VWV - True Picture

VWV training contract review 2025

The Firm

There’s no getting past it, law has a bit of a reputation when it comes to demands on your time. Put simply, a lot of prospective trainees find themselves daunted by the prospect: “I basically just wanted to still have a life!” one told us, “lots of people I knew elsewhere were burning out.” But the trainees we spoke to at VWV were clear on one thing: the work/life balance on offer at the firm was clear from the off. “The work-life balance was really good here I’d heard,” declared one trainee, before adding that “it’s certainly lived up to its billing in that sense!” Of course, while “everyone can say they’re nice online!” the general consensus was that VWV put their money where their metaphorical mouth is: “I got a good sense in my interview of the culture the firm had. I found the team to be really supportive and felt everybody was behind me.”

“…it’s certainly lived up to its billing in that sense!”

Now as acronyms go, VWV is delightfully symmetrical. Stemming from a 2009 merger between Bristol firm Veale Wasborough and London Town’s Vizards Tweedie. These days firmly settled into its current iteration, the firm’s national presence is still one of its great strengths. VWV currently has two offices in Bristol alongside offices in London, Watford, and Birmingham. Another of the firm’s strengths is the breadth of its specialisms: “What we have focused on is our sector approach,” training principal and construction partner Jason Prosser outlines, something the firm is looking to continue. “In some sectors, such as charities and education, we’re nationally renowned,” Prosser adds, but “what we want to do is continue emphasising this sector approach and building our knowledge.” In this way, “clients appreciate that we understand everything from a business and commercial perspective.” There’s plenty of evidence to boot too. Chambers UK awards the firm top-tier rankings nationwide for its education and medical partnership practices, along with a top nod for personal injury in the South West.

The Seats

Trainees aren’t able to choose their first seat, but are subsequently invited to put down three preferences, choices that the firm will look to accommodate on at least one rotation. Though fear not! “They make sure every trainee has their top choice at some point,” one told us, “and you’ll be prioritised if you’ve never had your first choice before.” While the majority of trainees are found at the firm’s Bristol office, training contracts are also offered in both London (the second most popular destination) and Watford for those who’d prefer not to be South West based.

Given the firm’s sector expertise, it shouldn’t come as a big surprise that a lot of the work in VWV’s commercial property practice revolves around the healthcare and education sectors. As one trainee who worked on the former explained: “I was in the real estate department with the healthcare team, which does a lot of work for GP surgeries and dentists.” This kind of work brings with it tasks like “transfers, leases, and dealing with bank documentation.” Education, on the other hand, consisted largely of work for schools and universities. For instance, the firm’s client list includes the likes of Bristol, Reading and Oxford Brookes universities, while clients within the healthcare space included a number of NHS properties and private health care practices. Sources praised the level of immersion in the seat, explaining that it offers “great exposure in how to practice law.” The general consensus was that “you’re not just left to do trainee tasks – I instead felt very immersed!” Despite the fact that some of the current crop described the firm as “quite commercial property heavy,” trainees conceded that it came with the territory, given that the firm is a leader in the field.

VWV’sprivate client department is split into three distinct sub departments, with trainees split between teams specialising in family, contentious probate and estates, as well as trusts and tax planning. Trainees in the latter deal with, you guessed it, “estates and taxes,” which will throw up work “drafting wills, setting up LPAs and dealing with admin of estates.” Don’t let this conjure up images of working solo behind a desk however – trainees reported plenty of face-to-face contact with both fellow team members and clients. Described as a “chunky lot of work,” trainees also highlighted that there’s plenty to sink your teeth into in the seat: “Lots of asset collecting, probate work, and figuring out what inheritance tax needs to be paid.” Working closely with HMRC is a regular occurrence, what’s more, many interviewees explained that the private client group remains perhaps the “most accessible seat for trainees” due to the fact it’s “one of the biggest teams in London.” Private client naturally tends to revolve around more personal matters, and with a strong clue in the name, remaining tight-lipped about client names is the game.

With a host of opportunities at the employment tribunal, trainees in the employment group were quick to highlight the benefits of the contentious work on offer. As one newbie explained, much of the work will see trainees “acting for the respondent,” respondents that are “always changing” with the “different types of clients” the firm serves. With education sector work underpinning so much at VWV, employment was no different. Many of the client’s prospective trainees can expect to come across are educational institutions, with names such as the University of Bath, Brighton, De Montfort and Cheltenham Ladies’ College cropping up in our interviews. That’s not to say the group’s a one-trick pony however. We also heard that the group represents other institutions such as museums and galleries, with educational charity Engage, the National Association for Gallery Education, another recent client. The current crop described the seat as “pretty hands-on,” with daily tasks consisting of “dealing with settlement agreements,” working on “corporate support,” and “article drafting.” Whilst pro bono work didn’t particularly feature for a lot of our interviewees, those in the employment team offered a different story, with the group partnered with a legal advice clinic in Bristol.

“This was the seat I was gunning for…”

Where the firm’s reputation precedes it in the education sector, the same is true of VWV’s charitieswork. As such, “this was the seat I was gunning for” admitted one trainee, “it was charity work that I really came to the firm for.” Sources explained that “the work was very corporate - advising on charitable status, reviewing some commercial agreements for charities, trading subsidiaries, and advising trustees on their duties.” One trainee described their time in the seat as “the highlight of my training contract,” and they weren’t alone: “I got involved in massive projects” another told us, including one “multi-million-pound deal with an AI angle.” There’s some regulatory work too despite the aforementioned corporate slant. Case in point, the team recently supported the London Symphony Orchestra and its connected charity over a total return on a £9m investment fund. Whilst the burning of the midnight oil wasn’t needed, the occasional late night was expected: “You’re working on the basis that you’re always available for the client.” To complicate hours a little more, “we also worked on cases in New Zealand, so there’s an obvious time difference!”

Trainee Life

With the hours described as “really nice for a trainee,” many of our interviewees agreed that a standard 9am to 5.30pm was the typical daily pattern. Whilst charities and commercial property work sometimes required trainees to stay a little later, the general consensus was that the firm was very reasonable when it came to hours – “as long as you get all your stuff done!” that is. The salary relative to those hours proved a point of contention among our interviewees. As one put it: “It’s a hot topic among trainees at the moment.” That said, several were quick to flag that they didn’t “feel badly remunerated” for their efforts – particularly as “I’m not nailed to my desk!”

“If you sit by the window, you’re overlooking the waterfront.”

Our interviewees were keen to highlight their deep satisfaction with the office spaces provided by the firm. With Bristol the central hub, one described the “newly refurbished” and “open plan” office as “fantastic.” In no small part thanks to a “swanky vibe, new coffee machines, and lots of snacks on the go.” Others noted the “completely revamped desks and screens, places to eat lunch, hot desking and breakout rooms.” What’s more, with “plants everywhere,” the running theme was that it didn’t feel like “a bleak corporate environment – it’s actually nicer than a hotel!” In fact, “if you sit by the window, you’re overlooking the waterfront.” Newbies felt it’s vicinity to Temple Meads station truly provided the icing on the cake. Understandably, to even further incentivise office attendance, the official policy at VWV remains “hybrid,” with most trainees showing their face four times a week, with the firm encouraging staff to “be in the office more than you’re not.”

Sources expressed that things could be improved slightly when it came to DEI, with some noting “it isn’t an overly diverse firm” with “fewer female lawyers the higher you go.” But aside from being an industry-wide issue, it’s important to note that trainees still felt it was something front and centre at VWV, particularly as “you are starting to see more and more people from different backgrounds.” Regular newsletter emails are distributed amongst the lawyers at the firm around cultural awareness, in addition to advertising the DEI-related initiatives currently on offer (such as a well-being committee and religious faith groups). With external speakers too, one newbie explained “we recently had a talk from a lady within our autism awareness group.” Trainees are encouraged to take their one designated well-being day, which can be used “if you’re feeling overwhelmed” or “as an extra day of leave.”

“We form a band, hire a local venue, and about 200 people turn up!”

The social life at VWV comprised of team drinks “in the atrium downstairs,” Christmas and summer parties, and a bi-annual cocktail night where “a team of lawyers act as barmen!” With a sports and social committee too, sources spoke of a netball team in addition to an inter-firm ‘staff versus partners’ football match. We heard that “in Bristol, there’s also a law firm battle of the bands! We form a band, hire a local venue, and about 200 people turn up!”Trainees felt this spoke to the “laid-back, collaborative”culture pervading the firm. As one source explained, “I’ll have a coffee and chat to partners and senior associates.” For our interviewees, it highlighted just how “everyone’s on the same level. It’s easy to interact with them because everyone is just very human.” As such: “It’s a very supportive and nurturing culture – and somewhere you feel very comfortable learning and working in.” Others described a ”very trusting” environment at the junior end. For instance, “if you take a longer lunch because of whatever, nobody’s questioning you. You’re trusted!”

Another aspect of life at VWV that came in for praise was good relationships when it came to supervisors. In fact, descriptors such as “supportive, approachable, and friendly” were mentioned. In addition to regular feedback in each team, trainees were quick to highlight the strong pastoral support on offer. When it came to training, VWV hosts what are called firm-wide ‘good practice’ or sessions held by each department, supplementing team-specific training and learning on the job. We also heard that guest lawyers and barristers are invited in to provide case updates on topical events. Encouraged to have conversations with the early careers team before a list of NQ jobs is published, trainees are able to apply for as many qualification positions as they’d like. Though the process varies team by team, it’s “not necessarily a sit down with your suit and tie.” Some departments offer “more of a chat,” while others require “the whole shebang” in the form of “written questions and a formal interview.” Interestingly, VWV also provides the opportunity for trainees to drop a seat and qualify early, if agreed by all parties and in line with SRA requirements. In 2024, the firm retained 14of 15 qualifiers.

How to land a training contract at VWV

Training contract deadline (2025): February 2025

Applications and assessments

If you’re growing sick and tired of the old ‘CV and cover letter’ charade, there’s good news. VWV’s tailored online application form will ask all the questions the firm needs to know. But what is it exactly that they are looking to find out? Like a lot of firms, previous legal work (whether that’s volunteering for the Citizen’s Advice Bureau, a university legal clinic, or work as a paralegal or legal assistant) is helpful but not essential. In fact, according to early careers specialist Emma Colls, any office-based or customer service experience can also be advantageous: “We do however understand that finding legal work experience is difficult, so we also look for anything that illustrates an interest in a legal career.” Honourable mentions include participation in clubs and societies, or attending insight days and webinars. Having as much as you can in the locker is in your interest too, the firm has to sift through approximately 300 direct applications a year.

The firm’s recruitment drive is relatively spread out, with VWV accepting applications nationwide (though there is a particular focus on events local to the firm’s offices (Bristol, London, Watford and Birmingham). The firm invites around 50 of the best internal and external applicants to one of two assessment days, comprised of a mixture of written exercises, a group activity, and a short interview, as well as an informal session with current trainees.

Vacation scheme

Candidates who are successful at the assessment centre stage are invited to attend the vacation scheme, along with an interview, which forms the final stage of the process. As a part of the training contract assessment, there’s no separate application process for a vac scheme at VWV, so external candidates interested in a training contract will need to complete one of the firm’s vac schemes – offered at each of the firm’s offices every June – first. Those invited to interview will face three people – a partner, a member of early careers (recruitment), and a recently qualified solicitor who trained at the firm – for an hour.

The vac scheme at VWV involved sitting in a minimum of two departments, completing tasks that range from research to drafting and reviewing documents. The idea, Colls explains, is to provide vac schemers with exposure to the kinds of work typical for a first seat trainee: “We also hold events throughout the scheme, designed to let participants learn more about VWV, and how we work.” This includes sessions with partners, trainees, and the wider HR and business services teams.

Open days

As one of the key ways to demonstrate an interest in a legal career, insight days offer a means by which to bolster your training contract application. VWV holds open evenings in December for anyone who is interested in a training contract at the firm. Dates, location and information on how to sign up is advertised on the VWV’s website, LinkedIn, and Twitter.