Bevan Brittan LLP - True Picture

Bevan Brittan training contract review 2026

The Firm

For a long time, Bevan Brittan has been known as one of the go-to firms for those with an interest in public work – think work with the NHS, local authorities and the like. However, "we have been diversifying over the last six to seven years, so now we’re much more balanced with great opportunities for trainees,” training principal David Hobbs tells us. As an example, the firm is shifting closer to a 50-50 split between public and private work, increasing its visibility in the latter.

Though things are balancing pretty quickly, Hobbs explains that it's not that the firm is reducing the amount of public work, “it's that we’re growing the commercial work at a faster rate!” It’s good news for trainees, especially considering that many of those we spoke with were all we keen to highlight how the firm’s commitment to public work was a key draw for them. “The firm offers services to public authorities,” one source pointed out, “so it’s not just about making rich people richer. But the firm does have a good commercial portfolio, too.” Sounds like a win-win all round!

“The firm offers services to public authorities.”

A quick glance at Bevan Brittan’s Chambers UK rankings is certainly enough to get a sense of its strength in the public sector. For instance, the firm boasts a host of top rankings UK-wide in areas like administrative and public law, healthcare in the public and third sector, local government and clinical negligence. Bevan Brittan is also highly rated for real estate and healthcare-focused employment in London, and for social housing in the North East and South West. On top of this, as Hobbs highlights, the firm has “new sector focuses in energy and resource management, along with higher education, so those are particular growth areas over the last few years.”

The Seats

Right from their first seat, newbies get the opportunity to rank up to six seats in order of preference. Though “first-years are unlikely to get their first choice,” we heard trainees who are closest to qualifying get higher priority in the seat allocation process. That said, in the most recent rotation at the time of writing, everyone from the current cohort got one of their top six. Trainees can apply to any seats at the firm regardless of location, and none of them are strictly mandatory.

However, though the process is “quite flexible,” it’s worth noting that “you generally have to do a litigation and transactional stint before your third seat.” We heard that, given the firm’s large real estate portfolio, seats like property are almost a given, while employment and healthcare were also pretty popular. Overall, despite any competition, our interviewees were generally satisfied with their seat allocation experience.

Bevan Brittan gives trainees regular opportunities to go on secondment, and those sat with the healthcare team might spend two or three days a week with one of the firm’s client NHS trusts, although there are also some full-time options in areas like construction. “It’s not something that is forced on you,” according to trainees, so it’s down to individual preferences. Those who are interested “write a short paragraph explaining why you want to go, then you have a call with them to discuss.”

“You basically run some cases under supervision.”

Health and care resolution at Bevan Brittan essentially acts as the firm’s clinical negligence practice, and generally defends the NHS on medical malpractice claims. These might be anything from spinal injuries to LASIK error claims but, as one trainee highlighted, “there are a lot of high value matters. Even though you’re juggling a lot of refreshingly complicated work, they gently increase the complexity during your time in the seat.” At the start of the six months, trainees handle smaller tasks like arranging conferences and reviewing medical records but, by the end of the seat, “you basically run some cases under supervision.”

During their time with the team, trainees might find themselves drafting court documents and instructions to counsel and experts, liaising with claimant solicitors, attending trials and, of course, assisting with case management. Like many of the firm’s practices, the group works with NHS trusts across the country, including the University Hospitals Birmingham, The Royal Free London, and Guy and St Thomas’s. It’s worth noting that health and care work is split in two. There’s also a health and care regulatory seat which is under the same umbrella but works across several teams on things like protection work, inquests, serious medical and mental health, and children’s law.

Trainees can try one of a number of property seats, including commercial property, property regeneration and property litigation. “It’s an interesting one,” a trainee mused, “Every fee earner has a different specialty, which means you get exposure to lots of different work.” High levels of responsibility were reportedly standard across property seats. Trainees in property regeneration can also hone their drafting skills, mostly related to leases and licences for local governments and counsels. “I have hundreds coming my way!” one trainee boasted, and these include documents to discharge loans, restrictions on title and pre-completion reports. “It’s a lot of investigatory work,” one insider informed us, “and your responsibility increases a fair bit as you go through the seat.”

“It’s hands-off, but in a good way.”

Commercial property, in that same way, gives its trainees a lot of responsibility and autonomy, so “it’s hands-off, but in a good way. You get supervision if you need it and the team is beyond lovely, but they let you go your own way.” We heard that trainees are involved in pretty much everything from instruction to post-completion, Stamp Duty Land Tax returns, property enquiries, reports on title and drafting amendments to leases – all work that’s “good to properly get you into property.”

Bevan Brittan is also working on a number of large developments, including the redevelopment of the Museum of London at the Smithfield General Market; here the team is advising the City of London Corporation on various agreements and leases totalling £437 million. There are also longer-term clients such as the Barts Health NHS Foundation Trust as well as plenty of smaller charity and commercial clients. Trainees here are exposed to the classic tasks that come with landlord-tenant matters, as well as plenty of tax, lending and real estate finance work to complete during their stay with the team.

The employment group is “a very national team! You can work with people from Leeds, Birmingham and London all on the same day.” Again, the team’s clients are largely public entities, mainly related to the NHS. However, the team recently defended 52 English and Welsh Fire and Rescue Authorities in claims of discrimination as part of the national public sector pension litigation. Members of the group have also advised National Savings and Investments (part of HM Treasury) on its £1 billion outsourcing of IT services. To summarise, as a newbie exclaimed, “We’re making sure they’re not losing tons of money on claims!” As such, trainee tasks include drafting particulars of claim and direct client contact which is “quite consistent – you speak with clients all the time.”

Trainee Life

Trainees we spoke with were generally positive about the firm’s open-plan offices, featuring standing desks and “pleasantly surprising” interiors. “When I go into the office, I get the sense that it’s very fun!” one newbie smiled: “People are very social because they’re actually happy to see each other and have some human interaction.” This can include things like lunches, informal drinks and the typical Christmas and summer parties. There’s also an annual trainee quiz as well as a monthly pizza day, meaning there’s plenty to get your teeth into – literally!

“People here understand that paralegals, trainees and juniors will make mistakes. It’s a very forgiving culture.”

Of course, “everyone does work hard and is serious when they need to be,” and the open-plan layout helps facilitate in-person collaboration. The general sentiment from interviewees was that the offices are generally quite relaxed and even the more senior fee earners are “fantastically nice.” Aside from not feeling any individual pressure to work late, newbies were also relieved that “people here understand that paralegals, trainees and juniors will make mistakes. It’s a very forgiving culture.”

Insiders also felt that there was a good sense of community on most fronts. “It’s taken time,” one trainee outlined, “but the younger lawyers have a really good group who support each other and go out together.” We heard that this was also true of Bevan Brittan’s commitment to DEI, wellbeing and community engagement. On this, sources highlighted various events hosted to bring people together, including talks related to International Women’s Day and Black History Month. “We also did an Iftar in the Leeds office and have celebrated a Jewish festival, Purim,and Pride!” a trainee recalled. There are also plenty of affinity networks, including ones for LGBTQ+ and East Asian members of the firm, so trainees were sure that “there’s a home for everyone.” The prevailing feeling was that “the firm really values people with other backgrounds and experience, and the skills that diversity can bring.”

While there’s plenty for trainees to get up to when they are in the office, they’re not expected in five days a week. Instead, teams have anchor days and, even though we heard that three days is typically expected, “it’s flexible around your plans and life. It’s just about finding a balance.” There’s full flexibility on hybrid working available post-qualification, and a number of interviewees did suggest that this has meant attendance is on the lower side: “The only slight drawback of being fully hybrid is that it does mean the office is sometimes quite quiet. You don’t miss out on training, but you might miss out on exposure to some of those softer skills.”

To mitigate this, “supervisors make an effort to come in on the same days as you” and, what’s more, “if your supervisor is in a different office, the firm will pay for you to travel there. It works way better in practice than it might sound!” However, supervision was generally something our interviewees had mixed feelings about, noting that approaches can vary between departments. “Some have a supervisor you don’t hear from often,” one trainee admitted; “partners are busy, so they sometimes rely on you to keep on top of communication. You have to figure out some things yourself.” That said, we heard that supervisors do typically schedule weekly catch-ups and tend to hang around the office.

“The work-life balance is fantastic.”

Trainees were generally on the same page when it comes to the hours, which can vary depending on the seat. For one trainee, “the work-life balance is fantastic. There are days you finish at 6pm, and I’ve never been forced to work past 8.” This meant many felt the salary is about right, with trainees adding, “I’d say it’s a fair reflection of the work we do, especially considering the clientele – we often charge lower rates.” It should be noted that some interviewees did feel “we could be paid more as trainees because we have hourly targets and can’t get a bonus,” something which has become increasingly apparent given the firm’s growing commercial practices.

Still, overall, “we haven’t been really disgruntled about it.” Evidently, any salary concerns didn’t seem to have an impact on our interviewees’ intentions on staying, both straight after qualification and in the long term. Fortunately, “the qualification process is pretty clear. You submit an application, do an interview and are then told if you have a place.” All in all, Bevan Brittan kept on 11 out of 12 qualifiers in 2025.

How to get into Bevan Brittan

APPLY HERE 

Vacation scheme deadline (2026): 17th February 2026

Training Contract (2028): 17th March 2026

The application form

Applications for a training contract or vacation scheme at Bevan Brittan are completed online and each year the firm receives around 800+ applications across its four offices. Through the application form the firm hopes to understand more about the applicant’s commitment to and knowledge of Bevan Brittan’s business, including its values, strategy, clients, and the responsible business aspect of the firm.

The firm assesses applications holistically, taking into account individual experiences and circumstances and value diversity of background and experience.  Although ABB at A - Level and a 2:1 degree (or equivalent) are preferred, these criteria are not set in stone.

The recruitment process

If an application is shortlisted, candidates will be invited to complete a pre-recorded video assessment. This is an opportunity for the firm to get to know candidates a little more and to bring the application form to life. The video interview can be completed in candidates’ own time, and they will have the opportunity to first complete practise tests to help them prepare. The firm’s Early Talent team are on hand to assist or support throughout the process.

The vacation scheme

Bevan Brittan offers a two-week vacation scheme in each of its four offices. After an induction in Bristol, candidates will spend time in their chosen office and will be based within one department, gaining a real sense of what it’s like to be a Solicitor at Bevan Brittan. They are assigned a supervisor and a buddy, with whom they work closely on live matters and tasks.

Candidates are assessed and will receive feedback throughout the vacation scheme which will contribute to a final evaluation. The assessment also includes an interview with partners and the Early Talent team as well as a group task.

David Hobbs, Training Principal at Bevan Brittan, offers some tips for the recruitment process: “The most important thing is to be yourself. As cliché as it sounds, we value individuality at Bevan Brittan. We want to understand who you are, your passions and motivations for pursuing a career in law at Bevan Brittan. If you secure a vacation scheme place, really immerse yourself in the experience and take advantage of the opportunities to meet future colleagues and learn more about Bevan Brittan across the two weeks.  Network as much as possible. For many, this might be your first time in an office setting, so take the time to get to know people across the firm not just your immediate team.  Everyone here is approachable, so if you are curious about a specific department, don’t hesitate to ask for a chat”

The scheme is paid and candidates will receive financial support to attend in-person inductions in Bristol.  The scheme offers a valuable insight into the firm and offers a considerable boost to any application.  The firm may not recruit exclusively from the vacation scheme, but participation certainly helps and negates attendance at any further assessment centre.

Regardless of the outcome, all attendees will receive full feedback to support in their career journey moving forwards.

Trainee profile

During both the vacation scheme and the training contract interview process, the firm asks questions around why candidate wants to train with Bevan Brittan and what qualities they bring to the firm. 

Interview with Bevan Brittan training principal, David Hobbs

The Firm

Chambers Student: How would you describe the firm? How would you describe its position in the market?

David Hobbs: Firstly, we’re an ambitious firm. We are top ranked in multiple areas, particularly known for our health and local authority work, but we have been diversifying over the last six to seven years, so now we’re much more balanced with great opportunities for trainees. We try not to think about it too much in terms of public and private work, but what’s been happening is not that we’re reducing the amount of public work, it’s that we’re growing the commercial work at a faster rate! We also have new sector focuses in energy and resource management, along with higher education, so those are particular growth areas over the last few years.

CS: Are there any highlights from the last year you think it would be helpful for our readers to know about?

Hobbs: We have moved into a new Birmingham office! So that’s been quite exciting for the Birmingham team and trainees.

The Training Contract

CS: How would you describe the training environment/culture that you have aimed to create at the firm?

Hobbs: Well, we want a first-class training culture, one where trainees feel they’ve had first-class training, but where we have balanced an understanding that trainees do have lives outside of work. There are some trainees who periodically have to do longer hours, but we try to foster a team ethos where they can call upon each other when needed and become friends as much as colleagues. We are not a firm that chains trainees to desks because I’ve always said that trainees are the leaders of the firm in the future, so that’s the way I treat them and how we, as a firm, treat them.

CS: What’s the current set up with remote working for trainees? Is there a set number of days where trainees are expected to come into the office? 

Hobbs: We don’t mandate any days in the office, but we do rely on our individual teams to agree on what flexible working looks like for that team; I have a team and I strongly encourage them to come in one day a week and we have another day where, if you want to come in, you can. So, we’re not dictating what happens from the top down, but what I do say to trainees and apprentices is that they should come in when their supervisors are in.

Applications & Recruitment

CS: What sort of person thrives at the firm? How can a candidate really impress at interview?

Hobbs: The thing that needs to stand out is enthusiasm - show enthusiasm and interest in us as a firm and a business, that is really important. You can really tell the candidates who have thoroughly researched us. You also need to want to work for an ambitious firm as, more and more we’re not just attracting candidates who are solely interested in healthcare law; we do have a top band healthcare team, but we want to make sure we have well-rounded candidates.

CS: Does the firm have any set recruitment targets around diversity?

Hobbs: We use a system called Rare to assist us with the recruitment process – so we have one eye on that when we are recruiting. We are one of the most diverse by gender firms – it’s more or less a 50/50 split by partners, but for us it’s about ensuring everyone has equal chance regardless of background.

CS: And finally, do you have any advice for those thinking about pursuing a career in law? Either at your firm or more generally?

Hobbs: Be open to opportunities! You don’t have to pigeonhole yourself too early; you might find you didn’t want to go into a particular practice in your third seat, but end up loving the work and qualifying there, so keep your options open! And before your training contract keep trying to get experience – not even necessarily in law, but commercially too.