Foot Anstey LLP - True Picture

Foot Anstey training contract review 2025 

The Firm 

Some may say that having the best of both worlds is impossible. Well, that might be the case in some aspects of life but, at Foot Anstey, we’d venture to say that you’ll probably find your fit. Whether you’re looking for City-quality work or something more regionally focused, Foot Anstey has it covered. The London office is strategically based in the beating heart of the commercial and financial centre but, as many of our sources echoed, “I knew I didn’t want the London lifestyle!” Good thing then that the firm has strong footing in the Southwest, with offices spread across Bristol, Exeter, Plymouth, Taunton and Truro, and is growing nationally, too. The regional focus by no means limit scope, as training principal Ashley Avery confirms: “We’re incredibly sector-led and that puts us in the market, winning impressive clients and big-ticket work. We consistently deliver beyond our size in terms of the quality of work we do and the types of clients we have. That makes it a really exciting place to be when you’re a trainee, but also as a partner, too.” 

“I was a big fan of the sector approach…” 

More specifically, Foot Anstey’s core sectors include energy & infrastructure, Islamic finance, private equity, retail, private wealth and charities. Naturally, a common story for trainees finding the firm was, “I was a big fan of the sector approach, and I wanted to be in the South West without compromising on the quality of the work.” After all, given that the firm has several Chambers UK-approved practices, quality is no concern! For example, the firm scoops up top rankings for clinical negligence and personal injury in the South West, with additional recognition in practices such as family, agriculture, banking & finance, employment and IP. Foot Anstey’s also recognised nationally from the guide, with further top-tier rankings in property & affairs in the Court of Protection, and charity-specific legacy disputes. All of this coupled with the promise of a more than liveable work-life balance meant sources were “glad I went for it!” 

The Seats 

Foot Anstey has recently overhauled its training contract, swapping out its previous six-by-four-month structure for the standard model of four six-month seats. Seats are allocated by ‘RUTH’, an automated decision-making system: “You rate and rank ten seats, with ten being an ‘I want this seat’ while zero means ‘don’t give it to me.’ It takes your previous experience into account as well, and then does its fun AI thing.” However, trainees aren’t stuck with faceless technology as “you can always speak to the Early Careers team if you want to flag anything, and you can catch up with them mid-way through your seats, too.” It should also be noted that it’s common to do a seat in another office. The firm funds travel expenses to and from your home office but, if the host office is far enough way, they’ll pay for a hotel overnight. 

“… it’s been great for client exposure and building relationships in the firm.” 

Client secondments are also available, and “there’s normally a couple in each rotation.” We heard there’s been a broad selection of opportunities, including work with energy providers, large retailers, banks and even veterinary groups. Otherwise, all trainees are paired with a client office through the firm’s Virtual Trainee Programme, spending around five hours a week providing additional legal support and advice. Experiences varied, but one source praised, “it’s been great for client exposure and building relationships in the firm. The programme isn’t practice area-specific, so you could end up with work you’ve not done before!” 

Foot Anstey’s corporate team handles mid-market M&A and private equity deals, and also acts as “co-counsel with other City firms.” The team’s regional connections mean it can offer regional insights, but the scope of the work is generally national, and sometimes even international. Stanley Capital Partners and August Equity are just a sample of the private equity houses on the books. Recently, the team advised atomos, a portfolio group of Oaktree Capital Management with $183 billion of assets under management (yes, that’s a ‘b’), on multiple acquisitions of various financial advisers. Project management is a core responsibility in this seat as, “internally, you’re a key contact for the other specialist teams.” This means that it can be fast-paced, but some “enjoyed the plate spinning and running around.” Trainees here can roll up their sleeves with lots of drafting of ancillary documents and even parts of share purchase agreements. 

On the contentious side, the commercial litigation team tackles general commercial and banking disputes. Matters coming in “could include loan disputes with financial lenders, insolvency-type disputes with practitioners, company management disputes or professional negligence – it’s really interesting work.” The team is currently acting for Skew Base Investments in £55 million claims brought by different fund investors following the 2020 market crash. The group also works with its fair share of household names, too, such as Holland & Barrett, Bank of Ireland and Admiral Group. Rookies here can get involved in instructing counsel, writing applications to court, attending hearings and client meetings, and drafting letters, settlement agreements and defences. 

“We’re headed into the energy and renewable disputes space, so it’s exciting stuff!” 

Energy projects, infrastructure & construction (EPIC) is another one of the firm’s renowned practices, and certainly has epic scale: “It’s very varied here, with lots of commercial contract negotiations. We keep on top of changing policies to support our energy clients and do a lot of construction disputes, too. We’re headed into the energy and renewable disputes space, so it’s exciting stuff!” The team is also advising Celtic Sea Power on its multi-million-pound offshore wind project, Cornwall Floating Offshore Wind Accelerator. Trainees here get exposure to a range of corporate, commercial property, non-contentious construction and construction disputes work. 

In contentious construction, trainees can “get involved in adjudication proceedings, working closely with seniors and partners to learn about court proceedings and negotiations with solicitors on the other side.” Another noted, “there’s lots of drafting and answering questions, such as searching through 160 pages to find the exact document someone is looking for. We also help advise colleagues in non-contentious construction on the possibilities of litigation to make sure any contracts are watertight!” Meanwhile, the EPIC commercial property group deals with acquisitions of things like battery storage and solar farm developments: “It’s typical property work, with lots of due diligence and drafting leases. As a trainee, you get to see how seniors negotiate with landowners.” 

The broader commercial propertyteam acts on behalf of landowners, builders and commercial developers. The team has been supporting Screwfix on its ongoing site expansion and sustainable initiatives, having advised on around 40 lease acquisitions in the last year. The firm also does a lot of work in the affordable housing sector. Day to day, sources agreed that “the work has been incredibly varied and useful” as they get to join client calls, mark up licences, help make Land Registry applications, write up reports and draft leases. Aside from this, as one trainee mused, “there have been high responsibility moments, like ensuring contracts get over the line – you sort of become a DocuSign guru!” Due diligence is also a key aspect of the seat, especially since the group supports on deals that are part of the firm’s wider energy & infrastructure, retail and Islamic finance work. 

“It’s nice to feel surrounded by people rather than just lawyers!” 

Trainee Life 

Interviewees had lots to say about friendliness and approachability here, describing Foot Anstey as a place where “everybody has a personality. It’s nice to feel surrounded by people rather than just lawyers! You’re all helping each other get things over the line, and your work is appreciated.” Some described a slight shift in work culture as a result of the firm’s wider focus on strategy but, as one put it, “there’s a good buzz about the growth and ambition here, so you feel that you’re a part of that exciting growth trajectory.” 

Long-term career progression is also considered as part of the training contract, as first-years get involved with business development through one of the firm’s sectors. This can get newbies involved in researching potential new clients and new technologies, writing articles and monthly newsletters, and helping out with bids. “You get to sit in on sector calls, which helps you understand the firm’s overall approach,” a source reflected. According to Avery, “it’s an exciting opportunity for trainees to get involved in not just the fee-earning work, but the strategy. It gives trainees much more freedom to explore strategy and business development, and gives them a well-rounded view of the business.” Second-years also have their own programme, a mini project which largely focuses on legal tech and involves Dragons' Den-style pitches with a sector working group!

Sources observed that training varies across practices, and praised real estate in particular for being “a well-oiled machine. It would be incredibly daunting to start that seat without any background.” According to insiders, other teams take more of a “learn by doing” approach under the guidance of supervisors, but added that “there’s no feeling of hierarchy, and everybody is happy to help you out.” Being proactive about feedback, particularly with your supervisors, is key, as one rookie advised, “you just need to ask. I can’t fault my supervisors as I had weekly meetings to discuss my work and ambitions.” 

“You feel supported throughout…” 

Hours also vary, depending on the week and seat. A typical day, we heard, would start at 9am and finish between 6 and 7.30pm, though 5.30pm finishes are common in less busy periods. Later stints might be more regular over in energy and corporate (which is often the case across firms) but sources assured that “you feel supported throughout, and everyone else is doing the same.” This meant that many also felt satisfied with the salary, which is the same across all of the firm’s locations, especially when not working longer days.  

Trainees valued the flexible working options at the firm. There’s no set hybrid working policy, but trainees are generally encouraged to go in four times a week. “It’s very flexible, and some teams have anchor days,” a trainee explained, “No one will bat an eye if you’re working from home – people aren’t old-school about it.” When in the office, there are monthly elevenses in the kitchen which are “usually themed. There was a Valentines one with chocolates and love hearts, a Pride one with rainbow cakes and skittles, and the next will be the Olympics. I imagine that’ll be protein bars and yoghurts…” Whatever’s on the menu, trainees appreciated how “it’s a moment to take some time out of the day to catch up.” 

CSR is also “high on the agenda” at Foot Anstey, and “you can see that with the recent appointment of Bola Gibson as director of responsible business.” Each year, trainees get two days to engage with community initiatives and local projects. The highlight of 2024 so far was, arguably, “Beat the Bikers, a 306km bike ride from Truro to Bristol during the week. Those not going tried to ‘beat the bikers’ with walking, cycling, running and swimming, and this was all for our charity, the Youth Hostel Association.” 

Diversity & inclusion has been an area of focus for the firm as well as it “is making an effort to be considerate of the changes coming through.” The new Achieve vacation scheme was mentioned as an example of this as “it’s focused on inclusion, encouraging people from different backgrounds to apply.” The firm also hosts a range of webinars, speakers and awareness meetings on topics such as menopause. Firm members have access to groups such as the Asian, African-Caribbean, Islamic, LGBTQ+, Menopause, Neurodiversity and Climate Connections Groups.  

Come qualification, trainees speak to the teams that they’re interested in before submitting a formal written application. This includes a CV alongside questions on why they might be suited to the role and any skills they have. Interviews take place before job offers are made. In 2024, Foot Anstey retained 9 out of 13 qualifiers.

How to get a Foot Anstey training contract   

• Training contract deadline: 21 March 2025 
• Vacation scheme deadline: 3 January 2025 

Training contracts available 

The firm is currently considering applications for 2025 and beyond, and all applicants for these intakes will be sponsored through the SQE.  

How do I apply? 

There are a couple of different ways to secure a training contract at Foot Anstey: 

• Via a Vacation Scheme

During vacation schemes, successful applicants will experience what it is like to be a trainee solicitor at Foot Anstey. Successful applicants will spend a week with the firm either in April (Achieve) or June (Aspire) where they will contribute to real cases. At the end of the week, they will use the knowledge they have learnt during the week in an assessment day. 

Achieve Vacation scheme 

• Achieve is specifically designed for individuals from underrepresented groups within the UK workforce as identified by the UK government. This includes individuals from Bangladeshi, Black, Pakistani and Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities. In addition to spending a week with the firm on the vacation scheme, successful applicants will also take part in a series of masterclass sessions. These sessions will help the cohort to develop legal skills and commercial understanding.  
• Applications are open between 9 September 2024 and 3 January 2025. To apply, click here for the firm's ATS platform.

Aspire Vacation Scheme 

• Aspire is open to individuals from all backgrounds.
• Applications are open between 9 September 2024 and 3 January 2025. To apply, click here for the firm's ATS platform. 
• By applying directly for a Training Contract

 The firm also accepts direct training contract applications with an assessment day held in June. Applications will open between 2 December 2024 and 21 March 2025.

The application form 

All applications are submitted via the Candid ATS platform where you will be asked to complete some personal information and guided through a number of application form questions. Once this has been completed you will be sent a link to complete an assessment on the Amberjack platform, featuring a series of situational judgement, verbal and numerical reasoning questions. In addition to the written questions, there are a couple of video interview questions to support your application. All of these are considered and successful applicants are then invited to a vacation scheme or assessment day if you are applying directly for a Training Contract.

And finally... 

Good luck! And if you have any questions then please don't hesitate to get in contact with the Early Careers team on early.careers@footanstey.com.