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Bevan Brittan LLP 
Kings Orchard 1 Queen Street Bristol BS2 0HQ
Lex 100 winner
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The trainee verdict

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The lowdown (in their own words...)


Why did you choose this firm over any others? 'Genuine mix of public and private sector clients'; 'friendly culture and interesting departments'; 'inclusive attitude'; 'the size - the firm is big enough to attract high quality clients and work, but small enough to make you feel at home'; 'worked here as a paralegal and enjoyed the work and environment'

How does your training compare with peers' at other firms? 'We are really looked after as individuals and not just another number'; 'I think I have a very high level of responsibility and excellent working hours'; 'average - others seem to have more resources and social life within the firm'; 'less stressful'; 'the quality of work and responsibility afforded to trainees is better than at larger regional firms'

Best thing about the firm? 'There is a growing openness about the firm which makes for a much more comfortable work experience'; 'genuinely friendly people and quality of work'; 'in the recession, the amount of public sector work we do means the firm is still busy'; 'open-plan office, no hierarchy' 

Worst thing about the firm? 'The location in Castle Park and having to walk through it in the dark in the winter!'; 'biscuit-free meetings'; 'the wages'; 'lack of secondment opportunities and lack of flexibility in being able to do seats in the other offices'; 'I have suspicions that leftovers from client meetings do not get distributed equally between the floors'

Best moment? 'Closing a big health project'; 'being given my first file to manage'; 'speaking to a client for the first time and being asked to give my 'legal opinion' in front of everyone at a meeting'; 'going on secondment to Musgrove Park Hospital and the leaving party they gave me!'; 'being given my own case to run from instruction to employment tribunal hearing'

Worst moment? 'Reporting on title for 900 properties for a property transaction'; 'lots of collating of medical records!'; 'working two 15 hour days and then on a Saturday but this has only happened once so far'; 'bad atmosphere during a round of redundancies'; 'receiving negative feeback from my supervisor for a piece of work that I spent hours on'



The Lex 100 verdict

The firm

South West-based Bevan Brittan has established a national presence beyond its original region, with offices in Bristol, Birmingham and London. In Bristol, the firm has its home in the impressively renovated Kings Orchard site. The firm imposed a partnership lock-in in April 2008 following the departure of six partners in the past year and is now looking to consolidate and focus on its key areas of strength: public and private health, government and local government, and housing.


The star performers

Clinical negligence (defendant); Employment; Planning;Commercial litigation; Health; Private Finance Initiative (PFI);Commercial property; Local government; Public sector;Construction; Personal injury (defendant); Social housing.

The deals

Representing the UK's largest security services company regarding a disability discrimination claim; advised Places for People group on the Dove Lane project and Knightstone on its multimillion pound refinancing facility; advised Costain on a £120m waste-to-energy plant construction, and Bristol University on the £90m BioMaths project; representing Merlin Housing Society in various disputes.

The clients

Bristol Primary Care Trust; Devon County Council; Esporta Group Ltd; Eurotunnel; Motorola Ltd; Orange; Plymouth City Council; Sony Ericsson.

The money

(from Legal Business magazine)

Turnover in 2008: £41.7m (+15% from 2007) Profits per equity partner: £168,000 (-13%)


The Lex 100 verdict

The friendliness and the mix of public and private sector work seem to be the key draws to this Bristol-based national firm. 'It was without doubt the friendliest and most open of all the firms I visited' and 'by far the friendliest on assessment day' are typical comments which have rightly earned Bevan Brittan a place as a Lex 100 Winner in the friendliness category. Also a winner in the work/life balance and low stress levels categories, the firm is praised for 'really looking after us as individuals' - trainees here feel they are treated as equal members of the team and offered a great deal of support. That is not to say they do not have to shoulder responsibility - they also feel they are given plenty of hands-on tasks and 'less menial work than many friends'. Trainees appreciate the open-plan working environment which works 'fantastically' according to one, encouraging you to mix with people of all levels - 'I sit in an open-plan pod with an assistant, an associate and a partner so they are all accessible to chat to or ask questions when problems arise'. On the downside there were some comments, like last year, about the lack of communication between the different offices and the lack of flexibility to request a seat in another office. There were also some concerns from the Bristol trainees about having to walk through Castle Park in the dark. These issues aside, Bevan Brittan remains a good choice for a friendly yet professional environment (particularly for those with a healthcare/public sector leaning although commercial work, especially litigation, is strong too).

A day in the life of.....

A day in the life of.....

Amy Tschobotko first-year trainee, Bevan Brittan LLP
University: University of Nottingham
Departments to date: Regulatory, Projects
Degree and class: Law LLB, 2(1)

9.00am: I arrive at work after picking up a coffee from the Starbucks just outside the office. I begin by checking my emails and updating my voicemail. I figure out what I need to do today and have a quick gossip with some of my colleagues to find out about their weekends. The office is open plan so it's always easy to find someone to have a chat with!9.20am: I start updating the documents that keep track of ongoing negotiations on one of the projects that I'm working on. At the end of last week, I attended some negotiation meetings between the client and the different bidders that are tendering for the contract and it's important to keep a record of what has been agreed so far. We are acting for a local authority on this particular project, which means that we are dealing with more than one bidder at once.11.00am: I go to the London projects team meeting. It's a good opportunity to catch up on what other people are up to as people are often out of the office at meetings. The team meetings also mean you can discuss how busy you are, which gives people an idea of whether you have enough work to be getting on with.11.30am: After the meeting, I make a coffee and return to my desk to continue updating the documents from earlier on. I soon get an email from one of the bidders on the same project. Attached to the email are some proposed drafting amendments. My supervisor asks me to take a look at the amendments. I notice that there is one change in particular that could prove detrimental to our client so I email the client to get further instructions on this point. After the client gets back to me, I email the bidder to ask for an amendment to their drafting.

12.30pm: The bidder has responded by email with the required amendment so now I can go back to the client with an update. I then leave the office to grab something to eat. I sit outside in the sun with a couple of the other trainees from my floor.1.00pm: I get a call from a partner asking whether I will be able to assist with a financial close that is happening at the offices of another law firm on a different project.1.30pm: I arrive at the close and help get all the relevant documents signed by the client's signatories. It looks like there are hundreds of documents on the table waiting to be signed but we start moving through them pretty quickly. 4.00pm: Everyone involved with the close now congregates for the rate swap. The finance teams confirm the rates and the champagne is uncorked as this marks the formal close of the project.4.20pm: I still have to get on with some of the post-close matters such as ensuring that the client is provided with all the documents to which they were a signatory. I also have to fill in some of the financial details in the agreements which are left blank until the swap has occurred. 6.45pm: There is now time to have a quick drink with our client before they have to go and catch their train home.



About the firm

About the firm

Address: Kings Orchard, 1 Queen Street Bristol  BS2 0HQ
Telephone: 0870 194 3050 Fax: 0870 194 8954
Website:  www.bevanbrittan.com
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Total partners: 49
Other fee-earners: 152
Total trainees :31
Other offices: London, Birmingham.

Who we are: A leading national law firm with offices in London, Bristol and Birmingham

What we do: We provide the full range of legal services developed around our chosen markets in business and the public sector.

What we are looking for: Bright people with sound common sense and plenty of energy who can think logically and clearly. You will need drive, commitment, willingness to take responsibility and the ability to adapt to the changing needs of the legal world.

What you will do: Trainees have a structured training programme offering practical work experience alongside workshops, professional skills development and technical e-learning.

Perks: PMI (including discounted gym membership), PHI, life assurance, pension, 25 days' holiday, travel loans.

Sponsorship: Bursary and funding for LPC and GDL.

Application process

Apply to: Sabrina Streete, HR department.

How to apply: Online application form.

When to Apply: By 31 July 2010.

What is involved: Group exercise and presentation, partner and HR interview, verbal reasoning exercise.

Facts and figures

Trainee places available for 2012: 12

Applications received pa: 650

Percentage interviewed: 7%

Salary

First year £23,000 Bristol/Birmingham, £30,000 London

Second year £24,000 Bristol/Birmingham, £32,000 London

 

Placement schemes

Summer: July 2010 (apply by 31 March 2010).