Gilbert Stephens LLP Solicitors

Overview

Gilbert Stephens is a long-established regional law firm rooted in Devon with a local-branch strategy and a broad full-service offering for individuals and businesses. The firm emphasises community-focused work across Exeter, Mid, West and East Devon and stresses client care and practice management standards (Lexcel, CQS). Under CEO Vicky Thompson the firm has pursued a people-centred strategy focused on inclusion, wellbeing, career progression (including routes to partnership for non-lawyers) and local relationships with clients and referral networks. Gilbert Stephens operates a multi-branch model to give local access to services such as conveyancing, private client, family, agricultural and litigation work and invests in technology and training to speed case progression and client communication.

• Headquarters: Exeter, 15-17 Southernhay East
• Trainees: 5
• Offices: 6

Values & Culture

Practice Areas

• Agriculture & Rural
• Family Law
• Personal Injury & Clinical Negligence
• Dispute Resolution & Litigation
• Employment
• Real Estate
• Private Client & Wealth
• Financial Services & Regulation
• Commercial Contracts
• Tax

Geographic Focus: Strong regional presence across Devon (Exeter as the main office, plus branch offices in East, Mid and West Devon towns). The firm targets private individuals, rural and farming families, local businesses, and regional referral networks (estate agents, local accountants). Its strategy prioritises maintaining and expanding local branch access and providing face-to-face services across the county.

Training Contract

The firm states it is supporting five trainee solicitors and emphasises a commitment to enhancing and financially supporting training when needed. The website highlights internal career progression (including non-lawyers progressing to partner roles) and encourages staff at all levels to consider formal qualifications and retraining.

• Trainee Intake: 5

Notable Matters

What Gilbert Stephens LLP Solicitors Looks For

Key Competencies

• Commercial awareness
• Excellent communication and client care
• Teamwork and collaboration
• Organisation and time-management
• Self-motivation and proactivity
• Empathy and sensitivity for client-facing work
• Networking and local business development

Evidence Signals

• PQE and relevant qualifications (advertised roles request 5 years PQE for Family and Agricultural Solicitor roles)
• CILEX qualification or Chartered Legal Executive experience for property roles
• STEP membership or progress towards STEP for Private Client roles
• Experience in residential conveyancing, agricultural/rural property, or local-sector networking (estate agents, accountants)
• Voluntary or community involvement and attendance at local agricultural shows or events

Benefits & Wellbeing

• Christmas closing for a week each year (not from annual holiday allowance)
• 4pm Friday closing during August each year
• Sunny day policy for hot weather
• Enhanced maternity contribution
• Additional holiday and compassionate leave regularly granted
• Discounted fees for staff
• Paid eye tests and contribution to glasses
• Fee-earner reward scheme allowing individual fee earners to add up to an additional £10k on salary each year (fee-earner scheme)
• Investment in technology and training for faster, efficient conveyancing

Wellbeing

Firm emphasises 'family and health first' ethos, commitment to kindness and wellbeing, enhanced maternity contribution, and willingness to grant compassionate leave and reasonable adjustments during recruitment and employment.

Awards & Recognition

• Lexcel accreditation (held since 2002)
• Law Society Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS) membership
• Family Law Advanced Accreditation Scheme membership
• STEP (Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners) full members within the firm
• SFE (Solicitors for the Elderly) membership
• Agricultural Law Association membership

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

The firm is committed to equality of opportunity, treating applicants and colleagues fairly regardless of protected characteristics and encouraging a workforce representative of the communities from which it is drawn. The CEO has implemented an ethos of inclusion with a commitment to kindness and wellbeing and a clear route to partnership for lawyers and non-lawyers.

• Equality and Diversity policy (statement of principle and full policy available on request)
• Inclusion and Diversity are paramount to us (careers pages)
• Reasonable adjustments offered during application process
• Annual workforce diversity data available on request

Pro Bono

The firm actively participates in local fundraising and charitable partnerships (FORCE Cancer Charity, Macmillan, Exeter YMCA Gift of Hope legacy Wills scheme, WESC Foundation) and supports community events.

Innovation

The firm states it has invested in technology and training to deliver fast, efficient conveyancing and aims to move towards a paperless operation to enable flexible geographical working. Trainees and fee-earners benefit from system investments intended to speed up file progression and communication with clients.

• Paperless transformation programme (aim to become paperless)
• Investment in technology for conveyancing and case progression

Quick Application Angles

• Emphasise your local/regional connections and networks (estate agents, local accountants, agricultural contacts) — the firm prizes community relationships and local business development.
• For Private Client roles reference STEP membership or study plans towards STEP (the firm has several STEP members) and give concrete examples of estate, trust or probate work you've handled.
• For Agricultural Law roles highlight practical rural experience (AHA/FBT tenancies, succession planning, dealing with estates) and any attendance at local agricultural shows or community engagement.
• Reference the firm’s culture initiatives (inclusion, wellbeing, routes to partnership for non-lawyers and lawyers under CEO Vicky Thompson) to show alignment with their people-centred strategy.
• If applying to conveyancing or property roles, demonstrate familiarity with efficient case progression and technology-enabled workflows (e.g., digital case management, Land Registry experience) — the firm highlights investment in tech for conveyancing.