“I joined Sharpe Pritchard because I wanted to experience a wide range of legal disciplines, but did not want to be anonymous at a large firm. I wanted to train and work where you are a valued member of the team and can see your work make a real difference, but also where it is understood that members of staff have lives outside of the office. It’s an extremely friendly atmosphere and the working culture, as well as flexible working initiatives, are unbeatable.
Trainees and junior members of staff are also encouraged to engage in a variety of committees (including a Junior Board) which provides the opportunity to be a part of decisions which are ordinarily taken at a much higher level.
My experience as a trainee at the firm was outstanding and this is why I am delighted to stay and qualify into the corporate department. Sharpe Pritchard strikes an impressive balance with their trainees; giving them lots of responsibility in a variety of interesting work while ensuring there is always support at hand. Everyone who works at the firm is extremely approachable and genuinely interested in your professional development and continued learning, which makes it an exceptional place to train as a solicitor.”
Ryan Copeland (Trainee Solicitor 2017-2019) now a Senior Associate
"I joined Sharpe Pritchard from a large international firm in the City, and I’ve now been here for about eight months. I’d enjoyed working at my previous firm and gained some great experience, but it had become increasingly clear to me that, now that I have a young family, I didn’t want to be travelling frequently and chasing international work. I’d also started to feel a little anonymous in such a big organisation, and wanted to be part of a firm where I could get to know everybody.
One concern with moving from a big firm to a much smaller one is that the quality of work you do might suffer, but in fact nothing could be further from the truth. With Sharpes we work on many very high profile matters, and I’m involved in several multi-million pound disputes. The work is interesting and challenging, and as many of the clients are public authorities there’s the sense that you’re working for the community.
Its also a very friendly and collaborative place to work. In some firms partners are very protective of the work they’ve won, leading to an “eat what you kill” system and very siloed mentalities. In contrast during my first couple of months here I’d been referred work from colleagues across the firm.
In short, I’d highly recommend working for Sharpes!"
David Owens, Partner
“I've been at Sharpe Pritchard for nearly 13 years, having started here as a trainee solicitor. The main draw for me was (and still is) its public sector focus and I must admit I was very curious to find out what “parliamentary agents” do, so I was very pleased when one of them took the trainees on a tour of the House of Commons to show us just that!
The final clincher for me was my interview with the then Senior Partner, which felt more like a good chat with a friend – an early insight into what it would be like sharing an office with him for part of my litigation seat on my training contract.
As a public procurement and contracts lawyer on the Infrastructure team, I have the privilege to contribute to a variety of major and innovative public sector projects, which keeps my job interesting, and I have also been able to see the positive outcomes of these projects for wider society, which keeps me motivated to do my job well!
I also enjoy being able to bring some of my personal passions, such as those for community engagement, into the workplace, by sitting on our Corporate Social Responsibility committee and connecting with local charities. Why have I stayed at the same firm for 13 years? Quite simply, it’s the people - colleagues whom I enjoy working and sharing life with and senior management who have fully supported me in changes to my role and working patterns to accommodate a flexible arrangement. The fact that my personal priorities are respected and supported by my employer, is a huge factor for why I stay.”
Juli Lau, Partner
