Stevens & Bolton LLP

Overview

Stevens & Bolton is an independent, full-service UK law firm headquartered in Guildford that combines technical excellence with a personal service model. Operating from a single modern office just outside London, the firm advises multinational groups, FTSE companies, owner-managed businesses, entrepreneurs and private individuals across domestic and cross-border matters. It is known for pragmatic, commercial legal advice across a broad range of sectors (notably corporate/M&A, real estate, banking & finance, technology and franchising) and for bringing cross-practice capability and partner-level involvement to mid‑market and complex transactions. The firm positions itself as a responsive alternative to City firms while delivering top‑tier directory-ranked practice teams.

• Headquarters: Wey House, Farnham Road, Guildford, Surrey GU1 4YD
• Lawyers: 300 (total headcount stated on careers pages)
• Trainees: Around 10 trainees recruited per year
• Offices: 1

Values & Culture

Practice Areas

• Banking & Finance
• Commercial Contracts
• Construction & Engineering
• Corporate & M&A
• Data Protection & Privacy
• Dispute Resolution & Litigation
• Employment
• Environment & Planning
• ESG & Sustainability
• Immigration
• Insolvency & Restructuring
• Intellectual Property
• Private Client & Wealth
• Real Estate
• Regulatory & Compliance
• Tax
• Technology & Digital
• Pensions
• Financial Services & Regulation
• Retail & Consumer
• Hospitality & Leisure
• Healthcare & Life Sciences
• Sports Law
• Insurance & Reinsurance

Geographic Focus: The firm is UK‑based with an international client base and cross‑border capability delivered from its Guildford headquarters. It regularly acts for overseas corporates and private equity/funds on UK and cross‑border transactions and coordinates with carefully selected foreign counsel for multi‑jurisdictional matters. The firm positions itself to act as lead English‑law counsel on international mandates while hand‑picking local partners where required.

Training Contract

Two‑year training contract consisting of four six‑month seats. Seats are arranged to expose trainees to both contentious and non‑contentious practice areas; trainees typically undertake a corporate seat, a contentious seat and a property‑related seat as part of their four rotations. Each seat has a dedicated supervisor to guide development and trainees are given meaningful responsibility and client exposure from day one.

• Starting Salary: £40,000 (first year); £42,000 (second year)
• NQ Salary: £66,000 (Newly Qualified salary quoted on early careers pages)
• Trainee Intake: Around 10 trainees recruited each year
• Academic Requirements: Candidates are normally expected to have (or expect to achieve) a 2:1 degree or higher (unless there are exceptional circumstances). Minimum 128 UCAS points in one sitting with at least one grade A at A‑Level. The firm accepts both law and non‑law graduates.

Seat Options

• Corporate & M&A
• Dispute Resolution & Litigation
• Real Estate

Sponsorship

PGDL & SQE fees covered (first sitting). Maintenance grant of £7,000 for each year of study (paid where a training contract has been accepted and courses not yet completed).

SQE Support

The firm pays PGDL and SQE fees (first sitting) and expects trainees to study at the University of Law (formal provider expectation stated).

Client Secondments

The firm states that client secondments are frequently available across core practice areas on a full‑ or part‑time basis (no fixed percentage or typical durations are published).

Mentorship

Dedicated seat supervisors in each seat, a buddy scheme matching future trainees with current trainees, a peer-to-peer Link and Learn programme for associates, and regular informal career review discussions with a dedicated partner mentor.

Apply on the Stevens & Bolton LLP website →

Programmes & Schemes

Notable Matters

What Stevens & Bolton LLP Looks For

Key Competencies

• Commercial awareness
• Strong communication skills
• Attention to detail
• Drive and ambition
• Intelligence and analytical ability
• Teamwork and collaboration
• Client service orientation
• Resilience and a willingness to work hard
• Adaptability and open‑mindedness about seat rotations

Evidence Signals

• Performance on a vacation scheme or direct commercial legal experience
• Commercial internships, work experience with businesses or in‑house teams
• Pro bono and community involvement
• Academic achievement (2:1 or above) plus contextual evidence via REALrating
• Demonstrable interest in the firm’s sectors (e.g., franchising, technology, real estate, finance) and familiarity with recent firm matters or S&B Signals themes
• Participation in moot, negotiation or drafting competitions, or demonstrable drafting/commercial skills

Benefits & Wellbeing

• First year trainee salary £40,000; Second year trainee salary £42,000; NQ salary £66,000
• PGDL & SQE fees paid (first sitting)
• £7,000 maintenance grant for each year of study (for accepted trainees)
• Private health insurance
• Eye care reimbursement
• Annual flu vaccination
• 24/7 Virtual GP service
• Group personal pension scheme with company contributions
• Discretionary performance bonus
• Profit share bonus scheme
• Employee referral scheme
• Travel allowance or free car parking
• Season ticket loan
• Cash plan for everyday medical costs
• Life assurance
• Critical illness insurance
• Dental insurance
• Fully equipped modern office next to train station
• Agile working policy (minimum two days in office for most staff)
• Fitness and gym discounts
• Cycle to work scheme
• Free fruit and refreshments
• Dining & lifestyle discounts
• Minimum 25 days annual leave plus option to buy/sell holiday
• Enhanced family‑friendly policies (Maternity, Paternity, Shared Parental leave, Family & Dependant leave, time off for fertility treatment)
• Parental transition coaching
• Fun Pass family discounts
• Neo‑natal leave
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
• Multi‑use wellbeing room
• Social committee and firm social events
• Access to wellbeing resources, webinars and apps
• Mental health first aid points of contact

Wellbeing

Employee Assistance Programme, trained mental health first aiders, multi‑use wellbeing room, firmwide wellbeing webinars (topics such as menopause, miscarriage, men’s health, sleep, healthy eating) and adoption of the Mindful Business Charter.

Awards & Recognition

• Firm of the Year, Legal Cheek Awards 2025
• Gold Award for Services to Franchising, European Franchise Awards 2025
• Corporate Law Firm of the Year, Insider South East Dealmakers Awards (multiple wins in 2018, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007)
• Featured in The Times Best Law Firms 2025 listing
• Shortlisted for Luxury Law Firm of the Year – Independent Law Firm (2026)
• Shortlisted for Legal Advisor of the Year - Deal‑making (2026)
• Shortlisted for Corporate Law Firm of the Year and Deal of the Year (£40m+) (Insider South East Dealmakers Awards 2026)
• Shortlisted for Law Firm of the Year (Citywealth Magic Circle Awards 2026)
• Firm awards and shortlists across 2024–2026 including Private Client, ESG initiative shortlists and Legal Services Provider of the Year shortlist
• 2 star Fitwel accreditation (office investment recognition)

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Voluntary gender pay gap reporting; adoption of contextual recruitment tools to improve social mobility; support for inclusive recruitment and flexible working; appointment of a Responsible Business Manager (April 2025) to coordinate responsible business strategy.

• D&I Forum and action sub‑groups (LGBTQ+, race and ethnicity, mental health awareness, Mindful Business Charter, family and parenting, Interlaw Diversity Forum, Women in the Law)
• REALrating (upReach contextual recruitment) used for Vacation Scheme and Training Contract recruitment (opt‑in for candidates)
• Signed The Law Society’s 'Women in Law' pledge
• Founded the Guildford Women in Business network (2023)
• Hosted Legal Recruitment Workshop for University of Surrey students (2024)
• Firm charity partnership with Challengers (Guildford) and founding member/Corporate Ambassador of Guildford Philanthropy

Pro Bono

The firm’s lawyers engage in pro bono work to expand access to justice and participate in local schools as governors and mentors.

Innovation

The firm is investing in practical legal technology and knowledge management — commissioning AI/automation work (e.g., Copilot Studio Developer role) and creating products such as S&B Signals to help clients anticipate legal and regulatory change. Knowledge lawyers provide in‑house technical training and the firm runs partnership‑wide programmes to strengthen collaborative working and to scale legal‑tech enabled delivery. Trainees and associates engage with knowledge resources and internal development programmes, and the firm advertises roles focused on building AI‑powered copilots and automations.

• S&B Signals (client/regulatory signal service introduced to help anticipate change)
• Copilot Studio (hiring a Copilot Studio Developer to build and maintain AI‑powered copilots and automations across the firm)
• Client Catalyst programme (partnership‑wide training to strengthen cross‑firm collaboration and client focus)
• In‑house knowledge lawyers and knowledge & information services to support targeted legal‑technical training

Quick Application Angles

• Show commercial awareness of the firm’s mid‑market, multi‑sector focus: reference a specific recent deal (e.g., the Seal Software exit to DocuSign or the Rock Rail co‑investment) and explain what commercial or legal risks you would watch for.
• Highlight fit with the one‑office, collaborative model: emphasise examples of teamwork, partner exposure and times you’ve thrived with senior mentoring — the firm prioritises approachable, team‑oriented candidates.
• Demonstrate sector interest and technical curiosity: if applying to Technology or Data Protection teams, reference S&B Signals or recent technical insights (for example the firm’s briefings on the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025) and explain how you keep up with regulatory change.
• Use the REALrating/contextual recruitment opt‑in to surface contextual life‑story advantages if relevant, and mention practical steps you’ve taken to develop commercial skills (e.g., internships, business projects, client‑facing experience).