RPC

The firm also has an original approach to social media and marketing. Not only does it allow its trainees to post public messages from an uncensored collective Instagram account, @LifeInALawFirm, that are as likely to feature jokey posts about late night bundling as on-message graduate recruitment tweets, but RPC also counts the award-winning alt-pop artist Maya Yenn amongst the ranks of its marketing team.

RPC’s London office is a “beautiful” glass and steel building at St Katherine’s Dock, and the internal set-up can feel more like a tech company than a law firm at times. Trainees have praised the “incredible” views, though these won’t be enjoyed for much longer: the firm is planning to move to a Grade II listed restored warehouse in the City, just a stone’s throw from Liverpool Street Station. The Bristol office is also said to be “very stylish”, with a practical layout offering lots of space and a balcony “which is lovely in the summer”. Bristol’s southwest base is also praised for its convenient location close to the train station and main bus routes into town, something London trainees currently envy, as their Thames-side base is not considered close to amenities. Trainees in the capital do have access to a ground floor coffee shop, though reviews of it are less than glowing. Inside both offices, however, there’s a greater air of collegiality. As one insider reports: “the open plan office and mixed pods mean you sit with anyone from paralegals to partners, including the managing partner, and questions are positively encouraged.”

It’s no coincidence that RPC has scored consistently strongly for partner approachability in the Legal Cheek Trainee and Junior Lawyer Survey. “There’s no hierarchy or delegation through associates. Partners will call you directly and ask for your thoughts, which is a great learning opportunity,” one rookie tells us. Another gushes that the “best part of being at the firm is the people and their approachability”. There is some variation by team, with one trainee warning that while “some are very approachable”, “others you don’t ever want to encounter”. On the whole, however, unapproachable seniors seem to be the exception rather than the rule.

Trainees are known to be “very supportive and helpful”, with insiders telling us they’re “often sharing experiences and tips to help each other out at difficult and busy periods”. “Genuinely the best support you could ask for. Trainees are all friends and there’s no competitive vibe, even during the qualification process,” says one. The relatively small intake size fosters a tight-knit community, though there’s still always a good turnout for the annual summer party and regular pub trips on a Thursday or Friday. Some insiders do bemoan the lack of a Christmas party, however.

It is understood PEP sits at around £490,000, whilst the latest revenues enjoyed a healthy 11% increase from £168 million to £198 million this year, the highest in a decade. NQs in Bristol take home £60,000 whilst newly-qualifieds in London bag £100,000 if they qualify into the commercial or disputes teams, or £85,000 for other practice areas. RPC also has offices in Hong Kong and Singapore, as well as access to other international clients via its TerraLex network.

Expect plenty of formal training in the first few weeks of your training contract, as well as general and IT-specific sessions thereafter. Many respondents report that the quality of training varies between teams, and recruits are advised to be proactive in seeking out training on team sectors to get the most out of their development.

One trainee describes their experience like this: “I have been given tasks to develop different skills I will need as a solicitor, including making without prejudice phone calls, drafting pleadings and running a few of my own matters. I have received close supervision and really useful feedback on how pieces of work can be improved. There is also an extensive training programme with internal and external trainers covering different skills, which has been really useful.” On top of this, there are always opportunities to learn through observing senior lawyers, attending court, contributing to articles and joining training sessions and webinars.

Rookies also get experience on cases that are “very high-profile and front-page news”, such as advising on the stock exchange listing for MOH Nippon, the first Japanese company to ever list on the London Stock Exchange. More recently, RPC has been involved in a long-running dispute between Fortnite maker Epic Games and Google, relating to anticompetitive practices in the Google Play store. That said, there is also a fair share of grunt work to be done, with some trainees reporting large amounts of bundling, note-taking and file organisation. Overall though, there seems to be a good balance between routine administrative tasks and more stimulating work that grants real client contact and allows trainees to tangibly move matters forward.

Work/life balance is generally reasonable, with an average start time of around 9am and an average finish time of just before 7pm. During busier periods, later nights and occasional weekend working do happen, but most trainees report this is not the norm and that there is no face-time culture at the firm. There is, however, a noticeable difference between offices. Bristol recruits report 6pm finishes and a great work/life balance, whilst in the capital it is said to be “a source of immense contention”, with reports of 60-hour weeks and weekend working.

One area both offices are unified on is the flexible working from home policy, with almost every recruit praising the absence of a minimum number of days required in the office. There is also a £150 one-off budget for home working equipment.

Client-facing technology is a particular strength, with the firm having released an app called RPC Raid Response that provides clients with round-the-clock legal support and advice in the event of a dawn raid from regulators or a cyber-attack. Internally, the technology receives more mixed reviews, with some systems described as slow, though laptops and phones provided are generally praised.

Perks are fairly standard for a City law firm, with staff able to take advantage of private healthcare, a mortgage advisor, Unmind membership and weekly classes including yoga. There are also great coffee machines, a good biscuit selection, fresh fruit on Tuesdays, a bring-your-dog-to-work day and free food and drinks on the first Thursday of every month.