Lex 100 - Bond Pearce LLP

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Bond Pearce LLP

3 Temple Quay Temple Back Bristol BS1 6DZ

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The trainee verdict

The lowdown (in their own words...)

Why did you choose this firm over any others? 'The firm's attitude towards developing its trainees'; 'good communication between the graduate recruitment team and the trainees'; 'the ambitions of the firm'; 'great ethos'; 'good quality of life'; 'good assessment day'; 'the seaside location'; 'the firm invests heavily in its trainee recruitment programme'; 'the quality of work available'

How does your training compare with peers' at other firms? 'Given as much responsibility as you can handle'; 'the responsibility and quality of work we are given here is a notch above most of the other local firms'; 'more client contact'; 'work/life balance is better here'; 'exposure to a good quality of work'; 'a lot more laid-back and friendly'; 'opportunities for secondments to clients is excellent'

Best thing about the firm? 'It thinks like a business and it values staff at all levels'; 'ambition'; 'variety of the work and quality of training'; 'atmosphere amongst the junior lawyers is very supportive';' 'Friday morning bacon butties!'; 'the comprehensive and ongoing training programme'; 'everyone works as a team and is supportive and welcoming'

Worst thing about the firm? 'Lack of social events'; 'lack of support staff'; 'concerns over qualification'; 'not enough cross-office networking'; 'jackets on seats culture'

Best moment? 'Attending a very interesting mediation'; 'commercial property - all of it'; 'recent secondment to a client'; 'taking a witness statement (on my own)'; 'getting good feedback from clients and colleagues'; 'attending a client's office to advise while he was being questioned/interrogated by a regulatory body'

Worst moment? 'A moment of extreme clumsiness at a client networking event'; ' having to scan four files of due diligence documents to the other side'; 'feeling completely out of my depth on many tasks during my first seat'; 'having to archive boxes'

The Lex 100 verdict

The firm

Bond Pearce LLP is a heavyweight in the South West and South East through its offices in London, Bristol, Plymouth and Southampton, and it also has a fledgling office in Aberdeen. The firm's electricity, renewables and oil and gas expertise feeds a steady stream of transactional work and disputes. Among other clients are blue-chip plcs, public bodies and national retailers. The firm is also recognised nationally for its strength in professional negligence.

The star performers

Banking and finance; Corporate and commercial; Commercial litigation; Commercial property; Corporate tax; Debt recovery; EU and competition; Employment; Energy; Environment; Health and safety; IT/IP; Insolvency and corporate recovery; Licensing; Local government; Pensions; Personal injury: claimant; Planning; Professional negligence; Property litigation.

The deals

Acted for Airsprung on its £2.5m acquisition of Collins & Hayes Furniture Limited; advised Screwfix on establishing a new trading arm to promote eco-savings to homeowners; represented Elixir Petroleum on its acquisition of the share capital of East Paris Petroleum; advised Piper Private Equity on its investment in the MBO of Weird Fish clothing; acted for International Power regarding a European Commission investigation.

The clients

Accor; Alterian; Carlsberg; Chemring Group; Coral Racing; Devon Waste Management; Hilton Corporation; Hydro International; Marks & Spencer; RWE npower renewables; Southern Co-Operatives; Spinnaker International; Tradewind Turbines.

The money

(from Legal Business magazine)

Turnover in 2010: £46m (-4% from 2009) Profits per equity partner: £231,000 (+7%)

The Verdict

'I wanted to work in a regional firm and Bond Pearce offered the best package: a good work/life balance, a welcoming nature and an excellent, varied training contract with good-quality work'. A perfect summary of why the firm is so popular and it would seem that it lives up to its promise, with other trainees commenting on the 'much better standard of work' they receive in comparison to peers at other firms, including 'ample opportunity to manage your own files'. The overriding impression is that trainees feel they are invested in and valued; training is comprehensive and ongoing, covering a breadth of practice areas, and 'the focus is on being trained, rather than hitting targets'. Contact with senior lawyers is 'very much encouraged', there is good communication from above and 'everyone is supportive and welcoming', which helps keep stress levels low. On the practical side there are client secondment opportunities, these 'can really help you to understand the needs of clients, which will stand you in good stead on qualification'. One area it could improve is the social side; current trainees would like to see more cross-office events, 'but this has been recognised and more events are being planned' - and there is certainly room for them because the hours here are pretty decent. If you are still wondering whether the firm is a good fit, its thorough and well-rounded approach to recruitment might persuade you: 'they look at you as a person and the skills you can bring to the businessâ€¦ I felt that my additional experience outside of academics would be valued and harnessed'. Sounds good to us.