Squire Patton Boggs - True Picture

Squire Patton Boggs training contract review 2025

The Firm

Whoever coined the phrase ‘jack of all trades, master of none’ clearly wasn’t acquainted with this Squire. It’s a firm that’s got strongholds established across not just the English counties, but internationally, too. Squire Patton Boggs’ London, Leeds, Birmingham and Manchester offices are just four out of its 45-strong kingdom; offices further afield in the US, Europe, Asia Pacific and the Middle East join the ranks to form the firm’s mighty global presence. It was this very promise of “local connections and global influence” that drew in many a trainee.

A quick glance at the firm’s Chambers UK rankings will also swiftly confirm the firm’s mastery of its practices. In particular, the firm is commended for its lower mid-market banking & finance, employment, pensions and real estate prowess in the capital. Across the regions, SPB’s commodities, business immigration, media & entertainment and retail know-how also receive shiny medals.

“We’re a full-service global law firm, operating in the mid-market space with our corporate and litigation practices,” training principal Steven Ward underlines. But this Squire’s certainly not content resting on its laurels. “The firm has been growing strategically in Europe, in its corporate and private equity practices in particular, with new offices in Dublin and Amsterdam,” says Ward.

“…strong on the culture point, partners are approachable…”

That said, don’t let the size of the firm intimidate you; the firm boasts a cosier feel than you’d initially think. Insiders attested, “I did the vacation scheme with the firm and, strong on the culture point, partners are approachable and everyone is so friendly – I just fell in love with it!” Others praised the application process: “It ran so smoothly; I didn’t feel like I was being asked questions to be caught out. I really felt at home throughout the process.”

The Seats

SPB offers a six-seat training contract, with four months per rotation, meaning trainees aren’t bogged down and have the chance to explore various avenues. Before joining the firm, incoming trainees are able to submit three department preferences for their first seat. Thereafter, they’re asked to put forward three preferences during their mid-seat reviews. As is the case at many firms, those closer to qualification – second years in this case – are given priority on seat allocation. That said, if you do happen to miss out on your top choices, insiders reassured us that “HR will keep that in mind for your next rotation!”

There’s also the opportunity to go on secondment – both in far flung destinations and those just a stone’s throw away. Destinations abroad include Australia, Dubai, Brussels and Dublin, while opportunities on home territory involve big names in entertainment, the media industry, energy providers, football clubs, supermarkets and banks.

“We have a very big corporate department. It’s kind of like the engine room of the business,” one trainee proclaimed. Indeed, the department covers many of the firm’s biggest practices, including M&A, reorganisations, private equity and capital markets to name a few. The majority of the work here is mid-market, meaning deals can go into the tens and hundreds of millions, working with a diverse smattering of clients like Molson Coors Beverage Company, Cera Care and Live Nation Entertainment. With a network of 42 offices globally, it’ll come as no surprise that a number of cases involve collaborating with international colleagues; for example, the firm’s recent representation of The Brandtech Group in its acquisition of marketing company Jellyfish saw SPB lawyers from the UK, US, France, Brazil and Germany put their heads together. With large cases requiring significant coordination, project management shapes much of the trainee experience here. “Signings are time-pressed situations!” an insider reflected. In such instances, “DocuSign is where you’re able to add a lot of value as a trainee.”  Newbies can also expect a good amount of client contact, with some reporting attending business development and networking events during their time in the seat. On top of that, sources outlined drafting plenty of ancillary documents, like board minutes and resolutions, as well as having a stab at drafting parts of share purchase agreements (SPAs). With such variety, interviewees gushed, “This is the seat where I’ve seen my work develop the most. The responsibility change from beginning to end is big!”

Banking & finance is a “national team with a cross-practice approach,” with the caveat that the London team tends to work independently on the lender side of transactions. In general, the group works on various corporate banking matters, including acquisition financing and real estate investments. On the lender side, the team represents the likes of HSBC, Lloyds Bank and Wells Fargo, while over on the borrower side, the firm recently represented New Look in relation to its refinancing worth around £115 million. Rookies pull their weight on such cases by taking the reins on project management, conducting doc review and assisting with Companies House filings. There’s also plenty of drafting experience to be gained, starting with ancillary documents before building up to larger transactional documents like venture loan agreements. An insider reflected, “The team is really good with giving you client contact, progressing your responsibilities and getting trainees properly involved.”

“…you just have to think differently.”

Moving onto the contentious side of things, the firm’s litigation practice encompasses complex commercial and contractual disputes; corporate and shareholder disputes; white collar and government investigations; international arbitration and conspiracy claims (and much more!). In one recent example, the firm is representing the co-founder of crypto trading platform Nexo in a dispute surrounding their stake in the business – valued at an eye-watering $1 billion. “It’s very strategic and technical – you just have to think differently,” an insider divulged. “If you’re helping write a letter to make a claim against X for Y reason, you have to think about what could strengthen the claim.” With tight court deadlines to work towards, it’ll come as no surprise that project management is a core responsibility for trainees here. Common tasks recalled by sources include bundling, doc review, a lot of legal research, drafting letters, assisting with instructing counsel and speaking to barristers. One interviewee did note, however, that drafting opportunities tended to be less frequent than in other seats “as you have to be careful as the other side is always looking for ways to pull you up on something.”

The employment practice encompasses tribunal, litigation and corporate support work. Here, the firm also works with a number of household names, like Nokia, Boeing, Tesco and Skyscanner. Sources spoke of partaking in a lot of tribunal work involving “acting for employers over various claims, such as discrimination, breach of contract and unlawful deduction from wages. You’re involved in preparing the bundles, and you get to see a lot of hearings and how a claim is presented in front of the judge.” In fact, the firm “wants you to go to as many as possible!” When they’re not attending court, this lot are kept busy reporting to clients, carrying out legal research, drafting defences and assisting with due diligence processes like reviewing employee handbooks, contracts and service agreements.

Trainee Life

All newbies gather in Manchester for an induction session during their first two weeks at the firm. “We all get to know each other and form friendships nationally,” one trainee enthused. “I’d attribute that primarily to those induction weeks.” Alongside a partner supervisor, each trainee is also paired up with a senior associate supervisor for day-to-day work queries. “Everyone’s very approachable,” sources agreed. “People make themselves available to you and there are no stupid questions!” On top of that, at the commencement of each seat, trainees attend an induction session run by a professional support lawyer who lays out the foundation for the months ahead. Beyond this, trainees are able to attend team-specific training sessions.

“You can go from chatting about politics, to the Olympics, to Love Island!”

Everyone is required to spend 50% of the week in the office, which means trainees are in roughly three days a week. To facilitate the crossing of paths and the familiarising of faces, the firm has instated ‘all-in Thursdays’ which is exactly what it says on the tin. And trainees had no qualms about the in-office expectation: “I love coming into the office and chatting with my colleagues – they make your experience at the firm! You can go from chatting about politics, to the Olympics, to Love Island!”

On to the topic of compensation, trainees were content that their respective salaries aligned with the markets they were working in. We did, however, hear a few grumbles surrounding NQ compensation, which makes the jump to £95k in London while those in Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester receive £65k. As for the hours trainees put in, we heard varying responses based on the seat and the time of year. Sources indicated a rough estimate of 9am starts and 6pm finishes. As per the nature of transactional work, the hours here can be longer with the occasional midnight log-off. One insider said, “With the busier periods, depending on the urgency, there can be some flexibility in how you go about it. For example, you can log off to head home, have dinner and take a short break before continuing from home in the evening.” That said, sources were clear that there’s no ‘face-time’ culture. “Partners sometimes check in to see what you’re working on and if you actually need to be there late. If there isn’t any urgency, I’ve been told to pack up and they’ve walked out the office with me!” an interviewee laughed.

“We’re always celebrating something, hosting charitable events or having a get together,” an insider said of the firm’s social calendar. Each office has their own social and charity committees which host a number of events. The firm takes their charity fundraising rather seriously too, with the Three Peaks Challenge; netball, tennis and rounders tournaments; talent auctions; and a Taskmaster challenge in Leeds (“We’re not afraid to ask more senior associates and partners to join in!”). Outside of office and team socials, trainee and apprentices share a social budget which has historically been spent on bingo and happy hours.

As for diversity, equity & inclusion, interviewees felt the firm “is making strides in the right direction,” with a focus on widening the net at both the junior and senior ends. The firm has various resource groups in place for gender, social mobility, age, disability and neurodiversity, and in the last year or so, black and Asian resource groups have been introduced. “There’s been a push for diversification,” insiders praised. “Internally, there’s loads going on.” Externally, trainees are able to get involved with their local communities through outreach to local schools. Through an initiative called ‘Drive Forward’, the firm’s London office has been assisting young people with job applications through mock interviews. A source reflected, “Coming into a law firm, I wasn’t expecting that buy-in with charity fundraising, social mobility and diversity initiatives. You come in as equals here.”

Spring-time sees the qualification process kick off at the firm. It begins with an email from the emerging talent team outlining the steps, followed by an information session and a chat with HR. Overall, interviewees were content with the process: “They try to give you as much information as possible to retain you.” Hopeful NQs are required to submit their CV and appraisals before being invited to interview. In 2024, the firm retained 22 of 26 qualifiers.

How to get a Squire Patton Boggs training contract 

• Training Contract Application deadline: 13 January 2025 (opens 16 September 2024) 

Open Day events 

Squire Patton Boggs run webinars and events to provide prospective applicants with hints and tips to aid their knowledge regarding the application process, with a focus on strategy, the programs on offer and life at the firm. They also host an open day in each of their 4 UK offices in November each year.

Training principal Steven Ward offers a top tip: “Chat to the trainees, they’re brilliant ambassadors and they’ll give you a real insight into what it’s like to work here with the associates and partners, and what kind of work they’re getting – are they being pushed and stretched; are they happy?”

Applications and assessment 

The firm only recruits trainees through its one-week summer placement scheme, which is hosted at each of the firm’s UK offices.  

You will need a minimum 2:1 degree in any subject to be considered by the firm. Those who have not graduated yet should be on track to attain a 2:1. The firm uses Rare Recruitment's contextualised recruitment system, which allows it to match candidates' academic achievements against their social backgrounds to assess real potential, as well as considering extenuating circumstances.

The contextualised recruitment system allows it to consider applications from those who may not meet the requirements but have extenuating circumstances. Applications start with a short online form. Those who impress on the form are then invited to complete an online assessment. A select number of candidates will then be invited to attend a half-day assessment centre at one of its offices, which involves an interview, group exercise and a presentation. Placement scheme offers are made from here. 

The placement scheme

During the placement scheme, students spend time in a department and attend regular presentations. They are also invited to social events, such as dinners, bowling excursions and quiz nights. As with placement schemes anywhere, do not forget that you will be on show at all times. There is no need to worry about this, just simply show yourself off at your best whenever you can. All placement schemers are considered for a training contract and have a final interview and presentation on their final day of the scheme. 

So, who is Squire Patton Bogg’s searching for?

Ward tells us the firm is looking for those “who are interested in commercial law, whether it be litigation or corporate. It sounds trite to say, but someone who is collaborative. We don’t have a sharp elbows culture – we really don’t have that. We want someone who is willing to get involved not only in the work but the firm’s broader community, too. We have lots of committees: charity committees, social mobility committees and DE&I committees.”