Berwin Leighton Paisner
Formed in 2001 by the merger of property firm Berwin Leighton, and commercial firm Paisner & Co, and a vibrant firm with staple real estate, finance, tax and corporate practices, Berwin Leigton Paisner’s recent history is marked by impressive growth.
Pros
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Cons
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Employee Reviews
Life on the Job
Culture
- "Trainees do support each other and socialise every week. The firm has a culture of encouraging this collegiate atmosphere." -- First year trainee
"Very much a collaborative approach – trainees
often get briefed about deal specifics, and brought fully into the centre of
the deal working within set mini teams. Support structures not only form in the
trainee intake, but also in other trainee intakes, and juniors in the team
offer constant hints and tips and people to ask for. Supervisors are of a high
standard and very interactive. Trainees regularly socialise during the week and
on weekends, and the social life is a big plus." -- First year trainee
"The working environment is open and friendly. There is a strong atmosphere that we are one of the best firms for what we do and we are really getting ahead. Relationships with clients are ongoing and strong. There is a strong team spirit both across the firm and within departments. The trainees also have a strong camaraderie and are very supportive of each other. There could be more official social events, but there is usually an informal event organised by individual trainees a couple of times a month, such as a recent cake and cocktails evening one of the trainees held at her home to welcome the new intake. Within departments, trainees are very supportive and know when to bring round the tea and chocolate to support friends who are having challenging days." -- First year trainee
"The firm is very relaxed and people are approachable. There is a strong work ethic and you are expected to pull your weight. The trainees are very supportive and sociable, often acting as friends not colleagues." -- First year trainee
"The culture here is the best thing about BLP and is the most important thing the firm needs to maintain as it develops and goes forward. All firms say this, but here it is an open door firm without a strict hierarchy. At social events there is no distinction between lawyers and support staff or between partners and trainees. The trainees are generally a friendly bunch and because we have a bespoke LPC (the LPC+) you are already friends when you start so there is always someone around to grab a drink with." -- Second year trainee
"The firm is very keen on building relationships between different people and different departments. All the trainees take the LPC together in the same classes with a course based around the firm's precedents so that by the time we start we are comfortable and well-acquainted both with the firm and with each other. Trainees tend to eat together (whether with their intake or with others) and do make plans to go out. There are a lot of inclusive firm activates such as work drinks, a Friday afternoon drinks trolley, sports clubs, charity events, quizzes, etc. Different departments do seem to have different attitudes to sociability and working environment though." -- First year trainee
"Comparatively few trainees so very supportive. Good social life amongst the different intakes too." -- Second year trainee
"Trainees socialise together a lot and are generally very supportive of one another (so if an email goes round requesting assistance, it is generally given!)." -- Second year trainee
Hours, Pay & Perks
Hours
- "I think my hours are pretty good for a City law firm, I usually get in at 8.30 – 9 and leave between 6.30 and 7.15. I never feel that I'm wasting time when I work late; there is always a good reason. I have occasionally worked till 11 but that has typically been the day before going on holiday when there have been loose ends to tie up before handing work over. The hours are better than I had expected, but I had expected very long hours. I had not expected the level of exhaustion trainees feel – every minute of the day is spent concentrating and it can be draining at first." -- First year trainee
"I work on average 9:30 – 8:00pm which is
alright. This seems about average when I talk to other trainees or friends at
different firms." -- Second year trainee
"I really cannot complain. Most of it is down to personal time management. There is not a culture of jackets on backs of seats here." -- First year trainee
"I have a very good department for hours! My work is typically non-urgent because of the nature of the department and so will typically work a 45 hours week. The latest I have stayed is around 8.30pm and do not anticipate it being much more. But I do work hard to make sure that I have a good structure and take shorter lunches so that I can go home as soon as I feel my work for the day is done. Other trainees in other departments are not so lucky with hours." -- First year trainee
"Average work week in corporate is 60 hours, which is more than I expected." -- First year trainee
"A bit too much but I know it’s not nearly as bad as lots of firms. Work on average 8:30am to 7:30pm each day. Never work at weekends." -- Second year trainee
"55 hours a week average – but it’s heavily dependent on the deal at the time." -- First year trainee
Pay
- "Whilst it seems a lot before starting,
with tax, student loan (and a loan for travelling from the firm for being a
March-starter), it soon gets swallowed up." -- First year trainee
"Trainee salaries are average for the City, but once you've qualified the associates seem a little more dissatisfied when they consider what similar firms pay." -- Second year trainee
"Should be a bonus scheme for trainees – lack of this is weak." -- First year trainee
"It compares favourably to other firms, and is a ridiculous amount of money for a 24 year old to earn!" -- First year trainee
"Industry standard." -- First year trainee
"Pretty good. Of course one always wants more... but compared to the average at other similar firms, not bad at all." -- Second year trainee
"I cannot complain. It is reviewed regularly in line with industry compensation, and remains competitive." -- First year trainee
Interviews
Interviews & Assessments
- "Typically,
after application, there is a telephone interview, an assessment day, and then
a training contract interview (either during a vacation scheme or separately).
My interview was very hard and I was asked a lot of complicated commercial and
legal questions that I had no idea about. I had read a little about commercial
matters and the news and gave it my best shot. I think that the interviewers
were trying to see if I could effectively argue my own case and therefore
demonstrate good potential as a lawyer." -- First year trainee
"There was a telephone interview, assessment day, vacation placement and then an interview. I interviewed with two partners, and it was just like being back at university in a one-on-one hour's supervision – the questions went as far as your knowledge stretched and just beyond to see how you think and deal with new situations. You are challenged and forced to defend a position. There is nowhere to hide, you have to be sparky and with it." -- First year trainee
"There is a telephone interview, assessment day and partner interview. The interview was with two partners and was quite relaxed. Questions adapted to the situation, so started off quite commercial, but then became more like a chat as the interview went on. The assessment day was relatively intense, with a presentation task, a written task and a debating task." -- First year trainee
"Phone interview, assessment day, partner interview (with two partners). Assessment day about on a par with those at other firms, with a lot of trainee involvement. Interview was a relaxed chat with two partners." -- Second year trainee
"Telephone interview; assessment centre; vacation scheme; partner interview. Mixture of commercial and factual questions." -- First year trainee
"Phone interview – fairly easy. Assessment day – getting tougher. Interviews – two partners and depends, usually quite challenging, but not designed to catch you out. HR and partners go to a lot of effort to make people feel comfortable and not overwhelmed." -- Second year trainee
The Inside Buzz View
Training Contracts at BLP
BLP recruits from a range of universities, with one trainee stating the firm’s attitude to recruitment seems ‘background-blind. I was really impressed by the diversity in my intake’. However, the one thing all trainees do have in common is academic achievement: BLP ordinarily expects good A-levels and a 2:1 degree from its candidates. Having said that, ‘a first from Oxbridge alone is not enough to get the job, personality is key.' So how can you impress?
Due to the relatively small number of trainees the firm takes on each year, the competition for places is high, and you need to make yourself memorable in order to be successful. BLP looks for the standard coveted traits such as enthusiasm, determination and commercial awareness, but one trainee also places importance on a ‘good sense of humour’. Current advice is to ‘be yourself’ and not to try and sell yourself as someone you’re not as the firm will ‘see right through’.
After submitting your online application, BLP follows up with a phone interview. Here you might be asked about anything you put on your application form, as well as the odd question on current affairs. If successful, you’ll receive an invitation to an assessment day which will include a tour of the offices and tasks such as a negotiation exercise, a written exercise and a presentation. Your overall performance in all of these assessments is taken into consideration, so it is a good idea to be confident and speak out throughout the day.
The final stage is the toughest and comprises an interview with two partners. The questions go ‘as far as your knowledge stretches’ and test your critical thinking and ability to deal with new situations. One trainee says that during this interview ‘you are challenged and forced to defend a position. There is nowhere to hide, so you have to be sparky and with it’. Although this final interview is demanding, it is ‘not designed to catch you out’. It gives you the opportunity to really display your interest in the firm and show off your knowledge about BLP’s latest deals and news.
If all goes as you planned (or should that be hoped), as a trainee at BLP you’ll undertake four seats and spend six months in each. There is a broad range of seats to choose from, although real estate, corporate and a contentious seat are all compulsory. A current trainee states that the firm ‘guarantees first choice at least once during your contract, but preferences are taken into account throughout.’ Furthermore, those with the wanderlust will be pleased to hear that there are opportunities to do a seat in one of the firm’s foreign offices, with trainees being seconded to locations as far flung as Abu Dhabi, Moscow and Singapore.
BLP Graduate Recruitment Info
Contact:
Graduate Recruitment Team
Email: traineerecruit@blplaw.com
Application Deadlines:
Training Contracts: 31st July 2012
How to apply: www.blplaw.com/index.cfm/ApplicationProcess/1238
Berwin Leighton Paisner Profile & Stats
Following the merger of property firm Berwin Leighton and commercial firm Paisner & Co in 2001, Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) has created ripples in the London legal market and is now arguably one of the most vibrant law firms in the City. Over the past several years, BLP has expanded into new specialties while building on its strong real estate and corporate practices. In the process, the firm has increased its headcount by hundreds, opened new overseas offices – most recently in Hong Kong, Berlin and Frankfurt in 2011 – and has more than doubled its profits per equity partner. The firm now boasts eight international offices and its reach extends to a network of ‘preferred firms’ in locations across the globe. In fact, international work now accounts for more than a third of BLP’s turnover.
The origins of the firm go back to 1932, when Leslie Paisner founded law firm Paisner & Co to provide general legal advice. The firm built up a reputation for its corporate work and boasted major clients of the likes of Great Universal Stores and Penguin Books. Law firm Leighton & Co meanwhile was founded towards the end of the 1940s, specialising in litigation and property advice for West End developers. Berwin & Co, which counted tax, M&A and corporate finance amongst its specialties, later merged with Leighton & Co, creating a well respected property firm whose clients included British Land and Tesco.
The 2001 merger of Berwin Leighton and Paisner & Co created a law firm with over 1,300 employees, more than 700 lawyers and suited both firms down to the ground. Berwin Leighton was looking to take on more City work and develop its banking and M&A practices; meanwhile, Paisner & Co was struggling in the increasingly competitive City and looking to expand.
The growth of BLP over the last decade has been impressive, especially with regards to corporate, banking and finance-related work. Currently, BLP is one of the leading law firms for property work, with clients including The Crown Estate, Tesco, Blackstone, Liverpool City Council and Credit Suisse. The firm’s corporate practice has also expanded, from the firm’s corporate finance, AIM and private equity work. BLP’s policy of advising small companies as they grow, such as on their flotation on AIM, has meant that the firm has not been short of corporate work.
In finance, BLP has won a number of major clients, including Barclays, ING International, UBS, Merrill Lynch, The Boeing Company, and the Olympic Delivery Authority. The firm is a leader in privately funded public projects, for both private finance initiatives and public private partnerships. Furthermore, the firm’s litigation and dispute resolution, and tax capabilities are not to be ignored. BLP has a highly respected tax practice that has expanded in recent years to become one of the largest and broadest legal tax teams in the City.
Additionally, BLP has revolutionised the way legal services can be delivered to their clients. The firm’s Lawyers on Demand program – a pool of highly trained freelance lawyers available to clients, and Managed Legal Service – where BLP can manage all or part of a client’s legal needs for them, mean that lawyers can vary their workload to suit their lifestyles.
When it comes to pro bono work, BLP has a committee which nominates a charity each year to which the firm then devotes its fundraising efforts. Furthermore, BLP is a patron of the Hayward Gallery, borrowing works of art regularly for the firm’s offices, and has worked on the London 2012 Olympics bid.
