Ashurst

A training contract here inevitably involves doing something within one of Ashurst’s five key industries — banks & private capital; real estate; infrastructure; energy & resources; and the digital economy — which account for over 85% of the firm’s total revenue. Trainees tell us that this means working with “top tier clients in global markets (think the biggest investment banks in the world) with exposure to clients right from the off”.

The work “is usually very high quality with lots of opportunities to try new things”, and process-driven tasks are typically outsourced to Ashurst’s wider legal delivery team. In fact, the firm has recently expanded its capacity to do just this, with a new Ashurst Advance hub in Krakow working alongside its ‘NewLaw’ companions in Glasgow and Brisbane to support Ashurst lawyers with their workloads.

Teams in advisory seats are given extra plaudits for “making a concerted effort to provide engaging tasks for trainees”, whereas disputes can apparently “be dry with lots of bundling and admin”. “There will be a certain amount of ‘trainee’ tasks that are slightly more admin-focused but essential for learning how things work,” one TC veteran explains,, but that doesn’t stop “some of the biggest and best deals in the market” coming across newbies’ desks.

Another rookie offers the following lowdown on the day-to-day at Ashurst: “The work is really interesting and super diverse — none of my days are the same, which is great. The associates and partners are great about fully explaining the matter before assigning work so that you have context, making the more admin tasks interesting also. It isn’t uncommon to be working on something and then see it in the news soon after which is really exciting. Disputes (corporate crime) is a growing area of the firm, so I am able to get involved in lots of BD work, such as helping with our podcast series and getting involved in drafting regulatory updates, all of which have been really great for my development.”

Back in the still relatively new London Fruit and Wool Exchange office, Ashurst takes on around 40 trainees each year. “Best firm office I’ve seen and in the least boring bit of the City,” summarises one content rookie. A stones-throw from the delicacies of Spitalfields Market (and an interactive Van Gogh exhibit) Ashurst’s “unique” office space is “a privilege to work in,” according to the insiders we spoke to. “Stunning terraces on multiple floors with views over Spitalfields Church, in-house exercise studio, on-site GP, wellbeing suite with physiotherapy and counselling rooms” — what more could you ask for? Well maybe some “really nice tea and coffee stations and social spaces” alongside “spacious, quiet and light” office spaces? Just try to avoid doing a finance seat on the first floor in winter as trainees here report feeling “like you can go weeks without sunlight”!

Thankfully, the training programme itself looks very bright: “First class training in every seat, both on the job and classroom-style. If you show an interest the team makes an effort to give you more opportunities to develop your skills” said one. Insiders praise the two-week induction at the start of the training contract which covers “lots of basics”, as well as the “department-specific classroom learning which has been so beneficial for professional development”. More formalised sessions are delivered at the start of each seat, with the length of training varying depending on the complexity of the seat. Global Markets, for instance, is said to run training for a number of weeks. Trainees were also full of praise for the more informal teaching delivered by their supervisors, with one sharing that “supervisors are very mindful of the high level of training at the start of seats and try to ease you into the day-to-day work accordingly.” This can often mean direct contact with partners, but it can also mean some department-dependent teaching; as one sage recruit notes: “just because someone is a good lawyer, does not mean they are a good teacher.”

Luckily, supervisors and superiors alike are said to be “by and large very approachable with occasional exceptions”. One spy claims that they “can’t imagine the partners at a major commercial law firm being more approachable than ours”. Seniors are said to be “genuinely available on deals” and will make an “effort to find out how you’re finding your time” — “No big egos and everyone is approachable and down to earth. More importantly, they really want to listen and understand any concerns you have”. One TC vet even reports meeting their supervisors for drinks after each of their seat rotations is over.

The love-in continues at trainee level with many recruits lauding their peers as “the best part of the training contract” or “the best group of people in the City”. One recruit gushed: “I’ve felt nothing but support, encouragement and friendship from my peers and they are one of the best things about working at Ashurst”. Echoing this, another tells us: “We have quite a big trainee cohort so we’re able to really support each other through all of the various learning adjustments and changes that we go through. Everyone is really friendly and compatible so it makes for a great environment to learn and grow.” The graduate recruitment team also receives praise for remembering the name of every new hire “(40+ a year!)”.

Thursday drinks every evening and regular trainee socials help foster a cordial vibe along the Ashurst hallways, and trainees are even said to have lunch together most days. On the social life, one junior offered this, “Pretty good overall, social committees try to vary the type of socials, so it’s not always based around drinking and there’s been a recent focus on more active socials (e.g. run clubs, yoga (at the in-house studio or on the terrace), rugby, netball, driving range)”. And if that doesn’t tickle your fancy, how about a highlight summer party at Notting Hill’s best Mexican-Japanese restaurant Los Mochis?

Unfortunately, it’s not five-star fusion everyday, as the Ashurst canteen is said to “excel only at being decidedly average”. There is a salad bar, various hot and cold food options and even a make your own pizza station, but grumbles around the portion size and quality over the past few years has led to mixed reviews. One kinder trainee/critic gave this summary, “free lunch Monday is a nice encouragement to come into the office, and the menus regularly have fun themes and tons of options at a subsidised price”.

Besides free lunch Mondays, other perks include a subsidised gym membership with free in-house classes at lunchtime, free drinks on a Thursday, an on-site GP and physio, access to wellbeing apps like Headspace, free dinner and taxi home if working late, the odd bottle of champagne in finance seats, and health insurance. Sizeable discounts on healthy food at Waitrose and holidays through lastminute.com are also appreciated.

Work/life balance is “as you would expect from a City law firm”, with “predictably long hours” and evening plans Monday to Thursday said to be “generally unrealistic”. That being said, the spies we spoke to were unanimous in their opinion that weekend work was relatively rare with one recruit claiming, “I have worked one weekend so far in almost 18 months, and that was only half of a Sunday. I usually log off by 8pm and most teams are respectful of your plans.” Another gave this detailed insight, “Hours are very team-specific and depend on your own organisation and time-management. The flexibility afforded by working from home also helps trainees to manage their own time, with many leaving the office at a reasonable time to go to the gym/go for dinner, logging back in from home later in the evening. Trainees are trusted to be autonomous and responsible with their time and supervisors are genuinely relaxed provided work gets completed well and on time. All of my supervisors have emphasised the lack of “face-time” culture and I have been told to go home at 5pm many times when I have completed my work for the day.” Recruits also noted that the balance was much better in some of the smaller teams, with larger areas like finance and corporate offering more predictably unstable hours.

The working from home setup is 60:40, so trainees and lawyers can work from home two days a week which “works very well”, according to one junior. Opinions on Ashurst’s WFH support are positive overall. “It’s pretty good,” says one junior. “You get a £250 stipend for any equipment when you start, and you can work from home at least two days a week but I’ve found that this varies between departments/supervisors.” There’s also a 24/7 IT support network on hand for any issues.

Not that Ashurst lawyers regularly encounter tech problems, as the firm makes a very conscious effort to stay “ahead of the curve” on legal tech — most recently rolling out generative AI tool Harvey to all staff. Ashurst Advance has also been considered a success, and “is not just an isolated, external facing project but has also expanded within the firm to influence the tech we use day-to-day and the tech available to improve the way we work”. Whilst recruits say there is still work to be done in this space, juniors get the sense that “this is an area the firm is pushing to improve in” and all Ashurst employees are encouraged to help with this by submitting efficiency-boosting ideas.

And the cherry on top of the Ashurst cake? The range of international secondment options, which around one-third of trainees enjoy each year. Hong Kong, Madrid, Tokyo, Paris, Brussels, Dubai — throw a dart on a map and you probably won’t be too far off one of Ashurst’s 31 office spaces, many of which jet-setting recruits find themselves in during their TC. On the client side, trainees have spent time at Goldman Sachs, BP, Barclays and Credit Suisse. The firm also has some “great policies and external pro bono initiatives in place” on the environment front.