Shakespeare Martineau

Overview

Shakespeare Martineau is a Chambers-ranked, national full-service law firm operating across 12 UK cities with more than 1,200 legal and business professionals. The firm offers a broad full‑service offering (over 50 practice areas ranked) across contentious and non-contentious work, with particular sector strength in agriculture, education, charities, real estate and corporate. It is distinctive for its purpose-led positioning — it is a certified B Corporation — and for combining regional depth with a London presence to serve both local and national clients.

• Headquarters: London
• Lawyers: 1,200+ (legal and business professionals)
• Trainees: 12
• Offices: 12

Values & Culture

Practice Areas

• Agriculture & Rural
• Charities & Not-for-Profit
• Corporate & M&A
• Employment
• Family Law
• Dispute Resolution & Litigation
• Intellectual Property
• Private Client & Wealth
• Tax
• Real Estate
• Environment & Planning
• ESG & Sustainability
• Education
• Energy & Natural Resources
• Immigration
• Insolvency & Restructuring
• Construction & Engineering
• Financial Services & Regulation
• Commercial Contracts
• Regulatory & Compliance
• Technology & Digital
• Personal Injury & Clinical Negligence
• Sports Law

Geographic Focus: National UK practice with a network of offices across the East Midlands, West Midlands and London; deep sector teams serving clients across the regions (notably agriculture, education, charities and real estate). The firm operates primarily in the UK market (one country) and focuses on serving regional, national and sectoral clients rather than running a global office network.

Training Contract

Trainees complete five seats: four substantive legal seats plus one short three‑month seat in Operations. The programme is supported by a firm-wide development curriculum, welcome events for assessment/induction and ongoing development conversations. From 2024 the firm prefers trainees to progress via the SQE route (SQE1 and SQE2 completed in advance of qualifying work experience where possible) but will allow LPC entrants to complete their route. Recruitment is typically run two years in advance.

• Starting Salary: £40,000 (Year 1) / £43,000 (Year 2)
• Trainee Intake: 12
• Qualification Rate: 75%
• Academic Requirements: No minimum A‑level requirement and no minimum degree requirement; the firm focuses on the rounded person and competencies rather than fixed grade cut-offs. Non‑law graduates are welcomed; the firm accepts candidates on LPC, SQE, CILEx and apprenticeship routes.
• Application Deadline: 2025-12-05

Sponsorship

Sponsors SQE exam fees and approved preparation courses for training contract recruits; will also support LPC entrants where they are continuing on that route.

SQE Support

The firm sponsors SQE qualifications for successful training contract candidates — covering SQE exam fees and prep courses (the firm has a preferred supplier and will support completion of SQE1 and SQE2).

International Opportunities

Chances of secondment abroad: 0% (historical trainee secondment chances reported as 0%)

Client Secondments

Chances of client secondment: 0% (historical trainee client secondment chances reported as 0%)

Mentorship

Trainees benefit from a structured development programme with induction/welcome events, assessment‑day support, group feedback sessions, and access to internal networks and champions (People, Communities and Environment champions). Trainees are encouraged to engage with outreach and volunteer initiatives; the firm runs internal networks (for example, the 'More in Common' inclusivity network) and local mentoring within teams.

Apply on the Shakespeare Martineau website →

Programmes & Schemes

Notable Matters

What Shakespeare Martineau Looks For

Key Competencies

• Commercial awareness
• Teamwork and collaboration
• Attention to detail
• Resilience and adaptability
• Authenticity and individual perspective (#BeYourself)
• Client focus and practical problem solving
• Good communication and professionalism

Evidence Signals

• Demonstrable commercial awareness tailored to the firm's sectors (education, agriculture, charities, real estate)
• High-quality work experience (legal or non‑legal) with clear learning outcomes
• Volunteering and outreach involvement
• Well-structured examples using the STAR technique
• Active interest in responsible business, sustainability or community engagement

Benefits & Wellbeing

• Trainee salary: Year 1 £40,000; Year 2 £43,000
• Flexible/empowered working (core hours 09:00–17:30 but flexible arrangements encouraged)
• Dress for your diary policy
• SQE exam and prep course sponsorship for training contract candidates
• 10,000 hours volunteering ambition and active CSR/Responsible Business programme
• Access to internal networks and inclusion groups (for example 'More in Common')
• Membership/participation in Best Companies group accreditation (Ampa Group recognition 2025)

Wellbeing

Wellbeing is supported through internal people networks, responsible business activities and promoted work‑life flexibility; employees are encouraged to volunteer and there are People, Communities and Environment champions across the firm.

Awards & Recognition

• Chambers Top Ranked (multiple departments)
• Legal 500: 50+ ranked practice areas (multiple Tier 1 rankings across regions)
• B Corporation certification (B Corp accredited)
• Best Companies lists 2025: Ampa - Legal & Professional Services recognised as 'very good' (one-star accreditation)

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

B Corporation accreditation; active Responsible Business strategy focusing on communities, people and environment; engagement with sector networks and regional outreach to improve inclusion.

• More in Common (internal inclusivity network)
• People, Communities and Environment champions
• Women in Agriculture (WiA) network (sponsor and event series)
• 10,000 hours volunteering ambition

Pro Bono

Firm-wide CSR and pro bono culture with a 10,000 hours volunteering ambition; trainees and staff are encouraged to volunteer and participate in outreach and community programmes.

Innovation

Quick Application Angles

• Reference the firm's B Corp status and Responsible Business commitments in your application — concrete examples of how you've driven social or environmental impact will resonate.
• Show commercial awareness for one of their sector strengths (e.g. agriculture, education, charities or real estate) — cite a recent firm matter or article such as the Dragonpass acquisition or the Barratt‑Redrow joint venture when explaining relevance.
• Emphasise quality over quantity of experience: use STAR-structured examples that show what you learned and the outcomes you delivered rather than listing many short placements.
• Highlight teamwork and peer support examples: trainee and insider ratings show the firm values collaborative, approachable colleagues and partner accessibility.
• Demonstrate commitment to continuous improvement and adaptability — mention experience of flexible working, volunteering, or running initiatives that align with the firm's culture code (Authentic, Collaborative, Trusted, Brave).