Harbottle & Lewis LLP - True Picture

Firm profile

We are a dynamic, multifaceted law firm that provides a wide range of legal services to a creative and entrepreneurial client base. We partner with the big and the small, from cutting-edge startups to global corporations, early-stage entrepreneurs to established industry leaders, and household names to private individuals and their family offices. We are renowned for our sector specialisms which we combine with expertise across all the traditional practice areas to provide clients with tailored solutions that truly add value.

Main areas of work

We provide innovative and specialist advice on corporate, commercial, employment, family, intellectual property, litigation, private client, property and tax law. We also advise on regulatory matters and the legal issues faced by organisations and individuals in the media spotlight, such as defamation, information protection, privacy and image rights. Our service consists of giving in-depth commercial advice to clients in a wide range of sectors including advertising, broadcasting, charity, digital media, fashion, film, interactive entertainment, music, publishing, private wealth, sponsorship, sport, television, and theatre and for 70 years have been at the centre of many of these industries’ largest and most high- profile transactions and cases.

Training opportunities

During your two-year training contract with us, you will be given the opportunity to thrive in several of our key practice areas, spending six months in four different seats which include: commercial litigation, corporate, employment, family, film, TV & theatre, IP litigation, media & entertainment, media & information (defamation/privacy), private client & tax and property. Our smaller trainee intake coupled with the firm’s commitment to providing clients with a holistic service, gives our trainees a high degree of exposure to many different parts of the business, equipping them with invaluable commercial knowledge and ensuring they have responsibility for a wide range of legal tasks.

Additionally, we host internal weekly seminars covering both legal topics and industry know-how. An open plan office space , personable, friendly and collaborative culture and our pragmatic entrepreneurial approach to legal practice provides a stimulating and enriching working environment.

Other benefits

Lunch provided daily; season ticket loans; private medical insurance, group personal pension scheme; 25 days holiday; ; cycle to work scheme; free on-site yoga, massage therapy and fitness classes; employee assistance scheme; monthly one-to-one wellness sessions.

Diversity, inclusion and wellbeing
As a firm, we are committed to ensuring that our employees are diverse and reflect both the society around us and the clients we serve. We recognise that the degree to which people feel included and respected will directly correlate with the success of the firm.

We have an active DE&I Committee at the firm which is the vehicle in place to deliver the DE&I strategy in alignment with the firmwide strategy set by the Board. Supporting the DE&I Committee and acting as a bridge between them and the people across the firm, we currently have five network groups: LGBTQ+ & Allies, Sex & Gender Equality, Social Mobility, Ethnic Minority and Neurodiversity. These networks actively raise awareness of their respective DEI stream throughout the firm by way of knowledge sharing, events and taking a collaborative approach to the review and introduction of firmwide practices and procedures.

We continue to partner with Rare’s contextual recruitment system; an applicant tracking system seen as a market-leading social mobility measuring tool for graduate recruitment in the legal industry. Our social mobility work experience programme, in partnership with the Sutton Trust, aims to improve social mobility in the UK so that young people are given the chance to fulfil their potential regardless of their circumstances, their school or where they live. Each summer we welcome six students into our office to take part in a variety of sessions including legal talks and presentations, a Q&A session with lawyers, shadowing trainee tasks, attending a CV and skills workshop as well as completing a written task and a presentation.

We have an extensive wellbeing programme which continues to evolve and expand. Free yoga and fitness classes for all abilities are offered during the week. One-to-one wellness sessions with a registered psychotherapist is offered monthly along with wellbeing talks. Some topics include resilience, mindfulness and imposter syndrome.