Taylor Wessing LLP - True Picture

Taylor Wessing training contract review 2025

The Firm

It was the term ‘trailblazers’ that stood out to some sources who were considering applying to Taylor Wessing: “When I attended the open day, I saw what that meant, it’s an innovative firm.” Indeed, there are plenty of firms within the Square Mile that are vying to get ahead of the other when it comes to being innovative. But where many city firms rely on the traditional side of practice, TW has that Cali cool industry focus to back it up. The firm is notably active in the venture capital, tech and life sciences space. So much so, that the firm receives top billing in Chambers UK for venture capital investments. It also picks up top marks in over twenty practice areas, with other nods to the firm’s work in IP, defamation, and media and entertainment, life sciences (regulatory and IP). Unsurprisingly, clients include household names like Pfizer, Redbull, and Siemens. And just when you think you have the firm all figured out, it also happens to have a thriving private client practice too - The team at Chambers High Net Worth  gives a gold stamp to TW’s work in private wealth disputes and law.

“We are all so close, like literally they are my best friends!”

In keeping with the theme of trailblazing, TW sources talent from a range of different backgrounds. In fact, a higher chunk of newbies come from non-law backgrounds than the average we collect from our annual survey. This has acted as a bit of a melting pot for those in the training cohort, and the resulting close-knit culture is what sealed the deal for those thinking of applying. Indeed, it’s not the first time we’ve heard about friendly trainee cohorts, but it is certainly our first-time hearing about trainee cohorts heading out to a pre training contract holiday to France. More on that later… but all in all, there was a resounding sense of camaraderie amongst sources. “We are all so close, like literally they are my best friends,” beamed one insider.

The Seats

At TW, everyone must sit in a corporate (which includes finance) and a contentious seat, but that doesn’t have to be ‘mainstream’ disputes and can be in departments such as employment or IP. Roughly a month or two before the end of a seat, the firm will circulate a survey, where trainees can list seven seats in the order of preference. There are also boxes to fill out where trainees can highlight their “dealbreaker” seat. At the end of the survey, you can explain why you want to sit in specific teams, and “it’s a good way to flesh it out, they are open with you doing that, they want you to be as clear as you can.” We heard that most newbies were happy with seat allocations, but that the process is best for those “who are self-starters and will go out and talk to people in the firm about getting a seat in a specific department.”

The same approach is taken towards international secondments, which are available for those who go out and speak to partners. These opportunities are shorter term and are on a case-by-case basis. Previous trainees have spent three weeks in Brussels and a couple of months in Dubai, and naturally crop up more often on teams which work with an international office. One interviewee told us that, “you just need to propose it to them, saying you want to improve relations between offices, you need to use initiative and be enthusiastic.” The partners and everyone at the firm, “repeatedly tell us it’s our training contract and to craft it to be ours,” said another trainee, so going out and speaking to people is encouraged.

Client secondments are available across numerous different businesses and are ever-changing. A recent example of a secondment offering was at Farfetch, a large online fashion retailer. These secondments can either last for a three-month period, returning to your seat in the office for the remaining three months, or for the full six-month duration.

“The exposure was great, and I got to do a lot of work directly with partners.”

Corporate is a required seat at TW, but trainees have the option to choose between a range of sub teams within this. Corporate tech and life sciences cropped up a few times, given it gets to the very heart of the work the firm is known for – venture capital. The work is split between funds and M&A work and sources got to work on both, so it’s “very fast paced.” Interviewees told us that VC work involves one or two on a funding round, raising capital for start-ups. Trainees got tasked with drafting, board minutes, board resolution, coordination with companies, and some client management. Then on the M&A side, the team recently advised Mitel on its acquisition of Unify. We heard that typical tasks involved due diligence, coordinating overseas counsel, marking up documents like SPA’s and a lot of proof reading. “You have to be very hot on taking notes,” a source emphasised – so did we, having to take all that down! There is clearly a lot to get stuck into in this team, and “you get lots of responsibility on project management. You really learn so much as the work is varied.” This seat best suited those who were happy to step up to the plate as “it’s a bit more hands on and independent.”

The corporate finance  group is a smaller team of around five or six, “so the exposure was great, and I got to do a lot of work directly with partners” said one trainee. Partners in this department have some of their own clients, so sources are responsible for speaking with them and becoming their main contact. On one matter, a newbie even reported being in all the client meetings and being brought into discussions. “It’s reflective of the culture here,” they said, “it wasn’t necessary, but the partner still made extra effort to make sure I was brought in, so I understood the context of the deal and the transaction. There was a huge focus on my learning and development.”

“The partner still made extra effort to make sure I was brought in, so I understood the context of the deal and the transaction. There was a huge focus on my learning and development.”

Patents  is a sought-after seat, and some of the main sectors this department works with are life sciences, technology, and telecoms.Given the firm’s reputation in this area, there is the opportunity to work with recognisable clients. For example, the team acted for Black Sheep Coffee regarding a matter of brand infringement. In contentious patents, one trainee tells us “I attended court like every day for a month which was so exciting. I had so much exposure to the clients and went out for dinner with them and everything.” Another told us that, “It was an amazing experience, I met some of the top KCs and was given responsibilities like managing all of the bundles and exhibits, it doesn’t sound glamorous, but it is incredibly important.” A seat in patents is more admin heavy on the non-contentious side, some tasks may include drafting letters to the other side, competitive intelligence research, and managing documents. If qualifying into a patents team, NQ’s must undertake an Oxford PGDip in Intellectual Property Law and Practice due to its technicality, which is fully covered by the firm. The patents team is split across the firm’s Cambridge and London offices, so trainees mentioned popping to Cambridge for the day or vice versa.

Employment  is another seat on offer which was well loved by our sources. “It was such a good first seat!” one insider tells us, “All the partners there are also training supervisors which works out well.” The matters in employment can be highly contentious, so it can involve a lot of drafting and dealing with court documents. One interviewee even told us, “I got to attend a lot of final court hearings all over the country, which was really cool.” On top of this, there is also the opportunity to gain a lot of tribunal experience. Some high-profile clients TW advises on employment include British Airways Pension Services, who they advised on a wrongful dismissal claim brought by a former employee.

Trainee Life

Hours varied between these seats, though most sources seemed to suggest a 9am- 6.30-7pm finish. Others in corporate and employment typically had longer hours due to the nature of the work. Nevertheless, trainees told us that there is a great level of team morale, and you would never be the only one staying a bit late: “It’s very rare to work past 7.30pm, I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve worked until like 10pm, and if you work late no one expects you in for 9am the next day.” Associates tend to pre warn trainees at the beginning of the week if a transaction might require some extra manpower, so “you don’t have to miss social stuff for work, just give them notice, they hate it if they find out you’ve missed plans, the associates are just like ‘tell me- you could have gone!’” Given this,our insiders felt well compensated for the hours they put in, one commented that “it’s a much better work life balance compared to other firms in the city.” The trainee salary got a recent bump too, up to a cool 50k per year.

“It’s very rare to work past 7.30pm, I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve worked until like 10pm, and if you work late no one expects you in for 9am the next day.”

Currently, trainees are expected to be in as much as possible, but most people work from home either one or two days a week - usually a Monday and/or a Friday. “The office is a great place to be” said one interviewee, “it’s located slap bang in the middle of London, so you can go out after work with everyone or meet friends really easily, so people prefer to go in and see everyone.” And if there’s one thing to motivate you into the office for 9am it would be the “extensive” breakfast offering each morning. Think eggs on demand, ‘fry up Fridays’, and granola and fruit for those who don’t want to indulge. We also can’t forget to mention Treat Tuesday too, the salad bar, and the subsidised lunch that the firm also offers. When it comes to office perks, TW seems to have it all, including monthly massages and a rooftop restaurant/bar, and this is all in the current temporary office, trainees actually anticipate the refurbished office being even better. “The plans look so amazing” dished one interviewee.

If the office perks weren’t enough to draw sources into the office, the chance to catch up with other trainees certainly was. “The other trainees are genuinely the highlight of my TC” beamed a source, “we all invite each other to our birthdays, and go for dinner and stuff. There are such great people in the firm.” Before many of our sources even stepped through the front door of the office, they were already jetting off to Bordeaux with the rest of their training cohort for a bonding holiday. Then throughout the TC itself, the firm puts on plenty of social events like firm wide drinks, Christmas and summer parties, and other holiday events. The Trainee Solicitors Council get a budget to throw events, the most recent one being at The Blues Kitchen.

“I would ask partners for a coffee to ask questions about certain seats etc., they were always super helpful and always said yes.”

Sources gleaned that the active social scene had a positive impact on the firm culture: “It doesn’t have the old school vibe of knowing your place, I would feel just as comfortable speaking to a partner as anyone else.” The temporary office is open plan, but in the usual office, trainees share an office with a partner, “so it is good to hear them on calls and hear how they communicate with clients.” Being proactive goes a long way again, as trainees found that partners are very approachable: “I would ask partners for a coffee to ask questions about certain seats etc., they were always super helpful and always said yes.”

“The training is so extensive; they see us as worth the investment and worth training.”

There is the same attitude when it comes to seeking feedback. There are your more formal mid and end of seat appraisals, but throughout the seat trainees get a weekly catch up with their supervisor to ensure all is going ok. “The feedback is very constructive,” said one interviewee, “My supervisor would usually save me a seat next to them as well, so I can just ask questions whenever I need.” Aside from on-the-job learning, the firm offers an abundance of formal training too. One newbie told us, “We have two weeks where they teach us everything we need to know. They make sure everyone knows how to do their job before they start. Then there are other training sessions throughout our seats, sometimes even externally. The training is so extensive; they see us as worth the investment and worth training.” Trainees are even invited to sessions for NQ’s and associates if they want to deepen their knowledge of certain practice areas and are given access to many online training sessions on the TW intranet.

TW makes strides to not only look after trainees professionally, but emotionally too, as they offer ten free counselling sessions: “Mental health is a massive thing here, which is reflected in the flexible working schedule.” When it comes to diversity throughout the firm, we are told that, like many firms, “there are notable gaps when you look up the ranks. But you can tell they are trying, they are actively acknowledging it and trying to fix it.” For example, the firm has signed up to the 10,000 black interns project and has a range of committees that throw lots of different events. We are told these get good levels of engagement amongst trainees: “everyone attends, we all go.”

All our interviewees were keen to stay on come qualification time - we would too for that Friday fry up! The process is said to be transparent, with the firm announcing early on what departments are looking for NQs. There are presentations, Q&A sessions, and lots of meetings throughout explaining the process. It also kicks off a little earlier than at some other firms, “which means if you don’t get kept on, you have more than sufficient time to look elsewhere, but they do try to keep as many people as possible.” The only caveat mentioned was that the firm does not inform potential qualifiers how many spots are available per department. However, our interviewees understood the reasoning for this: “it’s because they want us to apply for the position, we actually want and not worry about tactics, so I don’t disagree with them doing that.” Indeed, looking up the ranks, there are plenty of “lifers” at the firms, as many partners completed their training contract at TW. The firm did not disclose the number of trainees that qualified this year.

How to get a training contract at Taylor Wessing  

• Vacation scheme deadline (London): 1 December 2024

Apply for a training contract through the firm's vac scheme

Open days  

The firm hosts open days across October and November during Taylor Wessing Taster Week, and one First Year Insight in April each year which runs for two days. The First Year Insight is targeted solely at first years, while the open days are for penultimate year law and non-law finalist students. The firm has also added an open evening to its line up in its Cambridge office.

Application process  

The firm generally receives over 1500+ applications for its 40 vacation scheme places each year, with up to 22 training contract places up for grabs. Applications begin with an online form, and candidates need a minimum AAB at A level and a 2:1 degree. However, each application is looked at in context and the firm does not auto-reject. There are spaces to detail mitigating circumstances, along with the use of Rare's Contextualised Recruitment system. There’s space to list prior work experience, though Alice Hasted tells us the firm "appreciates that not everybody will have been able to take advantage of such opportunities.”  The form contains a few questions designed to gauge a candidate’s motivations and general commercial awareness.  

“We’re looking for the whole package,” says Hasted. “We look at applicants' academic achievements and commercial awareness, but also for evidence that they can think innovatively and work well in a team: I recommend that candidates isolate key differentiators about themselves that clearly exhibit their skills, and then show how they could use these at Taylor Wessing.”  

At present, if you pass the first round of screening you will be invited to complete an online assessment.  

Assessment centres

Applicants who pass the initial screening stages are invited to attend a half-day assessment centres. Each assessment centre consists of a written exercise, as well as a commercial awareness exercise and competency-based interview.  During the group exercise, candidates are given a business scenario they could potentially encounter as a trainee, and then asked to come up with a solution and present it to the assessors. 

“We review both their leadership skills and their team-working abilities,” Hasted tells us. “They need to balance these and show that they can build strong, collaborative relationships.” A candidate’s focus and ability to prioritise is also assessed. The interview takes place with a partner and a member of the talent team. This involves commercial awareness questions, plus a competency-based discussion on the candidate’s application form and prior experiences.  

The firm makes its vac scheme offers straight off the back of the assessment day.  

Vacation scheme  

Taylor Wessing runs one one-week Spring vac scheme in April and two two-week vac schemes over June and July in London. There are between 10-15 spots on each. The deadline for applications is 1 December 2024 and you can apply here.

PODCAST: A 101 guide to getting the most out of a vacation scheme with Taylor Wessing 

Participants spend each week in a different practice area and are assigned a supervisor, usually an associate, as well as a trainee buddy. Both delegate live work. Alongside lunches with their trainee buddies, vac schemers attend several ‘focus on’ sessions that provide insight into various practice areas and the trainee role within them.  

Vac schemers work on a group project throughout their placement and present the results to a panel at the end of the scheme. “The management team usually gives you an article on a high-profile commercial issue or sets a question to kick-start the project a current trainee told us, mentioning that “ours was ‘What country would you invest in and why?’”  On the social front there are drinks events, yoga, comedy nights, bowling excursions and karaoke contests. “Make sure you demonstrate that you have the ability to network well and connect with others,” our sources advised. Indeed, Taylor Wessing's trainees regularly participate in business development initiatives, so recruiters will be keeping an eye out for those with stellar mingling skills.  

Each vac schemer is reviewed at the end of the process, and those who impress are offered a training contract.  

How to wow  

As for trainee backgrounds, you might wonder if the firm's tech/start-up edge attracts individuals with a certain type of degree background, eg. science. But this isn't the case: the firm works hard to ensure there is a good representation from different degree backgrounds. Of the 41 trainees with the firm currently, six had science degrees. Just over half had studied law at undergrad (20) with the remaining 10 studying a mixture of non – law degrees.  

That doesn't mean you should be disengaged from the firm's focus on tech and the 'industries of tomorrow'. Graduate recruitment and development partner Matthew Royle advises "being curious about the world in which we operate and being curious about your chosen path and industries will stand you in good stead."