Clyde & Co LLP - True Picture

Clyde & Co training contract review 2026

The Firm

One of the best pieces of advice you’ll ever hear in your career: "You can’t be everything to everyone." And for law firms, this mantra can hold very true. But what a few observant firms have figured is that you can in fact be everything to someone, and Clyde & Co know quite a thing or two about this.

The firm is renowned for its insurance and disputes expertise. Essentially, “it’s a highly specialised firm with very interesting sectors,” as one trainee put it. The sectors in question include aviation, marine, energy, transportation, projects and healthcare, to name a few. As you might then expect, Clyde & Co boasts over 40 rankings in both Chambers UK and Chambers Global, receiving best in class across the insurance categories. Nationally, the firm scoops the highest praise for its professional negligence, clinical negligence, product liability, aviation and travel expertise too.

But the firm’s reach doesn’t stop there, as it’s home to more than 2,400 lawyers and holds a network of 56 offices across Africa, the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, the Americas and Europe covering plenty of “high-value, interesting work.” Adding even more weight to it, the firm merged with BLM headquartered in Manchester back in 2022 creating a behemoth of a casualty insurance team.

“It’s a highly specialised firm with very interesting sectors.”

Beyond the scale of the firm and the specialised work on offer, the training environment was a big pull factor to incoming trainees. From experiences at insight days, vacation schemes and even as paralegals, current trainees agreed that “everyone is so approachable, I had a sense that it’s a welcoming team environment.” Moreover, “the work life balance is great,” they added, “I was sold!” Of the 14 offices based in the UK around 70% of trainees are based in the London HQ. Manchester comes second place, with the rest across Edinburgh, Glasgow, Bristol, and Belfast.

The Seats

Each trainee’s first seat is randomly allocated to them. Then, halfway through each seat, trainees catch up with early careers to discuss how their finding it and what they are looking to do next. Following this, they get to rank six choices through an AI app called RUTH which plays a role in seat allocation, alongside business need. It’s worth noting that for London based trainees at least one option ranked must be in the Guildford office (and travel is subsidised).

The process received varying responses, with some getting their top preferences and others placed outside of their preferred seats. Some of the seats which were a little harder to land include international arbitration and the transactional seats, as those are few and far between, whereas having a stint in a seat such as insurance is highly likely. That said, the algorithm does try to ensure that trainees get at least one of their top choices at some point during their training contract.

There are also opportunities to go on secondment, specifically to clients and “the majority of them are insurance, at insurers or brokers,” insiders highlighted. International secondments aren’t common at the trainee level, “It’s a little disappointing at a firm that has offices in 60 different cities,” a couple voiced. At the moment, a singular opportunity exists for projects and construction work in Tanzania.

Starting with one of Clyde & Co’s largest practices, the insurance financial & professional disputes (IFPD) team act on behalf of major insurers, with names such as AIG, Allianz and Aviva cropping up on the client list. This part of the firm’s insurance work is made up from an array of groups including energy, engineering, marine and construction disputes; property and liability; cyber; professional indemnity; political risk and trade credit; financial institutions; and arbitration-related work across London, New York and New Jersey (otherwise referred to as Bermuda Form in the insurance industry – “no one knows what it means, even other lawyers,” insiders laughed).

Being a niche area, Bermuda Form is designed to provide US companies excess liability insurance; it often focuses on claims relating to pharmaceutical issues such as the opioid crisis, environmental and product liability matters. Any disputes are handled through arbitration in London but are governed by New York law. Trainees are often tasked with analyzing the extent of an insurance policy coverage, but also assist on arbitrations by preparing indexes and bundles, reviewing disclosure documents and drafting letters to the other side. “It was a massive step up; there’s a steep learning curve,” a source emphasised, noting that there is also the potential to be part of “strategising next steps.”

“They defend all the top law firms…”

The professional indemnity practice defends insurers, accountants, construction professionals, psychologists, barristers and solicitors, and even other law firms against negligence claims. “They defend all the top law firms, like if a partner has incorrectly drafted a contract or if a family lawyer produced a settlement agreement missing something, to individuals who gave duff tax advice, architects with defective designs and fire engineers against cladding claims,” an insider detailed. Trainees were quickly put to work in this team as “straight away, you’re involved in high-value and complex cases!” For example, the team successfully defended a claim made against Dr Joseph, her insurers, Bar Mutual and her clerk for a whopping £337 billion arising out of a failed litigation.

Given the complexity of the subject matter, trainees assist seniors and partners by rolling up their sleeves with lots of legal research, alongside drafting reports and letters – “there’s a lot of back and forth all the time” – and instructing experts. They also get involved in case management preparing for and attending mediation and court as well, with the scope to get involved in the case strategy too.

“There are a number of client events, being face to face with the high-profile clients for the firm…”

Moving along to the marine, energy and natural resources practice; here, you’ll find a variety of specialisms across renewables, oil and gas and marine shipping. As a rule of thumb, the shipping portion covers marine insurance and coverage issues relating to personal injury, collisions and cargo claims, whereas the energy side handles dispute resolution and international arbitration to the life-cycle of power projects across the offshore oil and gas and renewables. These matters are “extremely, ultra high value and go into the billions,” sources emphasized.

As a snapshot, the firm made a splash advising on the $200 million joint venture between TotalEnergies and Vantage in connection with the ownership and operations of a drill ship, the Tungsten Explorer, which will operate across Africa. Our interviewees had worked on energy arbitration matters, which are cases which have often been going on for a long time, some near a decade. So, trainees have an “intense focus into the nitty-gritty.”

As such, rookies are heavily involved in research, disclosure tasks and producing chronologies: “Even reviewing lots of documents, I felt the gravity of the case – and that was cool,” a source reflected. Often, they provide the day-to-day communication with clients as well. The business development opportunities here were a highlight for some as “there are a number of client events, being face-to-face with the high-profile clients for the firm, personally I felt that was a lot of responsibility.”

Keeping with the firm’s insurance know-how, healthcare is another of the largest practices. While it is a national practice, this seat is only on offer for trainees based in Manchester and Scotland. The team act on behalf of insurers and healthcare providers and predominantly defends high-value claims brought against NHS trusts and private practices.

Clinical negligence cases range from minor injuries and misdiagnoses to life-altering conditions or fatalities: “It can be hard to read and learn about,” a source admitted about the sensitive nature of the work. In one recent case, the firm acted on behalf of the NHS Trust relating to a claim of negligent management of a delivery which was settled in the excess of £25 million. Trainees get exposure to every stage from disclosure and medical records, instructing counsel and experts to attending conferences, assisting with reports of quantum analysis to even attending hearings and inquests.

Over in the casualty realm, the catastrophic injury & large loss practice defends insurers and their policy holders against personal injury claims. A huge array of recognizable names, including Warburtons, Jet2 Holidays and Bentley, make up the books. “You have your own case load from day one – it’s good responsibility,” trainees pointed out. On such matters, rookies handle initial reports, negotiation and drafting court documents, and providing client updates.

When cases progress to hearings, “we’re expected to chip in, there a lot of case management and exposure to advocacy.” On the higher-value cases, trainees support the more senior members on the team and gain an insight into “strategic meetings with counsel and clients, talking about evidence and offers.” All in all, “it’s a really good experience; there is no ceiling – if you showed you could do the work they would keep progressing you,” an insider attested.

Trainee Life

Incoming newbies kick off their time at Clyde & Co with a rigorous week-long induction program. There is no shortage of training from then on, both within teams and more broadly. Regular sessions are held on a variety of subjects from resilience and personal brand, effective legal writing to trial preparation, and case updates.

Lawyers have a bank of online training modules available to them too, “so if you need a refresher, nine out of ten there is a module you can do!” Given the contentious nature of the work, “we have lots of talks from barristers about cat loss and professional negligence,” a trainee added; “we’re encouraged to attend those too.”

“…I’m not scared to ask partners and seniors questions – they want you to learn.”

The culture received positive reviews as well: “It’s definitely friendly and supportive; I’m not scared to ask partners and seniors questions – they want you to learn.” Another noted that “it doesn’t feel hierarchical, it flows down from the top.” Rookies also have support from their trainee buddy who they build up solid connections with, and as a result “a lot of people stay quite close.”

Many highlighted that informal mentorship extends beyond in their teams as well. Generally, trainees sit near their supervisors and have regular check ins and feedback. It was noted however that on occasion “it’s in the trainees’ hands to actively approach them” for it.

From a social point of view, it really varies from team to team and office. The headline events include the rotating summer and Christmas parties, and welcome event for incoming trainees. All locations have a social budget; in London, trainees have put their social budget towards things such as a boat party on the Thames – “it was a memorable event!” The firm has sports and social committees which include netball, run clubs and even touch rugby games in the summer: “People get involved at all levels from trainees to partners; these events are about the culture.”

Trainees can also roll up their sleeves to get stuck into CSR and pro bono. In fact, associates have a creditable 60-hour bucket to contribute towards it: “It’s a big deal; there’s lot of opportunities to get involved in.” Projects include working on death penalty amicus briefs in the US and providing advice to mothers in prison in partnership with Not Beyond Redemption in the UK. The firm has plenty of local community projects from volunteering as a school governor and reading to local students, litter picks and clean-up operations, to gaining further experience at legal clinics such as the Westminster Legal Clinic.

In turn, there is lots of fundraising from sponsored walks and running half-marathons, boardroom drinks and bake sales. Raising the dough for a good cause, the Edinburgh office has its own ‘Bake Off’ competition. “People will come in and bring in bakes each week, which will be judged,” with the proceeds going to Cash for Kids. 

“There are some quite girl boss partners at the firm… Hearing about how they progressed to where they are today is always inspiring.”

On the topic of diversity, sources were quick to point out the commitment particularly on social mobility. “It’s promoted; it’s an area where the firm does well, it’s really focused on making sure that we are inclusive,” commented one insider. Programs include the Lift insight week and Bright Futures Programme. Trainees themselves had plenty of opportunities to get involved with these; one told us that “we ran a trainee lead climate group interactive session with the interns and had meaningful conversations with them.”

There is also a range of inclusion networks across gender (GECCO), cultural and ethnic diversity (ACED), people of colour (BIPoCC), Asian professionals (LEAP), LGBTQIA+ and allies (Pryde & Co), disability and neurodiversity (Enable), and parents and carers (PACT). Each network hosts their own events and socials from breakfasts to after work drinks to series of lunch time talks about their experiences. “There are some quite girl boss partners at the firm,” a source beamed, “hearing about how they progressed to where they are today is always inspiring.”

Trainees are expected in the office four days a week. As for hours, on average, sources tend to start around 9am and finish at 6pm. That said, if things are busy or a deadline is looming there are later periods, but even then, as our source said, “it’s nothing outrageous.” Another surmised that “we have that balance and people are happier for it.” Though there has been a salary increase across the board for trainees, there were mixed reviews about the London based and NQ salaries. Although most agreed that they were fairly compensated for the work and hours they do.

Qualification is said to be “fairly transparent and organised well.” The process begins with a presentation from early careers, following which an initial job list is released (sometimes other positions become available due to business need). Candidates can apply for up to two positions, submitting their CV and appraisals. Interviews are then held, some of which have written assessments too. Any of our sources agreed that “it’s a great place to start your legal career.” Clyde & Co’s retention rate for 2025 was undisclosed.

How to get a Clyde & Co training contract

APPLY HERE

• Vacation scheme deadline: 06 January 2026
• Training contract deadline: 06 January 2026

First steps

If you're interested in learning more about Clyde & Co, apply for one of the firm's insight days. These days include an overview of the firm, presentations, development workshops, networking opportunities with the current trainees and plenty of application tips. Each Insight Day will follow a specific focus, whether it be on a practice the firm specialises in, commitment to increasing diverse representation in the profession, or the work it is doing to tackle Climate Change.

The firm's two Bright Futures programmes aim to support groups that are currently under-represented in the legal sector, by giving them the opportunity to experience life at an international law firm through interactive sessions and work shadowing. As part of the programme, students are assessed for a place on the vacation scheme the following year. Those that are offered will receive a mentor for that year, to prepare them for the vacation scheme.

The programmes are open to first-year law students and penultimate-year non-law students from lower socio-economic backgrounds via the Bright Futures - Access programme, and black heritage students via the Bright Futures - Black Talent programme. 

The vacation scheme application form

Clyde & Co attracts around 1,500 applications for its vacation scheme each year and recruits for the training contract (40–45 spaces) exclusively through the vacation scheme. As part of the application process, candidates are asked to complete a short application form that includes their academics and work experience to date. After this, candidates complete a video interview that allows them to demonstrate their motivation for a career in commercial law, their commercial analysis, and what interests they have outside of academia. Our early careers sources explained, “It is important for applicants to highlight any transferable skills gained through work experience and extracurricular activities.”

Listen to our podcast on dispelling the myths of insurance with Clyde & Co here

Vacation scheme route

Clyde & Co offers vacation schemes during the summer in London and Scotland. Once applications close, digital assessment scores are reviewed, and successful candidates are invited to a virtual assessment centre. As part of the assessment centre, candidates undertake a written exercise, group exercise, role play and a strengths-based interview with a legal director and senior associate.

Attendees spend one to two weeks sitting in one of the firm's departments. At the point of offer, vacation schemers rank three preferences detailing where they would like to sit over the two weeks. Trainees mentioned that the first few days “is spent getting to know the ins and outs of the department.” Vacation scheme students are allocated a supervisor, a trainee buddy and an associate mentor. They also have the opportunity to network across the firm as a variety of social events take place; in the past they've included the underground cookery school, go-karting and cocktail making.

Trainee profile

The academic criteria that Clyde & Co sets is AAB at A level, a “strong” 2:1 degree (taking into account mitigating circumstances alongside the Rare contextualised recruitment system), and a commendation for the PGDL (if applicable). Students should be aware that Clyde & Co takes a holistic approach to applications and it is important to showcase your ambitions to becoming a lawyer.