Firms

Boodle Hatfield

 

Web:  www.boodlehatfield.com 

Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

 

Web:  www.boodlehatfield.com 

Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

Survey results

Survey results

 

The lowdown (in their own words...)

Why did you choose this firm over any others? 

 ''The quality of the training'; 'good clients'; ' I wanted a mid-sized, non-City firm which would allow more responsibility and client contact'; 'the type of work'; 'reputation in the market'; 'work/life balance'' 

How does your training compare with peers' at other firms? 

 ''Less stress'; 'poor levels of supervision'; 'hours are more variable'; 'client contact is better'; 'wider range of work'; 'we run our own matters'; 'you are given the opportunity to put extra work in if you want to'' 

Best thing about the firm? 

 ''Prestigious clients'; 'amount of responsibility given to trainees'; 'approachable and friendly atmosphere and colleagues'; 'rewarding work'; 'daily client contact'; 'Friday night drinks'; 'free yoga on Tuesdays'; 'partners generally approachable'' 

Worst thing about the firm? 

 ''The sink-or-swim attitude of many supervisors'; 'no staff canteen'; 'the opaque seat allocation process'; 'limited seat choices'; 'poor levels of communication from management to staff (especially trainees)'' 

Best moment? 

 ''Going to the British Library to research a deceased client's memoirs to assist a trustee'; 'being put down as the main fee-earner on a file'; 'getting a good appraisal'; 'being one of a very small team involved in taking two multi-million pound disputes through to trial in the High Court'; 'running my own files from day one'' 

Worst moment?

 ''Sitting in the office at 1:30am renaming electronic files'; 'working at the weekend due to unreasonable partner demands'; 'bleak job prospects'; 'realising a research project I had spent hours on was off topic, and having to start again''

The Lex 100 verdict

 The Verdict

The firm

One of the oldest law firms in this edition, Boodle Hatfield has been in business for over 275 years and has evolved to serve its core base of private clients in both their personal lives and business, leveraging off tax and trusts, property and corporate expertise to advise both high-net-worth individuals and private companies (including the firm's largest client, Grosvenor). 

The star performers

Agriculture and estates; Commercial property; Construction; Contentious trusts and probate; Family; Heritage property; M&A: smaller deals up to £50m; Personal tax, trusts and probate; Property finance; Property litigation.

The deals

Negotiating with the Charity Commission on applications setting up and winding up charities; advising major companies on their philanthropic strategy; advising on personal tax, succession planning, probate and family trusts; advisednew client PMB Holdings on several redevelopments in the South East; won a leasehold reform dispute for a tenant in 2010.

The clients

Grosvenor Estates; significant landed estates; high-net-worth individuals with private charities or involved in cross-border giving; family businesses; private owners of heritage properties.

The Verdict

One of the longest-established of any firm in this book, Mayfair-based Boodle Hatfield will appeal to those seeking an alternative to City firms ('miles away both geographically and mentally'), with a smaller trainee intake. The clients are also a little bit different, including high-net-worth individuals, family businesses, property investors and developers - and you can look forward to having plenty of contact with them; 'you're expected to meet and speak to clients right from the beginning, so you learn very quickly'. You'll be expected to hit the ground running, and one trainee found this 'a little overwhelming', but trainees generally think the level of responsibility is one the best things about training here. Whilst there might be the occasional late night, the work/life balance is on the whole pretty good, with one trainee saying: 'unlike some of my friends at bigger firms, if I plan to meet people for dinner, I don't ever have to cancel because of work'. As for negatives, trainees suggest that the seat allocation process could be handled better, and some are worried about the availability of jobs on qualification. The lack of canteen means you could find yourself navigating the delights of Oxford Street during the lunchtime rush, a definite plus for those seeking a bit of retail therapy. Those who seek a different kind of therapy might prefer the free yoga class on a Tuesday. This firm promises great levels of responsibility and 'rewarding' work from the start; a great choice for those bent on 'London, but not City'.

A day in the life

A day in the life of.....

Rachel Standing, second-year trainee, Boodle Hatfield 
Departments to date:  Property (commercial), private client and tax, litigation, corporate/employment
University: Oxford 
Degree: Philosophy and theology, (2:1) 

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8.50am: I arrive at the office slightly earlier than usual because I am attending a morning knowledge meeting with the employment team. I head to my desk, grab a coffee and review the legal updates that we will be discussing at the meeting. I quickly check my emails and see that a partner in the corporate department has asked me to incorporate a company and draft a shareholder resolution adopting some bespoke articles of association. I write a response to let the partner know that I will be dealing with this after the meeting and make a note of it in my diary.

9.00am: I go to the knowledge meeting where the team discusses some recent cases over coffee and biscuits. Because employment law is constantly changing, the team holds these meetings every month. I prepared a pack of legal updates before the meeting with another trainee in the department, and it is interesting to discuss the legal developments with the rest of the team and think about their impact on our clients.

9.45am: When the meeting is over, I go back to my desk and carefully read through the instructions that I received earlier this morning. It will be the first time that I have incorporated a company, so I have a chat with a junior solicitor in the department about the firm's usual procedures before I start. I then set about incorporating the company using an online incorporation service.

10.30am: I have just begun drafting the shareholder resolution when another partner in the corporate department asks me to attend a meeting with a client at another firm's offices close by. I fetch my jacket and walk the short distance down New Bond Street to meet the client. It is very common for trainees at Boodle Hatfield to have direct contact with clients, and although this can be daunting at first you quickly get used to it. I then head back to the office and dictate a note of the meeting for the file.

1.00pm: Some of the other trainees invite me out for lunch, so we walk over to a local cafe for a chat. Because the trainee intake at Boodle Hatfield is quite small I have got to know the other trainees very well, and they are a great source of support.

2.00pm: I head back to the office to finish off the shareholder resolution that I was drafting earlier. After proofreading it, I give it to a partner to check before sending it to the client, along with some instructions explaining how and when it should be signed.

4.00pm: I receive an email from my supervisor asking me to do some urgent research on a point of insolvency law. The client needs to know the answer to the problem by the following morning, so I immediately begin to look into the problem using both paper-based and online resources. I then draft a memo to my supervisor setting out the law and summarising what our client's next steps should be, before discussing what I have found with him.

6.30pm: The firm's netball team plays in an amateur league on Wednesdays, and we have a game tonight. I travel to the netball courts with the rest of the team and, after a close game, we manage to earn a hard-fought victory. Afterwards, I go for a celebratory drink with the rest of the team to discuss tactics for the following week's game.

About the firm

About the firm

Address: 89 New Bond Street, London W15 1DA

Telephone: 020 7629 7411

Fax: 020 7629 2621

Website: www.boodlehatfield.com

Email:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Senior partner: Richard Maughan

 

Other offices: Oxford. 

Who we are:  Boodle Hatfield is one of the leading private client and property law firms, with offices in Mayfair, London, and Oxford.

What we do: Boodle Hatfield acts for international business people, landowners, entrepreneurs, senior executives, executors, beneficiaries, trustees, property developers and investors, and family businesses.

What we are looking for: We look for graduates with a strong academic background who are professional and highly motivated to have a career with Boodle Hatfield.

What you'll do:  Trainees will complete four six-month seats. They gain a wide range of experience through internal and external training sessions. Trainees also take on responsibility at an early age.

Perks: Our range of benefits includes private healthcare, pension scheme, enhanced maternity pay, season ticket loan, employee assistance line, 25 days' holiday, life assurance, permanent health insurance, childcare vouchers, conveyancing grant, cycle-to-work scheme, give-as-you-earn scheme.

Sponsorship: GDL and LPC fees. Maintenance paid while studying.

 

Facts & figures

 Facts and figures

Trainee places available for 2014: 6

Applications received pa:  

Percentage interviewed:  

Salary

First year: £32,000

Second year: £34,500

Newly qualified: 

 

Total partners: 31

Other fee-earners: 50

Total trainees: 13

APPLY NOW

Application process

Apply to: Alanah Graviles.

How: Online at www.boodlehatfield.com only. 

When to Apply: By 31 July 2012. 

What is involved: Interviews, ability test. 

 

 Vacation schemes

Summer: Please see website for dates.