Stephenson Harwood

Overview

Stephenson Harwood is an international, full-service law firm known for its cross-border strength in maritime, transport & trade, finance, technology and life sciences work. The firm emphasises "positive partnerships" with clients and combines a central innovation capability with deep sector expertise across five core focus areas: Energy Transition & Infrastructure, Life Sciences & Healthcare, Private Capital & Funds, Technology, and Transportation & Trade. With more than 1,500 people (including 230+ partners) and a network of offices across Europe, the Middle East and Asia, the firm positions itself as a practical, commercially focused adviser on complex multi-jurisdictional matters. The firm traces its origins back to 1828 and maintains a City headquarters in London (Finsbury Circus).

• Headquarters: London, Finsbury Circus
• Founded: 1828
• Lawyers: 1,500
• Partners: 230+
• Trainees: 25 (London intake per year)
• Offices: 10

Values & Culture

Practice Areas

• Banking & Finance
• Shipping & Maritime
• Corporate & M&A
• Technology & Digital
• Healthcare & Life Sciences
• Competition & Antitrust
• Employment
• Real Estate
• Insurance & Reinsurance
• Tax
• Dispute Resolution & Litigation
• Intellectual Property
• Energy & Natural Resources
• Infrastructure & Projects
• Private Equity & Venture Capital
• Investment Funds
• Transport & Logistics
• Insolvency & Restructuring
• Regulatory & Compliance
• Pensions

Geographic Focus: Stephenson Harwood is strongest across Europe, the Middle East and Asia, maintaining core offices in London, Paris, Athens and a significant regional footprint in the Middle East (Dubai, Riyadh, Al Khobar) and Asia (Hong Kong, Singapore, Shanghai, Seoul). The firm frequently acts on multi-jurisdictional maritime, transport & trade, finance and technology matters and manages cross-border teams and trusted local partner networks to serve clients in over 100 countries.

Training Contract

Two-year training contract comprising four six-month seats. Trainees rotate through four seats (six months each) across contentious and non-contentious practices; seats are designed to deliver a broad balance of commercial awareness and practical legal experience. Each trainee is coached and mentored by a partner or senior solicitor; regular formal and informal development reviews are carried out and a dedicated partner manages and guides development. Trainees are expected to take responsibility early and are given exposure to client-facing work and secondment opportunities.

• Starting Salary: £50,000 (Year 1); £55,000 (Year 2)
• NQ Salary: £105,000
• Trainee Intake: 25 (London intake per year) — Dubai office will take a maximum of 2 trainees (2028 cohort guidance).
• Qualification Rate: 80% (latest trainee retention rate cited)
• Academic Requirements: Minimum degree: 2:1 (ideally). Suggested A-levels: ABB (or equivalent). The firm accepts non-law graduates (covers PGDL/SQE fees) and supports contextual adjustments and disability adjustments in recruitment.
• Application Deadline: 2026-03-27

Seat Options

• Corporate & M&A
• Dispute Resolution & Litigation
• Banking & Finance
• Private Client & Wealth
• Shipping & Maritime
• Technology & Digital
• Healthcare & Life Sciences
• Real Estate
• Employment
• Insolvency & Restructuring
• Intellectual Property
• Tax

Sponsorship

The firm covers PGDL / SQE fees and offers maintenance grants: PGDL maintenance grant £12,000 and SQE maintenance grant £18,000. The firm states 100% of PGDL and SQE fees are covered.

SQE Support

Stephenson Harwood covers SQE preparation at BPP University, including SQE assessment fees and provides an in-house 'essentials for practice' module that complements SQE study and leads to an LLM Legal Practice (solicitor). The firm states fees for PGDL and SQE preparation are covered (see sponsorship).

International Opportunities

International secondment opportunities are available across the global network; trainees in Hong Kong are explicitly able to spend 6 months in London, Singapore, Dubai or Shanghai. The firm states that 25% of people are based outside the UK and cross-office rotations/secondments are a normal feature of development. (Supplementary data: chance of secondment abroad c.16%.)

Client Secondments

Client secondments are offered (market and client-facing secondments are part of the firm's development offerings); (supplementary data: chance of client secondment c.4%).

Mentorship

Each trainee is assigned a partner or senior solicitor mentor who gives regular feedback and career guidance. The firm also operates buddy systems, mentoring schemes and regular development reviews; trainees are coached throughout seat rotations and can access wider networks and internal training programmes.

Apply on the Stephenson Harwood website →

Programmes & Schemes

Notable Matters

What Stephenson Harwood Looks For

Key Competencies

• Commercial awareness
• Attention to detail
• Teamwork and collaboration
• Strong communication (verbal and written)
• Resilience and adaptability
• Intellectual ability and analytical skills
• Ambition and inquisitiveness
• Client focus and pragmatic problem-solving
• Willingness to engage with innovation and technology

Evidence Signals

• Relevant commercial work experience or internships
• Vacation scheme or work experience attendance
• Pro bono involvement
• International experience or languages (Arabic helpful for Middle East roles)
• Demonstrable commercial awareness (deals, sector insight)
• Academic record (2:1 degree, ABB A-levels or equivalent)

Benefits & Wellbeing

• Year 1 trainee salary: £50,000
• Year 2 trainee salary: £55,000
• NQ salary: £105,000
• PGDL maintenance grant: £12,000
• SQE maintenance grant: £18,000
• 100% of PGDL and SQE fees covered
• Private medical insurance
• Dental insurance
• Health screening
• GP appointments
• Qualified therapists/online therapy and wellbeing support (HelloSelf)
• Group life assurance
• Group critical illness cover
• Group income protection
• Group personal pension
• Season ticket loan
• Cycle to work scheme
• Electric car scheme
• Eye care vouchers
• Gym membership subsidy
• Subsidised staff café
• Tastecard
• My Family Care
• Holiday trading
• Retail vouchers
• Technology scheme / mobile phone discount
• Travel and accommodation for international vacation schemes (where applicable)

Wellbeing

A comprehensive wellbeing strategy with preventative measures, health screenings, access to qualified therapists/psychologists/coaches for online therapy, webinars and resources, a Career break/sabbatical policy, Carers policy, Domestic abuse policy, Fertility policy, and signatory status to the Mindful Business Charter.

Awards & Recognition

• British Legal Awards 2024 — 'Strategic Legal Operations Team of the Year' (Legal operations team)
• Marine Money Deal of the Year Awards 2025 — multiple recognised deals advised by the firm
• IFLR Middle East Awards 2025 — 'Net-Zero Transition Award'
• The Oath Middle East Legal Awards 2025 — 'International Law Firm of the Year' (Al Khobar recognition)
• Law.com ALM Middle East Legal Awards 2025 — 'Middle East Law Firm of the Year – UAE'
• Chambers & Partners Middle East Awards 2025 — 'Shipping Law Firm of the Year – UAE'
• Legal 500 ESG award — 'Disability/Neurodiversity: Initiative of the Year' (year on site news)

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Public diversity targets (aspirational targets to increase ethnic minority representation in the UK and increase the number of women in the partnership globally); signatory to the Mindful Business Charter; publishes annual diversity statistics and diversity pay reports (gender, ethnicity and socio-economic reports).

• Enable (Disability & Neurodivergence network)
• Rainbow Migration partnership (LGBTQ+ asylum support)
• Race & Ethnicity initiatives and ethnicity action plan
• Gender initiatives (women in the partnership)
• Socio-economic background programmes and social mobility work
• Disability & Neurodivergence adjustments and policies
• Reports & Data publication programme (annual diversity statistics and pay reporting)

Pro Bono

Pro bono is integral to the firm with thematic pillars: Defend human rights, Improve access to justice, Protect the environment. Notable partners and programmes include work for Rainbow Migration (LGBTQ+ asylum), eyeWitness to Atrocities (turning frontline footage into evidence), Legal Response International (advice to climate-vulnerable countries), Plastic Odyssey (maritime plastic pollution project). Pro bono is coordinated by named contacts (Olivia Loxley, Pro Bono Counsel).

Innovation

Stephenson Harwood operates an expert central innovation team that builds bespoke technology-enabled solutions to reduce cost, speed turnaround and improve consistency and transparency for clients. The firm develops custom Generative AI solutions (SHarper AI) for contract review (DORA project) and uses TAR/eDisclosure, document automation and transaction management platforms across practices. The legal operations team is tightly integrated with fee-earning teams and won external recognition for its strategic legal operations work. Trainees and lawyers are exposed to technology-driven projects, process improvement initiatives and legal project management on live matters.

• Central innovation team (legal project management, process improvement, legal operations, legal technology)
• SHarper AI (firm generative AI platform / custom GenAI solutions)
• DORA GenAI solution (case study)
• Technology Assisted Review (TAR) / AI document review
• Document automation tools and online transaction management tools
• Data analytics platforms and automated proof reading tools
• Client collaboration technology (HighQ portals for group action claims)
• Legal operations and process improvement using Lean Six Sigma methodologies

Quick Application Angles

• Highlight maritime and shipping finance experience or interest — reference the firm's recent Marine Money-recognised financings (e.g., Hafnia, BW LPG) to show sector fit for maritime, transport & offshore teams.
• Demonstrate practical tech/innovation interest and awareness — mention SHarper AI or the DORA GenAI solution and explain how you would add value (process improvement, drafting automation or AI governance). Insider ratings give the firm top marks for training and legal tech, so tie technical curiosity to a desire to learn on client projects.
• For Middle East roles, reference language skills and regional interest — the Dubai and Saudi teams value Arabic or demonstrated Middle East market understanding; cite relevant cross-border work or study/placement experience.
• Use the firm’s DEI and responsible business commitments as evidence of cultural fit — describe concrete involvement in networks, pro bono, or social mobility initiatives (e.g., Rainbow Migration or Bright Sparks) and how that shaped your teamwork and client perspective.
• When discussing academics, align to their stated thresholds (ideally 2:1 and ABB) but emphasise examples of commercial awareness and concise written communication — they look for the ability to quickly assimilate information and identify key issues.