Weightmans

There’s no such discrepancies with top 40 firm’s recent financials. Net profits climbed an impressive 41.1% to £18 million, while total revenues hit £140 million — a healthy 12% increase on the previous year. The firm’s profit per equity partner (PEP) figure sits at £391,000, and thanks to these record-breaking financial results, all staff pocketed a sizeable £3,000 bonus this year — thanks in part to strong growth across its employment, property litigation and specialty insurance teams.

Traditionally, Weightmans has been known as an insurance firm, primarily focusing on litigation work. It’s carved out a formidable reputation in this field and covers the whole gamut from defending NHS Trusts against clinical negligence claims such as complex brain injury litigation to advising corporates on their insurance needs. The RadcliffesLeBrasseur merger bolstered Weightmans’ already impressive offering in the healthcare and insurance sectors, as well as reaffirming its position as one of the few top national law firms in London offering international private wealth services.

Though a national firm at its core, Weightmans has also built a global network of foreign firms through international networks. These include the invitation-only network of top-tier independent law firms Legalink and Insurance Law Global, which has bases in more than 30 cities across six countries. Unfortunately, this hasn’t translated into international secondment opportunities yet but there is a chance of a client secondment, with clients including the Financial Conduct Authority, NHS Trust, Whittington Hospital and London Ambulance Service.

Weightmans provides “a comprehensive and fulfilling training scheme”, with trainees praising the supportiveness of the Early Careers team and an innovation training programme designed to increase legal tech skills. Potential practice areas include family and private client, employment, corporate, real estate, marine and transit as well as various options within insurance.

One insider details the process and their experience: “A training plan for each seat is agreed with an emphasis on training targets over hours targets (though this is team dependent to some degree). That training plan is reviewed monthly and weekly check-ins (subject to team) are a good way to check-in on capacity and training needs. Different teams offer differing levels of responsibility. A claims seat will offer more freedom (especially if you have a background in claims) over other seats. I have completed a diverse range of admin and fee earning tasks. When doing fee earning, feedback is often given, and colleagues always have time to talk through a piece of work. I have attended client meetings and court hearings. Colleagues will often give you a task with learning in mind as opposed to business need and capacity. In claims seats, you can run your own files if you feel confident enough.”

A couple of rookies report that the level of training can sometimes vary from department to department, but the general consensus seems to be that the firm offers a well-structured programme of development for its newbies. One junior adds that “general training sessions within the firm are relatively frequent – one or two every quarter”, although these are “not the most understandable” for newcomers.

The quality of work “varies from seat to seat but [is] mostly positive “In some departments you can be given really high-quality work and in others it can be more administrative”, insiders say. Examples include “attending conferences and talking to clinicians in healthcare” and “running a couple of small claims matters to trial”. Though the reality of being a trainee comes with “some pretty mundane tasks”, there is “no photocopier in sight”. One insider offers this experience from the frontline: “I have done a seat with the Police team and every case had an interesting set of facts. A lot of responsibility is also given in dealing with counsel, drafting documents and taking on your own caseload depending on the type of work. However, in other insurance-related seats, the set of facts will be very interesting but the work you get involved in might not be as hands-on.”

The firm’s 248 partners are said to be “more than willing to call in to explain anything”, and one trainee notes: “I often find myself chatting to partners at the monthly office socials (sometimes without even realising how senior they are!)” This is unsurprising as the firm scores consistently well for partner approachability in our latest Trainee and Junior Lawyer Survey. According to one trainee, “there is a genuine interest for you to progress and to stay with Weightmans if they can make it happen”. Another trainee says the partners they have encountered so far during their TC are “extremely approachable” and “always willing to give their time to discuss things”, caveating “you do have to be proactive though”.

The work/life balance is apparently “really good”: words that don’t often grace LC reader’s ears. The firm was one of the first to introduce agile working across its offices, and rookies note that “there is a general consensus that as long as you get the work done and hit your targets you are not expected to work late or on weekends.”

In fact, there are apparently no formal hours targets, although one spy reports that departments like claims “will often give you something to work towards”. Another source tells us they “typically log on half an hour ‘early’ and log off on time” and will “occasionally” check emails outside of working time.

Tech-wise, juniors reveal that they do encounter “some issues with day to day tech”, but “the IT team is great at communicating at what issues they are working on and keeping everyone updated on progress”. The firm also has an in-house innovation team who work on developing new tech and trainees are able to do a seat in this area if they wish.

What’s more, Weightmans is constantly developing its AI usage: “Software that can bulk process documents are used and the innovation team is producing a bespoke litigation management system to make routine cases easier and more profitable to run,” explains one trainee. Embracing technology has also helped with becoming more environmentally conscious to match the firm’s “drive to comply with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals”. Notably, this year marked the launch of CyXcel, Weightmans’ new cybersecurity consulting business which helps with data and cybersecurity. The business has been such a success that operations are already being established in North America.

Salary and perks are “probably a bit on the low side compared to similar sized firms”, although there is a “performance-based” cash bonus scheme to boost take-home pay. Perks are limited to “discounts at various retailers, gyms, health assessments, mobile network providers” and, of course, “monthly pizza lunches”. But this does not seem to bother rookies, who value their 28 days annual leave plus bank holidays, the social events on offer (such as the summer party at London’s Oxo Tower) and the strong camaraderie they’ve built with their peers, over anything else. As one trainee put it: “Law firms with perks tend to strike me as a bit gimmicky and usually using the perk to hide a more deep-seated problem (such as poor work/life balance).”

With a history stretching all the way back to the nineteenth century, this is a dynamic firm which keeps developing. Following its recent merger capitalising on long-term investment into office premises, technology and staff, it is surely an exciting time to be at Weightmans.