The Legal Cheek View
This is the Watson Farley & Williams profile for those considering solicitor apprenticeships. Students looking to apply for training contracts should check out Legal Cheek’s main Watson Farley & Williams profile.
Watson Farley & Williams (WFW), a major player in the maritime industry, made its debut in the solicitor apprenticeship space in 2025. Originally founded as a boutique firm in 1982, WFW has since expanded, offering new recruits opportunities to work in its core sectors: energy, infrastructure, and transport, as well as its growing expertise in aviation finance and renewable energy.
We sat down with current WFW apprentices to get the inside scoop on what life as an apprentice is really like. Asked why they chose the solicitor apprenticeship route to qualification, one insider tells us “I really loved the idea of working while studying. It’s a very unique opportunity to apply legal concepts to real legal work. For example, I saw what contracts look like while simultaneously learning Contract Law at university”. Another apprentice was drawn in by the head start an apprenticeship can offer commenting, “I wanted to work on large and complex deals from the beginning of my career.”
The firm’s energy expertise is certainly a big pull for school-leavers. “I’m particularly intrigued by renewable energy because I see it becoming a huge area, especially with plans to reach net zero by 2050,” one current apprentice says. Apprentices describe WFW as “a leading firm” in this area, describing its lawyers as “very good at what they do”. For other apprentices, it was WFW’s international network that appealed. “The firm’s international reach is something apprentices benefit greatly from as we are able to complete an international secondment at one of these offices,” according to one insider.
Apprentices at WFW begin their journey in the non-legal areas of the business. In the first year, recruits complete two six-month rotations in teams such as compliance, knowledge & learning, or innovations, which apprentices say, “helps provide a unique opportunity to understand the firm’s wider operations and culture from the outset and generally provides a strong foundation for future fee-earning work.” After this below-deck experience, apprentices get their first exposure to legal work. During years two, three, and four of the six-year programme, they rotate annually across the firm’s core practice areas, including real estate, corporate, and more.
In the final two years of WFW’s apprenticeship programme, experienced recruits transition to a ‘quasi-training contract.’ During the fifth year, apprentices will begin the same practice area rotations as the firm’s graduate trainees. This involves six four-month seat rotations over the last two years. Adventurous apprentices will also have the chance to spend four months on an international secondment in one of WFW’s sunny offices in Athens, Bangkok, Dubai, Frankfurt, Paris, or Singapore. This opportunity to bond with WFW rookies from across the globe is something apprentices are particularly “excited” about.
The training at WFW has received good reviews from our insiders. One praises “the combination of regular feedback, and strong mentoring alongside a genuine focus on professional development and a supportive work environment”, while another reveals that “the early careers team has been very receptive and accommodating, which makes me feel heard.” While being supported by the firm, we hear that even first-year apprentices are given good levels of responsibility. A spy we spoke to tells Legal Cheek, “in the knowledge team, I helped with the law reports which were sent out to the whole firm via email. Knowing that my work has a wider impact keeps me motivated!”
On the education front, apprentices spend the first four years of the programme working towards a part-time law degree, devoting one day a week to studying. In the final two years, the emphasis shifts to preparing for the Solicitors Qualifying Exams (SQE), with the goal of becoming fully qualified solicitors by the end of the six-year pathway.
“So far, balancing work and study has been fairly manageable,” an insider reveals. “Although balancing professional and academic commitments can be challenging at times, effective organisation and excellent support from the firm and colleagues has greatly limited difficulties in this”. Balancing a job at a top law firm with learning tricky legal concepts is not easy, however. Legal Cheek hears that “discipline and organisation are crucial” to making this work.
When apprentices aren’t navigating the demands of university studies or legal work, they can experience a variety of internal networks that regularly host social events, offering plenty of chances to let off steam with colleagues. Whether it’s connecting with their communities in the MOSAIC network or joining the PROUD and We Further Women networks, recruits can network with colleagues and strengthen ties within the wider WFW community. “A huge strength of the firm is how approachable and friendly everyone is,” says one apprentice. For those looking to dive into extracurricular activities, sporty rookies can test the waters with the firm’s football and netball clubs. We also hear on the grapevine that this year’s annual WFW European tournament will see sporty colleagues fly off to sunny Rome to compete against their European WFW office rivals.
To sum up, we asked our apprentice insiders for the advice they would give current sixth formers who are looking to follow in their footsteps. Researching the firm and the work it does is your first step. “Linking the firm’s expertise to yourself and your own experiences really helps you stand out,” says one apprentice. An awareness of the wider commercial world is also essential. As one WFW rookie put it,”a law firm is a business, so it’s good to be aware of how different factors can impact it.” As parting advice, one of our sources recommends “volunteering or having a part-time job so you can gain skills like teamwork and attention to detail.”
This is Watson Farley & Williams’ Solicitor Apprenticeship profile. Read Watson Farley & Williams’ full Legal Cheek profile here.