Gowling WLG

The Legal 500 Future Lawyers verdict on Gowling WLG

Gowling has a ‘broad client base, a wide range of practice areas and a good reputation for training’. The firm is a ‘significant player in the West Midlands’ and ‘provides the opportunity to work in a large, international firm outside of London’, though the firm also offers training contracts in the capital. Some respondents had previously worked at the firm as paralegals and had ‘experienced the great culture and exciting work’. Others ‘found the vacation scheme enjoyable and interesting’, and commented on the ‘really nice Birmingham office, which made me feel like a ‘real lawyer”. The people at Gowling are ‘generally very approachable and happy to help you’. This includes ‘partners and other seniors’ with whom you ‘can have banter despite their position’ and creates a ‘friendly, open environment’ with ‘no stuffiness’. Trainees appreciate that they get ‘genuine autonomy’, rather than ‘becoming a tiny wheel in a giant legal cog’. The worst things about Gowling are ‘the lack of flexibility for trainees to work from home’, ‘the inconsistency of approach when it comes to management, supervision and expectations across different teams’ and ‘how early the [Birmingham] office restaurant/cafe closes’. Trainees’ worst moments were ‘having lots of urgent work to do for a number of different people when I was ill’, ‘not feeling included within the team and feeling isolated in my first seat’, and ‘making mistakes and feeling stressed while dealing with it’. On the plus side, recruits relished ‘going to the High Court in London for a trial I had been working on’, ‘being given the responsibility to complete substantial property acquisitions’ and ‘working on a patent litigation matter and doing the type of work you would expect of a one or even two-year PQE solicitor’.  For an ‘inclusive, supportive firm with a ‘perfect combination of high-quality work and a very good work/life balance’, research Gowling.

About the firm

The firm: Gowling WLG is a sector-focused international law firm. With more than 1,500 legal professionals in 19 cities worldwide, we provide our clients with in-depth expertise in key global sectors and a suite of legal services at home and abroad.

Our clients have access to in-depth expertise and experience in key global sectors, including advanced manufacturing, energy, financial services, infrastructure, life sciences, natural resources, real estate and tech. We pair this specific industry knowledge with renowned service area expertise to meet each client’s unique needs.

We see the world through our clients’ eyes, and collaborate across countries, offices, service areas and sectors to help them succeed, no matter how challenging the circumstances. Our culture is, above all, about people and teams, based on our belief in the power of relationships in delivering tangible business results.

Learn more at gowlingwlg.com.

The clients: BioNTech, Aston Martin, Weetabix. AstraZeneca, HydrogenOne, Blackstone, TfL, London Underground and the Greater London Authority, The Office Group, Sanctuary Housing, Bloor Homes.

Other offices: Birmingham, London, Leeds, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Munich, Stuttgart, Frankfurt, Paris, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Calgary, Hamilton, Hamilton (King), Montréal, Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver, Waterloo Region, Brussels.

Who we are: Gowling WLG is an international law firm built on the belief that the best way to serve you is to be in tune with your world, aligned with your opportunity and ambitious for your success.

What we do: Around the world, our 1,500+ legal professionals and dedicated business support teams apply our deep sector knowledge to understand your business and help you succeed.

What we’re looking for: We’re optimistic and excited about the future, so we invest in our business to achieve our ambitions. That applies to our trainees too. We need people with a bright mind and proactive nature when it comes to solving problems. If you’re keen to learn and develop, we’d love to hear from you.

What you’ll do: You’ll complete four six-month seats: real estate, contentious, non-contentious, and a fourth one of your choice. This could be a client secondment, which gives you the chance to step into the shoes of a client, work in their legal team and understand what they expect from their lawyers. There are also opportunities to complete a seat in one of our international offices.

Perks: 25 days’ holiday per year, with the option to buy more; private medical care; life and income protection insurance; pension scheme; £1,000 interest-free loan; childcare vouchers; employee assistance programme; cycle-to-work scheme; season ticket loan; active social club with sought-after tickets for events and a dedicated budget for staff entertainment.

Sponsorship: Prior to your training contract, we’ll sponsor you to complete the Postgraduate Diploma (law conversion course), Legal Practice Course, and/or LLM Legal Practice (SQE1&2), as applicable at the University of Law. Our grant provision covers your course fees, in addition to a maintenance grant offered per course, which is £7,000 if you study in London and £5,500 if you study in Birmingham.

Diversity and inclusion