We are Bristows, the world’s leading specialist law firm for clients that innovate.
We are a European headquartered hub for litigation, transactions and advice throughout the world. We help clients grow in life sciences, technology and other dynamic sectors. We provide advice on all their legal matters and are proud to be different.
At Bristows, we have always been at the forefront of change. From patenting the first electrical telegraph to launching the UK’s genome sequencing project, we have been helping clients who create and embrace new technologies and ideas.
We focus on dynamic, IP-rich sectors and have the expertise to solve a broad range of litigation, transactional, and advisory challenges. We have a true cross-disciplinary practice encompassing our renowned IP, competition, regulatory, corporate and commercial, dispute resolution, IT and data protection teams. The strength of each individual practice complements the others to provide a fully integrated and comprehensive service.
We are an eclectic mix of inquisitive thinkers who are fascinated by the law surrounding our clients’ sector. Many of us have science and technology backgrounds or have worked in the industry. Many of our trainees and associates also go on secondment at client companies. We live and breathe our clients’ business and can talk the same language. It means we are on the same wavelength and understand what makes our clients’ business tick.
Many of our clients are international and our work with them crosses different jurisdictions. We have remained fiercely independent since we first began in 1837 and are able to maintain a network of leading lawyers and specialists around the world. This means we are free to partner with the best people in any jurisdiction for each client need and build the right team of lawyers in the right locations.
Bristows is a unique place to work, quite unlike most law firms. The firm’s fee-earners are not given billing targets, which has a significant impact on the atmosphere of the firm, fostering a supportive, human environment where the focus is on quality rather than quantity. The firm is genuinely encouraging and supportive of its lawyers and support staff.
During the two-year training contract, trainees undertake seats within our core departments and have the opportunity to go on secondment to one of our key clients. All trainees gain experience in Intellectual Property law, including a guaranteed 6-month seat in Patent Litigation.
To be considered for a training contract commencing in 2029, please submit your application by 3 January 2027.
All application forms are reviewed by our early careers team and a selection will be invited to complete recorded video interviews.
The assessment process includes two interview rounds with Senior Associates and Partners, a problem exercise and a written exercise. We do not ask candidates to complete any group exercises or psychometric testing in our process – we prefer getting to know each candidate as an individual.
All elements of our assessment process are flexible to suit any reasonable adjustments required by applicants with disabilities, so please flag any adjustments needed with the early careers team.
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We strongly encourage you to write applications in your own words, rather than copying or amending content generated by AI. We believe that the best applications are always well-researched, authentic, and original, as this helps us to get to know you as an individual candidate.
