Clifton Ingram Solicitors

Overview

Clifton Ingram is a full-service regional law firm serving businesses and individuals across the South East from offices in Farnham, Reading and Wokingham. The firm positions itself as a practical, client-focused firm covering the Thames Valley and M3 corridor with particular strength in property, family and private client work alongside commercial and dispute teams. Clifton Ingram has grown via strategic mergers and acquisitions (including Bells Solicitors, Sloan Solicitors and PainSmith Solicitors) to expand its reach and specialist capability across the region. The firm emphasises hands-on, pragmatic advice for both local SME and higher-net-worth clients.

• Lawyers: 100+ (staff across three offices, including 14 partners)
• Partners: 14
• Offices: 3

Values & Culture

Practice Areas

• Corporate & M&A
• Real Estate
• Insolvency & Restructuring
• Dispute Resolution & Litigation
• Family Law
• Employment
• Intellectual Property
• Personal Injury & Clinical Negligence
• Private Client & Wealth
• Tax
• Agriculture & Rural
• Commercial Contracts

Geographic Focus: Regional focus across the South East of England: Thames Valley and M3 Corridor, with particular coverage in Berkshire, Surrey, Hampshire, Oxfordshire and surrounding counties. The firm serves local SMEs, owner-managed businesses and individual/private client matters from its Farnham, Reading and Wokingham offices.

Training Contract

24-month training contract made up of four six-month seats (4 x 6 months). Trainees rotate through a mix of contentious and non-contentious departments, receive end-of-seat reviews with the Training Partner, and benefit from regular feedback and mentor support in an open-door environment.

• Academic Requirements: Successfully completed the LPC or SQE 1 & 2; minimum 2:1 honours degree (or equivalent); right to work in the UK; some relevant work experience and strong communication skills.
• Application Deadline: 2026-02-28

Seat Options

• Commercial Property
• Corporate & Commercial
• Dispute Resolution & Litigation
• Employment Law
• Family Law
• Residential Conveyancing
• Wills, Tax, Trusts & Probate

Mentorship

Trainees receive regular feedback and end-of-seat reviews with the Training Partner, have access to an open-door culture and receive career guidance and pastoral support from experienced solicitors and partners.

Apply on the Clifton Ingram Solicitors website →

Programmes & Schemes

Notable Matters

What Clifton Ingram Solicitors Looks For

Key Competencies

• Strong academics (minimum 2:1 honours degree or equivalent)
• Completed LPC or SQE 1 & 2
• Relevant work experience and evidence of client-facing skills
• Strong communication skills
• Commercial awareness (particularly for property, corporate and commercial roles)
• Teamwork, adaptability and a commitment to client care

Evidence Signals

• Previous paralegal or legal support experience
• Practical conveyancing or property-related experience for Real Estate seats
• Commercial or corporate exposure (secondments, in-house experience or SME-facing work)
• Community/volunteering involvement or apprenticeship experience (aligned with CSR focus)
• Demonstrable completion of LPC or SQE assessments

Benefits & Wellbeing

• Competitive salary
• 25 days annual leave + Bank Holidays; offices closed between Christmas and New Year
• Hybrid working (may vary dependent on your role)
• Salary sacrifice pension scheme with a matching 5% contribution
• Life assurance
• Group Income Protection scheme
• BUPA cashback plan
• Private Medical Insurance (subject to scheme rules)
• Enhanced Family Friendly policies
• Employee Assistance Programmes including a GP Consultation service
• Funded professional subscription fees and support towards professional qualifications
• Employee Referral Scheme
• Volunteering programme
• Range of social events including a summer and Christmas party

Wellbeing

Employee Assistance Programmes including GP consultation service; firm-wide wellbeing webinars/events; community outreach and volunteering; staff social events.

Awards & Recognition

• Lexcel Practice Management accreditation (The Law Society)
• Legal 500 rankings across multiple practice areas (as published): Commercial property (Tier 2); Family (Tier 3); Employment (Tier 4); Insolvency and corporate recovery (Tier 4); Corporate & Commercial (Tier 5).
• Legal 500 – Leading Individual: Anne Deller (Leading Partner / Leading Individual recognitions in recent Legal 500 listings).
• Resolution membership

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Clifton Ingram is an equal opportunities employer and encourages staff at all levels to participate in CSR and community activities. The firm supports apprenticeships and local recruitment initiatives and works with local charity partners.

• Employee volunteer programme
• Apprenticeship Scheme with Boom Technology (school leaver opportunities)
• Charity partnerships: Phyllis Tuckwell (Farnham), Berkshire Vision (Reading), First Days (Wokingham)
• Dementia Friends membership/engagement
• Equal opportunities employer statement (Careers page)

Pro Bono

Firm encourages staff participation in CSR activities, fundraising, donation drives and an employee volunteer programme with local charity partners. No published hours target is stated on the available pages.

Innovation

The firm has committed to a sustainable, paper-lite working environment and holds Cyber Essentials certification to demonstrate basic cyber security standards. Innovation focus is operational: reducing paper and single-use plastics, encouraging recycling, and improving workflows through modern IT systems. There are no named proprietary legal-technology platforms or automation tools listed on the firm pages.

• Cyber Essentials accreditation
• Paper-lite / paper-free working practices
• Use of modern IT systems across teams (practice-level IT adoption referenced)
• Reading office roof terrace allotment (environmental initiative)

Quick Application Angles

• Show commercial property experience or interest: reference the Entrust HQ relocation matter and the firm’s Tier 2 ranking in commercial property to demonstrate why you’d be a strong fit for property seats.
• Emphasise practical experience and readiness to do day‑one work: the firm highlights hands-on training (drafting, client meetings and court attendance) — give concrete examples of delegated responsibility in prior roles.
• Highlight local/regional knowledge and community involvement: Clifton Ingram positions itself strongly in the Thames Valley/M3 corridor and works with local charities and apprentices—mention local ties, volunteer work or regional commercial awareness.
• Confirm you meet their academic and vocational criteria up front: explicitly state LPC or SQE completion and 2:1 (or equivalent) to pass the firm’s initial filter.
• Reference Lexcel and Cyber Essentials: demonstrate an understanding of quality and compliance standards (client care and information security) to resonate with the firm’s practice management emphasis.