Wedlake Bell LLP - True Picture

Wedlake Bell training contract review 2025

The Firm

Legal practice in the City can feel like a daunting prospect, but it doesn’t always need to mean stern expressions and countless faces. “I wasn't interested in purely corporate commercial stuff – that’s not my thing,” said one interviewee. Enter Wedlake Bell. Although the firm is perhaps best known for its work with high-net-worth individuals and families, trainees were drawn to the wide variety of seats on offer. Training principal Parminder Sidhu describes the “four main practice areas and strengths” of Wedlake Bell as “private client, business services, real estate and dispute resolution.” Indeed, in our sister guide Chambers UK, Wedlake Bell receives top marks for its national art & cultural property law know-how, which sits within the private client sector, as well as its restructuring/insolvency expertise. The firm’s London real estate team also score top marks.

“The application process felt so personable, I was asked about myself rather than my academics.”

A small trainee intake was another common reason for choosing Wedlake Bell: “I didn’t want to be a cog in a machine!” It’s a sentiment the firm is well aware of; deputy training principal Harriet Forster says, “You won’t just be shut away somewhere doing due diligence; we do try to give trainees actual responsibility.” From the initial application onwards, interviewees felt the firm put an effort into building real, personal relationships with their applicants and staff. “The application process felt so personable, I was asked about myself rather than my academics,” said one trainee, “I felt valued for who I was, there was a genuine interest in who I was.”

The Seats

There are no compulsory seats at the firm, howeverone source explained that it’s likely the majority of trainees will undergo a stint in the commercial property department. Trainees give their preferences of three or four seats every round for seat allocation, and HR “will do everything they can to make sure you get your first choice at some point.” Due to the firm’s smaller trainee intake, “it’s the norm that you’re the only trainee in your seat.”

For one trainee, commercial property“was a bit of a baptism by fire! There was so much work going on, you had to get your head around juggling plates.” The seat involves a whole load of drafting of leases and licenses – “if you’re not someone who likes that, it’s probably not a seat for you, nor is a career in commercial property!” Thanks to the larger proportions of the department, trainees were “exposed to lots of different styles” of working and could contribute to a wide variety of projects. To give a flavour of the types of projects worked on here, in one recent matter the department assisted CFC Underwriting in relation to the lease of a new office at 8 Bishopsgate in London. “It’s very visual, real-world work,” one trainee awed.

The private client group is sub-divided into private client (off-shore, on-shore, and disputes). There are also art & luxury, residential property and family seats that take trainees. Here, trainees mostly draft documents like wills, letters of wishes and LPAs and attend client meetings. One source explained the work is “quite functional. I like that; I like my work to be very outcomes based. It’s very practical!” Due to the sensitive nature of the work, “everything is checked quite meticulously” before being sent out to clients, we heard. While this can mean trainees’ work is “under a bit of scrutiny,” there was an understanding that it’s only to be expected when you’re working on high-stake matters for some of the wealthiest people in the world! No pressure!

“It’s all the stuff you hear about in movies!”

Trainees painted a colourful picture of the firm’s insolvency & restructuring seat. “It’s all the stuff you hear about in movies!” they laughed. Of course, real world practice is nothing like Suits, but, according to our sources, this is the closest you’ll probably get. Cases go on for years, so trainees don’t tend to see one through from start to finish and are usually “dropped into the middle of something.” One trainee felt “at first, I was kind of overwhelmed with that,” but found it helpful for developing the skills necessary to work things out alone. “It became quite fun,” they reflected.The work is “quite intense” as the department deals with high-level fraud and crime, and trainees are able to liaise directly with clients and help draft witness statements and affidavits. Of course, a lot of the work here is related to bankruptcies. For example, the firm is currently acting for the trustees of the Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) Pension and Assurance Scheme after the airline entered bankruptcy in the US. Unsurprisingly, the case involves cross-border work with counsel in New York as well as parties in Scandinavia. The team “will get you involved in anything you want to – it’s up to you to say what you’re interested in.” For example, “if you say you want to go to court, they make that happen.”

The IP & commercial department is “not the biggest commercial team out there in terms of size,” which means “as a trainee you get to experience everything out there: tech, healthcare, biotech, automotive – it's quite wide and fun.” The team helps a number of big name brands protect their trademarks. For example, it recently represented Lacoste against M&S’s use of images of crocodiles in a clothing range. Snappy stuff! We heard the team tries to give trainees work in areas in which they express interest. Trainees do a lot of reviewing and amending documents, and sitting in on client meetings to understand what their business needs are.

Trainee Life

When asked to describe the firm’s culture, one trainee said, “It’s work hard, play hard.” There are several social clubs, such as a book club, netball club, gardening club, football club and a running club, which “keeps the firm quite close-knit.” Every year, the firm organises a ski trip in January and a walking trip in summer. These “generally both have a good turnout” and are partly subsidised by the firm. There are regular theatre trips throughout the year, too.

“I think we’ve got quite a good deal…”

When it comes to working hours, some interviewees reported that “most times you’re out of the door by 6.30/7pm.” Of course, hours fluctuate, and we heard reports of a few later evenings during busy times. Ultimately, how trainees felt about theirsalary depended on said hours. While some said, “I think it’s about right,” and “I’m very happy with it,” trainees in seats which required longer working hours, such as private client (disputes) and insolvency & restructuring, felt “it could be improved” to reflect the hours they were working in comparison to the market. Despite their concerns, one trainee reasoned that overall, “I think we’ve got quite a good deal.”

The office is right by Mansion House tube station and less than 10 minutes from St Paul’s Cathedral, so it’s “lovely to take in the view” from the office balcony. The firm also hosts monthly socials out there during the summer with food and table tennis; sometimes, the firm choir even performs! Trainees liked that the office was open plan, making it easier to approach seniors to ask questions. It’s also recommended that trainees are in the office every day. “We talk about and engage in collaborative working at Wedlake Bell,” says training principal Parminder Sidhu. By being in the office trainees are “picking up work from everyone across their team,” Sidhu continues, and, in general, “Everyone is keen to come in and work together.” One trainee said, “When it’s a friendly office, you don’t really mind” being there every day!

“I’ve had an incredible experience with supervision ... they've got your back,” shared one trainee, there’s “emotional support as well, I didn't expect to have that in a City firm.” Trainees have weekly check-ins with their supervisors and appraisals mid-seat and at the end of the seat, and first years are also assigned a trainee buddy in the year above. As for training, we heard most departments host seminarsfor trainees, but frequency varied between departments.

The process for qualification is run centrally, but if two trainees apply for the same role, the department might ask for CVs but will always have an interview. Trainees felt it could have been made clearer earlier which seats would be available; one said, “I was in limbo for quite a while, I had to push to know.”  When it comes to long-term career prospects, “it feels like they want you to stay and continue to be part of the firm.” In 2024, Wedlake Bell retained 6 of 10 qualifiers.

How to get a Wedlake Bell training contract

Vac scheme deadline: 23:59 on 20 January 2025

Training contract deadline (2027): 23:59 on1 May 2025

Open day (training contract): 23:59 on 25 November 2024

Trainee profile

Wedlake Bell offers eight training contracts each year. HR Director Natalie King tells us the firm is after candidates who are “well rounded, happy to be exposed to different areas and open to new opportunities.” She adds: “We're a sociable, friendly and supportive firm with a diverse mix of talent – we look for people who fit in well with that.” Law and non-law graduates are equally encouraged to apply, as are those who've had a previous career, though bear in mind that candidates are expected to have the usual minimum 2:1 degree. The firm also partners with Rare Recruitment.

Application and interviews

Prospective trainees at Wedlake Bell need to be solid across the academic, extracurricular and work experience spheres alike. The online application form, which is the same for both vacation scheme and straight-to-training-contract applicants, contains room for a covering letter. For this, candidates need to concentrate on structure and grammar as well as the content itself.

The firm chooses its vac schemers after a one-stage interview process which also involves a written assessment.

Between 30 and 40 direct training contract applicants are invited to a first-stage interview. This takes place with two members of Wedlake's training committee comprised of partners, solicitors and the HR team. “We have fairly set questions for that interview,” King says, “so that we get a good level of consistency across all candidates.” Some are centred on candidates' university studies and background, while others test commercial awareness.

The second interview also incorporates a set of written tests. “They're not necessarily about the legal profession, but they do test all the obvious skills like organisation, grammar, spelling and common sense,” says King, adding that the content of these change annually.

During each interview stage, candidates will be asked to complete a written test.

The firm is also holding an open day in December 2024 to allow candidates to gain more insight into the firm.

Vacation scheme

Wedlake Bell's vacation scheme typically takes place in July and lasts three weeks. There are eight spots available each year. Those who attend sample a different department each week, where they work alongside trainees on typical tasks as well as more substantive undertakings like research and drafting. The placement also features lunchtime practice area talks given by senior lawyers, plus various client meetings and events. “It’s a three-week interview so don’t take your foot off the gas,” advised trainees. “Speak to as many people as possible.”

Solicitor Apprenticeships

Wedlake Bell began recruiting Solicitor Apprentices in 2023, with the first cohort joining the firm in September 2024. Further information is available on the firm's website.