Lex 100 - Martineau

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Martineau

No 1 Colmore square, Birmigham B4 6AA

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The trainee verdict

The lowdown (in their own words...)

Why did you choose this firm over any others? 'I loved the vacation scheme'; 'atmosphere of the firm was very friendly'; 'doing six seats rather than four offers the chance to experience a wider range of work'; 'its reputation'; 'high calibre of clients'; 'good quality of work'

How does your training compare with peers' at other firms? 'More variety'; 'less responsibility'; 'more pleasant and supportive'; 'we meet regularly with the senior partner to feed back our thoughts and ideas on life at Martineau'; more sociable'; 'more contact with clients'

Best thing about the firm? 'There is always someone you can go to if you have a query'; 'the culture'; 'very friendly and sociable atmosphere' ;'structure of the training contract'; 'variety of seat choices'; 'the people'

Worst thing about the firm? 'Lack of communication at times'; 'trainee salary is not as competitive'; 'rubbish coffee machine'; 'it doesn't sell itself enough'

Best moment? 'Helping to prepare for an emergency injunction against trespassers'; 'lots of client contact'; 'conferences with counsel'; 'running my own file from start to finish in my first seat'; 'running a conference call with a potential character witness'; 'conducting my own court hearings'

Worst moment? 'Having to spend four months in a seat that I did not want to do'; 'the two extremes - either being really quiet or totally swamped!'; 'collating and filing emails'; 'being the last person in the office on a Friday evening doing research'

The Lex 100 verdict

The firm

Based in Birmingham with an office in London, 'stalwart firm' Martineau has over 100 lawyers working across a broad range of key commercial areas. The firm is a founder member of MultiLaw which has more than 60 members worldwide and enables it to deliver legal services internationally. Martineau is strong across the board, but continues to stand out for its excellence in the education and energy sectors. The firm has also seen increased activity in cross-border work.

The star performers

Agriculture and estates; Banking and finance; Charities; Commercial litigation; Commercial property; Construction; Corporate and commercial; Corporate tax; Debt recovery; EU and competition; Education; Employment; Energy; Environment; Family; Health and safety; IT/IP; Insolvency and corporate recovery; Licensing; Local government; PFI; Pensions; Personal tax, trusts and probate; Planning; Private Finance Initiative (PFI); Transport.

The deals

Advised South Staffordshire on the acquisition of Omega Red from Lloyds Development Capital and management; acted for Staffordshire University on various licensing issues; acted for YouTravel.com in a claim brought by an Irish company in the Bankruptcy Court of Florida; advised King Sturge London on an LPA receivership concerning a development site.

The clients

Aston University; Birmingham City Council; British Energy; British Hallmarking Council; De Monfort University; Foresight Group; Nottingham University; Nurture Cumbria; Santander; University of Cambridge; University of Gloucester Students' Union; Yorkshire Bank.

The money

(from Legal Business magazine)

Turnover in 2010: £20.5m (-3% from 2009) Profits per equity partner: £205,000 (+10%)

The Verdict

The vacation scheme at Martineau immediately attracts trainees. Describing it as a 'brilliant' introduction, the atmosphere 'was very friendly and supportive and the work on offer was high quality and challenging.' Unsurprising then that Martineau is a Lex 100 Winner for its vacation scheme. It appeals to those looking for a large, national firm, which is able to offer interesting and varied work. With its 'wide range of disciplines and clients' it does just that. Offering a six-seat training system trainees feel that they are able to take advantage of the different departments and 'experience a wider range of work before deciding where to qualify'. They also like the opportunity to do a seat in London. A Lex 100 Winner for social life too, there are plenty of opportunities to get to know other people at the firm with trainee drinks every Friday and at the numerous other events throughout the year. You are also given a significant amount of client contact compared to peers and should be prepared for a lot of responsibility running your own files, 'conducting my own court hearings' or 'attending board meetings in London'. The friendly culture here means that trainees are 'made to feel very welcome from day one' and there is 'always someone you can go to if you have a query'. There are grumbles about the occasional lack of communication within the firm and some trainees feel that pay could be a bit more competitive for the area. There are also pleas for a better coffee machine! However, trainees love the atmosphere here and feel that they are involved in the development of the firm ('we meet regularly with the senior partner to feed back our thoughts and ideas on life at Martineau'). For those looking to settle in the Midlands, Martineau must be a serious contender.