Howard Kennedy LLP

Overview

Howard Kennedy is a London-based law firm that combines specialist depth across seven defined specialisms with cross-practice collaboration to deliver commercially focused legal advice for UK and international clients. The firm places emphasis on insight-led work and measurable client outcomes, generating over a quarter of its revenues from cross-border matters while operating from a single London office. It is known for strong private client, real estate, corporate and disputes capabilities and an integrated approach that brings regulatory, tax, real estate and disputes expertise together on complex mandates.

• Headquarters: No. 1 London Bridge, London SE1 9BG
• Trainees: 6
• Offices: 1

Values & Culture

Practice Areas

• White Collar Crime
• Corporate & M&A
• Dispute Resolution & Litigation
• Real Estate
• Private Client & Wealth
• Employment
• Immigration
• ESG & Sustainability
• Intellectual Property
• Commercial Contracts
• Energy & Natural Resources
• Regulatory & Compliance
• Retail & Consumer
• Hospitality & Leisure
• Tax
• Insolvency & Restructuring

Geographic Focus: Howard Kennedy operates from a single London office but maintains an international reach through direct client work and networks. The firm reports 25% of revenues from international matters, covers 70+ client countries, uses its membership of international legal networks to coordinate multi-jurisdictional advice, and runs dedicated regional capability for the Americas, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Middle East & Africa and Offshore markets.

Training Contract

Training contracts comprise four seats of six months each (4 x 6 months) across different departments. Seats are rotated to give exposure to the firm's specialisms; allocation involves placement into different departments across the firm and trainees are expected to work on live client matters from day one. The firm recruits one year in advance and runs assessment days for shortlisted applicants.

• Starting Salary: Year 1: £45,000; Year 2: £48,000
• NQ Salary: £83,000
• Trainee Intake: 6
• Qualification Rate: 82%
• Academic Requirements: Accepts law degree, GDL/PGDL, LPC, SQE1 or SQE1&2 as qualifying routes. The firm states it does not score or screen out applications based on grades and has no minimum A-level requirement.
• Application Deadline: 2026-03-08

Seat Options

• Corporate & M&A
• Real Estate
• Private Client & Wealth
• Employment
• Dispute Resolution & Litigation
• White Collar Crime
• Intellectual Property
• Commercial Contracts
• ESG & Sustainability
• Tax
• Energy & Natural Resources
• Retail & Consumer
• Hospitality & Leisure
• Regulatory & Compliance

Sponsorship

Pgdl Grant: Not applicable. SQE Grant: £10,000.

SQE Support

Howard Kennedy funds SQE1 and SQE2 exams and prep courses for trainees. (SQE grant reported as £10,000.)

International Opportunities

0% (reported chance of secondment abroad is 0%)

Client Secondments

10% (reported chance of client secondment is 10%)

Mentorship

The firm provides internal mentoring programmes (HK Mentors) and encourages mentoring for early-career colleagues. Trainees are supported by supervisors, buddy arrangements, trainee networks (including a Trainee Editorial Board) and employee networks such as Empower.

Apply on the Howard Kennedy LLP website →

Notable Matters

What Howard Kennedy LLP Looks For

Key Competencies

• Commercial awareness and client focus
• Clarity of purpose and ambition
• Strong communication and teamwork
• Resilience and adaptability
• Attention to detail and intellectual rigour
• A collaborative mindset and willingness to learn
• Cultural fit with values: talk straight, think smart, be yourself

Evidence Signals

• Relevant commercial or legal work experience (paralegal roles, internships or advisory placements)
• Demonstrable commercial awareness (e.g., commentary on sector trends or deals)
• Pro bono or volunteering engagement
• Participation in networks or leadership activities (student societies, employer mentoring)
• International experience or language skills for international-facing teams
• SQE/LPC/GDL completion or clear route to qualification

Benefits & Wellbeing

• Trainee salary Year 1: £45,000
• Trainee salary Year 2: £48,000
• NQ salary: £83,000
• SQE grant: £10,000 (covers SQE1 & SQE2 exams and prep courses)
• PGDL/GDL grant: Not applicable
• Annual leave: 25 days
• Annual target hours: 1,320
• Private medical insurance
• Dental insurance
• Virtual GP service
• Eye tests
• Cancer screening and allergy testing
• Annual flu vaccinations
• Income protection insurance
• Life insurance
• Season ticket loan
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Corporate discounts from leading brands
• Workplace ISA
• Pension scheme with access to pension guidance
• Financial Education Hub and 1:1 financial advice via AAG
• Nutritional consultations and access to online workouts
• Corporate discounts on gym memberships and home fitness products
• Free breakfasts and lunches (mentioned by trainees)
• Bonus scheme and long service awards
• Employee referral scheme
• Payroll giving (Give As You Earn)
• Dedicated volunteering day per year
• Sabbatical leave provisions
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay
• Fertility Leave, Pregnancy Loss and Neonatal Care Leave policies
• Menopause Support Policy and Menopause Support Hub

Wellbeing

Comprehensive wellbeing support including an internal Wellbeing Hub, mental health first aiders, an employee assistance programme, a wellbeing app, resilience seminars, and guidance for managers. The firm runs regular wellbeing-themed events and offers resources supporting physical, emotional, social and financial wellbeing.

Awards & Recognition

• LawWorks Pro Bono Awards 2019 – Best Contribution by a Large Firm
• Shortlisted: The Lawyer Awards 2024 – Real Estate Team of the Year (Morden Wharf submission)
• Spears 500 recognition for Family Law team (rankings including Top Recommended and Recommended listings, 2022)
• Chambers HNW Guide recognition (Private Wealth and Private Wealth Disputes, 2025)

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Signatory to the Race Fairness Commitment; publishes gender and ethnicity pay gap reporting; publishes pay bands for each level; runs leadership and development programmes (Inspire at HK, HK Mentors) to increase diverse representation in senior roles.

• REACH (Religion, Ethnicity, And Cultural Heritage) network
• Empower (gender equity) network
• Pride network
• AdaptAble (disability and neurodivergence) network
• Social Mobility network
• DEI Committee
• Race Fairness Commitment signatory
• HK Mentors mentoring programme
• Inclusive recruitment practices and people surveys

Pro Bono

Firm-wide Pro Bono Programme encourages participation from all lawyers; the programme is delivered in partnership with LawWorks referrals and includes a remote advice service with Toynbee Hall, participation in the LawWorks Honorary Counsel Scheme and targeted projects (e.g., support for Action on Postpartum Psychosis). Nearly 30 members of the firm are involved in providing pro bono advice on a weekly basis; the firm offers a dedicated volunteer day each year and matches funds raised by employees.

Innovation

Howard Kennedy highlights its technology capability in supporting transactional and capital-raising work, including an agentic AI platform (Aether) used to increase efficiency and support due diligence and document workstreams. Trainees and fee-earners are exposed to the firm's technology capability as part of integrated deal teams; the firm has mixed insider ratings for legal tech which suggests active investment and evolving adoption.

• Aether (agentic AI platform / agentic AI capability mentioned in corporate capability)
• Technology capability to support integrated corporate and capital-raising work

Quick Application Angles

• Focus on the firm's values in your application — give examples showing how you ‘Talk straight’, ‘Think smart’ and ‘Be yourself’ (use brief concrete examples from work or university).
• Reference relevant sector experience: if applying to Real Estate or Living, mention an interest or experience in building safety, retrofit or BTR/PBSA models; for ESG roles mention the firm’s ESG cross-practice offering and specific projects (e.g., renewable energy VCTs / solar PV work).
• Highlight evidence of collaboration and client focus — the firm prizes cross-specialism teamwork and early client responsibility (use paralegal client-facing experience or pro bono matters to show this).
• Mention the firm’s technology capability (Aether) and be ready to discuss any experience using legal tech, document automation or data handling — innovation is part of their commercial offering.
• If you trained or worked at the firm as a paralegal, emphasise that experience and cite direct examples of responsibility and outcomes; trainees report strong peer support and partner approachability (A* ratings), so show how you would capitalise on that environment.