Graduate Recruitment - Your Future 2020

If you're thinking about applying for a training contract with us, here's all the information you'll need.

Welcome

We’re more than just a law firm – we’re a group of people working together to help individuals and businesses navigate life’s ups and downs.

We understand that everyone’s situation is different. That’s why we take the time to understand our clients and what matters most to them. We’re legal and financial advisors with a difference – it’s what we call ‘the expert hand with the human touch’.

Our strategic pillars guide us in everything we do: colleagues, clients and communities. Each day we strive to make a positive impact to each through living our values and DNA.

Our trainee solicitors are integral to our future. We’ll guide you through your training contract with hands-on training, guidance and mentoring. Trust and responsibility will be instilled in you from day one, and you’ll work on real cases with our clients to develop lifelong skills for Your Future.

If you’re as passionate as we are about law, client care and developing your career, we'd love to hear from you.

Emma Rush

Training Principal, Partner

Your Training Contract

Becoming a trainee solicitor

Joining Us

We're passionate about finding the right people to join us.

Last year, we retained 90% of our trainees on qualification and we're opening our doors to another 51 trainee solicitors in February 2021 – we're committed to your future.

Every year, we welcome applications from all backgrounds and subjects. Our current trainees come from over 30 different universities, and many of them are from a non-law background.

Applications for our 2023 training contracts are now open. Start your journey towards becoming a trainee solicitor. Apply now.

Training Contracts

Our training contracts demonstrate that being a lawyer with us is more than just law – it's about offering exceptional care to individuals and businesses, no matter what their situation.

We're looking for people who put clients first, are enthusiastic about their role and committed to their team, and who show initiative to go one step further to succeed. In return, you'll be given real responsibility that will allow you to learn on the job and develop lifelong skills. You'll gain practical experience in a supportive and friendly environment by working on important cases for clients.

We offer training contacts in 11 offices throughout the UK, across both our business and personal legal services divisions. Through our seat rotations, you'll choose three six-month seats and one qualification seat – allowing you to experience three or four distinct areas of law that interest you.

As a trainee solicitor, no two days are ever the same. One day you can be drafting witness statements, while the next you can be attending court hearings and instructing barristers and experts on case-critical information. There are also opportunities to get involved in business development projects, networking events, and our community programmes.

Your training contract journey begins the moment you accept your offer. You'll receive a welcome pack inviting you to future trainee events where you'll also meet your buddy. Whether you're still studying, working elsewhere, or undertaking a paralegal job with us, you'll immediately feel part of our team.

Throughout my training contract, I've been provided with endless opportunities to develop the skills I'll need to be successful in my career. I've been welcomed into a number of extremely supportive teams, with approachable supervisors who have a genuine interest in my personal development, and a real passion for achieving the best outcome for clients.

Conor Keane
Trainee Solicitor

Legal Work Placement

As part of our recruitment process, we offer a Legal Work Placement (LWP), where prospective trainees opt to join us for a two-week period. It's a great way for you get to know us as a potential employer, and get yourself noticed for a training contract.

LWP opportunities are available each summer across 11 offices. For our 2023 training contracts, our LWPs will run from 21 June - 2 July and 5 - 16 July 2021.

Over the course of two weeks, you'll spend time working across various legal teams, and gain first-hand experience of our culture, the work we do for our clients, and the opportunities we have to offer you. You'll also be welcomed with an induction and attend various social activities and meetings. There'll be an opportunity to get involved in community work, networking and diversity groups, and sports activities.

Most of our training contacts are awarded to those who apply via the LWP route, as this allows you to demonstrate your skills, ability and passions, and show that you share our brand values. Although you can apply directly for a training contact, our LWP has become an important part of our recruitment process.

A large portion of our current and future trainee solicitors have undertaken a work placement with us. We encourage all those interested in joining us to apply via this route. Typically, candidates who complete a LWP are often keen to tell us that their placement exceeded expectations.

The LWP gives a fantastic insight into the different tasks for trainees, levels of expectation and also the social side. It's a great opportunity to showcase your skills and see whether the firm is the right fit for you.

Dan Campbell
Trainee Solicitor

Would you opt to undertake a LWP?

Yes, I think I'd benefit from the experience
No, if I was going to apply I wouldn't choose to attend a LWP.

Training and Support

If you're successful in receiving a training contract with us, we'll allocate you a current trainee as a buddy. They'll help you with any queries before joining, and to feel part of the team.

All trainees attend a two-week induction before starting their first seat. It’s a great opportunity to learn more about us and your fellow trainees.

Alongside on-the-job learning, you’ll also complete the Professional Skills Course and develop the necessary skills to become a top solicitor of the future.

You’ll be supervised in each seat by a partner or senior associate. They'll provide feedback on your work and help you develop against the Practice Skills Standards set by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).

Throughout your training contract, you’ll have access to all of our internal development resources. Our dedicated Early Careers team will also support you from day one, ensuring your experience is positive from start to finish.

There's a very good balance between the level of responsibility you're given and the support made available to you. Everyone is committed to helping me reach my potential.

Bethany Parr
Trainee Solicitor

Seats

As a national firm, we operate out of 15 offices across the UK. You can choose to base yourself at any one of these 11 locations as shown. See the list of training seats available at each office.

City	Personal Legal Service	Business Legal Services
Birmingham	Court of Protection Family Law International Serious Injury Medical Negligence Public Law Serious Injury Will, Trust & Estate Disputes Workplace Injury/Illness	Corporate Employment Litigation Planning Real Estate Real Estate Disputes Restructuring & Insolvency
Bristol	Court of Protection Family Law Medical Negligence Public Law Serious Injury Workplace Injury/Illness
Cambridge	Court of Protection Medical Negligence Ministry of Defence Public Law Serious Injury Workplace Injury/Illness
Chichester	Family Law Residential Property Tax, Trust & Estates Will, Trust & Estate Disputes
Gatwick		Commercial Construction Corporate Employment Litigation Planning Real Estate Restructuring & Insolvency
Leeds	Court of Protection Family Law Medical Negligence Serious Injury Tax, Trust & Estates Will, Trust & Estate Disputes Workplace Injury/Illness	Banking & Finance Commercial Corporate Employment Litigation Real Estate Restructuring & Insolvency
London	Court of Protection Family Law International Serious Injury Medical Negligence Public Law Serious Injury Tax, Trust & Estates Will, Trust & Estate Disputes Workplace Injury/Illness	Banking & Finance Corporate Corporate Tax Employment Litigation Litigation/Intellectual Property Pensions Real Estate Real Estate Disputes Restructuring & Insolvency Regulatory Investigations
Manchester	Court of Protection Family Law Medical Negligence Ministry of Defence Public Law Serious Injury Will, Trust & Estate Disputes Workplace Injury/Illness	Commercial Construction Corporate Corporate Tax Litigation Planning Real Estate
Newcastle	Court of Protection Medical Negligence Public Law Serious Injury Workplace Injury/Illness
Sheffield	Court of Protection Family Law Medical Negligence Public Law Serious Injury Will, Trust & Estate Disputes Workplace Injury/Illness	Construction Employment Litigation Real Estate Real Estate Disputes Regulatory Investigations Restructuring & Insolvency
Southampton	Court of Protection Family Law Medical Negligence Ministry of Defence Public Law Serious Injury Workplace Injury/Illness.	Litigation Employment Real Estate.

Case Studies - A Day in the Life

We've spoken to some of our trainees to find out more about life at Irwin Mitchell. From enjoying video calls with clients to drafting supporting documents, this is what a day could be like for you.

Camilla Burton

Seat: Family Law

Overview of the case

We recently acted for a wife in an acrimonious divorce from her husband. The parties were divided on how to split the marital assets, and couldn't agree on how the children should be cared for. Proceedings were emotionally charged and complex, with several emergency applications being issued against our client by the husband. Due to the number and complexities of the issues in dispute, a high level of client contact was required to properly understand the case, and effectively represent and advise the client.

What was your role?

Amongst general case management, I played a key role in preparing the client’s case for a financial dispute resolution hearing (FDR). As well as being the primary contact for the client in the lead up to the hearing, I also assisted with drafting key disclosure documents and complex court forms.

I was in regular contact with the husband’s representatives to make sure that all court mandated deadlines and necessary arrangements would be met. As the hearing was due to take place in the midst of lockdown, I liaised with the court, counsel and the other side to coordinate a Zoom hearing.

After the FDR, I helped with preparation for a directions hearing by drafting the instructions to counsel.

What training and support did you receive?

My supervisor checked in with me several times a day during the busiest preparation periods in the case. I was given a lot of responsibility and involvement, which was fantastic for my training and professional development. My supervisor explained each stage of the process in detail, to help my own understanding and to make sure I was well equipped to properly advise the client.

What was the outcome?

Our client received a very favourable indication from the judge because of the research and preparation we carried out. While proceedings are still ongoing, the work done in building a case for the client served to convince the FDR judge of the strength of her position, which will stand her in good stead.

Camilla played a key role in building and maintaining our relationship with the client during a very difficult case. It was great to see Camilla thrive in this way.

Kathryn Evans
Senior Associate

James King

Seat: Corporate

A day in the life

9.00 am – Start my day

I’ll make myself a coffee, fire up my laptop for 9.00 am, and see if anything urgent has come in from the previous evening which needs my attention. If nothing requires an urgent response, I’ll check my diary and “to-do” list (I use Outlook Calendar and Outlook Tasks – I’d be lost without them!) to see what I have planned for the day and what tasks I need to complete. I’ll then make a plan for my day.

9.30 am – Daily team call

Every morning our team catches up over Microsoft Teams. This is a really good chance to discuss anything coming up in my day that I’m unsure about, share details of the work we have on, pick up or share any work, and have a general chin-wag.

10.00 am – My tasks

I try and block out time to complete my work. This helps me to get everything done without trying to do everything at once – or get bogged down with emails.

Typically, my tasks will include drafting sets of supporting documents for a transaction (such as board minutes or Companies House forms), managing files in a “data room,” or conducing legal research.

12.30 pm – Lunch

I'm encouraged to take a full hour. I’ll typically go for a stroll around my area or a short run to make sure I get away from “the office”.

1.30 pm – Preparing for client meetings

I always make sure I’m prepared for my client meetings by reading through the file notes and emails, and getting an understanding of the client’s matter before the call.

3.00 pm – Client meeting

Trainees get a lot of client contact as part of their role. In Corporate, we mainly use Microsoft Teams to video call clients. While the partner typically leads a client meeting, I’m often asked to contribute if I've been responsible for something, or take notes for the file, which the partner will later rely on.

4.45 pm – Wrap up

Once I’ve completed what needs to be done for the day, I’ll once again review my to-do list and check my calendar to see what I have planned the next day. This helps me to end the work day and start my evening.

Networking and team events

Sometimes, we'll be invited to online networking or team events after hours. These can be internal or external and really help to build connections with colleagues and external contacts, and unwind in a social setting.

Helena Wareham

Seat: Serious Injury

Overview of seat

I've worked on a variety of cases arising from road-traffic collisions, work-place accidents to sporting injuries. The claims I’ve helped with involve traumatic and life-changing injuries – multiple fractures, psychiatric harm, head and spinal cord injuries. The cases are complex and challenging – no two claims are the same.

The investigatory elements of the serious injury claims have been particularly interesting. I’ve learned a lot about the process of gathering evidence, whether I'm requesting medical records or obtaining police reports and statements, photographic evidence, or witness statements. I’ve also gained a deeper understanding of the role that expert evidence plays in each case. For instance, it can help identify further injuries that need investigating, but is crucial in the quantification of each claim.

What was your role?

I’ve conducted a wide range of tasks, including requesting and obtaining records, liaising with the court, and reviewing medical reports.

I provided oral and written updates to clients, wrote letters of advice and took witness statements over the phone. Drafting is a task that I particularly enjoy. I've drafted letters of claim, court documents, instructions to experts and counsel, as well as witness statements. I also find researching case law and damages interesting.

I've particularly enjoyed attending conferences and meetings, as they're a great opportunity to observe and learn more about how counsel and experts are involved in a case. These experiences have helped me to learn more about how to advise clients on the progression of their claim, the court process, quantification and settlement.

What training and support did you receive?

I've felt supported by the team, who are all friendly and easy to approach whenever I have questions. I have bi-weekly video meetings with my supervisor, giving me the opportunity to raise queries or receive feedback on current work tasks, as well as obtaining more specific one-to-one training. My supervisor has provided training sessions on funding, costs and Schedules of Losses.

On a wider level, supervision of trainees extends beyond the immediate support provided in your team. Line managers and the Early Careers team are also there to provide support to trainees.

How to Apply

Events, application forms, tips and FAQs

How to Apply

Applying for a training contract starts with an online application form at irwinmitchell.com/graduates.

We welcome applicants from all backgrounds. Our blind screening approach means we can’t see your name, address, academic results or university attended when we review your application, giving everyone a fair chance.

Key Dates

Our Events

A great way to learn more about us is to attend one of our virtual events.

Developing your Career - Wednesday 4 November, 1 pm – 2.30 pm
Wellbeing at Work - Tuesday 17 November, 1 pm – 2.30 pm
Trainee Speed Networking - Tuesday 1 December, 5.30 pm – 7 pm
How to Make an Impact in Your Application - Wednesday 2 December,
1 pm – 2.30 pm.

You'll hear from current trainees, newly qualified solicitors, partners and the Early Careers team on all the things they wish they'd known when starting out themselves. Sign up to an event.

Open evenings

We're also hosting a further 10 virtual events with All About Law. They'll offer an insight into each of our offices, the seats available, our commitment to the local community, and a case study from our current trainees.

Law fairs

Universities are adapting to current circumstances to bring you their annual law fairs, and we'll be attending virtually. See our website for a full list of dates and times for each virtual law fair.

Podcast

We've launched a special episode of the 'Irwin Mitchell Podcast' specifically for those thinking about applying for a 2023 training contract.

Training Principal Emma Rush is joined by a series of trainees to discuss:

Your role as a trainee solicitor
Our DNA and who we are
The role of technology in law.

Listen now

Application Tips

Applying for a training contract can be stressful. Here's some top tips from trainee solicitor Matt Kayoka-Ilunga:

Try to attend any events that are arranged to gain a better insight into the firm. It's more beneficial than just reading the website
Answer the application questions in an engaging way within the word limit
Draw on your wider experiences too, and talk about skills you’ve gained through volunteering or working in a team
Don’t be afraid to show your personality. It’s important to convey what you’re passionate about and differentiate yourself from other applicants
Social media is a really useful tool to pick up advice from people you admire and obtain more knowledge about the people that work for the firm
Ask someone to read over your application to check for any errors.

The special thing about working for Irwin Mitchell is the team spirit. Everyone wants to see you do well and will support you every step of the way.

Matt Kayoka-Ilunga
Trainee Solicitor

What Our Newly Qualified Solicitors Say...

Throughout my training contract, my team were extremely supportive to ensure that I got to experience as many cases as possible.

Sharonpreet Binning
Medical Negligence, Birmingham

I was given a high level of responsibility. During the first weeks into my seat in the medical negligence department, I assisted a partner with an inquest.

Huseyin Kahyalar
Serious Injury, London

The role provides endless opportunities to develop the skills and experience you'll need for the rest of your career.

Hayley Crombleholme
Real Estate Disputes, Manchester

Irwin Mitchell is great at providing additional support and training to ensure that we're the best we can be. I always felt supported as a trainee solicitor.

Jodie Buck
Will, Trust and Estate Disputes, Leeds

Describe Irwin Mitchell in three words?
1. Engaging
2. Innovative
3. Personable.

James Mapley
Construction, Gatwick

The firm has a lot to offer socially too. From sports teams to discounted gym membership, a choir and many volunteering opportunities.

Rebecca Wood
Workplace Illness, Sheffield

You're given every opportunity to prove yourself and to develop your skills as a lawyer. You're actively involved in the team’s caseload.

Conor O’Carroll-Lolait
Medical Negligence, Bristol

Once I'd joined, I received continued support and encouragement to develop in this career from my line manager and the rest of my team.

Jennifer Davies
Tax, Trusts and Estates, London

How Are You?

More than a workplace

How Are You?

Sometimes a chat is all it takes.

We aim to provide a culture of openness and support for our colleagues' physical and mental wellbeing.

We're committed to charters of Mindful Business, Mindful Employer and Suicide Prevention
You’ll have regular conversations with your supervisor, but there are lots of other colleagues looking out for you
Our Early Careers Managers will support you through your training contract and you’ll have scheduled face-to-face catch-ups with them. We also have an Early Careers Regional Representative in each office. They’re experienced in caring for trainees, particularly at times when you can feel overwhelmed
We have Healthy Mind Advocates throughout the business. They’ve been trained as mental health champions by Mental Health First Aid England
We offer a Wellbeing Hub to all colleagues, which has lots of resources covering mental, physical and financial wellbeing.

Amid the busy day-to-day life as a trainee, and working from home being the ‘new normal’, it’s good to talk, and we're here to support you.

Our Response to COVID-19

Created a COVID-19 hub for colleagues full of useful resources and support

Our colleague advocacy score has increased since April 2020 through Great Place to Work

Supported our trainee solicitors by gaining feedback, putting in additional support meetings and rolling out formal remote supervision best practices

Held over 100 virtual events to support our clients and communities. Over 5,000 signed up to attend

Mobilised nearly 3,000 colleagues to home working in under a week

Rolled out new software to colleagues to enable widespread video conferencing, and to support them in working from home

Made our assessment centres virtual and adapted them accordingly

100% of people who attended our virtual assessment centres said they exceeded expectations.

More Than a Workplace

Our social responsibility programme is fundamental to who we are and what we do. We want to reflect the communities we serve, and are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace where our colleagues can flourish. To better support them, we have a number of networking groups that people can join.

In recent years, we've been recognised for our efforts in the media through award wins and our employee engagement. Being socially responsible means thinking ahead, and these are exciting times as we're undergoing a change programme to be even better.

We're a member of The Legal Sustainability Alliance, Stonewall, and a signatory of both the Law Society’s Pro Bono and the Mindful Employers Charters. These commitments show our dedication to social responsibility and charity work.

As a trainee, you're actively encouraged to spend time out of your working day to support our office charities. It's so nice to work for a firm that takes its corporate social responsibility seriously.

Lily Pidge
Trainee Solicitor

Social Responsibility

We're committed to Corporate Social Responsibility, and helping communities, people, the environment and providing pro bono services.

Through four stands, we continue to support charities, individuals and businesses:

We're proud to make a difference, not just through fundraising, but giving our time and expertise to those who need it most.

Adrian Budgen
Partner, founding IMCF Trustee and member of our Social Responsibility Board

Our People

We're proud to be different and celebrate the diversity of our people, our clients and our local communities. We're delighted to be recognised as one of the most diverse law firms through multiple award wins and a top third ranking in Stonewall’s Workplace Equality Index for the LGBT+ community.

Our Environment

We recognise that our activities can have an impact on the environment and that it's our responsibility to have a proactive approach to green issues and sustainability. As one of the founding members of the Legal Sector Alliance, we're committed to reducing our impact on the environment.

Our Pro Bono

Our pro bono philosophy is based on providing advice and support to those who need it most, yet are often least able to afford it. We believe that we can use our legal expertise to give something back to our local communities.

Our Community

Being involved with the local community is a big part of our day-to-day working life. We encourage all our staff to engage in community volunteering activities. As an employee, you'll be able to spend 14 hours volunteering each year during normal working hours.

Our Networks and Groups

We’re committed to constantly improving our diversity and have a number of networking groups to celebrate our people. These groups aim to support those who need a stronger voice, and raise awareness of the challenges they face in society as a whole.

Speak to us

Feeling comfortable for the firm you work for is extremely important. If you have questions about any of our groups, please contact the colleagues below. Each trainee represents an aspect of the group, and they're happy to answer any of your questions about our efforts towards being a diverse and inclusive business.

IM Equal

We believe everyone is equal, and welcome lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and straight ally employees to our LGBT+ group. We meet to look at what we've done around LGBT and make plans to help raise awareness of diversity.

Contact: Claire England (PLS) and Joe Matchett (BLS)

IM Able

We aim to provide support and assistance to colleagues with a disability and those caring for a family member with a disability, through raising awareness of issues and planning for an inclusive future.

Contact: Micah Hall (BLS)

IM Powered

Our gender listening group focuses on issues faced by colleagues in modern life, both at home and work. Everyone's situation is different and there's no such thing as 'conventional'. Together we navigate life's ups and downs.

Contact: Amber Price (PLS)

IM Respect

Cultural diversity is fundamental to an integrated workforce and social inclusiveness. IM Respect celebrates and supports the different cultures and faiths of the people we work with.

Contact: Katie Wilkins (PLS) and Matt Kayoka- Ilunga (PLS)

IM Generations

Employees' needs differ depending on their age and the stage of their career. IM Generations focuses on issues related to age and aims to understand the differing priorities, to ensure we're all equal.

Contact: Micah Hall (BLS)

IM Aspiring

We're committed to our PRIME initiative by supporting school leavers who come from areas of restricted social mobility. We believe in equal opportunities for all, and support those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Contact:

First generation to university - Tessa Craythorne (PLS) and Taler Kelly (PLS)
Career changer - Georgia Plant (BLS)
Non-law background - Dan Brunt (BLS) and Sarah Watts (PW).

Case Study

Daryna Plysak supporting Neurodiversity

Daryna started her training contract with us in 2019 and is currently training in General Counsel. At the age of nine, she was diagnosed with dyslexia and for a long time saw it as a 'weakness' and 'barrier to success'.

It wasn't until she opened up about it that she realised many others were having successful legal careers, despite being neurodivergent.

Daryna aims to support neurodiversity within the legal profession, and eliminate the stigma often associated with people who think differently. She recently gave an interview to Neurodiversity in Law and opened up about her experience.

Read Daryna's Interview

Having dyslexia isn't a disadvantage or anchor, but an ability to look at the world differently.

Daryna Plysak
Trainee Solicitor

Benefits

Perks of the role

Rewards and Benefits

As a trainee, you'll be given an excellent rewards and benefits package to compliment your competitive salary.

Modern Working

We love what we do, but we know there’s more to life than work.

Long before the COVID-19 pandemic changed the working landscape, we were encouraging a healthy approach to work and leisure. That’s why we were awarded Legal Cheek’s best firm for work/life balance.

We’ve quickly adapted to new ways of working and our Working from Home Hub provides lots of support to help colleagues get the most from this.

If you're missing a quick catch-up in the kitchen with a colleague or fancy a chat with a trainee in another office, we encourage ‘virtual coffees’. They help us to keep in touch and stay connected with what’s most important to our colleagues.

Our current trainees are being supervised remotely and we’ve introduced best practices for both trainees and supervisors to ensure the training they receive remains first class.

Your day doesn't need to be 9 am - 5 pm either. If you want to start earlier, finish later or take an extended lunch for a change of scenery, that's absolutely fine. Your day, your way.

All About You

Our trainee solicitors are fundamental to our business. They're our solicitors, associates and partners of the future, and they're the people who'll continue to drive us forward. With a strong foundation, excellent training and a supportive environment, we'll give you the opportunity to progress your legal career.

Our commitment to our trainees has resulted in us ranking second for the best graduate employer in the legal sector – as voted for by students and graduates in TheJobCrowd's 2020 survey.

About Us

Everything you need to know

About Us

Our Approach

We're the expert hand with the human touch. Together, we navigate life’s ups and downs and achieve incredible things. Each day we're guided by our:

Our unique and human approach builds the foundations of our entire brand and is underpinned by our values.

Our Heritage

Being part of a business that has thrived for more than 100 years is something to be proud of. We’ve been through two world wars, economic ups and downs, and huge changes in society. We emerged from more than a century of business as a strong, trusted brand with values that stand the test of time.

The early years

We were originally set up in 1912 by Walter Irwin Mitchell (pictured). By all accounts something of a character, Walter’s focus was almost entirely on criminal law. The firm represented rival factions in the notorious gang wars in 1920s Sheffield.

A transformational decade

With a particular focus on personal injury, by the 1980s we were working on some of the most high-profile cases in the country. Our lawyers, including our current CEO Andrew Tucker, helped clients following:

The Zeebrugge ferry disaster
The Marchioness riverboat disaster
The British Airtours Boeing 737 disaster at Manchester Airport
The Kegworth Air Crash
The Lockerbie Pan-Am flight terrorist bombing.

These high-profile cases helped us to grow beyond our Sheffield base. We opened an office in Birmingham in 1989, taking us to our second city in the UK.

Becoming a national brand

Through the 1990s and into the new millennium, we rapidly expanded across the country. Mergers and acquisitions saw us open offices in Leeds and London, and by 2007 we were also in Newcastle, Manchester and Glasgow. Through these mergers we became a widely respected full-service firm, helping clients with a full range of personal and business legal services.

During the 2000s we set up in Spain with offices in Marbella and Madrid. After selling our Spanish operation in 2013, we now have a network of international firms to call on when we need them.

The 2010s

In the last decade we've continued to acquire and merge with high-quality firms. This helped cement our reputation as market leaders in personal injury and grow our reputation in business legal services and private client work. Colleagues from MPH Solicitors, Berkeley Law and Thomas Eggar all became part of our Group, and we rapidly expanded our presence across the south of England.

The future looks bright

We now operate in 15 locations and offer a wide range of legal and financial services, making us the largest full-service law firm in the UK. With turnover at £263 million and many consecutive years of growth, we’re all part of a successful business with a bright future.

Our Work

We're the largest full-service law firm in the UK supporting individuals and businesses with personal and business legal services, and wealth and asset management. Our training contracts are available in personal and business legal services.

Personal

We support clients through key milestones in their lives – buying a house, getting married, planning retirement, providing for a child's future, or moving to a new country.

We also help when things don't go so well, like if they're hurt in an accident, a medical procedure goes wrong, or they're treated unfairly by an employer. It could also be a difficult family matter such as a separation or a dispute over a will.

Whatever our client's situation, we have specialists ready to help.

Business

We work with our clients to give practical, commercially-minded advice tailored to their specific goals and targets.

As a full-service law firm, our team offer advice in employment law, real estate, commercial litigation, banking, intellectual property and many more areas of law. Clients receive comprehensive insight and support from solicitors who truly understand their sector and the market pressures clients face.

We're more than just problem-solvers, we’re long-term strategic advisors.

Irwin Mitchell Charities Foundation (IMCF)

IMCF was set up in 1997 to help relieve poverty and provide aid in cases of need, hardship or distress for people in the communities we operate in. In 2017, we celebrated IMCF's 20^th anniversary by raising over £22,000 in a single month. More recently, 100 colleagues participated in a 15 mile walk around Sheffield to raise valuable funds for Weston Park Cancer Charity. We raised over £19,000 in total – which contributed to our overall total of £420,000 raised for our Charities of the Year in 2019.

Since IMCF was founded, we’ve raised over £2m for good causes – something we're very proud of.

Every year, our colleagues donate thousands of hours to support local and national communities and pro bono initiatives. As a trainee, you'll be given two charity days each year, where you can use your working hours to support a worth cause in the community.

Each of our offices has its own Charity of the Year, and our respective teams often host their own fundraising activities. Whichever office you choose, you'll regularly hear about bake sales, raffles and other fun charitable activities.

Our Awards

We recognise that our trainees are integral to the future of our business, and we’ll support them every step of the way. This is reflected in some of the awards we've won: