Sintons

Overview

Sintons is a long-established, partner-led full service law firm rooted in the North East of England with a national client base. Established in 1896, the firm emphasises partner-led, practical and commercial advice across a wide range of sectors and is regularly recognised by major directories and regional awards (including multiple Northern Law Awards wins and Legal 500 / Chambers recognition). Sintons combines regional strength and community focus with expertise in corporate, regulatory, healthcare, construction and real estate matters, and promotes a close, collaborative culture across its Newcastle, York, Leeds and London offices.

Headquarters: Newcastle upon Tyne, The Cube
Founded: 1896
Lawyers: 125+
Partners: 37
Trainees: 8
Offices: 4

Values & Culture

Practice Areas

Corporate & M&A
Banking & Finance
Financial Services & Regulation
Employment
Intellectual Property
Real Estate
Regulatory & Compliance
Healthcare & Life Sciences
Charities & Not-for-Profit
Hospitality & Leisure
Immigration
Energy & Natural Resources
Construction & Engineering
Dispute Resolution & Litigation
Commercial Contracts
Insolvency & Restructuring
Tax

Geographic Focus: Strong regional focus in the North East of England (Newcastle head office) with an active national practice and clients across the UK and further afield. The firm operates from Newcastle upon Tyne with consulting offices in York, Leeds and London and positions itself to attract regional clients and national instructions while maintaining close ties to local communities.

Training Contract

Two-year training contract. Trainees complete seats in four different departments across the firm to gain experience of a full range of work. Trainees are given responsibility from day one, receive departmental training and are expected to take an active role within each department; trainee solicitors also collaborate with solicitor apprentices and lead firm fundraising activity. Separate route: a six-year solicitor apprenticeship (NESA) combining employer-based training and an LLB (Hons) in Legal Practice with one day per week study at Northumbria University.

Trainee Intake: 8
Academic Requirements: The firm states that trainee solicitors should demonstrate a strong academic record. Other desired attributes listed include commitment, enthusiasm, willingness to learn, teamworking, a pragmatic and commercial approach and strong communication skills.
Application Deadline: 31 March 2026

Mentorship

Training combines departmental training and close supervision by practising lawyers; the firm highlights that trainees will be "supported every step of the way" and work alongside leading lawyers regionally and nationally. Trainees work alongside the firm’s group of trainee solicitors and solicitor apprentices and benefit from firm-wide and departmental training, regular reviews and development support (the wider firm has monthly reviews and annual appraisals for staff).

Apply on the Sintons website →

Programmes & Schemes

Solicitor Apprenticeship

A six-year solicitor apprenticeship delivered as part of the North East Solicitor Apprenticeship (NESA). Apprentices study for an LLB (Hons) in Legal Practice while working and being paid a salary; typical study pattern is four days a week in the office and one day studying at Northumbria University. Apprentices will work in at least four different legal departments over the six years, with the first two years likely spent in the same department to help settling into work. The apprenticeship combines practical work-based learning with formal university study and is designed to open up the legal profession without university fees.

Duration: 6 years
Deadline: TBC

Apply →

What Sintons Looks For

Key Competencies

Commitment and enthusiasm
Willingness to learn
Ability to work as part of a team
Strong academic record
Pragmatic and commercial approach to problem solving
Good communication skills

Evidence Signals

Demonstrable commercial awareness relevant to regional and national businesses
Team-based experience and evidence of collaborative work
Paralegal, vacation-scheme or other legal work experience
Pro bono, volunteering or CSR involvement (the firm places emphasis on community engagement)
Direct client-facing or sector-specific experience (healthcare, construction, real estate, financial services) relevant to the firm’s practice areas

Benefits & Wellbeing

Competitive salary (annually reviewed)
Discretionary firm bonus scheme (firm-wide, based on billing targets)
Pension scheme with Standard Life (standard 5% matched contribution; enhanced contributions as career develops)
Holiday entitlement: 28 days per annum, increasing to 33 days after 10 years' service; option to buy up to 2 additional days; birthday day off
Life insurance: four times annual salary up to state pension age (from day one)
Private medical insurance (BUPA option at corporate discounted rate, paid via salary deduction)
Health cash plan (free of charge for optical, dental, therapy and policy excess)
Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
Long service awards (from 5 years' service)
Support and funding for professional membership and part/fully funded educational support for additional professional qualifications
Qualification leave for trainees, solicitor apprentices and employees supported through Educational Support Policy
Enhanced maternity/adoption/paternity leave
Agile working and hybrid working (opportunity to work at home for up to 40% of an individual's working hours each week)
Interest-free travel loans and season ticket support; cycle to work scheme
Employee introduction (referral) bonus scheme
Everyday shopping discounts and cashback offers via benefits provider
Additional role-dependent benefits: enhanced pension contributions, free car parking and funded private medical insurance (available according to position)

Wellbeing

Employee Assistance Programme, health cash plan (supports optical/dental/therapy costs), access to private medical insurance (BUPA option), long service recognition and support for professional development. The firm runs CSR and community activity which staff are encouraged to participate in as part of wellbeing and engagement.

Awards & Recognition

Legal 500 - Top Tier (2025) (Top Tier Firm logo shown)
Investors in People - Gold (image reference, 2025)
Lexcel accreditation (re-accredited)
Cyber Essentials Plus accreditation
International Jurists membership/logo
The Legal 500 - Best Rated: Client Service (logo shown)
Disability Confident Committed (logo shown)
Northern Law Awards - multiple awards including Law Firm of the Year (firm has won five Northern Law Awards; Business Development & Marketing Team won Professional Support of the Year 2026)

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Sintons has committed to achieving carbon neutral status by 2040 and operates a formal Corporate Social Responsibility programme with firm-wide engagement and volunteering time allocated annually.

CSR Group (regularly meeting staff group leading CSR projects)
Disability Confident Committed
Investors in People (status)
Firm-wide bi-annual chosen charity fundraising (staff choose a charity for two years)
Allocation of 80 days each year for partners and employees to support local charities (volunteering / pro bono / trustee / mentor roles)

Pro Bono

The firm assigns 80 days each year to support local charities and pro-bono activities; time off may be used for volunteering, providing pro-bono legal advice, mentoring, coaching or acting as trustees or school governors. Staff select a charity to support on a bi-annual basis; the charity for the two-year period starting 1 April 2026 is St Oswald’s Hospice.

Innovation

The firm highlights investment in secure systems and has achieved Cyber Essentials Plus accreditation. The website contains limited public detail about specific legal‑tech platforms or named in‑house tools; innovation activity appears focused on secure, standards-based IT and process support rather than named proprietary legal‑tech platforms on public pages.

Cyber Essentials Plus accreditation (demonstrates an information security posture)

Quick Application Angles

Reference Sintons’ regional and national client base and recent directory/award recognition (Legal 500/Chambers and Northern Law Awards) to show commercial fit — demonstrate commercial awareness of issues facing North East businesses.
Highlight collaborative, client-service examples in your application that echo the firm’s core values (Teamwork; Excellent Client Service; Professionalism; Our People). Use specific examples of working in teams and delivering practical solutions.
If applying for the apprenticeship route, call out interest in the North East Solicitor Apprenticeship (NESA) model and explain why combining workplace learning with an LLB suits your career and financial circumstances.
Mention engagement with community/CSR activity, volunteering or charity fundraising (the firm assigns time for community support and runs firm-wide charity programmes) — Sintons values community involvement and pro-bono engagement.
Follow and, where appropriate, engage with @SintonsTrainees on Twitter for informal insight and to show proactive interest; reference any specific departmental work or news items from the firm (e.g., construction/real estate or healthcare sector pieces) to show sector suitability.