One big happy family
Family means a lot more to Manches than its most prestigious practice group. Founded in 1936 by husband and wife Sidney and Judith Manches, their daughter Jane Simpson was chair of the firm until 2011, while her brother Louis Manches is its London senior partner. Although family law is still at the heart of the firm, “there is a cross-section of other practices” too. Head of corporate finance and acting training principal Matthew Martin says: “We are focusing on the continued development of our core sectors which are retail, real estate, technology and international private wealth. This involves the expansion of the cross-disciplinary practice areas which support the sectors.” Every trainee we spoke to had an interest in family law, but relished “the commercial opportunities Manches offers as well.”
The London office has a mid-size, personable feel combined with “high standards” of work, while two others in Oxford and Reading bear “excellent reputations with a London backing.” Trainees in London must visit a family seat during their first year, and their other seat is also picked for them by the firm, but in their second year they are able to choose more freely from the remaining departments, which include litigation/TMIP (technology, media and IP), real estate, employment and corporate. There is also one client secondment with London Underground. Trainees reported that “almost everyone seems to do the TMIP seat,” and happily added that “you don't have to do a corporate seat, which is actually quite unique among London City firms.”
For the three trainees each year recruited to the 50-lawyer Oxford office, no seats are compulsory. On offer in Oxford are property, family, private client, employment, technology and media (tech/IP), litigation and corporate. Trainees reported allocation was dependent on the needs of departments and that second-years were given priority. Trainees sometimes travel to London to meet with clients, but in reality “the offices are quite separate.” The small Reading office doesn't take trainees.
Keep it in the family
The family department, top-ranked by Chambers UK in both London and the Thames Valley, is the firm's most prestigious and lucrative department, generating over 35% of the firm's revenue. Although “the most popular seat,” it is also “a hard seat. The work is of a very high standard, and there are long hours.” When you're working with superstars of family law such as Jane Simpson and Lady Helen Ward, however, what else can you expect? The latter famously represented Beverley Charman in Charman v Charman, winning the largest ever UK settlement for her client in the process. In 2008 the firm was also instructed by Guy Ritchie during his divorce from his material girl. The combination of prestigious, ultra-wealthy clients and the fact that it's first-years who visit this seat means there's “not that much responsibility” for juniors. Trainees reported being given “loads of client contact and being really involved in everything, but at the same time doing a lot of bundling and attendance notes.”
The real estate department accounts for a large proportion of Manches' business. Headed by Louis Manches himself, it acts predominantly for corporate and commercial clients, including Barclays, BMW, GM, HSBC, Kall-Kwik, London Underground, Oxford Brookes University and several Oxford colleges, Oxford University Press, Prontaprint and Siemens. The firm worked for London Underground on the reconfiguration of the Tube station entrance at London Bridge. Interviewees reported that “there is so much responsibility and autonomy. Although of course supervised, you do get your own files and are dealing with cases day to day.” Juniors also reported a “distinct lack of hierarchy” in the department and found the “steep learning curve worthwhile.” They can take on landlord/tenant cases by themselves, which involves “a lot of drafting.” Trainees also have the option of joining the property litigation team.
The litigation/TMIP seat is highly popular. Trainees reported handling a mixture of “cutting-edge IP work requiring lots of research and academic application, non-contentious regulatory work, and a bit of insolvency.” The team advises retail chains All Saints and Moss Bros on IP issues. In the Oxford office, the department is broken down into four main sectors: science and technology (including life sciences); fashion, retail and brand protection; publishing, media and entertainment; and information technology. Trainees explained: “Although sometimes you have to do the silly tasks, in general you are doing substantive work and they give you as much responsibility as they can.” Interviewees loved the “breadth of work” and felt the team “really tries to accommodate to your interests.” Clients include IKEA and Oxford University Press and recently the team advised fashion house Alexander McQueen on IP litigation issues, in particular design right claims against some well-known high-street retailers.
Although corporate finance is not a traditional interest for those applying to Manches, it is an expanding department and one source said they “actually really enjoyed it! You never have to do the rubbish stuff... I mean, there is always photocopying, but you're involved in everything going on.” The employment department is reserved for second-years and tends to take only one trainee at a time. Here, the firm is building up a niche practice to support foreign high net worth individuals on their employment moves.
Sweetness and spark
Manches combines “old-fashioned charm” with a “cutting-edge” practice. The prominent, dominant, family law department has a traditional vibe, and a noticeable hierarchy. On the other hand, departments like litigation/TMIP feel “modern and young.” The dress code is formal: “People don't always wear a tie, but there's certainly no dress-down Friday.” What was stressed to us most, however, was Manches' “boutique-y, warm atmosphere. Louis Manches really tries to create that family feel and environment.” New starters are officially assigned a “buddy” in the year above, but “because the departments are quite small, you can go to anybody for help really.”
The mixture of the old and new is echoed in the office space. The flagship London office is on Aldwych, squeezed in between the LSE and the RCJ. Trainees loved being in “the freedom of central London,” as opposed to the more corporate-y Square Mile, and enjoyed the firm's proximity to the courts, which makes the numerous court runs by trainees in litigation almost as easy as popping out for a coffee. The Oxford office is located on a business park just off the ring road and was purpose-built for the firm about five years ago. “It's spick and span, spacious and lovely, with wall-to-wall windows.”
In London, most people leave the office from 7pm onwards, “but the firm wants us to be adult about things. If you can really manage to get your work done for the day, then there is no issue in leaving at 5.30pm.” In family and litigation, however, it's “almost guaranteed that you'll be working longer hours, but you're never sitting about idly.” In Oxford, meanwhile, one source told us: “Last night I worked until 8pm and people were gobsmacked! It's great. The firm is so good... the amount of times I’ve been at my desk at 6.30pm and been told to go home.” In both offices, working weekends is a “rarity and people appreciate it if you do.”
“The firm wants to see interests beyond the law.” Trainees all insisted that you needed to have more than academics (although it must be said that the firm does “look for a very strong set of results” and all our sources attended top universities). “Most people have done interesting things with their lives, unrelated to the law. A number of trainees have had other careers and different backgrounds, bringing a variety of experience and skill to the job at hand.”
Although the firm puts on drinks and events, all our sources thought that Manches “could improve the social efforts.” As a result of the recession, there has been less on offer, but “the firm is trying,” with certain departments leading the way. In London, for example, the property team has a breakfast every Wednesday morning, “with croissants and chats.” There are “set events for associates and trainees about three times a year.” Members of the firm can often be found in Daly's Wine Bar on the Strand, and of course there's the Christmas party. Sports fans won't be short of things to sign up to: Manches has netball, football, softball and cricket teams, the ski trip for London trainees and associates is “great” and every year many firms across the City take part in the annual sailing regatta, The Manches Cup. In Oxford, “due to the location of the firm” on a business park, “there isn't much going on.” Trainees are sociable and friendly throughout the day, but “because you have to drive everywhere, you can't just nip out for casual drinks.” We were disappointed (and so were trainees, we feel) by the “distinct lack of gossip. There isn't any!”
And finally...
Retention rates are usually good. There is “always the element of which departments have availability,” Matthew Martin explained, but “we still maintain that the best source of associates and partners is home-grown.” Six of ten second-year trainees stayed on as NQs in 2011.