Lex 100 - Forbes

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Forbes

Rutherford House 4 Wellington Street St John's Blackburn BB1 8DD

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The trainee verdict

The lowdown (in their own words...)

Why did you choose this firm over any others? 'I was a paralegal prior to commencing my training contract and was able to see first hand how much the firm invests in its staff'; 'good-sized firm'; 'leading North West firm'; 'good reputation for doing a combination of private client and commercial work'; 'promised a varied and flexible training contract'; 'wanted a good quality of work without a City lifestyle and culture to match'; 'friendly and approachable'; 'open-door policy'

How does your training compare with peers' at other firms? 'More client contact; 'more court attendance'; 'very friendly'; 'welcoming and accommodating of trainees'; 'plenty of responsibility and exposure to clients'; ' I rarely spend time doing menial tasks'; 'healthy work/life balance';

Best thing about the firm? 'Colleagues who are always willing to help'; 'level of support'; 'the variety of work'; 'the firm has some excellent clients'; 'overall friendliness of staff'; 'the culture'; 'open-door policy'; 'I have never been afraid to ask questions'; 'good work/life balance'

Worst thing about the firm? 'First year trainee salary is low'; 'there's nothing particularly bad about the firm'; 'you will be challenged but expected to work hard'

Best moment? 'Shadowing counsel at an appeal case in the Court of Appeal'; 'going on secondment to work in a claims department for a major insurer client'; 'lots of client contact'; 'seeing a matter through from beginning to end and feeling you've made a difference to a client'; 'success in my first court hearing'; 'the firmwide Christmas party'

Worst moment? 'Making mistakes!'; 'forgetting to send out instructions to counsel until the day before an important conference'; 'getting stuck in the snow in a seven-hour traffic jam on the way home from seeing a client'

The Lex 100 verdict

The firm

Forbes is a prominent North West firm which provides a range of commercial and private client services. It has strength in commercial property and insurance litigation, while its large crime unit handles both general and serious/complex cases for individual and business clients. The bulk of the commercial client base comprises large local and national companies, with some plcs and international companies. Clients find the level of service 'absolutely fantastic - nothing is too much trouble'.

The star performers

Commercial litigation; Commercial property; Corporate and commercial; Crime; Family; Personal injury: defendant; Property litigation; Social housing.

The deals

Investigating a major fraud ring; acting on a number of high-asset divorces; recently advised an RSL on the £1.8m purchase of a portfolio of 54 residential units.

The clients

Chartis; Co-operative Group Ltd; Premiership and Football League clubs.

The Verdict

An insider's perspective sheds light on life at Forbes: 'I was a paralegal prior to commencing my training contract and was able to see first-hand how much the firm invests in its staff'. The firm puts a lot of effort into making its offices truly pleasant places to work. It continues to be aLex 100 Winner in an impressive eight categories; job satisfaction, quality of work, friendliness, work/life balance, living up to expectations, confidence in being kept on (for which it has secured the top spot), job satisfaction and in an additional category this year, client contact. Newcomers are drawn by the firm's 'good reputation for the work it does and the way it treats its employees'. With nine offices across the North West region, it prides itself on being 'friendly and approachable' with an open-door policy. The training at the firm is praised as every effort is made to create a unique training experience for each trainee. They also have more client contact and attendance in court than peers and 'plenty of responsibility'. Current trainee experiences include 'shadowing counsel at an appeal case in the Court of Appeal' and 'going on secondment in a claims department for a major insurer client'. The main grumble relates to pay, although it does improve after the first year of training. Forbes is a top choice for those wishing to settle in the North West at a firm with a great commitment to training and excellent quality of work.