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Fox Williams LLP 
Ten Dominion Street London EC2M 2EE
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? 'I liked the size and I wanted the opportunity to do employment and fashion law'; 'friendly environment, good working hours, good practice areas, not made to feel like part of a big machine, buddy scheme'; 'size, reputation, recruitment process'; 'offers corporate law but in smaller, friendly environment'

How does your training compare with peers' at other firms? 'Better hours, same quality work'; 'a great deal more responsibility. More client contact'; 'I finish work about five hours before my peers - better social life and friendlier atmosphere too'; 'roughly the same sort of work'; 'many peers seem to be more stressed with longer hours and no sense of being part of a team'

Best thing about the firm? 'Whenever you need help, someone is always around to offer it'; 'quality of lawyers, good training'; 'the size and the people. A small size means you get to know most people'; 'the 'team' approach to work with trainees having a large amount of client and partner contact' 

Worst thing about the firm? 'The pay compared to other City firms is not that competitive and seems to have not been raised in a number of years'; 'there isn't a seated lunch area'; 'can be quiet at times'; 'there are always chocolates and biscuits in the kitchen which is an absolute disaster when you're trying to be healthy!'

Best moment? 'Making an application for costs to a Master in my second week and winning'; 'being involved with Chelsea FC as a client'; 'sitting in on a Court of Appeal hearing'; 'working on an IPO'; 'working on a contentious matter where I had to review the documentation and decide what was disclosable and what was not - putting law school learning into practice'

Worst moment? 'Wrongly asking accounts to take money for disbursements out of the client account - when there was none in there. Luckily a partner saw it and corrected it. Unluckily he wasn't too pleased!'; 'being in a seat that was extremely quiet for over 50% of the time'; 'having a court officer slam the door in my face when I got there at 4:31pm!'



The Lex 100 verdict

The firm

Fox Williams is the creation of a group of innovative City partners who set up the firm in 1989. The practice has around 60 fee-earners and offers niche specialisms in areas such as partnership, employment and even fashion law. The e-business and technology sector is a leading strength, although 2008 was characterised by an increasing level of work from quoted (particularly AIM-listed) companies. Clients praise the partners for their 'experience and common sense'.


The star performers

Commercial property;Employment;Immigration;M&A (smaller deals up to £50m);Partnership.

The deals

Completed 48 M&A deals in 2008, with a total consideration of £370m; successfully acted for Vestra Wealth in its defence of injunction proceedings brought by UBS relating to a team move; represented Cluttons on the sale of its rural property division to Smiths Gore; continues to act for Chelsea FC, recently advising on proceedings brought by former director Paul Smith for unpaid bonus and salary.

The clients

Chelsea FC; Cluttons; Fidessa Group; M&C Saatchi; Vestra Wealth; Westbrook Partners

The money


The Lex 100 verdict

Trainees at Fox Williams particularly like their firm's 'collegiate atmosphere generated by the friendly people and the small number of staff'. They compare their experiences favourably with peers at other firms, feeling they have 'more partner contact, more client contact, greater responsibility and a sense that your work is actually being used'. There is no 'culture of being here just to be seen and I have not spent weeks chained to the photocopier'. The hours are good and the firm actively encourages trainees to have a life outside the office. The work is varied (from corporate to employment to fashion law) and interesting, and 'everyone takes the time to explain the background to the file when they give you work so you understand where it fits into the bigger picture'. Trainees also like the five-seat system, which gives you a taste of more departments, but is not as rushed as moving every four months. Trainees appear to feel at home here - they 'genuinely all like each other', there is no pressure to conform to a certain type and individuality is encouraged. It is a shame then, that once again, current trainees are not at all confident about their future with the firm - and worries about being kept on feature prominently among their concerns. Other downsides seem to be the money (they'd like more) and the lack of support staff (but this is a fairly common theme with smaller firms). These issues aside, trainees at Fox Williams seem happy with their day-to-day life here and receive thorough, hands-on training in a variety of interesting practice areas.

A day in the life of.....

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About the firm

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