Stewarts Law LLP

Overview

Stewarts is the UK’s largest litigation-only law firm, focused exclusively on high-value and complex disputes. The firm is partner-led and conflict-free, with market-leading teams in aviation, personal injury/clinical negligence, competition litigation, commercial litigation, international arbitration and family law; it combines forensic litigation capability with innovative costs and funding solutions (including its Stewarts Litigate ATE facility). Stewarts operates from London and Leeds and positions itself as a specialist, client-focused dispute practice with a strong international reach via strategic alliances and multijurisdictional experience.

Headquarters: London, 5 New Street Square (EC4A 3BF)
Founded: 1990
Partners: 97
Trainees: 8 (approx. training contracts offered per year)
Offices: 2

Values & Culture

Practice Areas

Dispute Resolution & Litigation
International Arbitration
Competition & Antitrust
Insurance & Reinsurance
Personal Injury & Clinical Negligence
Family Law
Fraud & Investigations
Employment
Transport & Logistics
Tax
Private Client & Wealth
Financial Services & Regulation
Insolvency & Restructuring
Regulatory & Compliance
ESG & Sustainability
Professional Negligence
Sports Law
Public Law

Geographic Focus: Primary UK presence from London and Leeds with a strong international practice across Europe, the Americas, Asia and the Middle East through strategic alliances and cross-border arbitration work. The firm acts for FTSE/Fortune clients, sovereign entities and high‑net‑worth individuals and regularly runs multi-jurisdictional litigation and arbitration (ICC, LCIA, SIAC, HKIAC, ICSID and others).

Training Contract

Training contracts typically comprise four six‑month seats (two years total). Trainees rotate through four departments/seats; seat choices are expressed to HR and allocated subject to business need. Trainees must complete at least one injury seat and one commercial seat. Trainees have a bespoke training record reviewed regularly and a quarterly performance review process. Trainees are supervised by a partner or senior associate and are entrusted with early client responsibility in appropriate matters.

Trainee Intake: 8 (approximately per year)
Qualification Rate: Last year the firm retained 5 of 8 trainees (≈62.5%). The 2020 cohort all took NQ roles, with three remaining at Stewarts (3 of 6 retained).
Academic Requirements: Paralegal candidates must have completed an undergraduate degree. Stewarts welcomes applicants from law and non‑law backgrounds, mature students and career changers. All paralegals at Stewarts are eligible to apply for training contracts regardless of length of service. The firm uses contextual recruitment (RARE) in screening paralegal applications.
Application Deadline: 2026-03-31

Seat Options

Dispute Resolution & Litigation
Personal Injury & Clinical Negligence
Family Law
International Arbitration
Competition & Antitrust
Employment
Fraud & Investigations
Insolvency & Restructuring
Insurance & Reinsurance
Financial Services & Regulation
Tax
Private Client & Wealth
Sports Law
Transport & Logistics
Professional Negligence

SQE Support

Paralegals and trainees who secure a training contract are currently required to self-fund the LPC or SQE; the firm does not provide automatic course funding (paralegals with the Bar Course will be required to self-fund and complete the LPC or SQE alongside their training contract).

Mentorship

Each trainee is supervised by a partner or senior associate and has access to the whole department’s expertise. Trainees receive a bespoke training record and quarterly performance reviews. The firm operates internal buddy/support schemes for parents and returners and has a Training Partner (current Training Partner noted on site).

Apply on the Stewarts Law LLP website →

Programmes & Schemes

Work experience (Social Mobility Foundation placement)

One‑week summer work experience placements (London or Leeds) are offered exclusively to students introduced via the Social Mobility Foundation. The programme introduces key legal concepts, CV and interview techniques, and assigns a mentor (usually a qualified lawyer).

Duration: 1 week

Apply →

Paralegal recruitment

Structured paralegal recruitment for fee‑earning paralegal roles across London and Leeds. Paralegals provide fee‑earning and administrative support on a one‑to‑one basis to partners and associates. Candidates must have an undergraduate degree and ideally some relevant experience. Paralegals are eligible to apply for training contracts internally; the firm recruits c.100 paralegals and uses contextual recruitment (RARE) during screening.

Duration: Permanent, full-time (37.5 hours per week)

Apply →

Notable Matters

Vattenfall v NKT, Prysmian and Nexans – multi-million Euro claim (competition/antitrust damages)

Stewarts acted for Swedish state-owned energy company Vattenfall in a multi‑million Euro damages claim against powercable manufacturers NKT, Prysmian and Nexans arising from alleged anti‑competitive conduct. The matter demonstrates the firm’s capability in large-scale, cross‑border competition damages litigation and co‑ordination of extensive technical and documentary disclosure.

Competition & Antitrust

Wong v Grand View Private Trust Company [2022] UKPC 47 – Privy Council (trusts/probate litigation)

Stewarts acted for the successful appellant in the Privy Council appeal in Wong v Grand View Private Trust Company [2022] UKPC 47, a landmark decision clarifying the proper scope of trustee powers and the proper purpose rule. The firm’s Trust & Probate Litigation lawyers provided the appellate advocacy and strategic leadership on this high‑profile trusts dispute.

Private Client & Wealth

Claims against major corporates for misreporting (Royal Bank of Scotland, Tesco plc, Glencore plc) – securities/financial misstatement actions

Stewarts has acted on several ground‑breaking securities and investor misreporting actions against major corporates and banks, including matters concerning alleged misreporting and investor losses. The work showcases the firm’s securities litigation and Financial Services & Regulation capability in high-value investor and disclosure claims.

Financial Services & Regulation

Multi‑billion pound UK class action claim against Microsoft (claim issued)

Stewarts are lead solicitors on a significant multi‑billion pound class/group claim issued in the UK against Microsoft, reflecting the firm’s increasing activity in large group litigation and its capacity to run complex, high‑value multi‑party claims.

Dispute Resolution & Litigation

Aviation accident litigation — recovery of more than US$500m for bereaved families and injured survivors

Stewarts’ Aviation team has recovered over US$500m for more than 1,200 bereaved families and injured survivors arising from over 110 aviation accidents, demonstrating market‑leading claimant aviation expertise, technical investigation capability and cross‑border coordination of complex claims.

Personal Injury & Clinical Negligence

What Stewarts Law LLP Looks For

Key Competencies

Technical excellence and litigation aptitude
Commercial awareness
Teamwork and collaboration
Respectful manners and professionalism
Resilience and ability to manage pressure
Client focus and communication skills
Attention to detail and academic ability
Interest in dispute resolution/arbitration and cross‑border work

Evidence Signals

Fee‑earning paralegal experience (internal paralegal pool is primary recruitment route to training contracts)
Relevant litigation or advocacy experience (mooting, clinics)
Commercial or sector experience for specialist teams (e.g., aviation/financial services)
Pro bono involvement and community engagement
International or language skills for arbitration/international work
Use of contextual recruitment evidence (RARE) where applicable

Benefits & Wellbeing

Pension and life assurance – firm contributes 5% where employee matches contribution via salary exchange
Private medical and dental insurance (premiums paid by the firm) covering employees, spouse/partner and children
Aviva Digicare+ app (digital GP) access
Optical eye care – Boots voucher from HR or £25 contribution towards eye tests
Employee assistance programme (24/7 confidential helpline, counselling) paid for by the firm
Staff introduction (referral) scheme
Interest‑free season ticket loans available after 3 months’ service (subject to criteria)
Gym membership discounts (GymFlex and My Gym Discounts)
Cycle to work scheme (available after 3 months’ service)
Milestone gifts for wedding or birth
Birthday leave – one additional (non-contractual) day’s leave subject to criteria
Enhanced maternity pay: six months at full pay or profit share (no clawback), scaled chargeable hours on return and parental buddy scheme
Enhanced paternity pay: four weeks’ full pay or profit share
Enhanced adoption pay: six months at full pay or profit share
Enhanced shared parental pay: first 13 weeks at full rate of normal basic salary or profit share
Parental leave: up to 18 weeks unpaid per child (after one year’s service)
Five days’ paid leave for fertility treatment in a 12‑month period
Paid leave for pregnancy loss and up to 12 weeks enhanced neonatal care pay
Chargeable hours targets: trainees 650 hours p.a.; paralegals 550 hours p.a.

Wellbeing

Comprehensive wellbeing support including an Employee Assistance Programme (24/7 helpline and counselling), access to digital GP services (Aviva Digicare+), coaching for returners, parent buddy scheme and internal wellbeing events and D&I activities.

Awards & Recognition

Listed in The Times Best Law Firms 2026
Ranked by Chambers UK in 22 categories in the 2026 edition
Record number of lawyers recognised in The Legal 500 2026
Featured in The Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For (appeared four years running; placed 48th in most recent listing referenced)
Multiple Chambers Global rankings secured in 2026 (seven Chambers Global rankings)

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Stewarts is committed to equal opportunity and to creating an inclusive, meritocratic environment; the firm publishes diversity dashboards and a Gender Pay Analysis and runs an Inclusion Committee supported by focus groups to drive D&I strategy and actions.

Inclusion Committee
Diversity Champions
Gender, Parenting and Carers focus group
Ethnicity, Religion and Culture focus group
LGBTQ+ focus group
Disability and Social Mobility focus group
Partnerships with Stonewall, Interlaw and Worklife Central
Use of Rare Recruitment/contextual recruitment in paralegal screening

Pro Bono

Stewarts operates The Legal Service (pro bono) providing free legal support to seriously injured NHS patients; in 2024 the Legal Service assisted 563 seriously injured people, logged almost 9,000 hours on non-legal compensation issues and dedicated an average of 16 hours per seriously injured person. Twelve Stewarts lawyers were listed on the Pro Bono Recognition List 2025; the firm maintains a Pro Bono Manager and Head of Pro Bono.

Innovation

Stewarts invests in innovative litigation funding and insurance solutions (notably the Stewarts Litigate ATE facility), data analysis and technical systems to support complex disclosure and cross‑border litigation. The firm highlights innovation in e‑disclosure, funding arrangements, and an internal knowledge function that supports trainees and fee‑earners; IT investment and enterprise systems are referenced as key to the firm’s growth.

Stewarts Litigate (market-leading ATE insurance facility for commercial disputes)
Stewarts Costs and Funding services (including AFA Advice Service)
Use of data analysis projects (e.g., trends in fraud litigation with Solomonic)
Investment in IT and enterprise systems to support litigation (dedicated Head of IT/IT team)
Expert Witness Training Day and other knowledge/CPD events

Quick Application Angles

Apply as a paralegal first: Stewarts recruits trainees almost exclusively from its internal paralegal pool — securing a paralegal role and demonstrating strong fee‑earning performance and chargeable hours (550 target) is the most direct route to a training contract.
Show concrete litigation experience and commercial awareness: reference litigation funding, Stewarts Litigate, or a relevant dispute (e.g., competition, securities or aviation) to demonstrate you understand how high‑value disputes are structured and funded.
Emphasise teamwork, manners and client care: the firm explicitly lists 'Teamwork, innovation, manners and excellence' as core values — give examples of collaborative client service, respectful professional conduct and situations where you prioritised client outcomes.
If applying to specialist teams, highlight sector evidence: for arbitration or India‑related work, note language skills, international exposure or specific transactional/technical experience; for aviation or injury work, reference relevant technical or medical familiarity and any pro bono/clinical experience.
Demonstrate commitment to social impact and inclusion: Stewarts runs a longstanding Legal Service pro bono programme and has strong D&I focus groups — highlight pro bono, social mobility, or diversity initiatives you’ve been involved in.