Napthens LLP
Overview
Napthens LLP is an award-winning, full-service regional law firm headquartered in Preston with a strong market position across the North West of England. The firm combines long local heritage (serving Preston and the region for more than 100 years) with a modern, tech-enabled service model and a group structure (including AfterAthena and Lancashire Search Services) that broadens its commercial offering. Napthens is particularly well regarded for its commercial, corporate, real estate, dispute resolution and residential conveyancing teams and positions itself as a trusted adviser to businesses and private clients across Lancashire, Cumbria and Merseyside.
- Headquarters: Preston, 7 Winckley Square
- Lawyers: 300+ colleagues (headcount)
- Partners: 31
- Trainees: 18
- Offices: 7
Values & Culture
Practice Areas
- Corporate & M&A
- Commercial Contracts
- Real Estate
- Dispute Resolution & Litigation
- Employment
- Intellectual Property
- Agriculture & Rural
- Family Law
- Insolvency & Restructuring
- Private Client & Wealth
- Data Protection & Privacy
- Professional Negligence
- Regulatory & Compliance
- Private Equity & Venture Capital
- Tax
Geographic Focus: Strong regional focus across the North West of England (Lancashire, Cumbria, Merseyside and the Liverpool City Region) with a city presence in Manchester and growing activity in Liverpool. The firm serves local, regional and national clients and pitches itself as a North West hub capable of handling UK‑wide work while maintaining local market knowledge and long-term client relationships.
Training Contract
Two‑year solicitor training contract with six‑month seats (typically five different departments). Seats are predominantly commercial in focus and may be based across Preston, Blackburn, Liverpool and Southport; Napthens offers bespoke elements to align placements with trainee career objectives and provides early client and partner access. Trainees join a cohort community called Flourish for peer support and mentoring throughout the contract.
- Trainee Intake: 18 (current trainee headcount across the firm) — the firm recruits multiple trainees each year and runs annual intake rounds (applications for the 202
- Academic Requirements: Napthens accepts candidates who have completed the Legal Practice Course (LPC) or the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) route; non‑law graduates can qualify via the SQE and the firm supports solicitor apprenticeships for post A‑level entrants (five to six‑year apprenticeship leading to a law degree/LLM and SQE assessment).
- Application Deadline: 2025-08-31
Seat Options
- Corporate & M&A
- Employment
- Dispute Resolution & Litigation
- Real Estate
- Family Law
Sponsorship
Napthens runs a solicitor apprenticeship delivered with UCLAN (five‑year programme) and paralegal apprenticeships with CILEX; the firm notes that funding may be available to support SQE study while working with the firm.
SQE Support
The firm states that funding may be available to complete the SQE while working at Napthens and supports applications to qualify via the SQE route. Napthens also operates solicitor apprenticeship routes which include SQE preparation as part of the pathway.
Mentorship
Formal mentoring is provided from day one via a comprehensive induction and matching service; trainees join the Flourish community and have access to trainee and NQ mentorship, departmental learning champions, a mentoring programme and Launchpad for NQs. The learning & development team run one‑to‑one coaching and departmental academies.
Programmes & Schemes
A five to six‑year degree apprenticeship (delivered with UCLAN) aimed at post‑A‑level candidates that combines workplace training with academic study leading to a law degree/LLM and preparation for the SQE. Apprentices gain day‑to‑day exposure to partners and clients with on‑the‑job responsibility and mentoring.
- Duration: 5-6 years
A paralegal apprenticeship route aligned to CILEX which provides practical on‑the‑job training for legal assistants and route to professional qualifications as a legal executive or assistant; used to upskill existing employees and create career pathways within Napthens.
Opening Doors is a social mobility initiative that runs law careers days, school/college/university workshops, Q&A sessions and outreach events to broaden access to the legal profession for under‑represented groups. Napthens delivers seminars, practical activities and networking coaching to students and works with local education partners across the North West.
Notable Matters
Advised on a High Court commercial contract dispute concerning termination of a supply agreement and applications for injunctive relief in relation to business-critical trading arrangements with multi‑million‑pound commercial exposure. The firm acted for the party seeking emergency commercial remedies and worked on strategy and enforcement at the High Court level.
Dispute Resolution & Litigation
Advised on Court of Appeal litigation concerning enforcement of a foreign matrimonial judgment (circa US$5.8m), including applications for freezing orders, asset disclosure and contempt proceedings. The work involved High Court and appellate litigation strategy and cross‑border enforcement issues.
Dispute Resolution & Litigation
Acted in High Court shareholder and unfair prejudice proceedings involving valuation disputes of company interests valued in the multi‑millions, including management of expert evidence and costs strategy.
Dispute Resolution & Litigation
Advised on professional negligence claims arising from defective appointments and negligent expert reports, achieving six‑figure recoveries/settlements on behalf of clients and handling complex quantum arguments and appeal work.
Professional Negligence
Managed worldwide trade mark portfolios and multi‑jurisdictional infringement matters for a world‑renowned motorsport business, combining contentious and non‑contentious IP work across several jurisdictions and supporting global brand protection.
Intellectual Property
What Napthens LLP Looks For
Key Competencies
- Collaboration and team working
- Commercial awareness
- Client service and communication skills
- Resilience and a willingness to take responsibility
- Attention to detail and problem solving
- Leadership potential and commitment to professional development
Evidence Signals
- Practical legal experience or court exposure (for contentious seats)
- Client‑facing work or customer service roles
- Relevant non‑legal experience demonstrating communication, problem solving and leadership
- Apprenticeship or vocational routes (CILEX or solicitor apprenticeship)
- Community outreach or widening participation involvement (Opening Doors)
Benefits & Wellbeing
- Pension scheme
- Holiday buy and sell
- Life insurance
- Cycle to work scheme
- Eye care vouchers
- BHSF health cash plan arrangements
- Employee referral and recruitment recommendation rewards
- Cross referral / introduce new business rewards
- Electric car salary sacrifice scheme
- MyNapthens wellbeing hub (access to wellbeing centre content)
- Firm‑wide learning & development programmes, Leadership Academy and departmental academies
- Regular social and wellbeing events
Wellbeing
MyNapthens hub provides colleagues access to wellbeing resources covering staying active, healthy eating, financial wellbeing and mental health. The people team provide pastoral support, the firm runs wellbeing events and offers one‑to‑one coaching via the head of learning and development.
Awards & Recognition
- Shortlisted for North West Rainmaker Awards 2026 – Regional Legal Team of the Year
- Lancashire Team of the Year at the 2025 North West Rainmaker Awards
- Most Active Legal Adviser in the North West – Experian Market IQ 2025
- Winner: Conveyancing Team of the Year, Clio Modern Law Awards 2026
- Winner: Client Care Award (100+ Employees), Clio Modern Law Awards 2026
- Highly commended: Conveyancing Firm of the Year – North of England, LEAP Modern Law Conveyancing Awards 2025
- Finalist: Mid‑size Law Firm of the Year 2025 North West Business Insider Dealmakers Awards
- Finalist: Mid‑Sized Law Firm of the Year 2022 North West Business Insider Dealmakers Awards
- Finalist: Independent Law Firm of the Year 2020 The Lawyer
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Published ESG report; launched Opening Doors social mobility plan (August 2024); the firm maintains an Equality and Diversity policy and an internal EDI committee. The firm publishes equality & diversity data and a Gender Pay Gap / Responsible Business report (links on the firm site).
- Opening Doors (social mobility plan and outreach events)
- EDI committee (covers neurodiversity, ethnicity, gender and disability)
- House of Commons participation supporting Breaking Down Barriers (Feb 2024)
- Partnership with NSPCC
- Publication of first ESG report and Responsible Business reporting
Pro Bono
Napthens operates charitable and community activities through Napthens Foundation, partners with national charities such as NSPCC, and runs community outreach via Opening Doors; the firm emphasises volunteering and community engagement as part of its social commitments.
Innovation
Napthens describes itself as embracing technology to improve efficiency and client service, combining specialist legal advice with technology through sister businesses (AfterAthena) and in‑house services such as Lancashire Search Services. The firm highlights digitised document review and e‑signing, and promotes technology uptake across teams to free lawyer time for higher‑value work.
- AfterAthena (tech‑enabled people services within the Napthens Group)
- Lancashire Search Services (in‑house legal search function)
- Use of modern document review/signing technology and digital conveyancing tools
- MyNapthens internal hub for colleague resources
Quick Application Angles
- Emphasise regional insight and long‑term client relationships — reference Napthens’ strong North West presence and community initiatives such as Opening Doors when explaining why you want to train there.
- If applying for a commercial seat, highlight practical commercial awareness and examples of client‑facing or project work — the firm prizes early client contact and practical responsibility.
- Mention experience or interest in the firm’s standout areas (real estate/conveyancing, corporate & M&A, dispute resolution or rural/agriculture) and reference Napthens’ recent conveyancing and client care awards to show you’ve researched their work.
- If you have vocational experience (apprenticeship, CILEX, paralegal work), call this out — Napthens actively recruits via apprenticeship and CILEX routes and supports multiple qualification pathways.
- Reference their training culture (Flourish, departmental academies and direct partner access) and give examples of times you’ve worked in close teams, taken responsibility early, or learned from peers — Napthens looks for trainees who thrive in collaborative, supportive environments.
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