lymington, all eyes were instead on the French invasion of Britain. After 200 years of steady growth, a complete re-engineering of its business model, a regional merger and some history making of its own, it’s regional powerhouse Moore Barlow that’s grabbing headlines now.
The firm has grown revenues 5% this year to a healthy £41 million and it also operates an all-equity partnership model, and sets the standard with a 58% female partnership split. In the first quarter of this financial year alone, the firm assisted with deals covering purchases, sales and management buyouts worth £85 million and clients include some notable names such as NatWest, the British Heart Foundation and drinks company Rio, who the firm advised on their £12 million sale last year. The family team have also been innovating, recently devising ‘Accord’ — a unique approach to divorce wherein both parties use a single lawyer to achieve a more harmonious and cost-effective solution.
The firm specialises in top-end personal injury and high-value family cases but as a full-service firm tailored to both business and individuals, trainees can enjoy seats across a range of practice areas, from rural property to data protection & privacy, on their TC. You can also expect to travel around the firm’s six offices in the South East throughout your training contract (travel expenses paid for of course!) so no two days are the same.
Whether you’re in London, Richmond, Guildford, Woking, Southampton or the HQ in Lymington, “very interesting” work is what you’ll find at Moore Barlow. Trainees tell tales of “solo completions” “high profile cases” and being “given lots of responsibility early on.” MB’s strong regional presence means its lawyers get first crack at some of the juiciest deals in the provinces, but the firm also takes on a fair chunk of national work –– and don’t be surprised if you’re also advising on a few US acquisitions in Corporate! As one rookie told LC, “As a first-seat trainee, right from my first week I was given chargeable work that was billed to the client. I have not been given work that I felt was menial –– no horror stories of being stood at the copy-machine for hours on end,” described one new recruit. There is, of course, “a level of expected administration work that is involved in a training contract”, another rookie tells us, “but I have found that I have been given lots of responsibility and been allowed to get involved in much, if not all, of the work that fee earners undertake. I have been given the opportunity to take the lead on files and often speak to clients unsupervised.”
Rookies experiences’ speak to the firm’s ambitions to be the career firm, where trainees start and never leave. But Moore Barlow is offering a bit more Ritz than Hotel California –– at least that’s the opinion from those in the freshly refurbished Richmond office. Those in the City are equally full of praise for the hub’s “brilliant location” at 60 Cheapside and Southampton has a claim for best MB office by being the only one with a canteen –– “which would score a strong 8,” according to one critic. The quaint, historical Lymington HQ is “perfect for the area” and attracts tons of compliments from employees and clients alike, according to our sources, and it’s rumoured that the “now slightly-dated” Woking and Guildford digs are in for an upgrade soon.
Trainees are likely to split their time across these offices and from home on their TC as Moore Barlow is said to be “great at allowing flexible working”. Legal Cheek sources report working from home at least one or two days a week (depending on the team) though the lack of any WFH equipment was a bugbear for some. In the office, legal tech is said to be better and improving with the firm currently undergoing an upgrade of its systems –– though at least one current recruit sees the upside to the old-school approach: “Only thing I don’t have is a work phone but that can also be a good thing as it means once my laptop is off I’m not contactable.”
Not that trainees have to worry too much about burning the midnight oil anyway as the work life balance is “what MB is renowned for” according to our sources. Pretty much all the rookies we spoke with say “it is usual to work 9am-5pm, provided you do not have any urgent deadlines approaching or a large workload that week.” Even then, rookies report leaving the office at 6:30pm at the latest (and don’t even think about opening your laptop on a weekend). What’s more, the story stays the same whether you’re in Woking, Lymington or London so City trainees don’t feel hard done by compared to their counterparts.
As far as your counterparts go, you won’t find many firms reporting such a “tight knit group” as at MB, as one inside source told LC: “the trainee and junior lawyer cohort are fantastic and host regular social events where we can all meet from the various offices and catch up.” A decent budget for trainee socials, regular firmwide events and some standout summer and Christmas parties keep the good vibes bubbling over across all of the firm’s six office spaces but Guildford receives plaudits for being the most lively hub.
Regardless of where you’re based, we’re told you’ll find “approachable supervisors who make time for trainees” and a “great amount of exposure” anywhere. The training itself is said to be “hands-on” with our sources telling us they’ve been given “responsibility from the start –– definitely no standing by the photocopier!” The firm has also recently introduced a “bespoke training programme for trainees and NQs which focuses on developing soft skills such as communication, presentation, networking” but it’s the “incredibly knowledgeable, honest and kind” partner and senior associates that makes Moore Barlow a great place to train.
In the words of a current trainee, partner approachability is an area “where Moore Barlow excels –– all of the associates, senior associates and even partners that I have worked with have been extremely supportive and approachable.” Another adds, “I’ve heard of no stories whereby trainees were neglected by their partners. They are all involved and committed to our training.” This feel-good vibe seems to be a mainstay in all of Moore Barlow’s offices, as one trainee says: “from paralegal through to partner, including all our lovely legal secretaries and admin assistants –– no question is a silly question. Everyone is happy to put aside time to help you.”
Perks include a standard package of private healthcare, a discount scheme for shops, free travel between offices and by-far-and-away the best perk: a free hot air balloon ride! Okay, technically it’s a £200 voucher from a recognition scheme which one trainee spent on a hot-air balloon ride but still pretty decent.