If you’ve got a passion for private client and real estate work, you’ll find your Coll-ing at this long-established City firm.
Collyer Bristow training contract review 2025
The Firm
With the smell of fresh paint only just fading from the walls of its new office, Collyer Bristow’s lawyers have just about settled into their new environment, ready to continue doing what the firm has always done best: private client and property. Despite its short tenancy beside St. Paul’s Cathedral, the firm itself has over 100 years of history in London, where it’s made a name for itself in private wealth, real estate and dispute resolution. The firm’s strengths haven’t gone unnoticed by our colleagues over at Chambers High Net Worthand Chambers UK who have recognised the firm’s strengths in private wealth law and real estate, respectively.
“I get the sense that no one does it better than us!”
One trainee described the firm as one that’s “at the pointy edge of law,” handling the complexities that fall under its specialist areas of practice. Despite this, sources were quick to brag, “I get the sense that no one does it better than us!” However, even with over a century of experience under its belt, Collyer has maintained a small headcount in the double digits. Nevertheless, this size is not reflected in the range of work, with insiders appreciating the “wide range of disciplines here. Having access to all of that in a smaller firm makes it a really nice place to work.” This doesn’t limit the geographical scale of the work either, as high-net-worth clients from all over come to Collyer Bristow, meaning trainees get to try out work with “interesting clients who bring an interesting dimension.”
When it comes to long-term plans, training principal Janet Armstrong-Fox explains how the firm looks to recruit “Collyer Bristow’s partners of the future. We aim to attract and retain bright and enthusiastic trainees with the intention of supporting them as they develop their careers here post-qualification.” To get newbies to this stage, Armstrong-Fox continues, the firm helps trainees get their hands on “a range of exciting, technical and high-value work” alongside “mentoring, allocated seat supervision, internal and external training and appraisal programmes, which develop their confidence, technical expertise and client advisory skills.”
The Seats
Trainees complete four six-month seats during their training contract, and told us that seat allocation is a fairly informal process. Newbies have conversations with HR and their development coaches to discuss their preferences ahead of their next seat, as well as any longer-term goals for the training contract. Priority is given to second-year trainees but, overall, sources found that “while it ultimately comes down to business need, they’ll do their best to accommodate your preference. The benefit of having a small intake is that it’s almost bespoke!”
Collyer offers three real estate-focused seats: real estate litigation, commercial real estate and private client property. The work in real estate litigation mostly focuses on commercial disputes and could involve things like debt claims to do with rent arrears, disputes over boundaries and lease extensions, and evictions. For trainees, this means that “a lot of the work involves filing claims forms and drafting things like particulars of claim, witness statements, letters and instructions to counsel.” We also heard that, depending on what cases are going on, there might be opportunities to attend hearings and conferences with counsel.
The commercial real estate team, meanwhile, acts for property developers, landlords and clients with big portfolios, such as private developers and sovereign wealth funds. Insiders explained that matters involve “a mix of industrial and London-based properties.” As an example, the firm has been advising Bedford House Limited on the acquisition, financing and development of a 52-unit site in Wandsworth, with an expected matter value of over £30 million. Trainees who’d sat with the department shared that the work was “quite varied, even though bread-and-butter trainee tasks are administrative and typically involve dealing with the Land Registry.” We also heard there’s a fair spread of interesting tasks, such as drafting leases and contracts for sale, site visits and regular client contact.
“Trainees are involved in most matters that are going on.”
Even though it’s one of the firm’s smaller departments, the private client property team certainly has range, and works with clients in the UK and overseas, focusing on properties of significant value in both urban and rural areas. However, the smaller headcount means that “trainees are involved with most matters that are going on, and the team tries to give you at least one that you can see through all the way from instruction to completion.” Interviewees valued the level of responsibility and client exposure that comes with the seat, but were also keen to share how “they’re very technically gifted in that team and really know their stuff!”
As one of the firm’s core practices, Collyer’s private client offering, which also covers family law, was a draw for many of our interviewees. Specific client examples are kept under strict lock and key (it’s private, after all!) but we heard that a lot of the work involves tax and estate planning for high-net-worth clients. Immigration and probate disputes also fall under this practice group, and trainees in the seat can try out a whole range of work. One source especially enjoyed the tax side of things, noting how its problem solving aspects are “so intellectually challenging and surprisingly creative.” Trainees are also regularly involved in the preparation of wills, which crop up in other areas of the practice: “I’ve had the chance to try probate and trust matters, which involve looking at wills and providing advice based on those wills and the tax considerations.”
“… all the way from pharmaceutical and medical device companies to museums and galleries!”
The commercial services department encompasses the employment and corporate and commercial groups. The latter deals with acquisitions, sales and the restructuring of companies in the manufacturing, technology, health, food, media, education, retail and property sectors, as well as advising clients on regulatory issues and company administration. Trainees can have differing experiences of the seat depending on their preferences and market trends, which might influence the amount of corporate or commercial work that’s available to take on. On the corporate side, one insider shared that “the work I’ve been doing is helping to prepare documents for buy-side transactions and doing due diligence reports.” Meanwhile, in commercial, sources explained how “there’s a range of interesting clients, ranging all the way from pharmaceutical and medical device companies to museums and galleries!” This means that trainees can get to know a variety of sectors and might get involved in a whole range of tasks. These might include helping with NDAs and various other agreements, as well as contract extensions and arrangements.
Trainee Life
Trainees at Collyer felt that the culture at the firm was enhanced by the small trainee cohort size, as “you’re the only trainee in most teams, so you really get to know the people you’re working with.” The cohort gets its own social budget as well, and we heard that the group has gone out for meals, bowling, painting and minigolf – just to name a few! However, trainees can also socialise with people across the firm as “everyone’s very approachable, even though they’re all obviously more senior. It’s so easy to ask people questions or for advice, or to sit down and go through work together.” The firm’s open-plan office and hot desking system were also appreciated by trainees, who recognised how this setup “encourages a collaborative approach, as you can move around and sit with different people.” This seating arrangement, as well as the size of the firm, meant sources felt that “you tend to know most people by your fourth seat. I know most people well enough to stop and chat!”
While it may sometimes be trickier for smaller firms to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to diversity, trainees told us that “the firm’s making a real effort on that front. The diversity committee has quite a good profile, and HR is also really good about raising issues, emailing around and offering webinars and support for groups such as working parents or women going through menopause.” The firm’s HigHer network is also available to help support women in their careers, both internally and within the firm’s wider network of clients and contacts.
“Everyone wants to invest in trainees, and that thread runs through the entire firm.”
In each seat, trainees’ supervisors are known as development coaches, and are typically partner-level. However, newbies also have a mentor throughout their entire training contract who is usually a junior associate and is there to “help you with anything you need.” More generally, insiders described the firm as very supportive of learning, as “everyone wants to invest in trainees, and that thread runs through the entire firm. As you move from seat to seat, people make sure you’re getting enough work and that it’s interesting.” There are formal training sessions, too, but we were told that there’s a greater emphasis on “informal learning by doing.”
According to trainees, hours can vary slightly but “on average I get in at 9am and wouldn’t say I regularly leave after 6.30pm.” Sources admitted that “there are definitely times where you might have to work longer, but people are always appreciative when you do.” With this in mind, trainees were pleased with the salary on offer, explaining that “it’s a fair reflection of the hours I’ve been putting in. We’ve got a good salary for such a nice work-life balance.” The firm also maintains balance with hybrid working, expecting trainees to work from the office at least three days per week. Armstrong-Fox explains that this means “they can engage with colleagues across the firm and capitalise on learning opportunities while also having time at home to concentrate on specific matters and projects.”
Insiders appreciated the “quick and transparent”qualification process, explaining how “HR and the training principal are very responsive to our questions and let us know the timeframes as soon as possible.” Those who had been through the process felt that they had been listened to, as the firm “sat down with every trainee to get a sense of what people wanted” before coming up with a jobs list based on both business need and trainee preferences. Once vacancies were announced, qualifiers were asked to complete a one-page application form detailing why they would be interested in the role and the team before undertaking a final interview. In 2024, Collyer Bristow kept onall four of its qualifiers, and even broke the good news to them altogether!
Feeling festive?
Future trainees are assigned a buddy once they accept their TC offers, who then invites them to the firm’s Christmas and summer parties.
How to get a Collyer Bristow training contract
Each year the firm receives around 250 applications for its four or five training contracts. Candidates complete an online form covering “the standard questions about qualifications, strengths and previous work experience,” current trainees told us. Applicants are asked to submit a CV and cover letter alongside their application form. Advice for the cover letter is “The cover letter should only provide an introduction and be no longer than three to four well-constructed paragraphs. It sets the scene for the CV and application form.”
Assessments
The firm invites around 25 applicants to an assessment centre. Prior to the assessment centre, candidates are asked to complete an online GIA assessment. This is an aptitude and ability assessment which measures how quickly candidates will learn and retain new skills and procedures. The assessment centre begins with a welcome meeting, then lunch with some of the current trainees so the candidates can relax and get to know the firm from a trainee perspective.
In the afternoon, attendees are asked to undertake a written exercise and then attend a 45-minute panel interview, with two partners and the HR Director. Current trainees recalled this as “a challenging but friendly interview – they do try to make you feel at ease.” According to the HR team, “the feedback we receive from applicants is that, aside from the assessments, they find it an enjoyable day and leave feeling positive about the experience.”
Ideal candidates
When it comes to impressing, “we're looking for a self-starting individual with good common sense,” the HR team tells us. “Potential technical excellence is a given. We need candidates to demonstrate commercial awareness and an understanding of the importance of delivering the highest-quality client service.”
The advice to candidates is “Come prepared. That means having an insight into the firm, which you can get from our website and other relevant publications. This will allow you to relax and focus, so that when you come for an interview your potential will shine through.”
Collyer Bristow LLP
St. Martin's Court,
10 Paternoster Row,
London,
EC4M 7EJ
Website www.collyerbristow.com
This long-established London firm provides high quality, individually tailored legal advice, often with a cross-border aspect, to a portfolio of international and domestic clients, including commercial businesses, wealthy individuals and families, and ambitious entrepreneurs. The firm has a particular reputation for its private wealth, business, real estate, and dispute resolution services. Clients choose Collyer Bristow because they, like those within the firm, appreciate individuality and creativity. Clients acknowledge that their needs may be unique or more complex, and that in progressing their legal issues they value a more engaged and collaborative service from their lawyers. They recognise that the Collyer Bristow approach is one of building understanding and trusted relationships with clients. Lawyers at the firm take time to gain an understanding of their clients and the individual objectives behind every transaction or dispute.
Collyer Bristow is known for its strength in private wealth (including tax and estate planning, immigration, family, media and privacy, residential real estate, and business services for owner managers); commercial real estate (contentious and non-contentious and including construction) and dispute resolution (banking and financial disputes, commercial litigation, and IP), as well as non-contentious services for business including employment, corporate and commercial. As well as its strength in private wealth and real estate, the firm also has significant cross-practice expertise in the financial services sector.
Training opportunities
The firm is looking for individuals who are able to demonstrate a strong academic performance, having gained a 2:1 or on track to achieve this. Successful candidates will be motivated individuals who possess strong commercial awareness, common sense, good communication skills and an ability to understand a client’s needs. Trainees spend six months in four of the firm’s five key practice areas, working with a range of people from senior partners to more recently qualified solicitors. The firm has mentoring, allocated seat supervisors, training and appraisal programmes, which nurture the development of technical expertise and client advisory skills. Trainees are expected at an early stage to take responsibility for their own files and to participate in managing the client’s work with appropriate supervision and are encouraged to take part in the firm’s business development activities.
Life assurance, pension, private medical insurance, employee assistance programme, season ticket loan, cycle to work scheme, 25 days’ holiday.
This Firm's Rankings in
UK Guide, 2024
Ranked Departments
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London (Firms)
- Real Estate: £10-50 million (Band 4)