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Cobbetts LLP 
58 Mosley Street Manchester M2 3HZ
Lex 100 winner
Favoured by 5 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? 'Provided a good mixture of niche and standard practice areas of a very high calibre and seemed to be genuinely committed to ensuring trainees were not only well trained, but happy'; 'small enough to be friendly, big enough to get interesting work'; 'allows you to explore and develop your own potential'

How does your training compare with peers' at other firms? 'I may not get the glamorous benefits of some of my peers but I'm actually enjoying my training contract'; 'I feel appreciated by my colleagues'; 'entrusted with as much responsibility as I wish'; 'Cobbetts provides a good salary, high-quality work and a pleasant atmosphere in which to work'

Best thing about the firm? 'People are really friendly and welcoming'; 'the sense of fun as well as the commitment to working hard'; 'from the senior management down, there's always someone you can ask should you need help'; 'the quiet ambition'; 'overall I haven't found life anywhere near as stressful and terrifying as I thought it would be' 

Worst thing about the firm? 'The standard of recruitment is very high. You have to work hard to keep up!'; 'the action it had to take in the downturn'; 'communication: Manchester is the head office'; 'post duty'; 'lack of communication between training team and partners/practice area heads'; 'the lack of biscuits at internal meetings!'

Best moment? 'Multi-million pound completion meeting which went on until 2am and then popping the champagne'; 'doing most of the work on a plc administration and the client thanking me'; 'my first court hearing'; 'realisation that with the exception of a little supervision, you are responsible for running a number of high-value files'; 'getting to know everyone'

Worst moment? 'Feeling abandoned when trying to prepare a nightmare bundle and get it to the tribunal'; 'falling over at the end of a boozy evening at a firm conference'; 'the first email I sent not only was wrong, I forgot to attach what I was supposed to and sent it to the wrong person. What a great first impression!'; 'page-turning exercise on a corporate deal'



The Lex 100 verdict

The firm

Cobbetts has offices in Birmingham, Leeds, London and Manchester. After some recent restructuring the firm has emerged strongly, with a string of impressive client gains this year. A notable force in real estate, where the varied practice is given impetus by a large portfolio of corporate occupier clients, it maintains its renowned regeneration and public sector emphasis. On the corporate side, one client commented 'the team is by far the best I have worked with. The key difference is that they are able to bring a practical application of their legal skills to any transaction'.


The star performers

Banking litigation; Charities; Commercial litigation; Commercial property; Corporate and commercial; Debt recovery; Employment; Insolvency and corporate recovery; Intellectual property; Licensing; Personal tax, trusts and probate; Planning; Property litigation; Social housing.

The deals

Advised Salford City Council regarding the Salford Innovation Park Project; advised Peel Holdings on the procurement, funding and delivery of MediaCityUK; acted for Ultralase on its £174.5m acquisition by 3i; advised Virotec International plc on £39m takeover of Hydrodec Group plc; won three-year contract to handle debt recovery for all universities in London.

The clients

Birmingham Royal Ballet; Bradford NHS Trust; Charity Commission; Fortis Bank; John Lewis; KFC; Land Securities; Leeds City Council; Manchester Grammar School; Total UK; Wine Cellar; Vodafone.

The money

(from Legal Business magazine)

Turnover in 2008: £59.4m (+1% from 2007) Profits per equity partner: £290,000 (+18%)


The Lex 100 verdict

As in previous editions, Cobbetts wins plaudits for its vacation scheme and is a Lex 100 Winner for the second year running. Says one trainee 'I did four vacation placements but unlike the others, I finished this placement with a completely positive impression'. And once they start traineeships at the firm, trainees find Cobbetts is delivering on its promises, providing a high quality of work within a down-to-earth and friendly environment. There has been some well documented restructuring at the firm in recent times and coupled with the economic downturn this has led to some trainees feeling rather unsettled. This and the consistently unpopular post duty caused the biggest grumbles, but on the whole the training here receives an enthusiastic thumbs up. In particular the amount of responsibility is mentioned frequently, so you'll need to be confident and not phased by 'the realisation that with the exception of a little supervision, you are responsible for the running of a fair number of high-value files'. Others mention the high standard of colleagues ('you have to work hard to keep up!'). Work ranges from individual caseloads to 'working as part of a team on a £50m acquisition' or 'doing most of the work on a plc administration', plus opportunities for advocacy in court or running meetings. There are many comments about friendly colleagues who have 'a sense of fun as well as the commitment to working hard.' Work/life balance is respected and so there's plenty of time to enjoy the social life for which the firm is renowned and a Lex 100 Winner (second year running). A great choice for confident and sociable individuals with a work hard/play hard mentality.

A day in the life of.....

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About the firm

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