Womble Bond Dickinson UK LLP - True Picture

With an international presence and seven UK offices each with a distinct regional feel, there’s plenty to Bond you to Womble.

Womble Bond Dickinson training contract review 2026

The Firm

Funnily enough, the law firms with the biggest global spread often limit their UK presence to London. But while there’s plenty to link Wombles of any kind to the capital, Womble Bond Dickinson truly bucks the trend. The firm has seven UK offices, each with its own distinct regional culture, and 24 offices overseas.

Stateside, the firm has recently undergone a merger with Lewis Roca to provide a broader geographical reach. It was this kind of growth that caught the eyes of our interviewees too: “It was clear the office was growing, so I wanted to be a part of something that was still establishing itself. It’s been a super exciting time seeing more people join and being a part of the wider growth.”

“It’s been a super exciting time seeing more people join and being a part of the wider growth.”

In many ways, Womble Bond Dickinson’s got all the bases covered here in the UK, with top Chambers UK-ranked practices in banking & finance, corporate M&A, litigation, professional negligence and real estate in the South, and the likes of construction, employment, information technology, planning, restructuring/insolvency and agriculture & rural affairs in the North East. The firm’s Newcastle office takes on the most trainees, with the rest relatively evenly split between London, Bristol, Leeds and Southampton. There is also a small number based in Edinburgh and Plymouth.

The Seats

We heard that the process for seat allocation varies a little between offices, but as a general rule, all locations operate on a preference submission system. Trainees are informed around a week prior about which seat they will move into, and, as usual, second years get priority. The consensus was that most people get the seats they want, but training principal Simon Hughes offers the caveat that “seat allocation may not always match someone’s first choice; they might get their second or third choice, so we value people who can embrace opportunities. We look for people who know they’ll learn something valuable regardless.”

The firm also offers secondments across all offices, typically in areas like commercial, energy, retail, real estate, banking, and insurance. Each seat rotation there is around five to ten opportunities, and the application consists of a cover letter and a CV.

Over in real estate, trainees reported several different subgroups that fall under the real estate umbrella: planning & infrastructure, residential, and core real estate, which encompasses operational property, developers & investors, energy and natural resources and finance & investment. It’s a practice that spans all eight of the firm’s UK offices and encompasses almost everything you can think of (bar property litigation, which is a separate seat). Part of a trainee’s day to day is work on buildings that are in the process of being built to let.

In one recent example, the firm advised Freshwater on the redevelopment of Tenter House, an eleven-story office building near Moorgate station which fronts onto City Point Plaza. Trainees will frequently be assigned work like managing the signing process at the end of a transaction, due diligence, and drafting overview reports. There are also opportunities to assist with stamp duty returns and to take the first pass on drafting.

A seat in financial services allows trainees to work with large banks, as well as for funds and insurance companies. This seat came in for praise for the amount of responsibility it gave juniors, which included the likes of the first draft of advice for a client or taking the lead on research. Depending on the matter, juniors were also entrusted with different due diligence tasks, such as producing reports, as well as data room work. As you might expect, the departments client list includes large financial institutions.

In one recent case, the firm advised the private equity arm of Lloyds on its investment in credit risk technology group LendingMetrics. Trainees even shared being sent out to present on regulatory matters at big name clients: “I joined in September and by October was out doing big presentations!” The seat was described as slightly quieter as it is mainly advisory, but this came with the trade-off that “the supervisors are very keen and provide a great balance of work and support.”

“I had to be on top of all of these documents…”

The restructuring department covers both contentious and non-contentious matters. Trainees will work across both, so it qualifies as a contentious seat. On the contentious side, there is plenty of opportunity for client exposure, with juniors reporting that they were able to sit in on in-person meetings and be “treated as an associate.” On larger matters, trainees were also able to lead on disclosure and data room elements, as well as bundling for court. Overall, interviewees were happy with the responsibility they were given, especially when it came to drafting: “I was working on the top end of drafting, corresponding with clients and the other side, and replying to letters of action” one told us, “I had to be on top of all of these documents and liaise with counsel.”

A lot of the firm’s client list, we heard, is made up of insolvency practitioners and litigation funders. In one recent example, the firm worked with Evelyn Partners over an application for administration for Blenheim House Construction, a £85 million company. On the non-contentious side of the coin, trainees will jump on distressed companies and provide advice on things such as the directors' duty. Trainees are entrusted to help organise the advice the firm gives the client, as well as appointing administrators if need be.

Corporate was described as a seat of peaks and troughs, with the work often switching between quieter and busier moments: “When it’s hard, you’re working hard,” we were told. The team offers interviewees the chance to jump right into a transaction and hopefully see it through to completion. Trainees can assist with complex research tasks, which were described as “really interesting.”  There is a lot of project management in this seat, with interviewees acting as the liaison between different teams involved in a matter.

As corporate matters can be complex, there are minimal opportunities to draft, and trainees focus more on document management. However, we were told it was good to see how the “documents fit into big deals.” In one recent deal, the firm advised NVM Private Equity on its acquisition of MRO+ Solutions.

Trainee Life

Office facilities vary, with the Leeds and London locations recently undergoing a “swanky” refurbishment. All of them are conveniently located for commuters, with most being just a few minutes' walk from a station (e.g., London Bridge, Bristol Temple Meads). We heard London has a barista during the day posted in the client bar. There are also delis in some of the offices, with Bristol’s Korean Chicken Burger being described as “the best burger I’ve ever had.”

Employees are expected to come into the office three days a week, or a 60:40 split overall. In terms of the hours, most reported leaving at around 7pm. However, “most people encourage you to finish at around 5.30pm, they don’t like you working over your contracted hours.” Of the overall benefits, the general consensus was that trainees are well looked after, with perks including medical insurance, dental plans, the option to buy and sell annual leave, as well as an additional wellbeing day to do something you enjoy.

“…the overarching similarity in people is that they are characterful and personality driven.”

When it came to culture, “the overarching similarity in people is that they are characterful and personality driven. Everyone fits well together and is very friendly and welcoming.” One insider explained, “it’s surprising how well people just click, I have made personal friendships within teams naturally.” There is also plenty of opportunity to socialise across offices, with national team days taking place in one office. There are also trainee meet-ups which happen in one city, with all trainees doing a week-long induction in Newcastle. Therefore, most interviewees reported having already visited every one of WBD’s various locations.

The cross-country travel extends into a recent fundraiser, which saw everyone cycle the distance between WBD’s furthest offices on a spin bike. Apparently, there is “something in the calendar every Thursday,” whether that be a charity event, a team social, or a trip to the pub. In London, there are even monthly pop-up pubs with a different theme each time. When it comes to visibility, “trainees are all on some sort of committee, pushed front and centre to lead office culture.”

Training was described as outstanding, and the induction in Newcastle allowed for trainees in the same seat to meet and then collaborate across offices. There are regular training sessions on issues such as restructuring & insolvency, as well as banking & finance. Each seat also offers a two-week induction training. This support network also includes a supervisor in each seat who is your direct port of call for any questions you may have.

These relationships continue across seats, with one trainee explaining: “I still turn to the supervisor from my first seat for general questions and pastoral advice.” Most reported regular catch ups with both their supervisors and training principals, who were also complimented for their ability to provide feedback informally. “They always provide a lot of feedback for every piece of work we hand in,” we were told, “they also are very mindful of our work-life balance, and I can go to them if I have too much work, and they are super accommodating.”

On the topic of pro bono, trainees told us that “there’s a massive focus on charity work.” This consists of a committee that meets every six weeks, which is furnished with a “big budget for events.” Most recently, the firm held its own ‘Wombledon’ tennis event in both Leeds and Newcastle. The firm also has a relationship with the University of Law for volunteers to attend a legal clinic, and an Early Careers Ambassador Network, which aims to reach those from lower socio-economic backgrounds through identified target schools. In terms of DEI, the firm was recently nominated for an award at the British Diversity Network for their ethnicity network.

“…you feel celebrated for being different in all the best ways.”

The firm also has DEI Committees for sexual orientation and neurodiversity, which meant that for our trainees, “you feel celebrated for being different in all the best ways.” The firm was also applauded for its application process, which doesn’t request information on what university you went to, nor ask for specific work experience, which may be harder to acquire.

Hughes also told us there has been some changes to the application process: "To help reduce unconscious bias and level the playing field for all candidates, we now share interview materials and questions a week in advance. This ensures everyone has equal time to prepare, regardless of background or prior exposure to similar interview formats."

Trainees were happy with their salary, which was above the market rate in each region. However, salaries in London are substantially higher than in areas such as Edinburgh and Bristol. When qualification time rolls around, we were told that the firm lets trainees know what departments have job capacity around four to six weeks in advance: “There was room for all of us, and the interview was very nice and straightforward, just about what we enjoyed in the seat, etc.”

We were also told that NQs also provide invaluable informal mentorship around this time and help “guide us through the process.” Overall, most of our interviewees were keen to stay on post-qualification. In 2025, WBD retained 92% of qualifiers.

Hunting for talent…

Given the firm’s recent office scavenger hunt, we can confirm Womble Bond Dickinson knows how to find the best talent… even if it means hunting them down via hidden clues.

Get Hired

How to get a WBD training contract 

Training contract deadline (2027): 30 January 2025

*Note the firm’s vacation placement weeks form part of the training contract recruitment process.

Stage 1: Application form

The first stage of Womble Bond's process is a short application form. Prospective candidates are asked to share details including undergraduate degree results, any further vocational education, life history, and information as part of the Rare Contextualised Recruitment System, which the firm uses to identify top candidates from the widest pool possible.

Stage 2: Online Assessment 

Shortly after the close of the application window, everyone who has applied and is eligible to complete a training contract will be invited to complete the firm's online assessment.

Stage 3: Assessment day

Candidates who are successful at the high potential assessment stage will be invited to attend an assessment day. This will involve a commercial understanding task and some short interviews, as well as the opportunity to hear from a variety of people at WBD and ask them any questions about the firm. As always, it's important to remember that it’s a two-way process – by the end of the assessment day, prospective candidates will be able to decide whether the firm is right for them – and the firm will have a better understanding of the candidates.

Stage 4: Work placement week & final interview

Womble Bond's placement weeks form part of the recruitment process. The firm's hybrid placement weeks give applicants a great insight into the firm as a business as well as the responsibility and quality of work that is given to trainees. The placement week will also involve a final, strengths-based interview, with two of the WBD team. Again, this is also a chance for candidates to find out more about the business, get a feel for what it would be like to work in the team, and understand if it’s the right place for them.

 

Womble Bond Dickinson UK LLP

Delivering the services our clients need most is what drives us, and our energy and determination to provide the best possible legal advice means that we’re a forward-thinking practice open to innovative ideas and new ways of working.

How do we make this happen? Our lawyers and professionals share ambitions, common values and a flexible working style that combines with strong personal connections to deliver outstanding levels of client service across every office, every day.

Collaborating is second nature to us – and by working together we explore new ways to better serve our clients, whether that’s using technology to drive practice innovations, or investing in our people to make sure we can continue to deliver the high quality, cost-effective, and personal service that our clients rely on us for.

We always put ourselves in our clients’ shoes and ask the right questions so that we can really understand and anticipate their needs. That’s why we look for trainees who take the time to listen and who want to work for a firm where integrity and reliability matter every bit as much as insight and legal expertise.

We focus on twelve key sectors (Public, Government and Third Sector; Technology, Healthcare; Insurance, Manufacturing; Real Estate; Retail and Consumer; Transport, Logistics & Infrastructure; Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences; Technology and Private Wealth).

Our clients include Nissan, HSBC, Grainger, Bellway, Sainsbury’s, New Look, Atom Bank, HS2 and Five Guys.

Responsible business is an integral part of who we are as a firm and we focus on six key areas: environment, community engagement, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), wellbeing, social mobility and governance.

We seek out initiatives that enable us to live up to our commitment to create better places to live, work and do business and our decisions are always shaped by our desire to have a positive impact on our colleagues, clients, and the local communities around us.

Our gold sustainability rating from EcoVadis ranks us in the top three percent of participating companies and is testament to our work ensuring responsible business remains front of mind for everyone at our firm.

Whether it’s our commitment to net zero by 2030; our sustainable procurement policy; or our decision to give all colleagues 14 volunteering hours every year, our actions are focused on the future as we strive to continuously improve for our people, the planet and our clients.

Our work in this area has been recognised by rankings in the Stonewall Top 100 and being names on the Social Mobility List 2024.

And it’s not just within the firm that we take this holistic approach – we’re just as committed to it through our work with clients. You can read more about our environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategy here. 

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Graduate Training Programme 

We offer training contracts across all our UK offices: Bristol, Edinburgh, Leeds, London, Newcastle, Plymouth and Southampton. We also have a small office on Teeside which is key to growing our practice in manufacturing, renewable energy, digital transport, and local government.

Over the course of two years, you’ll rotate through different seats, gaining exposure to several of our key sectors. Seat options vary depending on business need, but we ensure you receive a diverse and well-rounded experience, which may include a client secondment.

In our English offices, trainees qualify via the SQE route, or the traditional LPC route if already completed.

In Edinburgh, our traineeships follow the Law Society of Scotland route to qualification, rather than the SQE. As a trainee in our Scottish office, you’ll gain experience in sectors relevant to the Scottish market, while also contributing to our wider UK and international practice. You’ll be part of a close-knit team with access to high-quality work and client contact from the outset.

We encourage our Scottish trainees to get involved in firm-wide initiatives and cross-office collaboration, helping you build strong networks and a broad understanding of how WBD operates across jurisdictions.

This is your training contract, and it’s up to you to make the most of it—but we’re here to support you every step of the way. Our supervisors are trained to provide ongoing guidance, and you’ll be given opportunities to develop your legal career in a growing, forward-thinking firm.

But don’t just take our word for it! Chambers Student spoke to our trainees and our training Principal, Simon Hughes: you can read the full review of our training contract programme here - Womble Bond Dickinson UK LLP – True Picture – Chambers Student Guide

And remember, while a training contract is undoubtedly a lot of responsibility at an early stage in your career – we think it’s exactly this that makes our training programme so appealing. We may push you to move outside your comfort zone, but we’ll also provide all the support you need to succeed.

Have a question about our training contract route to qualification? Take a look here: WBD’s Training Contract FAQ’s.

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When To Apply 

Applications for our training contract to start in 2028 open in November 2025 and the deadline to apply will be in January 2026.

For more information on our recruitment process please visit https://www.trainingcontract.com/apply/.

Who Should Apply  

To be eligible for our 2028 Training Contract, you must meet one of the criteria below:

If you are applying for one of our offices in England: 

• You are currently studying (in your penultimate or final year) or have completed a law degree in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland

• You are currently studying (in your final year) or have completed a non-law degree in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland

• You are currently studying (in your final year) or have completed a non-law degree in Scotland

• You are in your final year of or have completed an international qualifying law degree  

If you are applying for our Edinburgh office: 

• You are currently studying (in your penultimate or final year) or have completed a law degree in Scotland

• You have completed a non-law degree and you have started (or completed) the accelerated LLB in Scottish Law

• You have completed an international degree and you have started (or completed) the accelerated LLB in Scottish Law

Graduate Training Programme Application Process 

Stage 1: Application Form 

The first stage of our process is a short application form. You’ll be asked to share details of your undergraduate degree and any further vocational education, your life history, and information as part of the Rare Contextualised Recruitment System, which allows us to understand the context in which your experiences have been gained and enables us to identify top candidates from the widest pool possible.

Stage 2: Online Assessment  

Shortly after the close of the application window, everyone who has applied and is eligible to complete a training contract will be invited to complete our online assessment.

Stage 3: Assessment Day 

If you’ve been successful in the online assessment stage, you’ll be invited to attend an assessment day. This will involve a commercial understanding task and some short interviews, as well as giving you the opportunity to hear from a variety of people at WBD and ask them any questions you may have about the firm.

Remember, it’s a two-way process – by the end of the assessment day, you’ll be able to decide whether WBD is right for you – and we’ll have a better understanding of who you are.

Stage 4: Work Placement Week and Final Interview 

Our placement weeks form part of our recruitment process. Our hybrid placement weeks give you a great insight into our business as well as the responsibility and quality of work that is given to our trainees.

The placement week will also involve a final, strengths-based interview with two of the WBD team. Again, this is also a chance for you to find out more about our business, get a feel for what it would be like to work in our team, and understand if it’s the right place for you.

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Early Talent Community 

Looking to take the first step in your legal career? Whether you're a school leaver looking for an apprenticeship or work experience programme or a graduate looking for a training contract, we have several fantastic opportunities just for you.

If you would like to hear about our programmes, sign up to our Early Talent Community by visiting here for updates about new opportunities as they become available.

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Virtual Experience Programme 

Forage is a free, virtual law programme that you can complete in your own time. The programme introduces you to roles in law and some law-based tasks, as well as supporting you with developing a personal statement. This is available to all students and a great addition to your CV.

We hope this programme helps upskill you in law and explore a potential career with us at WBD. For more information and to take part please visit https://www.theforage.com/virtual-internships/prototype/fszzwX6Jb33P4okPs/Law-Programme.

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Diversity Access Schemes 

Our work around social mobility includes our refreshed Early Careers Programme, our work with schools and universities, as well as our Apprenticeship programme. We are passionate and dedicated about inspiring young people to unlock their potential and widening access to the legal profession.

In 2022, we started working with Strive – a social mobility charity who source and develop talent from inter-sectionally diverse, socially mobile and under-represented backgrounds to help them realise their full potential.

We've recently also partnered with Zero Gravity - who work to spot unrecognised talent and spread opportunities across the UK.

We use the Rare Contextual Recruitment System (CRS) for our Early Talent recruitment (graduates and apprenticeships). The system allows us to understand the context in which a candidate’s experiences have been gained and enables us to identify top candidates from the widest talent pool possible.

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Diversity, Equity and Inclusion 

Our approach is to make sure that we have policies which are fit for purpose, and then to concentrate hard on bringing them to life throughout the firm. This filters through at every level – we nurture a spirit of equality, fairness and respect and we challenge non-inclusive behaviour. We want everyone to reach their full potential by being themselves, whilst encouraging each other to achieve their goals with courage, determination and enthusiasm.

We work hard to ensure that difference is visibly valued and welcomed. We want our people to understand there is so much to equity, diversity and inclusion and it's not about a set of paper policies. Everything from our award-winning apprenticeship scheme to our Investors in People accreditation and our focus on health and wellbeing underlines the importance of a visibly proactive and diverse and inclusive culture.

• Retained our Stonewall Gold Award and a place in the top 100 of their Workplace Equality Index for our work around LGBTQ+ inclusion.

• Achieved, for the second year, the Mansfield UK Certification which requires a consideration of 30% diverse candidates for 70% of internal roles, lateral hiring, promotions and participation in pitch meetings.

• Charlotte Hall, our Inclusive Recruitment Lead, won the DE&I Champion of the Year at the 2025 Women & Diversity in Law Awards.

• WBD also won the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Award at the NEPIC Industry Awards 2025.

• Hidden Disability Sunflower training was rolled out across the firm, continuing our commitment to inclusion as a Disability Confident Leader. This allows anyone to indicate that they may need extra support or help, extra time and patience. We have given out 146 Sunflower products, including lanyards, so far.

• In October, WBD held an event with North Somerset Council on empowering inclusion, sharing practical insights on disability, neurodiversity and accessibility in the workplace.

• We have also built on the success of our sensory kits and our Neurodiversity Hub by launching mini sensory kits and quiet rooms across our offices for all events and large meetings (for both colleagues and clients).

• WBD Family & Carers rebranded and expanded to become inclusive of carers – whether that is those with caring responsibilities for children, teenagers or adults, within or outside of their family, with a dedicated careers contact group being established. The steering group also consulted on policy development relating to carers.

• We celebrated Pride Month with a fireside chat on 'Asexuality, intersectionality and allyship' with Yasmin Benoit who spoke about her research on issues that asexual individuals face and the importance of intersectionality. WBD US colleagues and clients joined the event virtually.

• We used other key days such as International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, International Asexuality Day and Bisexual Visibility Day to raise awareness of LGBTQ+ issues and the importance of inclusion.

• In response to the UK riots, we issued urgent guidance to line managers to enable them to support colleagues with the option to work flexibly, and we launched 'Safe Space conversations' to provide a confidential forum for our ethnic minority staff to seek support.

• We marked several religious festivals including the month of Ramadan by hosting an Iftar and issuing new Ramadan guidance for line managers.

• In January we hosted a Flexible Working event – over 250 employees attended and addressed why flexible working continues to be a key issue for our teams and particularly women. The event looked at how fair flexible working policies can help with career progression and retention.

• Another 'Women in…' event was held in February focused on imposter syndrome. This series of events has looked to build connections with women across several clients and perspective clients and has been very well received.

• We circulated Diwali gifts to all our members raising awareness around these celebrations.

• A client event on the theme of 'Reclaiming the Windrush Narrative' was run for Black History Month with renowned anthropologist Dr Audrey Allwood.

• For South Asian Heritage Month, we launched the WBD Heritage Map linking with the theme of 'Free to Be Me' which encourages WBD employees to share their heritage.

• We held an event with our US colleagues for International Women's Day in March and heard from Michelle Banks who has held executive positions across several Fortune 500 companies. She spoke candidly about her career and focused on the importance of sponsorship to support the career paths of female colleagues.

This Firm's Rankings in
UK Guide, 2025

Ranked Departments

    • Professional Negligence (Band 4)
    • Agriculture & Rural Affairs (Band 1)
    • Construction (Band 1)
    • Corporate/M&A (Band 1)
    • Employment (Band 1)
    • Information Technology (Band 1)
    • Litigation (Band 2)
    • Planning (Band 1)
    • Real Estate (Band 1)
    • Restructuring/Insolvency (Band 1)
    • Pensions (Band 2)
    • Real Estate Litigation (Band 2)
    • Social Housing (Band 2)
    • Agriculture & Rural Affairs (Band 2)
    • Banking & Finance (Band 2)
    • Corporate/M&A: £25 million and above (Band 3)
    • Employment (Band 2)
    • Environment (Band 2)
    • Information Technology (Band 2)
    • Litigation (Band 2)
    • Planning (Band 1)
    • Real Estate (Band 2)
    • Real Estate Litigation (Band 2)
    • Environment (Band 3)
    • Tax (Band 4)
    • Banking & Finance (Band 2)
    • Construction (Band 2)
    • Corporate/M&A: £25 million and above (Band 1)
    • Employment (Band 2)
    • Information Technology (Band 2)
    • Litigation (Band 1)
    • Professional Negligence (Band 1)
    • Real Estate (Band 1)
    • Real Estate Litigation (Band 3)
    • Asset Finance: Rail Finance (Band 3)
    • Charities (Band 2)
    • Commercial Contracts (Band 3)
    • Data Protection & Information Law (Band 5)
    • Education: Institutions (Higher & Further Education) (Band 3)
    • Education: Institutions (Schools) (Band 2)
    • Energy & Natural Resources: Power, Renewables & Alternative Energy (Band 5)
    • Health & Safety (Band 2)
    • Local Government (Band 4)
    • Public Procurement (Band 4)
    • Restructuring/Insolvency: Personal Insolvency (Band 3)
    • Retail (Band 3)
    • Transport: Rail: Franchising (Band 2)
    • Transport: Rail: Rolling Stock (Band 2)
    • Banking & Finance (Band 3)
    • Construction (Band 4)
    • Corporate/M&A: £5 million and above (Band 3)
    • Intellectual Property (Band 2)
    • Planning (Band 2)
    • Real Estate (Band 4)
    • Restructuring/Insolvency (Band 2)

More from Womble Bond Dickinson:

Visit the firm's graduate recruitment page.

Womble Bond Dickinson's solicitor apprenticeships:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bw-QRfVrrgs

Apprenticeships: unlocking opportunities

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaCqPSJvvOw

 

SOCIAL MEDIA

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