Fletchers Solicitors

Overview

Fletchers Solicitors is a UK-wide specialist firm focused on serious personal injury, clinical negligence and group action litigation. Founded in 1987, the firm has grown from a small regional practice into a national specialist with 13 offices and more than 1,400 colleagues, combining legal expertise with in-house rehabilitation and wellbeing services. Fletchers is known for large-scale group/product liability work, regional strength in the North West, Yorkshire and the Midlands, and a deliberate growth strategy that includes strategic acquisitions to strengthen its serious-injury and clinical-negligence capability.

• Headquarters: Manchester, St James’ Tower (7 Charlotte Street)
• Founded: 1987
• Trainees: Over 70 trainees/apprentices across the business
• Offices: 13

Values & Culture

Practice Areas

• Personal Injury & Clinical Negligence
• Dispute Resolution & Litigation
• Healthcare & Life Sciences
• Public Law
• Insurance & Reinsurance
• Private Client & Wealth

Geographic Focus: Strong UK-wide presence with particular strength in the North West, Yorkshire and the Midlands. The firm operates from 13 offices across England and Wales and pursues a growth-through-acquisition strategy to extend regional coverage (recently expanding into the Midlands and South East). Fletchers focuses on claimant-side serious/complex personal injury, clinical negligence, product liability and group actions while supporting clients nationally via remote service delivery.

Training Contract

Fletchers offers multiple qualification routes: traditional training contracts, solicitor apprenticeships and CILEX routes. The firm runs both the 6–7 year trailblazer solicitor apprenticeship (from A-level) and a 2.5–3 year graduate solicitor apprenticeship. Fletchers opens training contract applications at least yearly and runs the Fletchers Academy (12 months) to prepare candidates. Training combines practical qualifying work experience (PoRT), virtual learning modules and on-the-job supervision delivered by the Learning & Development team.

• Trainee Intake: Over 70 trainees/apprentices across the business; record 26 offers for training contracts and apprenticeships made in June 2023
• Academic Requirements: Fletchers accepts multiple routes: law degree is not mandatory (degree does not have to be law). Apprenticeship routes accept candidates from A-level onwards; the Graduate Solicitor Apprenticeship is open to graduates from any discipline. The firm highlights openness to all backgrounds and prior qualifications and offers tailored training plans.
• Application Deadline: 2026-04-10

Seat Options

• Clinical Negligence
• Serious Injury / Personal Injury
• Medical Product Liability / Group Actions
• Rehabilitation & Wellbeing
• Court of Protection / Private Client
• Public Inquiries & Major Incidents
• Legal Operations / Legal Engineering
• Costs

Sponsorship

Fletchers funds solicitor apprenticeships in full (training cost covered) and offers annual funding applications to contribute toward degree and SQE preparation costs. The firm states it 'supports colleagues with funding for their chosen routes other than apprenticeships' but does not publish fixed grant amounts.

SQE Support

Fletchers supports the SQE route and offers funding/contribution routes: colleagues may self-fund SQE and qualifying work experience, apply yearly for funding contributions towards degree and SQE preparation, or undertake a solicitor apprenticeship (which includes training costs). The firm partners with the University of Law for apprenticeship delivery.

Mentorship

The Fletchers Academy and the wider Learning & Development team provide personalised mentoring and supervision, continuous assessments and regular discussions; trainees have dedicated induction, a named supervisor, access to buddy systems and the L&D team for ongoing support.

Programmes & Schemes

Notable Matters

What Fletchers Solicitors Looks For

Key Competencies

• Client focus and empathy
• Commercial awareness of serious-injury/clinical negligence context
• Attention to detail
• Teamwork and collaboration
• Resilience and adaptability
• Clear written and verbal communication
• Commitment to professional development

Evidence Signals

• Experience or interest in personal injury/clinical negligence or healthcare issues
• Apprenticeship or vocational training experience
• Pro bono or voluntary work supporting vulnerable people
• Relevant work experience (paralegal, client-facing roles) and practical examples of responsibility
• Evidence of practical learning (courses, L&D modules) and mentoring experience

Benefits & Wellbeing

• Funded solicitor apprenticeships (training cost covered)
• Annual funding contributions available towards degree/SQE preparation (apply yearly)
• University of Law partnership for apprenticeship delivery
• CIPD / CIMA / ACCA support and funded training in relevant departments (People, Finance)
• Forward Leaders 12-month leadership development programme
• Extensive internal Learning & Development curriculum and bespoke legal inductions
• Mentoring, buddy systems and tailored supervision for trainees and apprentices
• Hybrid working with online desk booking and collaborative office spaces
• Free fresh fruit, snacks and soft drinks in offices
• Access to Rehabilitation & Wellbeing Team and mental health support (counselling referrals)
• Support for professional accreditations (APIL, The Law Society, AvMa listings)

Wellbeing

Fletchers provides access to a Rehabilitation & Wellbeing Team, psychological support and counselling through referrals, wellbeing programmes delivered by Learning & Development, and encourages work-life balance via hybrid working. The firm also runs dedicated wellbeing-focused L&D activity and supports career development as part of wellbeing.

Awards & Recognition

• Chambers UK — multiple Band 1/Band 2 rankings (Chambers UK 2026 highlights: Band 1 for Personal Injury in the Midlands & North West; Band 1 for Clinical Negligence in Midlands, Thames Valley & North West; 25+ lawyers ranked)
• Legal 500 UK 2026 — multiple regional Tier 1 rankings (Clinical Negligence/Personal Injury regional recognition)
• The Times Best Law Firm
• AVMA — Lawyers' Service Member
• Headway Accredited Solicitors
• SIA — Trusted Legal Partner
• CBIT — Trusted Legal Partner

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Fletchers publishes an annual Responsible Business / Impact Report (Responsible Business Report 2025), monitors progress against ESG commitments, and operates targeted leadership development and employee network programmes to improve gender diversity and inclusion.

• Empower Her (female leadership network)
• Employee-led networks (four of ten networks focus on supporting women)
• Partnership with Henpicked (Menopause & Menstruation Friendly employer commitment)
• Fletchers Foundation (charitable grants and community support)
• Modern Slavery awareness and supplier code of conduct
• Whistleblowing policy and Data Protection complaint procedures

Pro Bono

The Fletchers Foundation (launched January 2023) provides financial grants and practical support to seriously injured people who cannot access legal support; the Foundation works with local charities, schools and registered groups to fund rehabilitation, mobility aids, prosthetics and counselling. No firmwide pro bono hours target is published on the available pages.

Innovation

Fletchers invests in technology and digital learning to support hybrid working and client service: a dedicated Digital Learning Lead produces e-learning and technology training, the firm uses a secure mobile app for client communications and has implemented SignVideo to support BSL users. The privacy notice discloses controlled, policy-driven use of AI tools for efficiency and internal processes with safeguards for client data.

• Fletchers Mobile App (secure client communications)
• Digital Learning and e-learning programmes (Learning Management System)
• SignVideo BSL interpreter integration for Deaf/BSL clients
• Use of AI tools for research, drafting and internal processes (policy-led approach)
• Cyber Essentials Plus accreditation

Quick Application Angles

• Highlight a genuine interest in serious injury/clinical negligence and rehabilitation in your application — reference Fletchers’ integrated Rehabilitation & Wellbeing offering or a relevant case study (e.g. outcomes securing prosthetics/rehab) to show sector fit.
• If applying via apprenticeship or the Academy, explain why an apprenticeship/SQE route suits your background (Fletchers strongly promotes solicitor apprenticeships and the Fletchers Academy as accessible routes).
• Mention Fletchers’ regional strengths or recent expansion (e.g. integration of Shoosmiths’ Serious Injury team and regional growth into the Midlands and South East) if you are applying to a local office — demonstrate local knowledge and how you’ll support regional targets.
• Show evidence of practical learning and teamwork: give specific examples from client-facing or supportive roles, volunteering or rehabilitation-related activity — the firm prizes empathy and client‑focused experience.
• If you use technology or have completed relevant digital learning, note it — Fletchers invests in digital learning, a mobile client app and controlled AI use, so tech‑savvy candidates who can work well in hybrid settings stand out.