The partners and their clients are the winners – how do you think they perceive trainees and associates responding to emails until 3am every night? Generally speaking, the lawyers considered their work-life balance not bad for a commercial firm of Addleshaw Goddard’s stature. It’s not surprising that you have to work hard. Yes, he has a big MC name in his CV, but from what I’ve heard he’s now so overburned and exhausted he doesn’t think he’ll continue with the profession. This was a time when there was significantly less competition for TCs and you were automatically offered partnership at 5PQE unless you were consistently negligent. The firm’s partners are pretty friendly. This is a really good point. All the best to those being made redundant at such a horrible time of year and in such uncertain times. The sad part is that no firm ever thinks about its juniors as human beings, it’s so easy for them to just get rid of everyone rather than redistribute people to other departments. I know for a fact it’s not from people working at MCs cause they wouldn’t have a second to spare to get on LegalCheek and would get into bother being seen not working at all hours of the night. My first seat was in a department I had no interest in. I think another thing to factor in is that firms still definitely treat their trainees as if they’re interns who should be overjoyed to work there, even if they’re spending most of their time photocopying after a degree, a masters and the LPC. 272 likes. I would be further along in my career now had I never done the TC at all. Commercial firm Addleshaw Goddard seems a happy ship, rating highly for supportive peers in the 2020-21 Legal Cheek Trainee and Junior Lawyer Survey. There is this assumption that its fine that a trainee really doesn’t build up a whole lot of knowledge during their TC because the firm expects you will stay in the firm forever and you can learn it later. Of course, there’s always that slight chance that at some point somewhere firms will get so desperate that they will take in retrains. After qualifying, I left the firm as I couldn’t bear the thought of making them money whilst they’ve lied to me for 2 years straight and basically tried to make me into their little puppet. It should also be a requirement, upon starting a TC that a written agreement is signed between the firm and a trainee clearly outlining which seats have been agreed. Or you’ll be so overworked and overstretched that its impossible to produce decent work, and you’ll be punished for that too. Use one of the buttons below to sign in or create a new account. Kafeel Azher Associate (Employment) at Addleshaw Goddard London. If you’re ready to join us, you can apply for one of our training contracts. I know the exit wasn’t chosen by those made redundant in this article, but as LC has a large grad rec focus I’m surprised they haven’t talked about this more already. that’s very sad jaded by law – are you sure you cannot change specialism at all? Now we waste 2 years of our lives doing meaningless stuff for a firm that doesn’t care about you and get stuck with whatever presets they chose for us… Where’s the logic in this? Dentons, meanwhile, announced its own redundancy consolation last month, which could affect up to 24 lawyers across its UK offices. I know that this is what honest every retreat will say, but I also know people who have done so recently up to 3-4 yrs pqe – including myself. I don’t know how much AG pay their associates but for me, taking home 20-30k less per year but knowing I would be home to cook dinner with my partner every night or be able to meet friends who have the fortune of working 9-5 somewhere interesting (and would pretty much never have to work on the weekend) was a trade off worth making. There’s a popular term in the investment banking world – “exit opportunities”. Paid Partnership Trainee solicitor Michael Kennedy reveals why Addleshaw Goddard Graduates is upfront about the limitations of artificial intelligence “You have the chance to work on everything from small local deals to large international work and nothing is ever dull,” says one. The firm has a strong interest in tech, and offers trainees a six-month lawtech seat working alongside lawyers and technologists to develop products in its innovation and legal technology group. The multidisciplinary Addleshaw Goddard practice combines lawyers and senior compliance professionals to provide legal, compliance, conduct, risk and governance support. Amy Winchester. The only people who clock off at 6/7 are the folk in Planning, Pensions and other similarly small teams. I believe we both know it’s not something that happens too often. On Thursday 29 November Legal Cheek is partnering with Addleshaw Goddard for an evening of commercial awareness discussion and networking with its lawyers and graduate recruitment team at the firm’s Manchester office. Anna recently returned to the team having spent 10 months on secondment to a clearing bank's restructuring team. On the evening of Tuesday 26 November lawyers from the Leeds office of global law firm Addleshaw Goddard will gather at Legal Cheek’s latest student event to consider what we can expect from the Northern Powerhouse economy of the 2020s – and to mull the … End Time: 17:00. Start Time: 14:00. Unfortunately, there aren’t many firms that truly look after their own people. My point is if firms get a trainee who has interests and knows (or think they know) what area they want to specialise in – give them the chance to see that in practice. Regardless of your background, if you’re motivated by the prospect of joining Addleshaw Goddard, we look forward to your application. Many of the world's most recognised and respected businesses – including 43 FTSE100 clients in the last two years – come to Addleshaw Goddard to deliver just that kind of simple answer. You’re not a loser just because people far older and more experienced are earning more than you on a deal. Another trainee comments: “AG on the whole is incredibly approachable and supportive. They were so amazed they took me of a few months before their usual trainee intake would start. My 4th seat was basically a repeat of my 1st seat…. Our Innovation and Legal Technology Team was formed three years ago and blends technology and legal expertise and is fully integrated into our business. My second seat was a choice between 2 departments I had absolutely no interest in. AG were hiring loads just before the pandemic. Now, I overhear vac scheme participants and law fair students muttering about how they have no interest in being a private practice solicitor, at my firm or otherwise, but rather want to either go in house at one of our clients or transition out of law practice all together, often right on qualification. Newly qualified lawyers receive £75,000 (London), £45,000 (Leeds and Manchester) and £42,000 (Scotland), and this year the firm retained 33 out of 37 of its autumn qualifying trainees and all 11 of its spring qualifying cohort. Very refreshing. Honestly from where I am now, I would not advise a young person to go into law for exactly the reasons you’ve described – you simply don’t know what you’re getting and it may prove to be extremely difficult to get out into something good. Otherwise, “day-to-day, we learn on the job with clear instructions and feedback,” a rookie reports. Indeed. I didn’t get the seats I wanted and was lumped into banking and you realise that your fate is beyond your control. ... Addleshaw Goddard advises Nplus1 Singer on essensys Initial Public Offering. It’s very depressing really. Point is – these big names, big firms, they may pay you a wage that you think is amazing (probably only because you’ve never earned that much before), but once you get to see the real life and the real practice, you soon realise no amount of money is worth what’s being taken away from you. This again brings me to my previous point about locking ourselves into one particular area of law which makes it very difficult for people to tweak their careers. Surely, if you manage to graduate, get those degrees, pass your TC, it should be accepted that we can go into a new field (not having had a seat in it during TC) and learn it on the way just as well? It works out in the end though. I wanted one practice area, I would happily do my other seats in whatever random shite they wanted me to do so long as I got that one seat. Addleshaw Goddard keeps 33 out of 37 autumn qualifying trainees. Do they think you’re a winner or a sucker? © Copyright 2021 Legal Cheek Ltd. All Rights Reserved. But honestly, I think people seriously forget that big company names do not equal good practices or good knowledge. Now I am qualified, I can only get a role within the 4 areas I did my TC in (none of which I find midly interesting or stimulative), no firm wants to take an NQ who had no previous seat in that particular field. “Some (but not many) trainees manage to leave at six on the dot every day.”. We know that this has been a very difficult and uncertain period for many of the team and these decisions have been reached only after the most careful and thorough consideration.”. I think a lot of firms have used the pandemic as an excuse to get rid of people but as you say – did they really give those people a chance to succeed? If the SRA really cared about junior lawyers they would make it possible for trainees to report firms like this. Josh Gorman. Contact Details Chambers and Partners No.3 Waterhouse Square 138 Holborn London, United Kingdom EC1N 2SW View in maps Contact Us I was a career changer into law in my late 20s, transferring from the energy sector which is a sector my firm has a practice group in. The Legal 500 UK. You get into a firm that promises you the world and an amazing career, you get in and see it was a complete lie, and the first opportunity they get – you’re out. Associate (Finance) at Addleshaw Goddard LLP Greater Leeds Area. Or you’ll be left doing mindless, repetitive tasks that don’t build meaningful skills. Having spoken to the trainee there, they were merely having a read over and sending comments to the associate who’d deal with the substantive drafting whereas I was responsible for the whole doc itself!”. By this point, I was fuming inside because I couldn’t change anything and I fully understood that all these seats will not give me the kind of future and practice I imagined. Following a nine month secondment in 2011 to a clearing bank Anna moved to the London Restructuring team in 2011. Trainees may be given further specific training, and will also attend any training session the department holds. © Copyright 2021 Legal Cheek Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Re advising not to go into law: depending on the outcomes of any real market research into the exit opportunities that I queried, perhaps a TC at a MC/SC/US/other big brand City firm may be the perfect thing to recommend to students with little to no interest in private practice law… first couple years are going to be photocopying, creating powerpoint slides and checking signature blocks no matter where you wind up. The open-plan layout means you are always learning from your surroundings, and get to know senior members of the team fairly quickly.”, Prior to each seat, trainees are given at least a day of training to bring them up to speed with the basic concepts involved. By contrast if you’re in prop lit this is not likely to be a quiet time for you. Part of this strategy involves its "Client Development Centre (CDC)," an innovative idea and set of services launched by Dr. Jim Hever who holds a … There is so much luck involved in a legal career – right trainee seats, right mentors, firm performing well at times you need it to, partnership prospects and rivals appearing/disappearing at the right points, health (mental and physical) holding out throughout the process of working your way up. Back to your Zoom lecture on Admin Law you go. Amy Winchester. These things can happen to anyone. Overburning and complete physical and mental exhaustion is a real issue in this profession and a real threat if you end up with the wrong employer. To address some of the comments above and as someone previously at AG, can confirm that the hours for corporate/finance associates is pretty much the same as the hours found in MC and US firms – only difference is you’re taking a 20-70K hit on salary depending on seniority. People practise in the provinces because they are not good enough to be in London. Alternatively, you can use your email address to get started. A lot of what juniors do in mid-market firm RE teams is asset management churn – has the marquee acquisition/development pipeline stalled? This is especially true of the partners, often I found myself working directly with the partners on transactions.” Overall, survey respondents’ comments are scattered with words such as “friendly”, “sociable” and “easy going”. 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