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DMH Stallard 
100 Queens Road Brighton BN1 3YB
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? 'The good mix of commercial and private client work. I wanted a regional firm with a strong London office'; 'their positive attitude to experiences gained and skills accomplished rather than grades achieved'; 'its mixture of clients and departments. Its youthful attitude and energetic approach to future growth'

How does your training compare with peers' at other firms? 'Very well, good partners who are always accessible, broad experience of work, and lots of responsibility'; 'The firm is very good at ensuring that you do quality work. Even in the current market I have done very little photocopying'; 'I work far fewer late nights than some of my friends in the City'

Best thing about the firm? 'Its ambition, but at the same time holding onto the values that make it an enjoyable place to work'; 'Brighton location'; 'the London office! Very shiny and new'; 'work/life balance. Social aspects'; 'having supervisors that really seem to care about your progress'; 'strong feeling of merit over seniority' 

Worst thing about the firm? 'The commute to Crawley'; 'lack of cohesion across the offices'; 'even in the current market the pay remains uncompetitive'; 'each department is so different in their attitudes that it can be difficult going from one seat to another'; 'pay. Travelling to Crawley'; 'the weekly London fire alarm tests - quite ridiculous'

Best moment? 'Working on a complex completion and cracking open the champagne at the end!'; 'being involved in the largest single development matter that the firm has acted on'; 'being involved in all aspects of an employment tribunal hearing'; 'assisting on a freezing order application'

Worst moment? 'Sending off a first registration application and forgetting to photocopy the deeds!'; 'telling my supervisor he hadn't asked me to do something and then re-reading his email - oops!'; 'having a client shout at me because I did not have all of the answers'; 'none really, apart from having to sing at the AGM as a first year trainee'; 'Crawley'



The Lex 100 verdict

The firm

DMH Stallard is a leading South East practice with offices in Brighton, Crawley and London. The firm is dominant in the TMT, banking and property development markets, as well as having a strong public sector offering. It also has a leading planning and environment team and a well-respected corporate department. Clients describe the firm as 'efficient and commercial'.


The star performers

Charities; Commercial litigation; Commercial property; Corporate and commercial; Education; Employment; Environment; Licensing; Local government; Media and entertainment; Personal injury (claimant); Personal tax, trusts and probate; Planning; Public sector.

The deals

Advising new clients Impact Initiatives and The Disabilities Trust on employment-related matters; acting for East Sussex County Council on a £33m project to develop a new high school in Bexhill; acting for clients such as the Disabilities Trust and the Parliamentary and Health Services Ombudsman, defending judicial review claims and providing employment law advice.

The clients

Aviva; Brighton Housing Trust; London Borough of Croydon; The Disabilities Trust; Ethos Recycling; Hanover Heritage; Premier Aggregates Ltd; University of Sussex; Tesco.

The money

(from Legal Business magazine)

Turnover in 2008: £24m (+8% from 2007) Profits per equity partner: £171,000 (-27%)


The Lex 100 verdict

DMH continues to be praised by trainees for its 'good mix of commercial and private client work', its 'down-to-earth feeling and reputation for good training' and its 'youthful attitude and energetic approach to future growth'. Trainees were impressed by presentations given at law fairs and found the firm welcoming at interview. They also like the rounded approach to recruitment where they noted a 'positive attitude to experiences gained and skills accomplished rather than grades achieved'. The work is interesting and varied, there is plenty of opportunity for early responsibility and client contact, while the partners are 'accessible', offering support and encouragement when needed. 'The firm is very good at ensuring you do quality work. Even in the current market I have done very little photocopying' comments one trainee, while another enjoys a life with 'fewer hours, less stress but more client contact than peers'. DMH scores highly in most categories and fares particularly well with regard to stress levels ensuring that the firm is a Lex 100 Winner in this category. Trainees put their low stress down to the good support systems - 'they involve you in work that is really challenging but always seem to know the limits of your ability as a trainee'. The firm's management is also praised - they appear to be 'commercially on the ball which gives confidence in these stormy waters'. They are also forward-thinking and not afraid to move with the times. On the downside, it is poor old Crawley which once again joins salary as the most complained about aspect of life at DMH. But if you can cope with this (and you may not even have to work in Crawley, but it is a bit of a lottery), DMH has a lot to offer, not least 'a sense of ambition while still holding on to the values that make it an enjoyable place to work'.

A day in the life of.....

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About the firm

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