The Legal Cheek View
One of the oldest law firms in London, tracing its roots back to 1701, Farrer & Co has a long-standing reputation for serving landed gentry and charitable institutions. As a firm once instructed by the likes of Charles Dickens, the Duke of Wellington, and the British Olympic Association (for two separate London Olympic Games), rookies can expect rich history and tradition, with a growing sprinkling of the modern.
Stability is the watchword here — the firm had someone named Farrer as a partner at all times between 1769 and 1999 and has been in the same office in Lincoln’s Inn Fields for 200 years. (Admittedly, some of the 450 staff work elsewhere in Holborn these days.) Farrer experienced change a couple of years back when Anne-Marie Piper retired from the firm and handed the senior partner reins to disputes specialist Jeremy Gordon. During her tenure, Anne-Marie led the firm through a period of significant growth, with profits and headcount increasing 38% and 24% respectively. 2023 also saw the passing of Sir Matthew Farrer, who took over the firm in 1964 following his father’s retirement and advised the late Queen and her family until his retirement in the mid-1990s. He died at 93 following a short illness. And speaking of those Royal connections; rumour has it the late Prince Philip reportedly spoke with lawyers from Farrer & Co over his characterisation in Netflix hit The Crown.
The firm prides itself on building “long relationships” with clients — it got off to a good start with high-end bank Coutts in 1788, for instance. If that all sounds a bit stuffy, remember that it works in your favour: the firm has high retention rates, typically keeping over 90% of its final-seat trainees. And the firm is working increasingly hard to modernise its image.
The most recently disclosed figures put profit per equity partner (PEP) at around £600,000 — still small change by the standards of the average Farrer client, but enough to pay first-year trainees £45,000.
Farrer & Co know what they’re good at, and they’re adept at passing on the accumulated centuries of know-how — insiders describe the training as “exceptional”. The firm reportedly places emphasis on recognising that the trainees are “the future of the firm”, and the smaller size of the trainee cohort (the firm takes on around 10 trainees a year) means that there is “lots of responsibility” on offer. Rookies tell Legal Cheek that they are given mandatory and voluntary sessions “which cover everything from basic law to how the finances of the firm are run” and can also suggest additional sessions based on their experiences.
If you’re not into private client work, this probably isn’t the place to learn your trade, although the firm is now about 50% commercial. Broadly, the firm has five main practice areas — private wealth, businesses, financial services, not-for-profit, and education — so you can expect a suitably varied workload during your time as a trainee. One trainee attested to this, saying they are given “lots of opportunities for legal research into niche, complex areas of law, merits of case analyses, contribution to transaction/case strategy and, on some smaller cases, direct communication with the client”. The firm’s clients are described as “intriguing”, with celebrities, national cultural institutions, owners of landed estates and universities on the firm’s roster. Trainees also have the chance to get their teeth sunk into disputes ranging from “low-value claims to multi-billion-dollar multi-jurisdictional claims”.
The quality of work is another area exalted by the trainees. Their comments speak for themselves: “Farrer boasts some of the most interested and exciting clients — in turn, the work they provide us with is often quirky, unconventional and challenging. It’s one of the great perks of being here”, one trainee boasts, with another adding that “Some trainee tasks are inevitably administrative, however, fee earners will often be keen to get you involved with more interesting tasks wherever possible. At the very least, supervisors will provide context for the work you are doing to demonstrate how you are contributing to the team.” Many applauded the level of confidence the firm has in its trainees, with one saying: “I felt completely trusted from day one by supervisors, from the most senior partners in the firm down to NQ, there is a real institutional memory of what it is like to be a trainee and so we are expected and trusted to do real work.” As one trainee put it: “Sometimes I have to pinch myself that I get to work on some really high profile and interesting matters, many of which are reported in the press.”
The firm’s high scores continue when the trainees were asked about culture at the firm. Whilst the English gentlemen of old who once graced the halls of Farrer & Co may have prided themselves on having a stiff upper lip, nowadays the firm has a much more “supportive, friendly atmosphere”. The trainees described themselves as being “extremely close”, with one saying “the trainees are a great bunch, and we get along brilliantly. They all have the same naff sense of humour as me, it’s fantastic. Another corroborates: “We lunch together most days, always feel comfortable to drop our silly questions in the group chat and pass top tips about varying expectations of teams and partners”.
It appears the supportive atmosphere extends across the firm: “Everyone in the firm is approachable and friendly regardless of superiority or whether you have been formally introduced to them or not” one rookie tells Legal Cheek. Another more cheeky insider reports that “even the most exalted give their time generously”! The open-plan office is said to help trainees quickly build rapport and ease their initial jitters. This environment allows them to become comfortable enough to casually “grab a coffee or a Greggs with the partners”. This appears to be the case both inside and outside of the office, with the “friendly and supportive” partners holding a reputation for being “generally willing to put their card behind the bar for team drinks”. Unsurprisingly, this does not go unappreciated…
The work/life balance is strong with this one: late nights at your desk are said to be “rare and always appreciated”, whilst your weekends are your own and many describe a “lack of face time culture”. A good work/life balance is baked into Farrer’s culture, with trainees telling Legal Cheek that there is a “strong emphasis on work/life balance. People check in to make sure you’re not working too late”. Another adds, “my current supervisor really encourages me to take lunch breaks, not look at emails in the evening and not work on weekends unless absolutely essential, which it usually isn’t.”
The firm continues to operate a hybrid working policy, with a minimum of two days per week in the office, and trainees are given “a generous budget to buy all the equipment needed” for WFH life. Meanwhile, reports on technology at the firm are middling. Rookies note that the “desks and equipment are mostly up to scratch”, but systems can get overwhelmed “especially towards the end of the month when billing comes around”. On the bright side, the facilities team are said to be “quick to respond” when issues do occur. The firm has a strong steering committee looking into how GenAI can be implemented into “what is, ostensibly, a historical firm”, with “some changes afoot”.
The perks are decent — good health insurance, trainee bonuses, a myriad of social clubs from Pilates to cricket and an extra day of holiday at Christmas (called “Farrer Day”) is apparently enough to keep the trainees happy. A good bike storage facility makes cycling more accessible and for those hotter summer days, trainees can make use of the showers and changing rooms to wash off their commute into the office. The firm also boasts “both a restaurant and a café with different vibes, to suit different needs”, with both quite well-utilised. The food is described as “genuinely great” and the menu “very varied” although there are some complaints about price increases in recent times.
Speaking of the office, it’s probably everything you imagine when you think of a firm with roots as old as Farrer & Co has. Situated at the historic Lincoln’s Inn Fields, the firm can trace its origins at the current site as far back as the 18th century. The “beautiful old building” in which the office is housed is certainly a plus for trainees, who describe it as “transmitting a sense of the firm’s history,” and, “much more eye-catching than those dull metallic city skyscrapers”. The firm is equipped with a “more modern suite of client meeting rooms” to reflect its diversifying client base, with the main office part of the building described as “practical and bright”.
The firm’s rookies are also very complimentary of the social life on offer, with one saying “Farrers seems to hire genuinely interesting people with lots of things to talk about. People are always able to find time for a coffee or to arrange lunch/dinner”. BD events are said to be aplenty, with Christmas being a particular highlight, as a firm-wide party was supplemented by department-wide parties. The International Private Wealth Conference at the British Museum isn’t too shabby either and come summertime, the firm’s lawyers can enjoy parties in the courtyard.
Sadly, if you’re looking to spend some of your training contract in an office that isn’t Farrer & Co’s, you may be out of luck. Opportunities seem to be few and far between, but previous survey respondents report stints with the Premier League football club (West London, natch) and the PGA European Tour.
And this historic firm is making sure it’s fit for survival for another 300 years with numerous ESG commitments, including those centred on diversity and inclusion. The office houses a privacy room for nursing parents, as well as a wellness and multi-faith room. “Continuous improvement in environmental performance” was central to the office redevelopment plans, with an emphasis placed on creating workspaces better suited to employee needs in an increasingly digital world. When it comes to green credentials employees seem pleased with the effort being put in, with one saying: “Crucially it’s not all talk and certainly moving in the right direction, a place I am proud to work.”