Slaughter and May

In spite of its reputed profitability, Slaughters has been reluctant in recent years to keep up with its Magic Circle compatriots when it comes to lower level pay. Although the firm did eventually match pay hikes to bring trainee and NQ salaries in line with the rest of the Magic Circle, it was the last to do so. The firm has been increasingly building its pitch to new talent, not around salaries, but around being a nice working environment. Slaughters’ “Switch On/Off working model” allows associates to reduce their hours to a 0.8 or 0.9 full time equivalent for a corresponding cut in pay and holiday, and the firm’s 30-day holiday allowance is more generous than most in the City. This emphasis on work-life balance has certainly been felt at trainee level, as at least one rookie has been “very pleasantly surprised” by their working hours which they’ve claimed are “much better than the rest of the Magic Circle!” Others caveat this, adding that it’s still “not a 9-5 job” and there is still some work to be done one weekend (as well as the odd “ungodly night” here and there) “but otherwise not terrible” according to our sources.

Another spy gave us this run-down: “I feel my work/life balance is very good for a Magic Circle law firm. Inevitably there are busy periods involving many late nights. However, there are also quiet periods where there is no expectation for me to stay late if I have no work to be doing. I’ve worked very few weekends and that has generally been only for an hour or two over the entire weekend. Most associates and senior people are very good at protecting trainees’ weekends and holidays, and they definitely encourage you to make the team aware of any important evening commitments. All of my supervisors have also been happy for me to relocate home, go to the gym etc, and log back on after to finish any work (unless the work is extremely urgent).”

And it is clear that the work isn’t half bad either. As one sardonic recruit notes: “despite hating many of the things the firm does, I enjoy the work too much to consider leaving. I think the work I would do elsewhere would be significantly less stimulating.” This was a sentiment echoed by many trainees (loving the work –– not hating the firm –– to be specific) and even those in their first seat claim to have “been involved with very big matters” from the get-go. There is still “unavoidable trainee work”, but Slaughters’ rookies add that, “even for more administrative tasks, the subject matter of the work is always interesting, and you are still able to learn a lot about the project by absorbing all of the information.” Trainees credit the firm’s decision to stand pat on its traditional multi-specialist approach, which makes the work “especially varied across departments.”

Another source gave this review on the day-to-day at Slaughters, “the work is interesting and varied, and the clients are too. One of the best things about the firm is that you often will not do the same type of deal twice, although this does make the work more challenging for junior lawyers than those at other firms who specialise in narrower practice areas. The learning curve is much steeper here,” boasts one LC spy. The clients are also first-rate: expect to be assisting listed blue-chips with their key strategic decisions and acting for household names in a huge range of sectors. “I work on a range of interesting matters (many of which are front page of the FT kind of stuff),” another newbie explains.

The Bunhill Row-based outfit also maintains its rep as a top-notch place for training which is described as “second to none”. Expect to cover “a wide variety of subject areas, from underlying financial knowledge to specific legal points” as well as “soft and business skills training” according to our insiders. Firmwide and department specific training is described as being “well-structured and managed, given by partners and associates who really know what they are talking about”, whilst the firm also reportedly “gets external experts to speak, including academics at the best universities in the country, clients and senior lawyers from other firms.” On top of all this, recruits also report that further learning is constantly provided on-the-job. “You work alongside some of the brightest legal minds in the world so much of the training is by osmosis.” said one — even if some supervisors are said to be more keen to show you the ropes than others!

As you might expect, such praise for the firm’s training programme feeds into how rookies ranked their superiors, with most senior associates and partners rated as “very approachable”. Newbies tell us that “people make time when possible” and the firm’s lack of target hours is said to help with this, but this praise isn’t universal and one rookie reports that there is still the feeling that some partners are seen as a “totally different species of being”.That being said, most recruits feel that any aloofness from their higher-ups comes down more to them being busy rather than extraterrestrial, and the consensus is that “seniors will always make time to take your questions / explain things to you. (To add, even if it’s a busy time, they’ll take the initiative to find you afterwards)”.

At junior level, there is said to be “great camaraderie” and support. “Friendly bunch, not back-stabby, and people are always happy to help each other out when everyone is staying late,” gleamed one LC mole. Slaughters trainee cohorts are known to be “very supportive” and the general impression is that the larger intake smooths any type of sharp elbow culture that might arise from training with some “naturally very competitive” people. “Peers will step up when you need, answer questions, and cover for you if you have a significant non-work commitment. My team didn’t let me miss my birthday!” added one grateful trainee. Another details: “I genuinely think we are one of the nicest firms. The cohort as a whole looks out for one another and cliques are not particularly prominent, which is a risk with a large cohort. The trainee group chats are always very friendly and responsive if you ever need help.”

These trainees are a pretty social bunch, too, with a generous amount of socials hosted in the summer, Christmas parties and an annual black-tie dinner at the five-star Grosvenor which is said to be “a real highlight”. Insiders rate that there are “all sorts of different activities on the go” without any pressure to attend if you have plans outside of work or (perhaps the more likely scenario) you are simply too busy in the office. For those looking for a bit more of a social scene we’re told that the work-hard play-hard stereotype is true of those across the corporate teams (at least compared to the quieter bunch in disputes).

Slaughters’ corner building office at 1 Bunhill Row is still undergoing its hotly anticipated refurb, which is set to be completed in early 2026. “There is a promised overhaul expected for the firm’s entrance and canteen which looks to make the ground-floor aesthetic less Pure-gym and more Equinox. Until that time, the offices are serviceable but not likely to make an appearance in Architectural Digest any time soon” one chic rookie told Legal Cheek. Trainees do appreciate the fact that the firm is the sole occupant of its office building and at least one sporty trainee rates the “good shower and locker facilities available” but those who’ve managed a sneak-peak at the ongoing improvements are less than impressed: “Wasted money on a highly disruptive ‘refurbishment’ that just looks exactly the same but with different carpets” was the scathing review from one.

But by far the worst part of the renovation according to trainees has been the closure of the canteen. As one wistful junior reminisces: “when it was open…it was incredible. I miss the food (and its subsidised cost) terribly.” Starved rookies have had nowhere else to turn for their daily delights –– until 7:30pm when they are allowed to order Deliveroo to their desks of course –– and have been left pining for their old bistro: “When the canteen was open, I would say it was very good. A lot of the food was reasonably priced, with a fresh salad or sandwich costing around £2-£4 and a full hot meal for generally no more than £6. This is much cheaper than other options around the office! You could also get fresh coffee for around £2 which is very reasonable. The breakfast service was also very good with many different options.” To add salt to the wound, the partner’s dining room has remained open throughout this period (ouch), but rookies are hoping that post-refurbishments their noshery will be back with a bang.

In the meantime, recruits might look to indulge in some culinary delights at one of Slaughter and May’s various international offices on secondment. New York, Hong Kong, Brussels, and Singapore are the names on the list this year whilst past destinations have also included more European hotspots such as Paris, Milan and Copenhagen. Client secondments are also on the cards with insiders enjoying spells at American Express, Legal & General, ITV, Credit Suisse and AI lab Google DeepMind!

Tech-wise, budding recruits might be interested to learn of Slaughters high-profile partnership with Cambridge University-tied artificial intelligence start-up Luminance. As part of this alliance, we’re told that rookies are invited to a range of legal tech discussions and presentations from an early stage in their training. It’s also worth noting that Slaughters has a legal tech incubator, called Collaborate and has recently established a cross-practice tech group helmed by Rob Sumroy. On the front-line, however, trainees are worried Slaughters’ slow-to-no investment in legal tech is seeing them fall behind competitors in this field. As one recruit noted, “We need to invest more in AI at the firm –– our competitors aren’t just the Magic Circle anymore, it’s AI. A lot of our tech is outdated.” Another insider added that whilst “uptake has been slow, any development seems purposeful” so for now we’ll watch this space.

Trainees are allowed to work from home once a week whilst associates are only required to be in the office three days out of five. The firm provides “any and all equipment” needed when WFH including a desk, chair, monitor, keyboard and mouse but you better not get too comfortable as Slaughters have recently begun monitoring office attendance using gate data. That being said, insiders told us that there’s still fairly reasonable flexibility for leaving the office earlier on and logging back on from home if needed.

Of more pressing importance to future recruits may be the perks, and Slaughters’ juniors enjoy a top range of benefits, including a subsidised gym membership for any gym in London, free dinner in the office after 7:30pm and taxis home after 9pm. If that wasn’t enough, how about the occasional free ticket to events now and again? Slaughter juniors are known to enjoy a smattering of away days including “Cheltenham Gold cup club enclosure tickets, Royal Academy opening night exhibition, box at the O2, and T20 cricket at the Oval”.

On the environmental front, insiders have noted the firm’s move towards renewable cups, mugs and cutlery –– even if the “horrifying” amount of printing done in disputes is undoing half of this good work. On the client side, one of Slaughters’ latest pro bono projects has been advising the Institute of Grocery Distribution, alongside various charities, on a new venture called Alliance Food Sourcing, designed to tackle food waste and redistribute surplus food