Osborne Clarke

Osborne Clarke has also continued to expand as part of its ambitious transformation from national outfit to true international player. It opened an office in Delhi, via Indian relationship firm BTG Legal, and in the past few years it has formed associations with firms in Shanghai and Singapore, added Miami and San Francisco to its US practice in addition to New York and Palo Alto, opened offices in Amsterdam and Poland and moved location in Paris. All in all, the firm now boasts a headcount of over 2,400 spread across 26 international locations.

Throughout this expansion, however, it has preserved its famously nice culture. The culture at OC is fantastic,” one rookie proclaims, adding: “It’s clear that a lot of effort goes into trainee recruitment. My cohort gets along really well, and we all make an effort to support each other, which has created a great dynamic. I know this isn’t always the case at other firms, so I’m really grateful for it.” There is also apparently a “bustling” junior network within the firm, with regular socials and networking opportunities — both in-person and virtually. Everyone is “friendly, approachable and more than happy to give up their time to discuss most things” with no noticeable “culture of competition”. Another adds: “They are invested in your development and there are frequent check-ins with trainees at all levels.”

As an example of its team spirit, it gave all its UK employees a 5% profit share based on annual salaries for the fifth year running. This year also marks the second year of its long-term bonus scheme, which sees “high performers” receiving cash awards of up to 40%, paid over three years. OC’s perks range from the usual package of subsidised gym membership and private health insurance to a free pass to Bristol Zoo. There are also summer and Christmas parties, client events, sporting events and drinks to attend. Other perks include free breakfast, subsidised cake, free Deliveroo and taxis home after 8pm, which sounds like a “small thing but makes you feel valued”, according to one lawyer. For those based in London, OC is also a “corporate partner” of the Barbican. “This is a really great perk,” one insider explains, as it “gives us access to the members’ lounge, reduced rates in all the bars and restaurants, and free access to the Barbican’s art galleries”.

The firm also receives praise for being highly environmentally conscious, in our latest Trainee and Junior Lawyer Survey, as its Bristol eco-office exhibits. The opportunity to participate in a carbon literacy course is a particular highlight for one rookie, whilst another recognises the efforts of the firm’s sustainability team, who are always looking to improve its environmental practices. The firm has also set a long-term science-based target, to reach net-zero emissions by 2040.

Several rookies offer similar praise for the firm’s cutting-edge approach to legal technology, which has seen the recent introduction of OC-GPT, a “multi-award winning” internal generative AI tool aimed at improving efficiency. The firm says the tool places OC at the “forefront” of the legal tech space, while the internal ‘OC Solutions’ team is said to be “great at creating innovative tech” for both clients and lawyers. One particular rookie commends the OCS team for its “entrepreneurial nature,” noting the team’s willingness to discuss client matter solutions with junior lawyers and trainees: “I feel it really sets OC apart.”

Senior colleagues and partners drive the culture; they are, overall, “very approachable”, keeping in fit with the broader culture at OC. Another adds, “Some days, I might find myself sitting between two partners, including our managing partner, and still be able to have conversations as comfortably as I would with a peer.” Another rookie reports, “all senior lawyers are incredibly generous with their time, whether it’s running through feedback on a piece of work, or sitting down for a coffee to discuss areas of the firm you’re interested in.” While a colleague explains: “The hierarchy that traditional firms tend to have has definitely been broken down at OC. There’s always going to be the odd one or two scary partners but on the whole the people at OC are very friendly.”

Like at many firms, training is “variable” between seats, with some “more structured” and some “more on the job learning”, according to one rookie. “In some seats, you will have a full week of training before starting work in earnest, while other teams prefer a learn-on-the-job approach,” another explains. Whilst this “learning-by-doing style may sound daunting”, admits one trainee, “it has fully prepared me for qualification”. Regular training sessions, an “excellent set of knowledge lawyers” and “extensive materials on the firm’s intranet” mean that it never feels like there is a lack of training or support to prepare you for qualification. Another junior offers this take on the training they’ve received: “The teams are very supportive and willing to involve trainees in different aspects of work. Like anywhere, you need to prove your ability and then once that has been done, you are given increasing levels of work to develop but always with a helpful supervisor who you can rely on to the extent you feel necessary.

The work is “all very interesting, with various clients that you might recognise, some seats you’ll click with more than others”. Added glitz is provided by the firm’s technology and media practices, which augment the much larger corporate and litigation teams, and represent tech giants, including TripAdvisor. OC lawyers advise games and interactive entertainment clients and assist tech start-ups, and the firm was the first in Europe to open an office in Silicon Valley. Trainees can expect to gain experience of client contact. However, be prepared for plenty of standard trainee tasks too, such as amending precedents and document review. One trainee provides this insight: “In lots of teams, you are treated more like a junior associate than you are a trainee. While there is the occasional, inevitably dull trainee task, once you have proved yourself in a team, you will be given lots of responsibility on matters and can take on extremely interesting work. More generally, the firm’s client base means that you will usually be doing work for interesting and high-profile businesses, which always makes it more stimulating.”

Somewhat of a rarity at law firms, the work/life balance appears to be pretty good, for some even “amazing”. According to one junior at the firm, naturally it can “vary from team to team” but “having spoken to trainees elsewhere, I know that the Osborne Clarke hours are extremely reasonable compared to the market”. “Being halfway through the TC, I am yet to have any seriously long days,” another notes, whilst further sources explain that for much of their TC their evenings and weekends were undisturbed. “There are more pressing deadlines from time to time which require you to work later, but we compare very well to trainees at other law firms, particularly in the City,” they tell us. One trainee highlights the willingness of colleagues to maintaining boundaries, explaining: “I am more strict than the usual trainee with giving up my entire life due to having a 2-year-old and people are receptive to that.”

Salaries sit at £97,000 for NQs in London, while those in Reading and Bristol receive £87,300 and £74,000 respectively.

Secondments — both international and client — don’t appear high on the OC agenda. A small number of rookies are given the opportunity to spend time at other offices, while recent client destinations include an REF lender, Ascential, Hargreaves Lansdown, Starbucks and Vodafone.