Travers Smith

Culture

8.2 / 10
33 reviews
How would you describe your firm’s culture both in the office and after hours?
2013 Reviews

  • Atmosphere is great, very little hierarchy and very easy to talk to associates and partners both in the office and down the pub after work on a Friday. Hours can be long but not as bad as they seem, as you're normally working as a team.

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  • People here are (rightly) very serious about their work, but doors are always open and everyone is incredibly approachable and happy to help, even in the most trying of circumstances. Pleasantly lacking in organised fun and pressure to socialise, but every opportunity to spend time with colleagues socially.

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  • The lack of a divisive hierarchy, certainly in my department, is refreshing.

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  • No culture of staying late when there is nothing to do. Hours tend to be better than for my friends at other City firms.

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  • Culture and atmosphere at the firm is inclusive and makes it a good place to work. This can vary between departments though.

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  • There is a lot of social interaction amongst trainees, both work-related and otherwise.

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  • Very friendly. Partners are very approachable and happy to explain things. Trainees always help each other out when they have capacity.

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2012 Reviews

  • The culture is very friendly and supportive. I have always been made to feel part of the team and important to the department.

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  • Socialising amongst the trainees is high. The firm has a healthy attitude to work life balance as far as possible, and when you are required to work hard it is appreciated by associates and partners.

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  • The firm's culture is friendly and collegiate. Hours can be long, particularly in the transactional departments.

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  • Chilled, collegiate and up for a pint at the end of the week.

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  • No real hierarchy at the firm and it is always a team effort. There are a few oddballs but generally everyone is a good laugh and don't take themselves too seriously. Trainee socialising is extremely good.

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  • Friendly partners, good exposure to interesting work, good socialising (pub always full on a Friday night), I feel like I can ask questions of my seniors.

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  • Informal, friendly culture. Good socialising because everyone gets on so well. Partners share rooms with associates/trainees which makes for a much less hierarchical structure and informal chats.

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  • The seating system with trainees and associates sitting with partners all in one room makes for a much less hierarchical system than may be typical at other firms and means that partners take a keen interest in the development of trainees and juniors alike. Travers Smith employees are universally down to earth and do not take themselves too seriously, which makes for a pleasant and relaxed office atmosphere and lots of socialising with colleagues, trainees and otherwise, outside of work.

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  • A fairly hierarchical structure but the partners are all very approachable and friendly. Good teamwork and cooperation.

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  • The feel in the office is great, everyone is really positive and friendly, and there isn't much boring corporate banter. People are straight up, and generally don't hang around working late just for the sake of it (although the hours can be quite long). The social life depends on which department you are in - mine is pretty good without being too pressured.

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  • I like the fact that trainees sit with both associates and partners; it makes for a more cohesive atmosphere.

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  • Hierarchy is not hugely important; one can walk into any person in the firm's room and ask them a question. Teamwork between the departments is good. Office hours can be long, but you are never there unnecessarily. The degree of socialising varies between intakes - it is what you make of it - but that said everyone in very friendly and easy to get along with.

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  • I felt part of a team from day one and am treated more like a junior associate, rather than a trainee. There is no real hierarchy here and all trainees get on with each other.

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  • The lack of palpable hierarchy makes Travers Smith a special place to work. The atmosphere is amicable, the teamwork is tight and the after-hours socialising is often illuminating and hilarious.

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  • This firm is renowned for its culture and this is the absolute main reason I joined the firm and will stay at the firm. People genuinely get on/like each other. The lack of hierarchy is starkly apparent and the way partners treat trainees is the best I have seen in the City.

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2011 Reviews

  • Trainees socialise together a lot. Both years get along very well and we generally meet in the pub on a Friday night. It's a good atmosphere because we're not forced to socialise with specific ‘trainee events’ but we choose to hang out with each other anyway, which is a very good sign. The general firm atmosphere and environment is very supportive – you can ask questions from anyone, and everyone has their doors open. Stupid questions are answered without any condescending manner. It is fairly open and relaxed, even the partners make tea for me!

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  • The firm claims to have an open door policy and I have found this to be very much the case. The partners and associates involve the trainees as much as they can and other fee earners are seemingly welcome to ask if a trainee can assist on a deal that is being conducted by another room. The department I sit in has had a number of induction talks and the training has been very structured, so far. Trainees are very supportive of each other, this is especially noticeable when there is a change of seat and the new trainee has a query for his or her predecessor. The local pub, the Bishop's Finger, is popular with the whole firm and especially trainees. Emails on a Thursday and Friday suggesting a drink after work are very common.

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  • Trainees sit with a partner and associate so the firm is fairly relaxed in terms of hierarchy although it doesn't go down well if you forget who's in charge. The office is pretty fun, although some departments currently seem to be suffering from political problems. Trainees are fairly supportive but it's more about who you're mates with than a big ‘trainee network’ of support. Having said that, if you ask a specific question in an all trainees email usually the responses are incredibly helpful and detailed. Trainees socialise together when they want to, if they want to. There's rarely a three line whip but people often go for drinks on a Friday.

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  • Trainees are very supportive of each other – often sending group emails around if they come up against questions/problems they need help on or just to organise social events. Trainees in the same department socialise the most together but the trainees try to organise big social events every couple of weeks. Friday night usually involves a mass exodus from the office to the local pub (where almost the entire firm ends up) and it is always great to be bought a beer by your partner after a long but successful week!

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  • Everyone at the firm is fairly social. As the firm usually keeps on almost all of its trainees at qualification, there is not really a discernable ‘competitive’ atmosphere (where people compete to do work or are wary of the other trainees; I have heard this can happen at other firms). Always a good turnout at the local pub on a Friday and you will always get advice from fellow trainees who have been in the seat before you if you need to ask questions or for help about a task you have been given. Trainees do socialise, perhaps not as often as we all would like, but there’s usually a good trainee event every few weeks or so.

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  • Very friendly and supportive firm – a lovely place to work. The social life is good and everyone supports one another. At times when it is necessary to pull long hours, the quality of my colleagues make it seem a lot less gruelling than it could otherwise be.

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  • Generally 3/4 people in a room, of which one will be a partner and one a trainee with one or two associate(s). Trainees are very supportive of each other – it is often much easier to phone/email a trainee to find out the general status of a deal/matter on a more informal basis than approaching the lead partner. Trainees socialise together frequently and also with associates and partners: at the Bishop's Finger, at karaoke and on trainee nights out.

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  • Everyone is extremely supportive – from partners to trainees. There are many social events in which you are encouraged to get involved. Departments differ but there is a general work hard play hard ethos. People take their work, but not themselves seriously.

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  • Everyone appears to just get on with one another, from partner level down to trainees. There is simply no obvious hierarchy; everyone is treated well and equally. Lawyers of all levels can regularly be seen drinking together in the local pub or belting out some tunes in the karaoke bar!

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  • It’s collegiate, conservative and cohesive. The firm is very open – associates and trainees generally share rooms with partners. The room-sharing system works well; it encourages us to work closely in teams and means the firm does not feel particularly hierarchical. The firm is pretty social and you will generally tend to find some of our number in the local...

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  • Very flat hierarchy, all partners are extremely accessible and willing to help. Partners share a room with two associates and/or trainees and room doors are always open, literally and metaphorically. The bonus structure is flat, so there’s no incentive to hoard work. Similarly, if an associate is extremely busy efforts will be made for other, less busy associates to share some of the work. On the whole, there’s good camaraderie between associates and between associates and partners. Impromptu socialising in the local pub is fairly common, more formal efforts are also fairly frequent.

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  • Good firm culture, especially amongst trainees that trained at the firm and worked up. The firm is not too big so that most people know each other. Great support between solicitors – there are no target hours at Travers Smith and so work is shared evenly, which benefits both us and our clients. Socialising outside work happens regularly and helps to build a good working environment.

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  • It’s very friendly. My department is small but close, with everybody willing and available to discuss work matters. On a Friday there will always be a contingent at the local, so you can turn up safe in the knowledge that there will be friendly faces there.

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  • Associates sit in a room with a partner and (in most cases) a trainee. Associates and trainees work directly with partners and there is very much an open door policy. This means that all junior lawyers have invaluable access to a large pool of knowledge and experience. There are three partners who work within my area in the tax department and one senior counsel. I have worked and will continue to work with all of them on a regular basis. This means that the work/client base is very varied and also it provides the opportunity to experience different ways of working. The firm as a whole is very supportive and works well together. This is especially the case in the tax department. Solicitors also socialise regularly together at events organised by the firm (Christmas party, quiz evening, team nights out, etc.) And on an ad hoc basis.

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