Maples Teesdale LLP - True Picture

Maples Teesdale training contract review 2025 

The Firm  

If you know what you want out of life, then it follows that you should go out and seek it. Of course, finding that missing puzzle piece is often the hardest part. The handy thing about Maples Teesdale however is that – such is their reputation in the world of real estate – the trainees we spoke to were all united by their interest in the area. Simply put, if you’ve got a passion for property, it’s a firm where you’ll find your calling. As commercial real estate partner Charles Elgood puts it: “We’re a law firm that specialises in commercial property, which gives us a unique position in the market because we’re not looking to be full-service.” This singular focus is an approach that has paid off too, with the firm bagging top recognition for its London real estate offering in Chambers UK.  

“That’s the beauty of the firm! You can do a bit of everything before deciding on a practice…” 

Maples Teesdale handles pretty much anything likely to fall under the real estate umbrella, which meant that there was still plenty of choice for trainees just starting out on their training contract. As one trainee recalled: “I knew I wanted to do something in the realm of real estate but wasn’t sure exactly what. That’s the beauty of the firm! You can do a bit of everything before deciding on a practice, without having to do seats in banking, for example.” This is something that training principal and head of planning John Bosworth echoes: “Real estate is all-embracing, so people come out of the process with very good training on how to be a real estate lawyer. Every seat has a real estate angle to it; I can’t imagine that every seat you do will have the same relevance to the outcome at a multiservice firm.” Maples keeps things small with its double-digit headcount, but it was something that was part of the draw for the current crop: “The firm’s size meant I wouldn’t be another trainee who’s seen as just a number,” one told us; “I knew that everything I did would be valued, and I’d get the time and attention of someone more senior for feedback.”  

The Seats 

While newbies don’t get to pick their first seat, the general consensus was that it was unlikely trainees would end up in seats they didn’t want to do. We heard that most trainees will also do a client secondment, where even those with less of an explicit real estate focus will provide an insight into various aspects of commercial law. Opportunities are typically doled out informally, but we heard the firm takes trainees’ interests into account: “It was so great for my professional development,” one trainee told us, “I got to put what I was learning at Maples into practice, and brought back new things I picked up there. I was essentially learning from two pools of colleagues!” 

As Elgood puts it: “Property is a people industry. You need to be someone that can engage with people and hold your own.” As such, a number of Maples trainees have some sort of paralegal experience, though we heard it’s by no means a prerequisite. The benefits of this kind of background, Elgood tells us, are that those who have dipped their toe in the water “are better able to show an enthusiasm for property.” After all, Bosworth adds, “we’re looking for somebody who likes real estate. That enthusiasm for the work really does get noticed.”  

“Even if you’re working on two leases in a day, the contents will be so different.” 

All trainees will do a stint with the commercial property team, which, as you can imagine, comes with plenty of variety: “Even if you’re working on two leases in a day, the contents will be so different.” Here, we heard there’s plenty of asset management work, lease renewals, portfolio sales and commercial purchases. Many of the group’s clients (such as Workspace and Legal & General) are based in the City, but there are some from further afield, including abrdn and Columbia Threadneedle Investments. The firm has also been involved in the City of London Corporation’s regeneration programme, advising it on the £1 billion relocation of three markets to a new site in Dagenham Dock. Trainees can get plenty of hands-on experience, but interviewees assured that “they’ll only give you as much as you can handle, so you’re not automatically thrown in at the deep end.” Typical tasks for newbies include applications to the Land Registry and for Stamp Duty Land Tax – “every trainee has dabbled in that” – but there are also plenty of opportunities to get stuck into some drafting. Trainees can try their hand at drafting documents such as leases, lease surrenders, licences to alter and licences to assign. We heard that some trainees are even “involved in running leases – I’m left to get on with it by myself, but I can always turn to the partner next to me if I need help.” 

Property litigation is another of the compulsory seats at Maples and, perhaps unsurprisingly, covers the contentious side of the real estate coin. Trainees will often get the chance to attend hearings during the seat, and at a range of courts. One such example took Maples’ lawyers to the High Court on behalf of Cineworld in a £2.1 million COVID-19 rent arrears claim concerning one of its North London branches. Insiders explained that “you can get involved in so many different matters” while working with the team, which provides an opportunity to “develop your knowledge and understanding of the real estate sector.” Typical tasks for newbies here include reviewing and sending out court documents – “that tends to be the bread and butter of what trainees do in property litigation” – but there are also plenty of opportunities to draft all sorts of notices, letters and witness statements: “That means running meetings with clients to find out what they need,” said one trainee, “it feels very independent, and you’re given a lot of trust.” 

Maples’s construction team is on the smaller side, but still keeps busy and regularly takes on trainees. The department does a mixture of contentious and non-contentious work, and much of it is related to building and development contracts. For instance, the team recently advised Interglobe Hotels on its £50 million redevelopment of Hotel George in Kensington – sounds pretty swanky if you ask us! Although trainee tasks might not usually be so glamorous, they’re by no means less important, and newbies play a key role in keeping matters flowing: “The projects can be very big, so there are various appointments and building contracts to deal with. It’s easy to lose track of what stage we’re at for each aspect of the matter, so it’s my role to track and manage it all and circulate that to clients when needed.” As such, newbies get familiar with document management very quickly, but also get the chance to do some bundling and case law research on the disputes side, as well as drafting warranties, contracts and agreements. 

“You can really feel the energy at that point so it’s the busiest but most thrilling part for me.” 

Maples’s real estate finance department works on both the lender and borrower sides of transactions. The general consensus was that it introduces trainees to “a 360° view of a deal. If we’re acting on the lender side of a deal, for example, I can understand what the borrower side will be fighting for, as I’ve done it myself on another matter.” The group has plenty of property and financial clients to its name, such as Lloyds Banking Group, Investec and Martin’s Properties.One trainee was especially interested in the department’s “work with some of our boroughs. You don’t often get involved in the money side of things when working in property, so it’s been interesting to see how it works, and how the security documents are put in place.” Newbies take on the standard finance trainee tasks here, such as making conditions precedent checklists and drafting ancillary documents like board minutes and resolutions. “It’s very procedural in that sense,” an insider explained, while another conversely found the joy in “the rush of a completion. You can really feel the energy at that point so it’s the busiest but most thrilling part for me.” 

Trainee Life 

Sources were clear that “you won’t be doing silly hours,” but what exactly did that mean in terms of numbers? Well, our interviewees reported that a standard working day starts between 9am and 9:30am, and finishes between 5:30pm and 6pm. “It’s about as close as you’re going to get to working your contracted hours in the legal sector!” a source quipped, while others emphasised that “longer days are rare.” For this reason, most were pretty satisfied with the salary, explaining: “What we get is completely reasonable given our hours, especially as a small boutique firm.” Some noted that NQ pay is on the lower end, but still felt that the overall balance meant that it was “worth it.” We heard trainees are encouraged to be in the office at least four times a week. 

“I feel really comfortable walking into a partner’s office to talk to them about a holiday or just to chat.” 

Those who do make it into the office are welcome to rock up to any number of the firm’s formal and informal social events, such as after work drinks: “If it’s local, we’re up for it!” Trainees felt that this laidback approach was reflective of the firm’s culture, where “you work hard but there are opportunities to play. I wouldn’t call it corporate.” Newbies often strike up friendships with their peers but can also get along with the partners: “I feel really comfortable walking into a partner’s office to talk to them about a holiday or just to chat,” said one, while another noted how “I don’t feel much of that typical law firm hierarchy. No matter if you’re an equity partner, paralegal or support staff, everyone’s included and talks to each other.” Interestingly, sources felt that the work itself had an effect on the culture, as “everybody deals exclusively with some form of property, so we don’t have remote departments that barely cross paths. Everything’s really integrated.” 

As such, advice is easy to come by at Maples: “Everyone is so willing to help you! They’re open and ready to help you develop your career.” The formal supervision structures in place have trainees sitting with their supervising partners, so feedback and answers can be found by just turning in your chair. “It’s been a benefit to ask random questions without feeling like you’re burdening them,” said one trainee, while others were also quick to praise the support from supervisors and informal mentors alike. Training fills in the gaps, with regular sessions from the firm’s professional support lawyer on various areas of property law: “We had one session on leases where we went through clauses,” an insider explained, “seniors attended and added input, so I know how to go about negotiating the clause in future transactions.” 

Ultimately, being at a smaller firm means that many aspects of trainee life can be personalised, and insiders felt this with regard to diversity: “The size makes policies feel more personal, but it’s probably been a bit harder as the firm has to think about how to make them engaging for fewer people.” In terms of progress, sources agreed that you’ll find much more diversity in the junior ranks, with fewer at the partner level. That’s often the case when it comes to diversity in the legal industry, and initiatives often take time to see results. However, one source noted that while “they’re hiring with diversity in mind, those people don’t seem to be going through the promotions.” Despite this, interviewees appreciated the individual-led approach as “you have the autonomy to say you’d like to do something within the firm, and it tends to happen.” For instance, Maples has been piloting its own reverse mentoring scheme which “went quite well, so the firm wants to keep it going.” 

When qualification time rolls around, trainees will typically have a good sense of where they’re at thanks to end of seat appraisals. Doors are open for conversations well ahead of qualification, where “you raise your interest to partner supervisors, and those open conversations mean nobody’s left wondering or questioning.” So, unless multiple people have applied to the same job, qualifiers don’t have to interview for NQ roles, and jobs are given based on their interests, work capacity and department availability. That’s it! In 2024, Maples kept on two out of two qualifiers.

How to get a Maples Teesdale training contract 

APPLY HERE   

Training contract deadline: 15 August 2025 

Initial application   

Maples Teesdale uses an online application form which can be accessed on the trainee section of the firm's website. Training principal John Bosworth tells us that the form asks “probing questions, including 'why us?' We want to know if and why candidates want to go to a specialist real estate firm with a comparatively small headcount. It's different from working at the very large full-service firms.”   

Maples usually receives about 120 applications for its three training contracts, and approximately 10% of those applicants are invited to interview.   

Interview   

There's one interview, conducted by a panel of two partners, which typically lasts about an hour. “That's usually enough for us to a get a sense of somebody and why they feel they should be joining us, as a niche real estate firm. We can ascertain whether they've really researched us.”   

Interviewers look out for evidence of “a clear interest in the area the firm works in, like study modules taken in real estate, but we're not necessarily going to grill somebody on legal matters if they're still only at university.” The interview includes a brief property-focused case study that candidates are asked to discuss at the interview. Bosworth says: “There are no absolute right or wrong answers but it helps give us a feel for the candidates’ basic understanding of, and enthusiasm for, the subject.”   

Whilst there are certain academic criteria, each application is reviewed by a partner. Candidates are also asked in advance if they have any special requirements that would help them perform to the best of their abilities in the interview itself.  

Trainee profile   

What else are they after? Bosworth tells us that “it's nice to see paralegalling experience in a real estate department. Then we can see that someone has exposure to it and likes it. It can help an application along if a candidate can genuinely point to an interesting deal they've come across, for instance, and what problems they might have faced. It shows that they already understand something about the subject.” However, Bosworth emphasises that this isn't a prerequisite.   

The interview is also a chance for “us to learn about candidates, and we tend to ask questions about what challenges they've faced and what they like to do outside of work. We like to see how they engage in a social context.”   

A final word of advice? “We are genuinely looking for people who are excited by the commercial real estate industry, not just someone who wants a job. We see trainees as our future, and so we need to invest in the right candidates who have a passion for real estate, like we do.”