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B P Collins 
Collins House 32-38 Station Road Gerrards Cross SL9 8EL
Lex 100 winner
Favoured by 2 users (Register to add this entry to your favourites)

The trainee verdict

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The lowdown (in their own words...)


Why did you choose this firm over any others? 'The broad range of practice areas, the quality of work and the clients were very appealing'; 'trainees are given good quality work, lots of responsibility and an opportunity to excel'; 'type and quality of work, location; 'I was brought up nearby and the firm was known to me - it has a good reputation'

How does your training compare with peers' at other firms? 'Very well for the most part - hours are much more sensible and the level of responsibility is greater'; 'much better'; 'we get more exposure to real issues in a case and more client contact'; 'the environment is more supportive and the workload more manageable'

Best thing about the firm? 'The friendliness and the fact that the people who are involved in training take their responsibilities very seriously'; 'everyone is approachable and willing to help - you feel as though you could ask anyone if you need some advice and there's no such thing as a stupid question'; 'you are trusted and encouraged to run your own files' 

Worst thing about the firm? 'The pay - it has improved since I started, but it could still be better'; 'no canteen!'; 'lack of benefits, level of pay, poor social scene'; 'it is very focused on wealthy clients and there isn't much encouragement to do pro bono work'

Best moment? 'Being told that some of the letters I had drafted were being kept as precedents because they explained the legal issues so well'; 'running a file from early stages of litigation through to trial and achieving a good result for the client'; 'being able to explain a complex trust structure to a client via a letter and being praised for it by my supervisor'

Worst moment? 'Getting stuck in the office before Christmas trying to convince an obstinate client to settle their claim before time ran out'; 'using a manual paginator to paginate 1,433 pages of a bundle - to find that I'd missed out page 3'; 'receiving a call at 7.15am on day one of a week-long trial from the barrister who had come down with an illness, and then having to relay the news to the client'



The Lex 100 verdict

The firm

With 20 partners and more than 120 staff, B P Collins has over 40 years' experience working within the Buckinghamshire and Thames Valley area. The firm has its main office in the wealthy Buckinghamshire town of Gerrards Cross, with a smaller office in the equally well-off Beaconsfield. Unsurprisingly, many of the firm's clients are high-net-worth individuals, including senior executives of national and international businesses, wealthy private clients and also non-UK residents. In addition to private client work, B P Collins has one of the strongest company and commercial departments in the South East outside London. The firm is praised by clients for the 'reasonable fees and good level of service'.


The star performers

Charities; Commercial litigation; Commercial property; Corporate and commercial; Employment; Family; Personal tax, trusts and probate.

The deals

Handling a wide variety of commercial work for local, national and international organisations; advising on complex real estate acquisitions and developments; advising companies and plcs on employment issues; advising on private client and matrimonial issues.

The clients

Avid Technology Europe; City & Provincial Properties; Jansons; National Society for Epilepsy; Owner-managed businesses and PLCs; charities and other non-for-profit organisations; successful executives and professionals.

The money


The Lex 100 verdict

As we said last year, if a good quality of life in a pleasant Home Counties town sounds appealing, then you should take a look at BP Collins. With easy access to the capital, the firm offers a broad mix of commercial and private client work, reasonable working hours and good opportunities for early responsibility. Trainees particularly like the fact that they get 'good exposure to real issues in a case and more client contact than many peers'. They feel the environment is 'supportive and the workload more manageable', while the 'level of responsibility is greater'. The atmosphere is encouraging for trainees - 'the partners are very approachable' and 'the people who are involved in training take their responsibilities very seriously'. The main complaints this year tend to focus on the pay, the lack of benefits and the poor social scene. There were also some comments about the firm's focus on wealthy clients and the fact that trainees would like more opportunities to do pro bono work. They would also like a canteen! These issues aside, BP Collins is a good place to experience a broad range of practice areas and clients (both in the local community and further afield), plenty of responsibility and client contact and an opportunity to excel in a friendly working environment with a smallish but supportive group of colleagues.

A day in the life of.....

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About the firm

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