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Reynolds Porter Chamberlain LLP 
Tower Bridge House St Katharine's Way London E1W 1AA
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? 'Medium-size City firm that attracts very good clients, without the long hours of Magic Circle firms'; 'high proportion of contentious work'; 'everyone was full of personality rather than being a typical legal drone'; 'liked the vibe and the variety of practice areas'

How does your training compare with peers' at other firms? 'Much better. Others I know have been reduced to blubbering wrecks by supervisors and not given their own files'; 'we're encouraged to pick up the phone and speak to clients from day one'; 'treated as a member of the team'; 'partners genuinely want you to have the best experience'; 'less late nights but same level of work and more responsibility'

Best thing about the firm? 'Everyone is incredibly friendly and supportive. The open-plan working environment means that you'll always be sitting next to a partner or senior solicitor'; 'amazing office! Work/life balance'; 'collegiate atmosphere and the potential to meet your future husband/wife!'; 'strong reputation in commercial litigation'; 'full of friendly faces' 

Worst thing about the firm? 'Limited opportunities if you're not interested in insurance litigation'; 'location of offices, although stunning, is outside the City and there are fewer places to grab lunch/drinks'; 'lack of opportunity to do a variety of non-contentious work'; 'not as well known as it should be'; 'competition in respect of certain seats: IP, media, employment'

Best moment? 'Quality of work given in real estate seat'; 'attending a trial at the Commercial Court'; 'obtaining summary judgement for £3m in a case that I'd run myself from start to finish'; 'tight deadline on a case, the team pulling together and not feeling like a trainee'; 'our netball team'; 'meeting a billionaire client'; 'client secondment'

Worst moment? 'Making someone bankrupt'; 'bundling until midnight whilst my colleagues went to a film premiere with clients'; 'the inevitable document work associated with complex litigation'; 'having to go to work when I would have preferred to play in the snow!'; 'late for the Christmas party because I was bundling!'



The Lex 100 verdict

The firm

Reynolds Porter Chamberlain remains a strong presence in insurance, particularly the regulatory side, and has an outstanding reputation for professional negligence, acting for three of the Big Four accounting firms. TMT is another area of strength, and it has a leading defendant defamation practice, acting for Associated Newspapers and Independent News and Media among others. It is also recommended for mid-market M&A.


The star performers

Brand management; Clinical negligence (defendant); Commercial litigation; Construction; Defamation and privacy; Education; Employment; Insurance; Insurance and reinsurance litigation; IT and telecoms; IP; M&A: lower mid-market, £50m-£250m; Partnership; Personal injury; Product liability; Professional negligence.

The deals

Advised SCA on £100m disposal; advised HMV Waterstone on its acquisition of 14 stores from Zavvi; successfully defended Mohammed Meer (previously Nelson Mandela's lawyer) in the Court of Appeal against accusations of fraud brought by the Zambian Government; represented the Daily Mail, the Daily Mirror, the Daily Express and The Sun in the proceedings brought by Robert Murat; handles all the letting work for the Cancer Research UK retail portfolio.

The clients

AstraZeneca; Catlin; Chubb; Eidos; Marketform; Novae; QBE; Reuters; SCA; Universal Music Group; W R Berkley.

The money

(from Legal Business magazine)

Turnover in 2008: £57.9m (+9% from 2007) Profits per equity partner: £305,000 (+3%)


The Lex 100 verdict

A great choice for those seeking a City firm with a focus on litigation, Reynolds Porter Chamberlain has a 'fantastic reputation in the insurance market' plus 'a huge range of work'. Several trainees had great vac scheme experiences, with one concluding 'my time here has confirmed my first impressions were right and that the firm was friendly, forward thinking and willing to give responsibility to trainees'. And yes, there certainly is responsibility ('we are encouraged to pick up the phone and speak to clients from day one'), as well as client contact where the firm is a Lex 100 Winner ('friends in Magic Circle firms have still not met clients - I have had a lot of exposure already'). Hours are pretty decent too with 'fewer late nights but the same level of work and more responsibility'. Trainees report diverse work experiences ranging from a 'complex gross negligence manslaughter trial' to 'running my own files in insurance - corresponding with the other side, our client and loss adjustors in order to reach a settlement'. One simply says that 'the opportunity to get stuck into real law' has been the best thing - 'taking witness statements from clients, attending mediations and hearings'. Perhaps inevitably for a firm with a strong contentious practice, trainees do get intimate with bundles and be aware that there are 'limited opportunities if you're not interested in insurance litigation', with not a huge variety of non-contentious work available. The competition between trainees for media, IP and employment seats has been tough in the last few years and trainees find 'seat changing is always quite a stressful time due to over-subscription of certain areas, although lots of changes are being made'. The open-plan set up continues to be popular making it easier to communicate and contributing to 'the collegiate atmosphere'. And RPC is certainly the first firm in this book where a trainee has singled out 'the potential to meet your future husband/wife!' as one of the best things about working here - we're intrigued!

A day in the life of.....

A day in the life of.....

Claire McNicholl first-year trainee solicitor, Reynolds Porter Chamberlain LLP
University: Durham
Departments to date: General liability and employment
Degree and class: LLB Law

8.20am: I arrive at the office in time to catch the free breakfast in The Café before heading up to my desk, which has a brilliant view of St Katharine Docks and the Tower of London, to check my emails and plan my day. I am currently sitting in the employment group, although I also work with the commercial disputes group.9.00am: I attend an employment group meeting - we meet every two weeks to discuss recently reported relevant cases. Before the meeting, I research cases which are relevant to the work the group undertakes and send a note summarising each case. We take it in turns to discuss one of the cases and how the ruling could impact our clients.10.00am: I have been assisting on an employment tribunal case in which the claimant is alleging constructive dismissal, sex and race discrimination. The matter is due to go to tribunal in five weeks. I prepare an index of documents that should be included in the bundle for the hearing. The index must only include documents that are relevant to the issues in dispute so it's a great opportunity to look at the detail of the claim. I have also been responsible for instructing counsel to represent our client at the hearing; this includes liaising with the counsel's clerk and our client regarding the fee estimate.

1.00pm: During lunch I hurry with others from Reynolds Porter Chamberlain (RPC) to St Botolph's near Liverpool Street for a netball match. RPC plays in a lunchtime league against other law firms, insurance companies and banks. The match is against an insurer client and we win 13-10!2.00pm: Back at my desk, I eat lunch and continue work on an opinion I have been preparing as part of an international arbitration case I am working on with the commercial disputes group. The international aspect of this case is particularly exciting and it has been an excellent opportunity to consider the law of another jurisdiction. I recently visited our client in Europe. The client has asked us to prepare a note on the prospects of success of a particular aspect of its claim. This has required detailed research on a complex point of law. The solicitors I work with are all very approachable and the open-plan environment makes it easy to discuss any questions I might have with my colleagues.4.00pm: I meet a few of the other trainees for a quick coffee in The Café to catch up. Being part of a smaller intake is ideal as you can get to know everyone. As trainees we often socialise together.4.10pm: I deal with the day-to-day running of six financial recovery files with partner supervision. Having my own caseload is great experience as a trainee. I am currently trying to recover a debt in Italy on behalf of our client via a European Order for Payment. I liaise with the Italian lawyer I instructed, and then update our client.6.00pm: Along with two associates I have been acting pro bono for a death row prisoner. I take notes during the telephone conference with counsel in which we discuss the possibility of appealing a recent decision to not quash the conviction.6.30pm: Everyone from trainee level up is invited to get involved in marketing activities, so tonight I am going to a private cinema screening followed by a cocktail evening with our clients!



About the firm

About the firm

Address: Tower Bridge House St Katharine's Way E1W 1AA
Telephone: 020 3060 6000 Fax: 020 3060 7000
Website:  www.rpc.co.uk/training
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Senior partner: Robert Hogarth, Managing partner: Jonathan Watmough
Total partners: 64
Other fee-earners:279
Total trainees :30

Who we are: Reynolds Porter Chamberlain LLP is a leading London-based practice with over 250 lawyers.

What we do: Particularly well-known in the field of insurance, we also have a highly rated and fast-growing corporate/commercial practice, which includes an expanding media and IP practice.

What we are looking for: Although proven academic ability is important (we require a 2(1) degree or above) we also value energy, enthusiasm, business sense, commitment and the ability to communicate and relate well to others.

What you will do: Trainees receive first-rate training in a supportive environment. Six months will be spent in four areas of our practice and we encourage our trainees to express preferences for the areas in which they would like to train.

Perks: We feel it is important to offer our employees a creative and competitive benefits package with choice and flexibility. Our full range of benefits can be viewed via our website.

Sponsorship: GDL and LPC fees paid plus up to £6,500 maintenance.

Application process

Apply to: The Trainee Recruitment Team.

How to apply: Online at www.rpc.co.uk/training.

When to Apply: 30 July 2010.

What is involved: Assessment days held in September.

Facts and figures

Trainee places available for 2012 15

Applications received pa 1,000

Percentage interviewed 6%

Salary

First year £37,000

Second year £40,000

Newly qualified £58,000

Placement schemes

Summer: June and July 2010 (apply by 29 January 2010).