The Legal Cheek View
Medium-sized Wedlake Bell has rated consistently well in the Legal Cheek Trainee and Junior Lawyer Survey over the years. The small number of trainees recruited this year rate the firm’s training very highly. Rookies enjoy “lots of responsibility to project manage and run small matters” and are able gain exposure to real ‘lawyering’ early on. One rookie told us that the training style can depend on team size, with the larger ones offering “more structure and higher quality training,” and smaller teams more likely to encourage trainees to learn by doing.
On the whole, supervisors were rated as approachable and encouraging and, most importantly, they’re said to “respect the contribution and input of juniors and trainees”. “This is one of the most supportive work environments I’ve ever worked in,” one trainee explained. “I did not expect a City firm to be so warm. People care about people here as well as the law.” The same rings true at trainee level; there is apparently “no sense that trainees are in competition with each other”, a sentiment echoed by a number of insiders.
Admin work at trainee level, however, is inescapable and the quality of work at Wedlake Bell is said to vary slightly by department, but this is usually balanced out by the more interesting stuff. As one trainee reports: “there is inevitably some more routine/administrative work, but I am consistently given more complex and higher-level tasks (including ownership over workstreams where appropriate), and am a visible and client-facing contact on deals, often dealing with much more senior counterparts.”
Like many of London’s smaller commercial outfits, Wedlake Bell has a big real estate division, and also does a lot of private client work. Wannabe lawyers who aren’t into leases and wills should perhaps consider looking elsewhere. So too should jet-setting trainees — although WB does have a network of independent law firms it works with, alongside an international employment law subsidiary ‘iGlobal Law’, there are currently no international secondment options on offer.
That’s all right: you’ll be too busy painting the City red to worry about overseas excursions. This is where the work-life balance comes into its own: “I appreciate being able to finish at 6pm on most days — definitely a rarity across the City!” beamed one insider. Another added that “boundaries are respected and it is not expected that trainees are available absolutely all of the time.” While leaving times vary, Wedlakers can almost always bank on finishing by about 7pm. That means being able to plan evening and weekend activities — something trainees don’t appreciate until they’re stuck in the Magic Circle with no plans or hobbies for years on end. The trade-off is time versus money — a newly qualified (NQ) solicitor salary of £78,000 is no match for a Magic Circle NQ.
The social life at Wedlake Bell is positively pumping (for a law firm), with one trainee telling us that “organised social events are frequent, both firmwide and in teams, and these are well-attended and good fun.” Highlights include “monthly firm drinks”, a “ski trip in winter and walking trip in summer” and “the odd theatre trip”. What’s more, the firm is reportedly “generous at these events”, with one junior concluding that they are “seen as important by management”. The only grumble amongst the recruits we spoke with was that they couldn’t spend even more time with their peers, with the firm’s impromptu Thursday night social scene lacking somewhat.
The perks are decent too: plenty of chatter about the freebie bowls of porridge in the morning and the salad and soup bar for lunch and a day off on your birthday. There’s also the more standard private medical, dental and season ticket loans to prop this up. Newbies especially like “breakfast and drinks on terrace” with one claiming “the rooftop terrace is the best perk we have.”
Wedlake Bell has around 80 partners at the time of writing. There was a significant merger with Cumberland & Ellis in 2012 as well as the acquisition of Moon Beever, Stitt & Co in the not so distant past. These tie-ups seem to have boosted an operation that struggled for profitability at the turn of the decade: in the most recent accounts, revenue was up 12% from £44.4 million to £50 million, and profit climbed a healthy 6% to reach £16.7 million. A good time for newly appointed senior partner Camilla Wallace to take the reins.
Despite expanding, the size of Wedlake Bell is still pretty manageable, so newbies report a “culture of approachability” which “doesn’t feel hierarchical”. The firm itself says there’s “room to be noticed”, which isn’t necessarily the case in firms with dozens or even hundreds of trainees.
WB’s hub in the City is apparently “very convenient[ly]” located, the “client floor is smart”, and whilst being described as “nothing special”, the office is said to be “modern and has everything you need”. The space also boasts a “great roof terrace” offering “staggering” views of St Pauls and the surroundings. There isn’t a proper canteen serving hot food, but we’re told there are occasional “chef’s table lunches” where an on-site chef whips up a themed lunch.
As for agile working, the firm’s policy is that trainees are encouraged to attend the office at least four days a week with some expected in five. Trainees aren’t too upset with this since the policy was “made clear to us from the outset” and “supervisors are usually in the office”, making attendance worthwhile. Rookies are also provided with a monitor, headphone, mouse and a “surplus of cash” to spend on any WFH necessities. Though at least one recruit is “looking forward to more flexibility post qualification.”
Legal tech receives mixed reviews in our latest survey — one trainee endorses the many “tools and systems to make lives easier”, which are “generally well-integrated” with “adoption pretty high”. However, the same rookie goes on to suggest that the tech is “let down by the dreaded Surface Pros”, while another reports “minor inconveniences often”.
On the other hand, the firm scores well for its environmental performance, particularly in its drive towards net-zero emissions. The firm has partnered with Carbon Partner Auditel to measure and reduce its carbon footprint over time.