Travers Smith

Hours

"It was tough for a time in corporate, but generally hours are very reasonable and there is no real concept of face time in the vast majority of rooms." -- Second year trainee
"I probably work between 38 – 45 hours per week. I think that the number of hours is fairly standard (if not quite good) for a well respected City law firm. I would not expect to be working fewer hours (and in some of my future seats, I expect to work considerably more)." -- First year trainee
"40/45 hours – as expected." -- First year trainee
"50 – less than I expected (so far!)" -- First year trainee
"I tend to spend about 55 hours in the office in an average week. It very much depends on volume of work and the stage of litigation. The firm is quite flexible and no one looks down on you for leaving early if you are able to." -- Newly qualified solicitor
"Flexible working is not something that has really been implemented at our firm yet. However, we have no formal billing targets. Hours are normal for the City (i.e. they can be very long) but lawyers are not encouraged to do long hours for the sake of it. The department is (in general) very good about ensuring junior lawyers take holidays and that these holidays are not interrupted, and that there is some down time in between transactions. Bearing in mind that I knew what I was signing up to, I am happy with the working culture at the firm." -- Junior solicitor

"The job involves long hours – it just does. However, that being said, I have never had to work late whilst everyone else heads home at 6pm. When there is lots on you are expected, reasonably, to put your shoulder to the wheel. Conversely, when there isn't much on you are encouraged to head home early!" -- Second year trainee
"50 hours per week, on average, which is less than I would have expected. There is also no culture of ‘face-time’ at Travers Smith – if you have no work to do, or even just no urgent work to do, you will be encouraged to go home." -- Second year trainee
"50 – 55 hours (approx.). I am working less than I expected and much more regular hours." -- First year trainee
"An average week is approx. 50 hours at the moment, and that is good compared to some seats." -- Second year trainee
"I average 40 hours a week in the office, and there is no culture of being seen to stay late. If there's work to be done, people will work through the night and weekends if necessary, but otherwise there is no expectancy that fee earners will stay late unnecessarily. There is a very good approach to hours (i.e. no billing targets)." -- Junior solicitor
"On an average week I will spend between 50 – 55 hours in the office. Flexibility with hours is not great at the firm." -- Junior solicitor

Salary

"Fair enough for what is expected of trainees most of the time; insufficient compensation for times when the hours are extreme though." -- Second year trainee
"It is level with other (larger) firms in the City." -- Second year trainee
"I'm very happy with it and think it is very competitive." -- Second year trainee
"Good basic rate of pay compared to similar sized firms." -- Junior solicitor
"Pay is about market for the City. The bonus scheme is discretionary and, to the extent a bonus is awarded, it is pro-rata across all fee-earners (e.g. the Christmas bonus for all fee-earners was two weeks’ salary)." -- Junior solicitor
"I would be interested to see a more formal bonus structure in place." -- Junior solicitor

"I’m very happy with it." -- First year trainee
"Pay is very good, but there aren't as many extra benefits (good gym membership package, coffee subsidiaries, pension plans) for trainees as in other law firms." -- First year trainee
"It ranks well but given how many hours we work I think the firm could pay us more." -- First year trainee
"Pay is fair, bonuses are not huge but welcome." -- Junior solicitor
"Bonus is based on a set number of weeks pay. Bonuses could be better but our base salary is good." -- Junior solicitor
"There needs to be a bonus programme, we were given a tiny bonus at Xmas which was firm-wide." -- Junior solicitor

Perks

"The perks are in line with other firms (i.e. cabs, meals, etc.)." -- Second year trainee
"Departmental and firm-wide Christmas party." -- Junior solicitor
"We don't get anything too wacky that I can think of. We get £5 a week towards food at the canteen (whoop whoop), subsidised gym membership, spare sports tickets if they’re not being used for client entertainment (Twickenham, Emirates, Wembley, Oval, etc.). Free chocolate bars, crisps, soft drinks, etc. after 6pm (not sure that's a good thing!), free dinner after 7pm, and free taxis home after 9pm. We are also allowed to use our BlackBerries as our personal phones without having to reimburse the firm (within reason), which I think is fairly generous." -- Junior solicitor
"Free tickets to sporting events are great." -- Junior solicitor

"Cheap tickets for a box at the Royal Albert Hall!" -- Second year trainee
"Lots of social events where the food/drink is free (we have a tab). The Christmas party is a really good night, always in a top quality hotel in London and no expense is spared." -- First year trainee
"Not great for perks. Tickets for sporting events do come up though at a cost. We do get standard provisions such as dinner when staying late and cabs home." -- First year trainee
"We get two extra days' holiday – one at Easter, one at Christmas." -- Newly qualified solicitor

Bonus

"£1,000" -- Junior solicitor
"£3,000" -- Newly qualified solicitor
"£1,200" -- Junior solicitor

"Discretionary but was around 5% of salary last year (across the board)." -- Junior solicitor

"One week's salary (variable)." -- Junior solicitor

Fun Facts

"Your canteen card is topped up by £5 at the start of each week." -- First year trainee
"In line with Travers Smith's relatively recent corporate rebranding, its ‘olfactory identity’ is the smell of blackberries." -- Junior solicitor
"We have a great local pub – the Bishop's Finger. Friday = good times." -- First year trainee
"It's nothing like Ally McBeal." -- Junior solicitor

"The founder loved Havana cigars." -- Second year trainee
"The partnership was founded in the 1800s." -- Second year trainee
"There are lots of relationships between colleagues." -- First year trainee
"Joseph Travers Smith was supposedly an expert on cigars." -- Junior solicitor

Pluses

"The people, the work, and the culture." -- First year trainee
"Good support network, high quality of work." -- First year trainee
"Great fun. Good partners (very helpful in the office, great fun outside it), the collegiate environment and great quality of work." -- Second year trainee
"The work, the people." -- First year trainee
"People, quality of work, and the fact you are appreciated." -- Newly qualified solicitor
"Quality of work and the people I work with." -- Junior solicitor
"Good training, good work, and good support." -- Junior solicitor

"The people and a general commitment to wanting to train people well." -- First year trainee
"The people, the work, and the pay!" -- Second year trainee
"The salary." -- Second year trainee
"The people, the mix of clients and the responsibility which is given to you at an early stage." -- Junior solicitor
"Great work and nice, talented colleagues." -- Junior solicitor
"People, pay and quality of work." -- Junior solicitor
"Great quality of work and work/life balance." -- Junior solicitor

Minuses

"The underground canteen." -- First year trainee
"Quality of sandwiches for work meetings!" -- Second year trainee
"Poor bonuses, not much else." -- Second year trainee
"The lack of international opportunities." -- Junior solicitor
"The canteen is in the basement. It would be nice to be able to eat in the office and see the outside world at the same time." -- Junior solicitor
"Slight lack of flexibility." -- Junior solicitor

"Little diversity in terms of the make-up of the fee earners. Although there are slightly more female trainees than male, this is not reflected at partnership level." -- First year trainee
"The canteen and the occasional late night/weekend." -- First year trainee
"IT!" -- First year trainee
"The biscuits could be improved upon." -- Junior solicitor
"Unpredictable hours (but I think that is practice area specific rather than firm specific)." -- Junior solicitor