We recruit 15 trainees each year. Our trainees are rotated through four six-month seats in either litigation (including reinsurance and general insurance), corporate, commercial and technology, banking, property, tax and employment and pensions, aerospace and shipping This ensures that they are provided with a mixture of contentious and non-contentious experience.

Every effort is made to accommodate a trainee's preference for a particular seat or type of work, and there may be opportunities to spend time in our overseas offices or on secondment with one of our clients.

Responsibility comes early to our trainees, who deal with clients regularly and are expected to assist in practice development and client care. At the same time, we provide mentorship and all our trainees are appointed a supervisor in each seat with whom they share a room.

Besides a full induction programme, we operate an extensive training programme throughout the duration of the training contract and beyond qualification, supplemented by on-the-job learning.

The compulsory Professional Skills Course (PSC) consists of three core modules. These are finance & business skills, advocacy & communication skills, and client care & professional standards.  The rest of the PSC is made up of electives, which include 'Getting the Most Out of Client Events/Entertainment', 'Dealing with Difficult Situations', and 'Effective Business Writing'.

Whilst our firm is relatively large, we have a friendly and informal atmosphere. Regular sporting and social events ensure that all of our people have a chance to meet and stay in contact with each other.

Our sport teams include football, netball, speednet, hockey, squash, rugby, tennis and cricket. In addition, our firm offers subsidised gym membership. For the musically-inclined, we also have our own choir.

We are involved in several pro bono activities, including working with the Citizens' Advice Bureau at the Royal Courts of Justice and a school reading project. Pro bono work gives an interesting contrast to what can otherwise be an all-consuming commercial perspective to work. It also helps trainees to develop invaluable interpersonal skills.