User Login

Howard Kennedy 
Harcourt House 19 Cavendish Square London W1A 2AW
Lex 100 winner
Favoured by 6 users (Register to add this entry to your favourites)

The trainee verdict

image


The lowdown (in their own words...)


Why did you choose this firm over any others? 'The size of the firm appealed compared to its larger City peers, together with its reputation for offering hands-on training'; 'due to the friendly environment which encourages a good work/life balance. Also it has a great West End vibe'; 'small intake of trainees, good reputation for training'; 'broad-based training'

How does your training compare with peers' at other firms? 'More client exposure from day one and higher end responsibility on cases and transactions - the more responsibility you can handle, the more you're offered'; 'I'm never without work'; 'relatively small number of trainees, which means you're given work that is both varied and of a high quality'; 'I'm lucky enough to work on a broad range of matters on a daily basis'

Best thing about the firm? 'Informal and friendly ethos in-house, whilst maintaining a professional front for clients at all times'; 'broad range of commercial services offers trainees a positive platform to kick-start their careers'; 'the people'; 'offers a wide range of services so you have a varied training contract' 

Worst thing about the firm? 'Temptation of Oxford Street/Regent Street which is only a minute away from the office - especially on pay day!'; 'lack of marketing - it's a very good firm with plenty of potential'; 'because the office isn't open-plan and doesn't have a common area, you don't get so much opportunity to meet many people in other departments'

Best moment? 'Seeing a matter through from start to finish, being encouraged to put forward my own ideas on how to take it forward'; 'attending an interview under caution with clients being accused of offences under the Companies Act'; 'involvement in commercial dispute settlement meetings with clients and attendance at trials at the RCJ stand out'

Worst moment? 'Having to juggle a number of urgent matters at once - requires careful time management and a cool head'; 'going before a Master on my third day in a litigation seat'; 'sometimes stressed due to having a lot of work and not quite knowing where to start'; 'on some days I literally have nothing to do. Then on other days I have no desk space'



The Lex 100 verdict

The firm

West End firm Howard Kennedy is recommended in areas ranging from commercial property (particularly hotels and leisure) and mainstream corporate finance, to more specialised practices such as aviation, private client, commodities, and media and entertainment. The firm saw two mergers in 2008, with personal injury boutique Douglas-Mann & Co, and DMA Legal, whose specialisms included energy and oil work.


The star performers

Aviation; Commodities; Personal tax, trusts and probate;Charities and not-for-profit; Flotations: small and mid-cap; Property finance;Commercial litigation; M&A: smaller deals up to £50m; Property litigation.Commercial property; Media and entertainment;

The deals

Advised Wellness Foods on its acquisition of Dorset Cereals; advised Blomfield Corporate Finance and Religare Hichens, Harrison on the AIM float of Red Hot Media International; representing Kuwait Airways in a claim relating to the taking of the Kuwait Airways fleet during the 1990 invasion of the country and its incorporation into the Iraqi Airways fleet; successfully defended a claim by the Catholic Church for the setting aside of a property purchase.

The clients

Abbey Corporate; Lloyds TSB; the Multiple Sclerosis Society; Nationwide; Springer Science+Business Media; The Old Vic Theatre Trust.

The money

(from Legal Business magazine)

Turnover in 2008: £44m (+10% from 2007) Profits per equity partner: £618,000 (-7%)


The Lex 100 verdict

A viable alternative to the City is found in Howard Kennedy, which has 'a great West End vibe', plus a 'broad range of commercial services offering trainees a positive platform to kick-start their careers'. A good choice for those hungry for client exposure ('from day one') plus 'higher end responsibility on cases and transactions - the more responsibility you can handle, the more you're offered'. You'll be busy - 'I am never without work and always being given the opportunity to assist the more senior fee-earners with their files' - and will need a cool head to 'juggle a number of urgent matters at once'. Expect to have your own files, often 'seeing a matter through from start to finish, being encouraged to put forward my own ideas on how to take a matter forward'. So if the idea of 'going before a Master on my third day in my litigation seat' sends you rushing for the exits, look elsewhere. Several trainees mentioned the friendly working environment 'which encourages a good balance between work and life', as well as the advantages of being part of a smaller intake (four to six trainees a year - 'the relatively small number of us means that you're given the opportunity to have work that is both varied and of a high quality'). Trainees would like their firm to increase its profile ('it is a very good firm with plenty of potential. However, it is not marketed well'), particularly because they feel that their training compares well and 'often seems to exceed that of other firms that my peers are training at'. Shopaholics beware - 'there is the temptation of Oxford Street/Regent Street which is only a minute away from the office - especially on pay day!', but if you want 'less of the photocopying, more actual work with excellent client contact', take a closer look.

A day in the life of.....

Sorry, this firm has not supplied this information.




About the firm

Sorry, this firm has not supplied this information.