The Legal Cheek View
Birmingham-born Shakespeare Martineau has been shaking things up in recent years. Following a shift to a “house of brands” strategy, the firm has been building a group of legal, professional services and complementary brands under the Ampa Group LLP, and has become one of a select few law firms to achieve B-Corp status for its environmental credentials. Most recently, it made headlines in autumn 2025 by relocating its London office to the 19th floor of the iconic Shard.
But this green-fingered giant doesn’t just have the right credentials; it has the numbers to back them up. Firmwide revenues rose almost 15% in the latest financial year, from £104 million to £119 million, while average profit per equity partner (PEP) is understood to sit at around £320,000. The commercial and private client firm employs more than 1,000 staff, including over 125 partners, across 11 offices in London, Leicester, Lincoln, Birmingham, Bristol, Sheffield, Edinburgh, Milton Keynes, Nottingham, Southampton and, of course, Stratford-upon-Avon. Training contracts are based in either London or the West or East Midlands, with some inter-office travel expected depending on a trainee’s preferred locale. As Shakespeares accelerates into a prosperous future, this could be the perfect time to hitch a ride. So, what’s it actually like to work there?
Pretty good, according to the results of our latest Legal Cheek Trainee and Junior Lawyer Survey. The firm offers flexible working, trusts its junior staff, takes a healthy approach to work-life balance, and fosters a culture of supportive peers and approachable supervisors. Commercial property makes up a large proportion of its work, as does corporate and commercial; the firm’s corporate and banking teams supported a record £9.7 billion worth of deals last year alone, up from £6.6 billion the year prior. But trainees won’t be confined to a single practice area: Shakespeares’ solicitors advise across a wide range of specialisms, from surrogacy to IT and telecoms. Other areas of note include energy, education, litigation, insolvency, agriculture and rural affairs, corporate M&A, family and banking law, plus a niche sports law team and a strong reputation in private client, planning and professional negligence work.
Training receives top marks for being “excellent and really high quality”, though rookies note it can be slightly seat-dependent. One trainee told us: “There is the occasional unenviable task, as you’d expect, but I’ve been given an enormous amount of responsibility on high-profile and complex matters. Supervising solicitors and partners always provide feedback on how I can improve.” Another gave a special shout-out to the infrastructure and commercial property team for hosting a day-long training course on the 1954 Landlord and Tenancy Act, which they apparently “really enjoyed”; each to their own. Trainees also benefit from regular ‘lunch and learn’ sessions with partners, alongside “extra optional sessions and online options” for further development. A standout perk: Shakespeares offers a training seat in its legal tech team, a rarity among firms of its size.
Day-to-day, expect “very stimulating tasks, from drafting and researching through to client interaction” and “a varied caseload”. One source cheerfully noted: “We get told the days of trainees photocopying bundles are over!” As ever, experience varies by team and supervisor, but the consensus is that trainees feel “engaged with the work and like they’re gaining the competency to help them once they qualify”.
The firm’s clients include the National Grid, Lloyds Bank and Dr Martens, the latter advised on its £3.4 billion IPO. But it’s not just the London office that handles the headline work. Bristol trainees have represented claimants under the Windrush legislation, while Birmingham colleagues have worked on high-value finance matters, including advising Santander UK on a £33 million loan facility to a Birmingham-based student accommodation provider.
It’s also simply an enjoyable place to work. Colleagues are described as “very, very supportive”, with trainees forming genuine friendships within their cohorts. “We have each other’s backs,” reflects one source. Bi-weekly trainee catch-ups and daily Teams communication keep everyone connected, and the general atmosphere is one where people are “up for a laugh”. One junior summed it up warmly: “I have always found the firm to be like a family. I chose the team I wanted to qualify into because I enjoyed the work and because the team are great lawyers, but also because they have the most fun by far.”
Partners score highly for approachability, making it easy to ask questions “in person or over the phone, no matter how busy they are”. There are, predictably, “a couple” who are less accessible, but the overwhelming majority of feedback is positive; trainees consistently praise their “receptive and nurturing” supervisors and the partners’ open-door attitude.
Work-life balance is another genuine strength. The word “fantastic” cropped up repeatedly, with working weekends being a rarity and average finish times of 5:30–7:00pm. Some seats, such as asset finance and shipping litigation, do involve longer hours, but even here trainees tend to be content. “In Energy (commercial) I worked many late nights and sometimes weekends,” admitted one source, “but I didn’t mind; the work was thrilling and the clients were major names like Shell and EDF. It depends what you’re looking for.” The main gripe? Pay, which some feel sits below market rates. London trainees start at £40,000, rising to £43,000 in year two, while those in the regions receive £30,750 and £33,000. Trainees can work from home up to two days per week and receive a £350 equipment allowance.
The broader benefits package includes BUPA healthcare, travel loans, 35 days’ annual leave (including bank holidays, with the option to buy five more), pension and life assurance, a gym discount and a day off on your birthday, to be taken whenever suits you. The office pastries on a Tuesday go down well, as does the “great” bean-to-cup coffee machine. On the kit side, trainees receive iPhones, Microsoft Surface Pro laptops, wireless mice, dual screens and remote working desks.
The Birmingham head office near Snow Hill station occupies “a grand building”, and all 11 hubs are either being or have already been renovated, with breakout areas, hot-desking and standing desks. Legal tech is currently a sticking point, with one trainee’s verdict of “awful, awful, awful” speaking for itself — though new laptops have since arrived to some relief.
On the sustainability and social responsibility front, the firm’s credentials are genuine. Staff are given an hour off each week to go litter-picking, investment in social mobility is described as “amazing” by at least one trainee, and Shakespeares has committed to reaching net zero by 2030, reducing emissions it controls directly and developing initiatives to address those it doesn’t.