Speechly Bircham LLP

A safe bet

In a period of change that has seen a move to LLP status, swanky, environmentally sound offices and now a substantial merger, we have no qualms with trainees’ assertions that “this is a firm that has ambitions.” Many spoke of the management’s plans for expansion that would see it “pushing into the top 50 firms with 250 fee earners” and were darned impressed that, with the merger, “the firm has condensed this three-year plan into three months!” Not that the union with West End fixture Campbell Hooper wasn’t well thought out. Our sources could see the firm’s thinking: “When you look at Campbell Hooper and all the things they did well, we do them well too.” This applies especially to construction and property, although CH also brings interesting niche groups focusing on charities law and computer games and gambling. From what we heard, the merger has gone down well on the ground (“it all happened very smoothly”), with Campbell Hooperites fitting in nicely. “We’ve been sharing work and all get on very well.” No doubt this has been helped by “lots of drinks.”

The new, bigger, better Speechlys has impressed trainees, who are pleased to now find “people are more aware of the firm.” Speechlys’ large private client practice is particularly well regarded and concentrates on tax, trusts (contentious and otherwise) and family issues. The firm is also strong in property, construction, corporate and employment. IP is an up-and-comer, and Speechlys is one of the few firms in the City at which a trainee can take an immigration seat.

Technicolor training contract

Seat allocation is a smooth process, and we hear that “you get at least two of your choices over the four seats.” Said one source: “I’ve never known any trainees to be sold out on what they really want to do.” Private client is a really popular choice – the department was described by one source as “world class” and, indeed, it picks up a Chambers Global ranking because of its specialist teams offering advice covering a range of jurisdictions worldwide. Interviewees told us that as “one of the best” departments, “the work is quite exciting.” Here, as elsewhere in the firm, being a first-seater is no reason not to have responsibility. “Within the first half an hour on my first day I was asked to draft a will,” said one interviewee. Trainees relish the client contact here as much as the responsibility: “You always meet the clients and often have daily contact with them.” The work is wide-ranging, from wills and trusts to divorce, children’s claims and prenuptial and civil partnership matters. Non-contentious tasks include the drafting and preparation of wills, writing articles and answering clients’ questions. When it comes to contentious work, you might just be lucky enough to get involved in a “major international case worth hundreds of millions of pounds.” If so, you’ll be “liaising with foreign lawyers and counsel, preparing and drafting affidavits and dealing with a vast number of other documents.” Unfortunately we can’t tell you too much about the cases, but we can tell you Lord Lloyd-Webber is a valued client alongside scores of high-profile figures from the worlds of entertainment, politics and business.

In a private client seat there may well be the opportunity to make applications before a district judge, and in the burgeoning dispute resolution practice some trainees get “more advocacy than you can shake a stick at.” Alongside this is “bread-and-butter trainee work” such as bundling, preparing for trial and cost estimates. One recent high-profile matter involved MFI’s 2008 administration and our sources said they were “seeing a lot of credit crunch litigation.” Several of our sources handled their own lower-value cases: “They’ll entrust these to you as a trainee and invest a lot of time in you.”

Other contentious opportunities are available in the construction and employment practices, both of which have seen some exciting cases this year. The former was instructed by contractor PC Harrington in a dispute regarding Wembley Stadium. Trainees took witness statements and tackled “a lot of document management.” The merger has extended an already impressive client list: Kier Construction and the Shaw Group are among the new names now on the firm’s books. In employment, a headline- making whistle-blower case put Speechly on the side of an individual against their megabucks financial employer. Settled before trial, it was nonetheless a highlight for trainees who were involved in the preparation of the case.

Handbags at dawn

Speechly’s corporate department has not escaped the malaise affecting law firms up and down the country. That said, the firm has certainly made an effort to keep trainees busy and, crucially, learning as much as possible despite the economic climate. “I’ve taken on a company secretarial position and so I’m attending meetings and taking minutes,” said one. Everyone agreed that “getting that kind of interaction with clients and seeing how they’re running their businesses is invaluable.” The funds practice was touted as an exciting growth area, and one where trainees say “you can be quite creative.”

The property market is not exactly booming either, but one contact did tell us that in this seat “although it was quieter than it would have been, in actual fact I had six billable hours a day so I was always occupied.” The things keeping trainees busy are “document management, drafting leases, requesting searches and site visits,” and in one case “attending a planning tribunal.” RBS is a significant client and the team has acted for the bank in the sale and leaseback of 62 major operational properties to TeleReal and The Prudential. In other matters, the firm has had dealings with a major private client concerning a 90-acre Marylebone estate and been involved with multimillion-pound acquisitions in the West End and aspects of the retail regeneration of Marylebone High Street.

Like the firm itself, the IP department has experienced considerable change and growth. It is not without glamour – none other than Elle ‘the Body’ Macpherson turns to Speechlys for advice about trade marks and brand management. She used the firm during the expansion of her underwear brand (including the opening of a retail outlet in the UK) and returned again for advice relating to her appearance agreements for Montblanc, Tiffany and Revlon. Representing high-street luxury retailer LK Bennett, the team has been pitted against Hermès and Gucci in a literal handbag fight in connection with their respective Birkin and Kelly designs. Trainees say the department has “so much in so many areas,” including “copyright, trade marks, patent litigation, franchising, licensing of image rights and data protection.” Summing up the thoughts of the majority, one IP seater told us: “There isn’t a typical day – the department tries very hard to get the trainees involved in all types of work. The partners like you to have a good grounding.”

The immigration team (a recent acquisition from Harbottle & Lewis) is fully fledged, “not just tacked on to the employment department.” By all accounts it has a “great client base from retailers, airlines, record companies and financial institutions to private clients.” The law in this area changes fast and the work trainees get is “not run-of-the-mill stuff.” Rounding off this exhausting list of seat options are secondments to clients. These involve “a steep learning curve,” so are generally viewed as a really worthwhile experience.

Pushing the boat out

We rather like the no-nonsense approach this firm takes to recruitment. “We don’t try and do the glossy magazines and entice people in by looking cool and sexy: we’re a great firm, we’ve got great clients and we’ll give you an excellent training.” Speechlys prides itself on its “traditional values” and as a result, trainees said, “you’ll get to know the firm and the firm will get to know you.” The trainee group is mixed in age. They come generally from redbrick universities, though our sources said the firm was “not overly” obsessed with the prestige element. We were also told: “You won’t go far if you have an aggressive City banker style” and that “we’re a relaxed bunch who just want to have a decent career rather than bite each other’s heads off.” A “positive ethos” is apparent at the firm and it has certainly rubbed off on trainees, whose morale was palpably high this year. “I will do whatever I can to stay,” said one typical recruit; “I really do love working here.”

The “state-of-the-art” New Fetter Lane office got glowing reviews, not least because it is part of “one of the greenest developments in the City.” Apparently “everything is recycled” and “the lights are motion-activated,” which sometimes leads to the slightly odd scenario where a single worker bee can be seen toiling under a single light. Though some staff initially had reservations about open-plan working, our contacts certainly agreed that “the positives outweigh the negatives,” particularly because “you learn so much from hearing people with more experience talking around you.” The location is a hit. “As we’re on the very edge of the City, it’s slightly less suity than the area around Bank.” Having a closeknit workforce is really important to the firm, and “from the secretaries and the post room to the most senior of partners, you can sit and talk to anyone.” A book club draws “a real mix of characters” and gives the literary-minded a chance to discuss their thoughts over a free lunch.

Speechly isn’t a firm to skimp on the big socials. The “stunning locations” of previous Christmas parties include the Great Hall at Lincoln’s Inn and the Banqueting House on Whitehall. The vacation scheme also has its fair share of enjoyable events; last year’s included “speedboating on the Thames,” cocktail making and a table football tournament. The vac scheme is a great way to get to know the firm: three weeks means “you get to know a lot of people” and our sources were impressed that “you get taken to meetings and given good work.” In fact, several people told us that by the end of their vac scheme they’d been sad to leave. Tearful goodbyes were not in store for the majority of the 2009 qualifiers, however: eight out of 12 people stayed on.

And finally...

Speechly’s friendly, collegial culture shouldn’t change one bit with the arrival of the folk from Campbell Hooper. Last year we gave both firms a good review and so hopefully two plus two will now equal five.