Foot Anstey LLP - True Picture

Firm profile
We are a premier legal practice delivering specialist expertise to an impressive portfolio of regional, national and international clients. An entrepreneurial firm with history and tradition, we are on an exciting journey to become our clients’ most trusted advisor, enabling them to achieve their ambitions. How we do it is just as important as what we do. Our values of collaboration over convention, championing aspiration, being refreshingly human, embracing entrepreneurial spirit and delivering integrated thinking guide the way we act, every day, from the way we operate as a business to how we treat our colleagues and clients.

We like to think that our approach to business and developing client relationships makes us distinctly different to traditional law firms — and also attractive. As does our desire to ensure our lawyers and trainees operate in an environment where everything is tailored towards delivering specialist and forward-thinking advice to our clients.

Main areas of work
Through our network of offices across the South and South West, we work as one national team offering specialist legal advice and services to regional, national and international clients. We offer expert advice in Commercial Property, Energy, Projects Infrastructure & Construction, Real Estate Disputes, Islamic Finance, Planning & Environmental, Commercial, Corporate, Private Equity, Dispute Resolution, Employment and Private Wealth.

Training opportunities
Training opportunities We welcome applications from law and non-law students who have a strong academic background, exceptional communication skills, and the vision to be part of our future. Our training programme is designed to help you reach your full potential. You will undertake 6, four month seats so you experience a greater number of practice areas. One of our significant differentiators is the closeness with which you will work with senior lawyers and partners. We believe being directly in the middle of good quality work will accelerate your learning and help you to develop into an exceptional advisory lawyer.

As one of our trainees, you will get exposure to situations to develop your legal and commercial expertise, in an environment that is friendly and supportive. This may be through your day to day work with your team and supervisor, on secondment with a client or as part of our award winning Virtual Trainee programme supporting national and international clients.

Vacation scheme
Our summer vacation scheme offers a week of work experience. Not only will you carry out "real work" but you will gain valuable insight into our business and the different areas of legal expertise. At the end of the week participants will take part in an assessment day after which successful candidates will be offered a training contract.

Other benefits
All trainees are entitled to our benefits package which includes: 28 days’ holiday, options to buy/sell holiday, contributory pension scheme, life assurance, cycle scheme, gym membership, discounted shopping, paid sabbaticals, Lifestyle Hour (the chance to take one hour off work each week to promote a healthy work/life balance) and the opportunity to exchange one day of annual leave for 15 hours holiday.

Open days and first-year opportunities
Our Accelerate Work Experience programme is available to to 1st year law student and 1st and 2nd year non-law students in the summer. All candidates will need to apply online via www.footanstey.com/careers/early-careers/accelerate/ or contact recruitment@footanstey.com for information.

We hold open evenings for potential trainees throughout the year which provide attendees with an opportunity to find out more about the firm, the application process and to network with existing trainees and lawyers.

University law careers fairs 2022
BriBirmingham, BPP, Bristol, Cardiff, Exeter, Plymouth. Southampton, South East Universities Virtual Law Fair, University of Law, UWE.

Diversity, inclusion & welbeing
Creating a diverse and inclusive workplace is integral to delivering our strategy, and we were delighted to be awarded the National Equality Standard for a second time in 2021. We consider this to be right at the heart of our priorities, and goes way beyond our policies – it’s something we consider across everything we do, from the make-up of our client teams, encouraging staff to reach their potential, through to our leadership. We aim to support our clients and our people to achieve their goals, regardless of background, gender, race, beliefs, sexuality or other non-work related factors. We champion aspiration and encourage it in everyone that works with us.

All employees have access to the firm's mentor programme which focusses on individuals' personal and professional development. It is used for a variety of purposes including helping an employee to fulfil their potential in an existing role to supporting them with their career progression. Our trainees have access to Partner mentors throughout their two year training contract.

Our employee wellbeing is incredibly important and is evolving all the time. We have a number of initiatives we believe genuinely support everyone to have a healthy work/life balance including fruit deliveries and desk treadmills throughout our offices and weekly lifestyle hours for all employees to enable them to take an hour out of the office every week to fit around their lifestyle. We also have paid staff sabbaticals to enable our people to have an extended break from work.

We recognise that our employees' mental wellbeing is just as important as physical health. We have a diverse group of trained mental health first aiders across all our offices and offer all employees free access to a confidential employee support line.