Watson Farley & Williams

Training here is said to be “a very solid mix of classroom-style sessions giving you the basics on matters, talks by partners, associates, and external parties on more niche topics and case studies, and on-the-job ‘have a go and we will review’ type tasks.” The training provided at the beginning of each seat “provides a great crash course in the basics of the area / practice, the core tasks of a trainee and how best to support other fee earners” according to our sources “and there are also a lot of department-specific training sessions which trainees are encouraged to attend and participate in.” One recruit notes that this is “a very helpful jumping off point when you may feel out of your depth starting fresh in a new area of the law you have not previously encountered”. On top of this, WFW also runs skills-based training (for example, business communication sessions). Supervisors are also praised for going out of their way to ensure that more informal training is always on hand, even if this can mean “learning by trial and error rather than clear guidance”. Overall, the training programme receives green ticks across the board for offering “a large amount of responsibility and good supervision”.

As with many firms, trainees find the quality of work to be highly seat-dependent –– “different strokes for different folks,” as one sage recruit said. Work in disputes is notorious for being “admin-heavy, laborious and dry” and finance “can be overly-procedural and monotonous”. But, on the flip side, “advisory seats are very interesting,” according to one, “and corporate involves a lot of problem solving”. Trainees also get involved in a lot of “international and complex” matters involving “high calibre clients” so there’s “rarely a dull day in the office,” say LC’s spies.

One recruit offered this personal insight into the work on offer here, “Trainees will always have to do more mundane tasks but these are generally balanced out with the opportunity to draft documents, speak with clients, conduct novel research and assist on each of the key stages of a transaction or dispute. Whilst a trainee may not get to action tasks in connection with all matters, we definitely have great exposure to the associates and partners undertaking this work.”

It’s a good job then that rookies at WFW ranked their superiors as being “very approachable for the most part”, with trainees getting close partner contact through the two-person offices shared with their supervisors. “The senior associates and partners are a very friendly, normal, down-to-earth group of people. They are of course often busy and so choosing a suitable moment is expected but over the course of six seats, I have rarely felt unable to ask questions on both the immediate work and the wider practice areas”, summarised one trainee. A few bad apples aside, many clearly feel that their supervisors are really something to write home about: “Some excellent supervisors who really take the time to teach you” and are “a clear highlight of the firm.”

There’s also a nice vibe among trainees, who are known for meeting up together on Fridays for drinks at one of two local bars and pubs close to WFW’s offices near Liverpool Street station resulting in the odd night out every now and then. “The trainee cohort is extremely supportive and we have a tight-knit group. Trainees interact across both years, and we’ve formed genuine friendships, especially where trainees are moved to our international offices together”, says one. “Every team I have sat with has been extremely welcoming and supporting. I have not had a single bad experience with people during my time at the firm” added another. Relatively slim deal teams means trainees get to work closely with other junior lawyers and the firm is said to be good at putting on events and socials for trainees to get to know each other across the entire firm. Highlights include inter-office football tournaments, annual Christmas and rooftop summer parties, ping-pong tournaments, an “escape room” away day, sporting watch-a-longs, office quizzes and the occasional Thursday drink trolley!

Other perks include your standard City package of a cycle to work scheme, healthcare package, a salary sacrifice programme, well-stocked drinks fridges and a £250 contribution towards a sports club membership –– though most feel fairly hard done by compared to the standards set by other perk-heavy City firms.

Pay levels (see below) are seen as reasonable in view of the fairly good work/life balance offered by the firm. As one trainee concisely sums it up: “Working past dinner –– uncommon, working at night –– rare, working weekends –– very rare.” Or, the more verbose version: “The work/life balance is pretty good. Where you can comfortably work until 18:00-19:00pm or so, I’ve often been encouraged to log off and head home and this has been fairly frequent. Of course, there are times where late nights are required which can vary depending on the time of year or a particular deal. When this happens, it is expected that you step up but it is equally appreciated that you have done so.” This praise was universal, and almost all the trainees we spoke with told us that WFW supervisors are “very good at noting your workload and will try to protect you from being overloaded which is appreciated when they themselves are really busy”. (And, if you’re still unsure, make sure you pick an advisory seat over a transactional one).

A “flexible” approach allows trainees to work from home two days per week, but this isn’t unified across departments. Trainees did have a bone or two to pick about the lack of WFH equipment or budget, but judging from the reviews on WFW’s in-office offering, we’re not sure these rookies know what they’re wishing for. A common response from WFW trainees when asked about their technological offering in the past was “We have legal tech?” but now we’re told the firm has started to integrate some AI capacity in the form of Co-Pilot (even if this is still “more or less the extent of the legal tech available”). Laggy laptops, outdated systems and glitchy and bug-filled PDF software “unfortunately still plagues the trainees’ days”, according to our insiders, though at least one was willing to see it as a cup-half full sort of situation: ”the move away from Skype to Teams is very welcome!”

Perhaps the higher-ups at WFW are waiting until 2026, when the firm is packing up its digs at 15 Appold Street and moving to pastures new, at 25 Moorgate. Trainees are set to get the run of the place, as WFW will be the newly refurbished eight storey building’s sole tenant, and the new abode comes equipped with all the bells and whistles. A roof terrace and club space sits atop the eighth floor, whilst the seventh plays home to a staff café with –– you guessed it –– more roof terraces. There’s also a business lounge, bicycle storage and “luxurious” changing rooms, showers and lockers to keep trainees spick and spam. The move couldn’t come sooner for the current cohort who claim that their old digs are “falling apart”. We think they might be exaggerating a little, but with talk of “constant issues with the water taps”, broken coffee machines and “lack of standing desks and modern office equipment”, we can understand why trainees are so keen to settle into their new space!

On the bright side, we’re told that the current canteen offers an “excellent choice of food: healthy salads, full hot meals –– all of which is subsidised.” What’s more, it’s all served in a beautiful atrium dining room with fresh food cooked every day by Italian chefs –– trainees only wish that it was open later!

Environmentally conscious students might be keen to learn that the firm does a lot of work in renewables, and the London office recently managed to reduce its energy usage by 22% at the end of last year.