SJ Berwin
One of the youngest of the UK’s law firms, SJ Berwin has grown at a phenomenal rate since its founding in 1982. Though smaller in size then some of its rivals, the firm punches above its weight and has cut itself a place in the mid-market corporate arena largely on the back of its private equity and property work.
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The Inside Buzz View
Training Contracts at SJ Berwin
To land a position with SJ Berwin, applicants need a combination
of ambition, knowledge and experience. The firm is looking for
well-rounded candidates who have some experience outside law, as well
as an interest in corporate work. SJ Berwin covets applicants who are
practical, commercial, unpretentious and willing to put the hours in.
SJ Berwin Graduate Recruitment Info
Contact:
Email: graduate.recruitment@sjberwin.com
Application Deadlines: Training Contracts: 31st July 2012
How to apply: www.sjberwin.com/plum_english_careers.html
SJ Berwin Profile & Stats
Since its inception in 1982, SJ Berwin’s short history has been defined by phenomenal growth. SJ Berwin is now a 170-partner practice, a member of the ‘Silver Circle’, and is highly regarded for its corporate, commercial and real estate work.
SJ Berwin was founded by a group of four partners with a vision to do something slightly different. Within the span of a few years, the firm opened an office in Brussels, boosted its numbers to 300 legal staff – including 45 partners – and was bringing in turnover of £24.2 million. The firm then opened offices in Madrid, in 1999, and Paris and Munich, in 2000, as its stature in the UK and Europe grew.
In 2009, the firm made its inaugural foray east, setting up shop in Hong Kong – its first office outside of Europe. Just a few weeks later, SJ Berwin reached into the Middle East, cutting the red tape on a new Dubai outpost. These new offices are evidence of a wider strategy, in which the firm utilises its strengths in private equity and fund formation to tap into the growing Asian and Middle Eastern markets.
Over the years, SJ Berwin has remained resolutely UK and Europe focussed, shunning opportunities for a transatlantic tie-up. However, that long-held strategy is about to undergo a dramatic transformation, as the firm investigates referral relationships in the US, China and India. In addition, SJ Berwin has established a secondment programme with law firms in the US, Canada, Europe and Asia, allowing solicitors to move between the different regions.
With top-tier tax, competition and arbitration teams, SJ Berwin is one of only a few firms of its size that can genuinely claim to be full service. What’s more, the firm has an international network that is increasingly setting itself apart from its rivals. SJ Berwin is a leader in a whole raft of other areas, including property, financial services and litigation. Its top tier clients include RBS, APAX and Bridgepoint Capital.
Perhaps what defines SJ Berwin most is that, unlike any traditional English law firm, partners are remunerated according to the work they generate and deliver, rather than by the length of time they have been practising… This “eat what you kill” approach keeps the firm hungry for more.
