Lex 100 - Henmans LLP

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Henmans LLP

5000 Oxford Business Park South Oxford OX4 2BH

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The trainee verdict

The lowdown (in their own words...)

Why did you choose this firm over any others? 'Oxford is a really lovely place to live and work'; 'Henmans has the reputation as being one of the best firms in Oxford'; 'it strives to provide trainees with an excellent training experience'; 'liked the image and the feel it had and its involvement with the community'; 'regional location'; 'big private client department'

How does your training compare with peers' at other firms? 'Less responsibility'; 'a better work/life balance'; 'a lot less stressful'; 'a lot more client contact and responsibility'; 'good working hours'; 'wider variety of interesting work than in a bigger firm'

Best thing about the firm? 'The food in the cafÃ©!'; 'some extremely good lawyers here'; 'excellent variety of different work types'; 'friendliness'

Worst thing about the firm? 'Having put on at least a stone since having started due to the good food!'; 'complete lack of financial support through law school'; 'location can sometimes be an issue as you are limited to the nearby shops and restaurants'; 'lack of social events'

Best moment? 'Being able to contribute in the community by getting involved with the Oxford Entrepreneurs and the Oxford Business X'; 'seeing improvement in my progression'; 'having the opportunity to be actively and directly involved in a very interesting contentious probate case'; 'working on my own files and going to client meetings'

Worst moment? 'Spilling my cup of tea all over a barrister and my papers during a conference'; 'forgetting to ask the district judge to give us the costs of our interim application'; 'making a mistake on an important matter'

The Lex 100 verdict

The firm

Henmans is a well-established, Oxford-based practice with a national reputation, serving both corporate and private clients. It has one of the largest litigation groups in the South outside London, with particular strength in professional indemnity work. It also has well-known personal injury and agriculture practices.

The star performers

Agriculture and estates; Charities and not-for-profit; Commercial litigation; Personal injury (claimant); Personal tax, trusts and probate; Professional negligence.

The deals

Advised on the MBO of Oxford Cryosystems; assisted the shareholders of Radcliffe Publishing in its sale to Electric Word; acted in a breach of fiduciary duty case worth £1m.

The clients

Reading Transport; ResMed (UK); SCA Music Holdings (Sony); RSPCA; Stagecoach East Kent, Warwickshire and Oxfordshire.

The Verdict

Henmans has a reputation for being 'one of the best firms in Oxford' and trainees are attracted by its 'image, friendly environment and involvement with the community'. It also 'strives to provide trainees with an excellent training experience'. In addition to the small intake, trainees also appreciate that working here is 'a lot less stressful' than it is for peers at some other firms. And there is a 'brilliant' variety of work with which you will be fully involved (with 'plenty of support provided from supervisors'), working alongside some 'extremely good lawyers'. Prepare to be handling matters on your own from as early as day one and be ready to meet clients alone as this is all part of the experience. As in previous years one of the most common grumbles about the firm is the pay and lack of financial support through law school leaving some in 'considerable debt' and more social activities would be appreciated. However, this is one of the most respected firms in the area and although there is the threat of gaining a pound or two due to the 'delicious and cheap' food in the staff cafÃ©, Henmans is a firm which endeavours to make each trainee 'feel like an individual who can really contribute something, rather than just being a number'.