Keeping its eye on the (crystal) ball, DWF is “a firm that’s looking to the future,” with its trio of legal, business and tech services.
DWF training contract review 2025
The Firm
There's a saying that goes: ‘While you were sitting around, waiting, doing nish, I was out, making moves.’ While this may be a side-effect of being chronically online, it’s a saying that certainly springs to mind when thinking about DWF’s latest developments. Just last year, the Manchester-born global outfit joined the small but growing crowd of private equity-backed law firms. Going back a few years, the firm also made history when it became the largest listed legal business on the London Stock Exchange in 2019. With an anything but ordinary path, something else trainees appreciated was that unlike traditional law firms, “DWF isn’t just a legal provider, but a business that provides consulting services. With its investments in technology like EVOClaim and its contracts with AI providers, it’s a firm that’s looking to the future,” hitting the trifecta of client’s legal, business and tech needs.
“DWF isn’t just a legal services provider...”
“I knew there would be many opportunities thanks to the firm’s broad offering of practices,” one interviewee noted of their attraction to the firm. Indeed, the firm’s expertise includes corporate and commercial law, insurance, dispute resolution, employment, finance, regulatory & data, real estate and tax. It’s the firm’s nationwide health and safety, personal injury, and product liability (food) practices that clinch top-tier recognition from Chambers UK. The firm receives further recognition for its banking and finance and professional negligence work in London, while the firm’s competition law know-how shines regionally.
Eleven offices call the UK home with Manchester and London taking the largest number of trainees. The rest can be found split between Belfast, Birmingham, Glasgow, Liverpool, Leeds and Edinburgh. DWF also has offices in Newcastle, Southampton and Bristol which don’t currently take on trainees, though the latter takes on apprentices. Add a further 23 international offices to the list and you’ve got the full picture of the firm’s reach. Despite these slightly larger proportions, one interviewee explained: “Across the offices the cohorts are small at DWF, I was looking for a firm that would give me that responsibility and ownership, and not one that would wait until qualification to suddenly start training you!”
The Seats
Newbies rank preferences for seat allocation, though there’s the understanding that second-years closer to qualification will get priority. There are also lots of opportunities to do a client secondment, which is “encouraged. There’s a lot of large insurers, banks, commercial retailers, as well as a few in the sports retail space.” Spoilt for choice there!
“You’re dealing with more than just car crashes into a wall.”
Moving onto the seats available, it’s only right that we kick off with the insurance department as it makes up as much as 50% (!) of the firm’s workload. With such scope the practice is split into a variety of sub-teams including commercial insurance, catastrophic injury, occupational health, professional indemnity, markets and global risk. In this arena, DWF works with a host of recognizable names such as Allianz, Tesco Insurance and Aviva. On the commercial insurance side of things, the work ranges from property damage to traditional volume claims work. Like their casualty counterparts, trainees here get their own case load. Taking a rip-the-band-aid-off approach, “you’re thrown in and see the life cycle of a matter. It’s kind of scary but it’s helpful to get that exposure,” one trainee reassured. On high-value matters, newbies “assist colleagues on more complex property damage and policy coverage matters. You’re dealing with more than just car crashes into a wall,” we heard. Case in point: the firm represents a number of insurers in relation to Covid-BI (business interruption) losses, amassing a value of approximately $90 million. On the catastrophic injury and occupational health side of things, trainees are tasked with reviewing medical evidence and taking witness statements. Day to day, project management and research shapes part of the insurance rookie’s experience, alongside drafting anything from letters to submissions for court, instructing experts and counsel, as well as preparing bundles and helping to prepare for hearings. There’s even the chance to attend hearings and court.
A stint in commercial litigation exposes newbies to a wide range of disputes including the likes of breaches of contract, misrepresented claims, probate disputes, debt recovery and liquidation disputes and international arbitration to name just a few... “I’ve not done the same thing twice!” a trainee proclaimed. In a large recent case, DWF defended three individuals in a litigation filed by SKAT (Denmark’s version of HMRC) relating to an alleged £1.6 billion cum-exfraud. The firm also works with a number of big names here too, including Amazon, Ocado and Lidl. With varied responsibilities, newbies are kept busy taking turns at drafting, bundling for court and “dealing with all the stuff outside of court, like drafting letters for action – so strongly worded letters for people not abiding by obligations!” One interviewee highlighted, “I was trusted to take witness statements myself – with supervision. My team was really good at ensuring it was a learning experience for me.”
“I’ve never looked at so many leases in my life!”
Transactional real estate is split into a multitude of seats including construction, affordable housing, occupiers (involving hotels and leisure companies) and CAMID (commercial asset management investment development). Unpacking the range a little, a source explained: “Occupiers is less about buying and more about assisting those who already own the properties or leases. You’re ensuring they understand their leases and are aware of any property refinancing opportunities… I’ve never looked at so many leases in my life!” a trainee laughed.On the CAMID side, it’s transactional, acquisition, investment and asset management work which the team deals with. Alongside land registry admin and research-based tasks, drafting was a key point for trainees whether it was a new clause for a lease or a letter of acceptance: “You get good exposure, and you’re supported throughout getting your hands on proper lease documents.” Moreover, sources valued the opportunity to gain exposure to negotiations. “They’re very happy for you to be on calls,” trainees praised. There’s even the chance to attend client events too. Speaking of clients, the firm frequently acts for a number of real estate investment trusts (REITs), fund managers, investors and developers. A few recognisable names line the lists too! The firm recently started advising Tesco on its property portfolio in England and Wales, while up in Manchester, the team acted for Manchester City Council in relation to ex-footballer Gary Neville’s £400 million regeneration project.
Over in the corporate department,newbies have the chance to explore DWF’s private equity, capital markets, venture capital, corporate governance and M&A work. “As a trainee you support on a basic level with deal management,” an insider recalled, highlighting: “You do a lot of work with Companies House filings and drafting ancillaries” such as board minutes and due diligence reports. Putting its global network to good use, the firm advised Colorado-based Leprino Foods Company on its cross-border acquisition of the remaining 50% interest in the joint venture Glanbia Cheese UK & EU valued at €185 million. The transaction saw offices across the US, Ireland and the UK work together. Back on home soil, the firm recently advised Pepco Group and Poundland on the takeover of over 70 Wilko store leases.
Trainee Life
“You can have a chat and laugh about normal stuff too; it’s not just work work work.”
Insiders had lots to say about friendliness and approachability within DWF’s culture. “From day one, everyone has been approachable and normal, and that’s meant in the best way possible!” a source quipped, “you can bring your whole self to work. You can have a chat and laugh about normal stuff too; it’s not just work work work.” But of course, there is work to be done, and even then our interviewees sang praises for “the level of trust and respect you get here – you can’t take it for granted. You have a voice; your teams want you to get the most you can out of the training contract.”
Outside of the occasional Thirsty Thursday drinks and pizza games night, there’s plenty to get stuck into in DWF’s social calendar, including local Christmas gift appeals, Santa fun runs, the London Legal Walk, football and netball games, and client events and fundraisers. As one explained, “There is a conscious effort to make events less alcohol-heavy. There’s a new initiative where you’re randomly matched with someone you haven’t worked with before to have coffee.” Trainees can also get involved in DEI networks and schemes across the UK, and the firm’s also got men’s mental health, menopause and carers support in place. On the point of diversity in the workforce, sources acknowledged that there is work to be done, but highlighted that among their cohort “there’s a broad range of ages and career changers and people who had a later start. It’s not just those fresh out of uni.”
Trainees are expected to be in person in the office 50% of the time, translating to two to three days a week (although some teams might be in more). Sources valued what this meant for on-the-job learning. “I like the flexibility, and I learn more from being in,” we heard, “and also, if I’m struggling, I don’t have to message someone and wait 15 minutes to be told ‘Oh, that’s not what I meant!’” Of course, the on-the-job training is also supplemented by more formalised training, including team specific training sessions and access to DWF Academy – “a big bank of resources with mandatory modules.” Trainees are also able to pick up a lot from their supervisors, and while styles varied slightly from supervisor-to-supervisor, sources on the whole were content with their “willingness to answer queries.”
Turning to hours, one trainee declared: “You get the quality work, but you don’t have to sacrifice your life. It’s a good balance here!” The majority of sources reported starting between 8.30 to 9.30am and wrapping up at around 6.30pm. “It’s common to get away by 5.30pm as well!” we heard, but as per the nature of transactional and contentious practices during crunch time, “there are late nights,” sources forewarned, “It’s nothing too terrible, though. You’re sometimes logging off at 10 or 11pm.” These late nights certainly didn’t go unnoticed, however, with one source sharing, “After a 7.30pm finish, the team took me out as a thank you for the extra work. It was rewarding!” In terms of compensation, however, an interviewee noted: “Salary-wise, there is room for improvement as it’s lower than our competitors.”
Come qualification, a job list is sent out and candidates can apply for up to two positions. An interviewee advised: “This is the time to back yourself and state why you want to be in that team.” Individual departments then deal with any assessments and interviews required for the positions. A few of our sources mentioned that this year “there’s been some competition for jobs, but that just goes to show that everyone has loved their time here!” DWF did not disclose its retention rates for 2024.
Reach for the stars…
The firm’s got an initiative called 5 Star Futures: “We help students from disadvantaged areas with their CVs, interview prep and provide workshops such as on confidence and public speaking. At the very end they get a mock job interview with two partners and go onto have work experience!”
How to get a DWF training contract
Vacation scheme deadline: 6 January 2025
Training contract deadline: 6 January 2025
Ethnic Minority and Social Mobility Programme deadline: 6 January 2025
Initial application and video interview
DWF receives around 3,000 applications each year for both its vacation scheme and training contracts. The online application form is the same for vacation scheme and direct training contract applicants. It asks candidates to outline their academics, work experience, reasons for pursuing a career at DWF and what transferable skills they have.
Successful applicants are then invited to take part in a video interview which takes around 20 minutes to complete.
Assessment centre
The next stage is the assessment centre. This consists of a strengths-based interview, a group exercise/presentation, a short, written exercise and the chance to network with the assessors. From here, vacation scheme offers are made to the vacation-scheme applicants, only.
Vacation scheme
The vacation scheme runs for two weeks in June.
Attendees sit with two different practice areas during their visit, attend a series of presentations and workshops, and undertake a solo project. The firm's current trainees praised the work they were given as vac schemers, telling us they'd carried out “typical day-to-day trainee tasks like researching cases and drafting letters to clients.” There is also a social side to the scheme, giving participants the chance to meet current trainees, associates and partners. This allows them to get a good picture of the DWF culture and values, as well as have some fun!
Ethnic Minority and Social Mobility Programme
The Ethnic Minority and Social Mobility Programmes are designed to empower individuals from diverse backgrounds by offering tailored mentoring and skills sessions, before they join the Vacation Scheme, providing them with the tools and insights needed to thrive in the legal field.
Both programmes form part of our training contract recruitment
How to wow
DWF accepts applications from any university, and looks for good A-levels/Scottish Highers (or equivalent qualifications) plus a minimum 2:1 undergraduate law degree (either expected or obtained), PGDL, GDL or LPC. They also take mitigating circumstances into account and are using REALrating, which allows them to consider academic achievements in the context in which they were gained.
Throughout the application process, it is important that candidates display a sense of why DWF is the business they want to work for, and why they think it is different from its competitors. This means showing an understanding of the legal market and where DWF sits within it and demonstrating sufficient knowledge of the business's sector groups and clients.
DWF
1 Scott Place,
2 Hardman Street,
Manchester,
M3 3AA
Website www.dwfgroup.com
DWF is a global provider of integrated legal and business services. Our vision is to deliver integrated legal and business services on a global scale through our three offerings of Legal Services, Legal Operations and Business Services. We have approximately 4,000 people as well as offices and associations located across the globe. Our purpose is to deliver positive outcomes with our colleagues, clients and communities.
The legal market has changed profoundly in the last decade and the speed of change continues to increase. There is a clear and growing desire for legal services to be delivered in an easier and more efficient way. So we’ve listened to our clients and designed a range of services to meet these needs.
Our ability to seamlessly combine any number of these services to deliver bespoke solutions for our clients is our key differentiator. This Integrated Legal Management approach delivers greater operational efficiency, price certainty and transparency for our clients, without compromising on quality or service.
The business has core strengths in finance & restructuring, insurance, real estate and dispute resolution, and in-depth industry expertise in eight core sectors, namely consumer; energy and natural resources; financial services; insurance; government and public sector; real estate; technology, media and communications; and transport. DWF is focused on delivering service excellence to all of its clients in the UK and internationally, which include major household names and FTSE listed companies.
At DWF we use our values to help define and reinforce our culture and enable us to recruit, retain and develop the highest quality people. This is reflected in our training programme, where our trainees are made to feel part of the DWF team from the moment of offer. Once within the business, our trainees get a high level of responsibility and exposure to business development, innovation and CSR. Many DWF trainees also have the opportunity to complete a client secondment.
The DWF summer vacation scheme takes place in June for two weeks. If you are in your penultimate or final year of a law degree, final year of a non-law degree or a graduate of any discipline then you are eligible to apply. The business recruits its trainees through the vacation scheme, so it’s a good opportunity to get ahead and see why DWF is the right business for you.
The two-week vacation scheme gives you the chance to work with partners, associates and trainees across two different practice groups. You’ll work on live legal matters and will be given responsibility right from the start. This is combined with a variety of internal workshops and presentations, helping you understand DWF as a business.
Ethnic Minority and Social Mobility Programmes
Our Social Mobility and Ethnic Minority Programmes have been developed to provide individuals from diverse backgrounds with mentoring and skills sessions ahead of a two week paid work experience scheme.
The work experience will be for two weeks and will mirror a vacation scheme; candidates will have the opportunity to complete live legal work, work together on a group project and attend practice group presentations. There will also be the opportunity to attend social events to further build an internal network. While completing the work experience, candidates will have a trainee buddy and a supervisor in addition to their existing mentor.
Those on the programme will then be considered for a training contract.
Applications are now open:
DWF - AllHires
Pension, healthcare, childcare vouchers, season ticket loan, life assurance, retail vouchers and employee assistance programme.
Our insight days are open to all first-year students, non-law students, graduates etc. Our application portal is now open and you can apply via our website. The deadline to apply for an insight day is 01 November 2024.
Please see our website for the full list of law fairs that we are attending this year.
Events | DWF (dwfgroup.com)
At DWF, we are proud of our reputation as a supportive and inclusive employer. We aim to be an employer of choice to talent across generations and life stages by providing interventions that advance social inclusion and enable our colleagues to balance their work lives while providing the development opportunities to enjoy fulfilling and rewarding careers. As a responsible business and force for good in society, we embed our culture and values at the heart of everything we do, recognising that our people not only want a great place to work, but take pride in creating it.
Our Global Diversity & Inclusion Leadership Group defines and executes our D&I Strategy. Executive Sponsors and more than 50 senior leaders, supported by our Affinity Networks and network of passionate Diversity Champions, deliver action plans in support of our new five year D&I Strategy which focuses on Gender, Race & Ethnicity, LGBT+, Disability, Mental Health.
Colleague networks strengthen our efforts to build and sustain a diverse and inclusive workplace. They bring colleagues together through events to raise awareness and understanding, often collaborating with our clients. The networks include: Out Front - our company wide LGBT+ network, This is Me - our Gender network and our Race and Ethnicity Network - focused on increasing Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic representation and promoting cultural diversity across the business.
Applications are now open: DWF - AllHires
Website: Early Careers | DWF Group
LinkedIn: (6) DWF (UK and Ireland): Overview | LinkedIn
Instagram: DWF_Graduate_Recruitment
This Firm's Rankings in
UK Guide, 2024
Ranked Departments
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London (Firms)
- Banking & Finance: Lenders: Lower Mid-Market (Band 2)
- Professional Negligence (Band 3)
- Professional Negligence: Technology & Construction (Band 2)
- Real Estate: £10-50 million (Band 4)
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Midlands
- Professional Negligence: Mainly Defendant (Band 3)
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North East
- Real Estate (Band 2)
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North East & Yorkshire
- Professional Negligence (Band 3)
- Real Estate Litigation (Band 4)
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North West
- Banking & Finance (Band 4)
- Corporate/M&A: £25 million and above (Band 2)
- Employment (Band 3)
- Information Technology (Band 2)
- Intellectual Property (Band 3)
- Litigation (Band 2)
- Professional Negligence (Band 2)
- Real Estate: £10 million and above (Band 3)
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Northern Ireland
- Banking & Finance (Band 4)
- Clinical Negligence (Band 3)
- Litigation (Band 3)
- Personal Injury: Mainly Defendant (Band 2)
- Professional Negligence (Band 3)
- Real Estate (Band 2)
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Scotland
- Corporate/M&A (Band 4)
- Pensions (Band 3)
- Personal Injury: Mainly Defendant (Band 3)
- Professional Negligence (Band 2)
- Real Estate: £10 million and above (Band 3)
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South West
- Crime (Band 2)
- Professional Negligence: Mainly Defendant (Band 1)
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The Regions
- Competition Law (Band 1)
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UK-wide
- Clinical Negligence: Mainly Defendant (Band 3)
- Data Protection & Information Law (Band 5)
- Health & Safety (Band 1)
- Insurance: Contentious Claims & Reinsurance (Band 2)
- Insurance: Volume Claims Spotlight
- Local Government (Band 4)
- Personal Injury: Mainly Defendant (Band 1)
- Police Law: Mainly Defendant (Band 2)
- Product Liability: Food (Band 1)
- Product Liability: Mainly Defendant (Band 4)
- Professional Discipline (Band 4)
- Retail (Band 3)
- Transport: Road: Regulatory (Band 3)
- Travel: International Personal Injury (Defendant) (Band 3)
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West Midlands
- Litigation (Band 2)
- Real Estate (Band 3)
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Yorkshire
- Banking & Finance (Band 4)
- Planning (Band 3)
- Real Estate (Band 4)