Stephenson Harwood LLP - True Picture

Stephenson Harwood training contract review 2025 

The Firm 

For most people in the know, the first thing that springs to mind when Stephenson Harwood comes up is shipping. To be fair, it’s one of the practices that has been present throughout the firm’s 150 years of operation, something that was bolstered by a 2002 merger with shipping specialists Sinclair Roche & Temperley. But thinking of SH purely in terms of shipping is to fail to see the (Har)wood for the trees. Trainees at the firm were quick to highlight the “balance” of a “broad range of practices.” In fact, as one put it: “Shipping isn’t everyone’s answer to why they joined the firm.” That said, of course, “if you want to be involved in the best work in the space, we’re probably the place to be.” A glance at the firm’s rankings is all the evidence needed to support this claim, as SH is recognised for its yachts & superyachts work in the Chambers High Net Worth guide and is ranked by Chambers UK in shipping and shipping finance. The firm also bags top-tier nationwide rankings across restructuring/insolvency, investment funds, civil fraud, financial services and (rail) transport. There is also a top nod for its corporate M&A practice in London.  

“…that’s when I decided that this was where I wanted to be.” 

Stephenson Harwood is also one of the firms to feature in Chambers Global, most notably for its work in Asia, where it has maintained its historical connections. For a bit of background, one of the firm’s founders had previously practiced in China, and the 2002 merger opened an office for the firm in Shanghai. Now, four of the firm’s eight offices are in East Asia, with the rest split between Europe and the Middle East. Trainees in the UK have the chance to spend six months in one of these offices during their training contract, and sources assured us that those who are flexible about which office to go to will be more likely to secure a spot. While the international network was part of the draw for some, it was a general perception of a more personal, cosy culture that ultimately sealed the deal: “I really got to know the culture when I came for the vac scheme,” one told us, “and that’s when I decided that this was where I wanted to be. The selling point is that everyone’s so welcoming and helpful.” 

The Seats 

Seats at SH are allocated after trainees submit preferences to the future talent team. As one trainee explained: “That process was only recently introduced. We used to have chats with the team about our interests.” This means that while first-seat trainees do get to have a say in where they start their training contract, the decision is ultimately made based on business need. Some of our interviewees did mention being assigned seats that weren’t one of their preferences, but one recalled how “they placed me in a seat that they thought made sense for me based on our last discussion and my experience.” There’s a separate process for allocating international secondments, which is usually a CV and cover letter explaining why you want to do it. Opportunities are generally available to second-years, though there is a client secondment in Qatar which is open to all trainees. 

As the firm is so well-known for its shipping practice, it makes sense that many trainees will do a seat with the marine, trade & offshore department. The team takes up one floor at the firm and is split into multiple subgroups with a shared sector focus. For example, there’s a seat available in ship finance, which covers everything from loans to acquire vessels to various ship-related lease structures. Given the international nature of the work, many of these matters are cross-border, and on one such transaction the team worked for the New York branch of Nordea Bank on the $350 million refinancing of 19 vessels. The team specialises in the lender side of transactions, and trainees in this subgroup get a variety of niche responsibilities alongside the sort of work that you’d expect from a standard finance seat. This can include managing conditions precedents and drafting corporate authorities. Insiders explained that “it’s really interesting stuff, and we do get the opportunity to do work that’s a bit more shipping specific, such as the sales and purchases of vessels.” 

“Sometimes you’ll see the work you’re doing in the news, and you realise just how cool it is.” 

Trainees in the shipping disputes team explained that it’s “pretty much all arbitration with a small bit of advisory work.” Those in the know explained how “we generally work with ship building contracts. We also have cases concerning superyachts, high net worth individuals and charter party breaches.” For example, the team has represented the likes of Mercuria Energy Trading, Phillips 66 and Base Resources. Trainees here have plenty to do, including classic tasks like proofreading, bundling, filing and taking attendance notes. On the flip side, there’s also increased responsibility on offer for those who are ready for it, such as reviewing and amending contract provisions, contract analysis and opinion, legal research and drafting. Those who had done a seat with the team were more than happy to boast about how “sometimes you’ll see the work you’re doing in the news, and you realise just how cool it is.” 

Newbies in the corporate tax and incentives team typically sit within one of its subgroups, but are encouraged to pick up work from other subgroups to experience all the department has to offer. Clients here include private businesses, private equity portfolios and publicly traded companies, such as Hotel Chocolat, Transport UK and Futura Medical. On the incentives side, the team has its own client work, which throws up odd questions where a trainee might “do some research and figure out the HMRC’s stance on a topic, for example, so it’s half research and half advisory.” The rest of the work is largely corporate support, which filters through when private equity, corporate and finance deals are happening elsewhere across the firm. As one trainee explained, “when due diligence is happening on those big transactions and a target company has incentives structures in place, the corporate team asks us for our input. My job is making sure that there aren’t any red flags that clients should be aware of.” Meanwhile, in tax, we heard that there’s also some corporate support work as well as “more disputes – they seem to be focusing on building that side out over the next year or so.” As such, trainees can get involved with tax litigation and investigations, making it a hat trick seat with advisory, transactional and contentious work! 

“You’re involved from the outset of a transaction all the way through to post-completion steps.” 

A real estate seat reportedly comes with “plenty of responsibility from day one, which was a surprise!” one source told us, “I was emailing clients from my first week and then running matters with supervision when I was ready for it.” The team largely focuses on property asset management and real estate finance for big corporate clients and works on the landlord side of transactions. This means that the department handles things like sales, purchases, leases and licences. Lawyers here recently worked with Schroders Capital UK Real Estate Fund on the £267 million funding of a ten-storey building in South London. Trainees can get involved in all sorts of things, such as submitting Land Registry applications, Stamp Duty Land Tax returns and legal research. Once the level of responsibility ramps up, trainees might be trusted with handling completion, running leases, negotiating with tenants’ solicitors and speaking to clients. Overall, this means that “you’re involved from the outset of a transaction all the way through to post-completion steps. I got a big picture overview of the matters I was on and knew the importance of everything I was contributing.” 

All trainees must do at least one contentious seat, and fortunately the firm has plenty of options on this front. One such example is the regulatory litigation and investigations seat. The team works on a real range as “partners focus on different parts of regulation,” such as internal investigations, white collar crime and Financial Conduct Authority work. For instance, lawyers here recently won a case against the FCA, defending a former member of Bank Julius Baer’s executive board against allegations from the regulator. For trainees, we heard that the work “can be very data heavy,” but there are still opportunities to take on increased responsibility. For example, trainees can correspond with the other side and share their thoughts on cases: “You’re not just taking notes, and you can give your own insight on what you think action points should be. It’s been great for my confidence.” There are also other niche disputes seats, such as aviation litigation and contentious trusts, the latter of which deals with litigation matters relating to pensions and trusts. Trainee tasks here align more closely with a disputes seat than a private client one, meaning newbies get their fair share of bundling, drafting letters and research. 

Trainee Life 

Everyone at the firm is typically in the office at least three days a week, and interviewees explained that “most teams are quite flexible, but do like us all to be in on the same days. I work from home when the rest of my team does.” The space itself is reportedly “well-kitted out, and we’ve got a good, cheap canteen. The first floor has been renovated as well – it’s comfortable.” There’s no open-plan setup, but we heard that there’s a strict open-door policy (complete with transparent sliding doors) so it’s easy to approach colleagues with any questions. 

“…they understand that you’re new to things and will need to be briefed, so I haven’t had to go frantically searching for my law school notes to brush up!” 

Trainees also share a room with their supervisor, which is “100% a positive” according to one insider, who “couldn’t imagine hot desking or sitting in a room with ten other people. It skips any awkward panic because you’re sharing a room with someone for the sole purpose of learning from them.” Working relationships with supervisors can naturally differ across seats, especially since some newbies are supervised by associates while others are assigned partners. Whatever the setup, trainees saw the benefits: “I learned so much from my first associate supervisor, who was very senior but still junior enough to remember being a trainee. I’m now sitting with a partner, and I’m getting exposure to someone who’s essentially a leader in their field – like a lot of the partners here – and that experience is unmatched.” Rookies also get a thorough introduction to the work thanks to SH’s training, which covers everything from back-to-basics grammar to specialist subject matter knowhow. “It’s comforting to know that we’re not expected to go into a new seat knowing exactly what’s going on,” a trainee told us, “they understand that you’re new to things and will need to be briefed, so I haven’t had to go frantically searching for my law school notes to brush up!” 

Interviewees were similarly happy with SH’s culture, explaining how “it can vary across teams, but it’s a generally happy and friendly firm – everyone gets on really.” Insiders were especially grateful for the “cohesiveness” of the trainee cohort, with many keen to highlight the lack of competition: “It feels very natural. We’ve got a group chat where people are very willing to help you and answer any questions. We also have regular pub nights, Thursday drinks, and some trainees initiated a social committee to band all the cohorts together.” There are also plenty of firmwide socials, including monthly networking sessions. a big summer party and carol concerts in the lead-up to Christmas. This means trainees have plenty of opportunities to mingle with people across the firm and found that, “even if you’re talking to a partner, you probably wouldn’t even realise they were so senior as they’re just so normal. People are very friendly and supportive.” 

The firm also hosts plenty of events centred on DEI, such as talks and lunches. For example, we heard about external speaker and networking events for Black History Month, where a trainee “got to meet people across the firm. It wasn’t just lawyers or trainees there, but support staff and apprentices who also resonate with DEI. Allies can get involved as well.” We also heard that practice groups make an effort to get involved in industry-wide diversity goings on, with the real estate team in particular getting a shoutout for its ‘women in property’ breakfast networking events. Overall, sources were positive about SH’s trajectory on this front, and were looking forward to seeing representation improving as junior ranks progress through the firm. 

“I’ve never been abandoned in the office bundling while everyone else is out on client dinners.” 

As is often the case across the legal profession, hours at SH vary depending on the week and seat. That being said, a trainee appreciated the fact that “long hours aren’t the first thing I’d think about when describing the training contract. Every seat has busy and quiet spells, but the whole team works together. I’ve never been abandoned in the office bundling while everyone else is out on client dinners.” On the whole, we heard that a typical day starts at 9am and finishes between 6.30 and 7.30pm, with rare later nights and weekend working for some. However, sources appreciated the lack of a face time expectation, so “if it’s 5.30pm and you’ve got nothing left to do and no pressing deadlines, then you’re encouraged to go home.” This meant that trainees were, on the whole, very happy with the trainee salary, which stands at £50k for first-years, jumping to £55k in year two and to £100k for NQs. 

Qualification kicks off in seat four, when the firm sends out a list of hiring teams so trainees can apply to their chosen departments with a CV. Qualifiers typically undergo an interview, and some teams ask for a case study as well, especially if there’s competition for a role. Our fourth seater interviewees were still a bit unsure of the timeline, but one “got reassurance from speaking directly with the teams I want to qualify into.” Others also mentioned that “the firm likes to keep its trainees and will make noise about wanting to keep you if there’s space.” In 2024, the firm retained 76% of its qualifying trainees.

How to get a Stephenson Harwood training contract

Applications 

Stephenson Harwood receives around 1,250 applications for its placement scheme and another 500 direct training contract applications. 

Both types of application begin with the same online form, which asks candidates to list their academic credentials and other achievements. According to chief people and talent officer Jeff Marlow, “we’re looking for future trainees who will be enthusiastic, willing to learn and full of potential. We’re keen to hear about what interests you and excites you, where your passions lie and how you can use this in your career as a lawyer.” 

Tests and assessment day 

The first stage is an online application form. Applicants will be asked about their education, any previous work experience and some longer answer questions that will delve into the motivations for applying and the skills they will bring to the role.

If the applicant passes the application form stage, they will be invited to complete the firm’s Future Potential Assessment. The Future Potential Assessment involves some numerical and verbal questions, as well as scenario-based reasoning. It is noted that these are not testing specific legal knowledge as applicants can have any degree background and level of prior legal experience. Instead, applicants are given scenarios that look at respondents' intellect and creativity to typical trainee scenarios.

If successful, the third stage is a virtual interview with a member of the future talent team. There will be a mixture of motivational and skills questions.

The final stage is the assessment centre which consists of a half-day spent at the firm. The day’s agenda consists of a presentation, interview and a commercial awareness exercise – all of which is assessed by a partner and a member of HR.

Marlow tells us: “We're looking for applicants who demonstrate strong analytical skills and sound judgement, good communications skills, a resourceful and determined approach, and an appreciation of the bigger picture.” 

The placement scheme 

Stephenson Harwood runs four placement schemes: a week-long placement in the winter, a two-week scheme in the spring, and two two-week placements over June and July. There's room for twelve candidates on each, and participants are automatically considered for a training contract. Virtual open days are taking place in November and December, with open days in the London office planned for January and March. 

Each placement scheme attendee is allocated a partner or associate supervisor, plus a trainee buddy they can approach for help or with questions. Alongside their assigned responsibilities, placement scheme students attend practice area presentations and strategy talks and take part in the aforementioned assessment day tasks. Attendees are also invited to various social events. 

The firm takes these assessments into account when deciding who gets a training contract offer, as well as feedback from candidates' supervisors and buddies. “We ask about their input into tasks in particular,” Marlow says. “I think enthusiasm goes a long way – we always remember the people who get stuck in and were offering to help out with things. We're impressed by those who ask thoughtful and considered questions.” 

The number of placement scheme students who receive training contract offers “really varies year by year,” Marlow says, adding that the firm doesn't prioritise those who have taken part in a placement over other applicants. “We will make an offer to an outstanding candidate whether he or she has completed a placement or not.