Lex 100 - Barlow Lyde & Gilbert LLP

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Barlow Lyde & Gilbert LLP

Beaufort House 15 St Botolph Street London EC3A 7NJ

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The trainee verdict

The lowdown (in their own words...)

Why did you choose this firm over any others? 'Desire to do high-end litigation rather than transactional work'; 'friendliness of the firm'; 'down-to-earth people working here who are always willing to help'; 'I enjoyed the work, the people and environment on my vacation scheme at the firm'; 'had several niche areas of practice that I was interested in'

How does your training compare with peers' at other firms? 'A much better work/life balance'; 'tasks can be dull, but are much more useful and practical given the contentious nature of the work'; 'very similar'; 'as there are fewer trainees I seem to get more responsibility than my peers'; 'fewer hours and more varied'

Best thing about the firm? 'Friendly teams that understand what training you need'; 'work/life balance'; 'laid back as long as deadlines are met'; 'good canteen food at reasonably cheap price'; 'having your own cases is very good for confidence'

Worst thing about the firm? 'Like any law firm, BLG can sometimes feel like a club where your work is graded subjectively not objectively'; 'the coffee'; 'no facilities/support for working past about 8pm in the evening'; 'no opportunity to go to the firm's overseas offices'; 'Beaufort House offices are a little shabby'

Best moment? 'Being involved in a big-ticket international arbitration against another country where I drafted part of the claim'; 'attending a very exciting and heated mediation'; 'drafting a defence which got approval from my supervisor'; 'Christmas party'

Worst moment? 'Very stressful evening trying to get a bundle ready for trial'; 'photocopying late into the night'; 'slightly thrown in at the deep end, which was a mixed blessing'

The Lex 100 verdict

The firm

To a large extent disputes-orientated, Barlow Lyde & Gilbert benefits from a counter-cyclical workload, and the firm has seen plenty of instructions coming in as a result of the economic crisis. It has market-leading practices in insurance and reinsurance litigation and professional negligence. There is also an impressive aviation practice and leading capability in defendant PI and clinical negligence. In July 2010 the firm took the lion's share of staff from collapsed firm Halliwells, adding 250 staff to its Manchester office, and a further ten to its London office. The firm also has an Oxford presence. In November 2011 it merges with Clyde & Co.

The star performers

Aviation; Clinical negligence: defendant; Commercial litigation; Commodities; Health and safety; Insurance and reinsurance litigation; Personal injury: defendant; Product liability: defendant; Professional negligence.

The deals

Instructed by US renewables giant Sunpower Corporation's UK and international operations; advised the Trustees of the Pall (UK) Pension Fund on an index based longevity swap; represented TAV Engineering in the Buncefield prosecution; assisting Lowry Homes in relation to allegations of corporate manslaughter and gross negligence manslaughter.

The clients

Alfa Trading; Deutsche Bank's coal division; ED&F Man; Grant Thornton; KPMG; PwC; Tesco; UPS.

The money

(from Legal Business magazine)

Turnover in 2010: £81.5m (-6% from 2009) Profits per equity partner: £329,000 (-2%)

The Verdict

If the idea of getting involved in high-end litigation gets your heart racing then BLG is a natural choice. The popular vacation scheme is a good chance to get an idea of the 'down-to-earth and always willing to help' employees and the 'very friendly' environment at the firm. In fact, as in previous years, 'the people' is the answer most frequently given when trainees are asked the best thing about the firm. Among their other answers is the fact that they feel they are treated like lawyers, not just trainees, and respected by those higher up the firm. They think they have 'more responsibility' than their peers and get 'slightly more varied work than larger firms give'. At one end of the scale there's the inevitable bundling (as in all litigation practices), and at the other end there will be times when pressure runs high. Luckily, there is a ton of good stuff that comes in the middle such as the opportunity to take part in exciting mediations and international arbitrations and being trusted to draft defences with minimal supervision. The firm's meritocratic approach seems to produce good results as one current trainee points out 'having your own cases is very good for confidence'. As with last year, the 'tired office' and lack of after-hours facilities come in for some stick. Some feel there is a little disparity between the various offices, and that communication could be improved. Last year the firm took the lion's share of staff from collapsed firm Halliwells, jangling a few nerves in the process. And there is more change ahead: on 1st November 2011 BLG merges with Clyde & Co, the largest-ever merger between two UK law firms, creating a leader to be reckoned with in the insurance field.