The Legal Cheek View
Meet the firm at Legal Cheek’s upcoming November UK Virtual Law Fair on Tuesday 19 November 2024
Corporate law firms often struggle to differentiate themselves, but Burges Salmon genuinely stands out from the crowd with a model that sees it do a large amount of City of London work mostly from Bristol. Pair that with a renowned reputation for niceness, some environmentally friendly honey-bees and the odd MasterChef appearance (no, they didn’t make salmon — or burgers) and you’re onto a winner according to Legal Cheek insiders.
Despite one of the firm’s lawyers narrowly missing out on MasterChef glory, Burges Salmon is firmly in the ascension when it comes to firmwide revenues, as a 7% rise took the firm’s top line to £128 million this year. The latest available profit per equity partner (PEP) figures show the firm’s top brass take home around £470,000 each year, and the most recent promotion round saw 19 make partner across the London, Bristol and Edinburgh offices.
Trainees receive “a very diverse range of work” with “a real emphasis on the key sector approach”, one insider reports. As another rookie details: “The work is a real mixture — I have been involved in drafting applications and letters to the court and attending interesting client calls, but also document review will never be stimulating…” Trainees in larger departments tend to get more of the typical trainee tasks like proof-reading and note taking but we’re assured that “more senior colleagues and solicitors are always keen to get trainees involved in interesting projects or tasks and try to find ways to bring them into the fold.”
Luckily, the firm’s impressive clientele list makes up for these slightly less stimulating tasks, with Burges Salmon recently working on a €10 million loan to help support the Ukraine recovery effort, as well as advising on a £100 million funding platform to help accelerate zero-emission bus network efforts across the UK. Other recent headline work includes a £16 million Post Office contract, and names such as John Lewis, Virgin and the PGA Tour have all turned to Burges Salmon when in need of legal guidance.
Trainees have reported of “excellent”, albeit not particularly numerous, secondments — to Burges Salmon’s international alliance firms in Copenhagen, Brussels and Paris — in recent years. Client secondments to big name companies including BP and EDF Energy as well as organisations including the National Crime Agency are also becoming more common.
The six-seat (rather than the typical four) trainee rotation model is highly regarded, with the training — which is consistently top-rated in the Legal Cheek Trainee and Junior Lawyer Survey — described as “second to none” thanks to “regular training sessions specific to the department you are in as well as a generally good level of support from supervisors”. In three adjectives, the training is “consistent, well planned and practical” – though this can be seat-dependent. High levels of responsibility are a prominent theme, with supervisors said to be “keen to get trainees involved in substantive work and ensure we get a varied and broad experience” and “generally happy to answer any questions”. Target chargeable hours are also left relatively low for trainees, allowing them to invest time in their development.
The trainee cohort, meanwhile, is said to be “one big team pulling in the same direction” with this rookie confirming that they are “yet to meet an a***hole in 2.5 years. “Trainees all get along like a house on fire and there’s always a group to join at lunch. We’re all very supportive of each other, and keen to share information and get thoughts from different departments on what everyone’s up to” summarised one new recruit. Another junior tells us: “The firm’s culture is amazing. Everyone in the firm is really supportive and that permeates throughout the firm. I look forward to coming into the office every day.”
Rookies across the board praise the firm’s openness and how senior members actively spur on trainees. “Lawyers at Burges Salmon are truly a great bunch. I’m consistently encouraged to take on more challenging work, invited along to important internal and external meetings and never feel scared to put my hand up when I’m lost or have made a mistake.” Trainees also praise the open-door policy, informing us that they’re “actively encouraged to go to colleagues in person and chat about work when in the office instead of exchanging emails.”
When not in the office, there’s lots to get involved in “from volunteer days and sports events to Christmas parties and a trainee weekend away”. There’s also a “BSocial committee which organises social events, for example theatre trips, games nights and pottery painting” according to our inside sources. Pizza lunches, rounders tournament, football, hockey, running and board-game clubs, and regular after work drinks make up the rest of the activities on offer at this friendly firm.
To add to the utopian vibe, Burges Salmon’s office spaces are said to be “outstanding”. Well, at least London and Edinburgh are. The HQ in Bristol, which is nestled by the river just a couple of minutes’ walk from Temple Meads railway station, is now “slightly dated” but a refurb is ongoing. One advantage the Bristol base still has over its compatriots is an “elite” glassworks canteen (equipped with a coffee-bar of course) which is apparently better than many top restaurants – and cheaper too! “Bakery-quality cakes for £1.30 — who could say no?” an insider reports. The “delicious salad bar, good food, and plenty of tasty pastries, sweet treats and snacks” has left trainees very satisfied with their daily dining experience, and there’s even a breakfast on offer for you early-birds, “with cooked options as well as a yoghurt bar to choose from.” A weekly ‘cake trolley’ coupled with “fantastic stroop waffles” augments the culinary experience. And even the firm coffee is said to be “excellent” (single use cups have been dropped in a bid to “be more eco-friendly”). “I don’t even cook any more, the catering is so good”, another satisfied trainee adds. For any City rookies wanting a taste, business train trips to and from Bristol are in first class – even for trainees.
Many of these much-loved pastries were even offered as freebies (e.g., free doughnuts on a Thursday and free cakes on a Friday) to lure trainees back to the office following widespread remote working. However, this luxury has since been reversed to the disappointment of many. This comes off the back of “fantastic” agile working experiences for most rookies who are provided with “surface books, mobile phones, additional screens, risers, desk chairs, remote keyboard and mouse” plus any extras you might desire whilst working from home, which trainees can do up to two days a week.
On the tech-front, juniors are said to be using “AI more and more” with an opportunity to do a seat in legal tech. Plus we hear the business solutions team promotes lawtech potential and offers clients “bespoke legal app solutions”. “We have lots of tools available, regular IT training and a team dedicated to developing our legal tech offering,” explains one spy.
Some tensions, however, arise in relation to the work/life balance with the firm to a certain extent becoming a victim of its own success. “Hours are creeping up across all teams which leads to feelings that the firm is walking a fine line between London hours on a Bristol salary,” one source informs us. “It varies between departments, but late work can be expected at short notice due to a lack of communication at times which can make it hard to plan activities around work. The hours aren’t like Magic Circle, but can be close on exceptional weeks” added another City trainee.
Some have had a more positive experience: “There is no pressure to stay on at work once you have submitted your work for the day. If early evening comes and you’ve completed what you need to that day then there’s no expectation or requirement to stay at your desk” said one. “Generally excellent, but there are obviously busy periods in which it is non-existent,” another explains. “On the whole good but it does ebb and flow. The occasional midnight finish is to be expected, but this is not a regular occurrence. I was in the office at 8pm the other week and a partner came in to check I was okay (and sent me home!).” In summary, “there will always be late night but the hours in general are reasonable especially given the salary” according to one-level headed rookie. Trainee rates currently sit at £47,000, increasing to £49,000 in the second year of the training contract.
Aside from offering the highest market pay outside of London, perks include a standard package of private healthcare, a cycle to work scheme and free bike maintenance, season ticket loans, and the opportunity to take development courses such as language lessons in French, German, Italian, Spanish and Mandarin!
The firm is pushing to cut their emissions down 50% by 2030 and a BSustainable committee has been established to promote Green Week and other environmentally conscious events throughout the firm. The Bristol office also plays host to a colony of bees supported by a local business and last year’s inaugural honey harvest yielded 100 jars of the golden stuff!