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Veale Wasbrough 
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? 'Quality of work and client contact. Friendly, supportive atmosphere and promised career development'; 'enjoyed vac scheme'; 'it is a high performing commercial firm with some very interesting niche departments'; 'friendly, down-to earth and quality of work'; 'Bristol location'

How does your training compare with peers' at other firms? 'Better. More client contact and responsibility. Feel part of a team and not at the bottom of the pile'; 'the level of supervision we get is excellent'; 'probably more contact with partners but quality of work not as good'; 'work/life balance is better'; 'the quality and variety of my training has been very good'; 'we are given a high level of continuous training'

Best thing about the firm? 'The people and the range of work'; 'the professional but relaxed atmosphere. Great support network and top lawyers always willing to help you'; 'everyone is so friendly. The partners are approachable and will always make time for you'; 'interesting niche departments' 

Worst thing about the firm? 'Lack of confidence in the firm's own ability. Perhaps too cautious'; 'there is no junior staff car park!'; 'you have to take lunch between 1 and 2'; 'they are not that great at the little extras - eg there are no free sandwiches and the café area is very small'; 'the time recording system is not very modern'; 'staff benefits'

Best moment? 'Playing a lead role in a high-value personal injury claim and managing over 20 of my own files'; 'when my work has made a difference to a client'; 'being a central part of the team that worked on a £500m deal'; 'working on a school merger'; 'completing a valuable piece of research for a client and then successfully briefing my team on my findings'

Worst moment? 'Seat changes are always unsettling as they can be a real venture into the unknown'; 'being sent to Stafford for a marketing event while I was really busy which meant I had to come in over the weekend to catch up'; 'getting used to the stress that comes with taking on responsibility'; 'the financial services psc exam!'



The Lex 100 verdict

The firm

Veale Wasbrough is a regional firm acting nationwide for clients in the corporate, education & charities, public, real estate and healthcare sectors. There is also a dedicated private client service in Bristol. The firm now has a staff of over 250 and also operates from a small office in Chancery Lane.


The star performers

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; Insolvency and corporate recovery; Intellectual property and information technology; Licensing; Local government; Personal injury (claimant); Personal tax, trusts and probate; Planning; Private Finance Initiative (PFI); Professional negligence; Property litigation.

The deals

Advising the shareholders on the £4m sale of the share capital of Gardner Energy Management to Canadian listed company Thermal Energy International; advising Cardiff County Council over a £750,000 remedial damages claim; acted for Airbus on the construction of an £85m factory; advising Somerset County Council, Taunton Deane Borough Council and Somerset Police Authority in relation to the £500m Improving Services in Somerset PPP.

The clients

Baker Tilly; Clydesdale Bank; Spa Dental Management; Brandon Hire plc; HSBC; The Pensions Regulator.British Paralympic Association; MoD; EDF Energy; PriceWaterhouseCoopers;

The money


The Lex 100 verdict

'I completed a vacation placement here and immediately knew it was the firm I wanted to train with and work for' remarks one contented current trainee. This comment echoes many others about popular Bristol firm Veale Wasbrough. A new entry to our book this year, the firm has also performed very well in our survey, becoming a Lex 100 Winner in four categories - work/life balance, friendliness, social life and vacation scheme. Trainees praise the 'friendly atmosphere', 'the helpful people' and the 'wide variety of departments with some interesting niche areas'. They compare their experiences very favourably with peers at other firms and feel the level of supervision is 'excellent'. As one comments - 'some of my friends at other firms are left in deep water with a massive number of files to cope with and very little help', while another says - 'here I feel part of a team and not bottom of the pile'. The balance between continuous training and responsibility seems to suit the trainees here - they get 'valuable client work from the outset', but there is a 'good focus on developing legal skills and knowledge'. Complaints here tend to focus on the lack of perks or benefits and some feel the firm lacks confidence in its own ability and is 'perhaps too cautious'. There are also some comments about the time recording system which 'can take a while to get familiar with and is not very modern'. These niggles aside, if you're looking for a friendly, supportive firm with a good attitude towards career development and a healthy work/life balance, then Veale Wasbrough looks like a good choice.

A day in the life of.....

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About the firm

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