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Overview
A firm that divides opinion like few others, upper-mid market City practice SJ Berwin is famed for its robust, entrepreneurial style. SJs' admirers celebrate the relatively young outfit as a firm built along similar lines to the classic US model – including a partnership and culture many would define as ‘eat what you kill’. However, some are turned off by a culture once memorably described by one of its own senior partners, perhaps as a joke, as being built on “sharp elbows and insecurities”.
Whatever your opinion, the firm has certainly been doing much right as it has been one of the fastest-growing firms in the UK in recent years, a reputation sealed with financial results posted for 2007-08 that show the firm’s revenue rising by 14% to hit £215m.
Perhaps one reason for its rapid growth is its controversial bonus scheme - which rewards associates for billing a frankly scary 2,500 hours a year. That has done little to dampen the enthusiasm of one willing worker bee, who describes the City outfit as a "great place to work".
However, other contributors are not so sure. There is high-quality work on offer but an uncompromising culture of hard graft, with "disaffection and departures" apparently seeping through the some elements of the junior ranks, which are populated by plenty of Aussies and New Zealanders.
History
One of the youngest firms in the UK’s top 25 by revenue, SJ Berwin was founded by the legendary Stanley Berwin along with a handful of like-minded lawyers in 1982. The firm was once often compared to its partial name-sake Berwin Leighton Paisner, a firm that SJs has as many similarities to as it now does sharp contrasts. SJs was driven by Berwin through the 1980s and early 1990s before leadership was handed over to the much-admired David Harrel, a diplomat with a healthy sense of irony. Harrel led the firm for 13 years, along the way winning plaudits for managing a firm packed with strong personalities.
It was on Harrel’s watch that the firm in 2000 dramatically hiked its pay-rates for assistants, which contributed to a series of dramatic rises across the City that arguably became the UK’s first-ever legal ‘pay war’. The move was, however, partly a response to poor assistant morale, a weakness the firm’s critics would argue that SJs still has yet to entirely overcome. Harrel also oversaw SJ Berwin’s daring but risky strategy of European expansion; at the time the firm was the only mid-tier City practice to commit to sustained international growth.
The management of the firm passed to heavyweight fund formation partner Jonathan Blake in 2005, who took on the senior partner role alongside existing managing partner Ralph Cohen. The firm has continued to divide opinion in the City, in late 2006 becoming embroiled in controversy over its bonus system (see salaries, below).
News, deals and comment on SJ Berwin
Culture
One ex-SJB contributor points to a certain amount of "bickering" at the firm that marred his time there. However, his comparison between the firm and a certain reality TV show is surely a touch harsh (on SJ Berwin). "I worked at SJB and found it as dull as dishwater," complains one ex-SJB contributor. "From what I hear, the same gripes still exist - a disconnect between management and the assistant base and a zero-tolerance for iniative/dissent from below. Associates should be seen (working) and not heard - although maybe that is the same in any top law firm."
The poster adds: "Legal Week picked up on a wave of discontent last year because it provided a release valve for anonymous comment without the usual fear for assistants of internal consequences. SJB's reputation was eventually going to catch up with it. A firm doesn't get that sort of rep for no apparent reason."
Another contributor even refers to an "oppressive culture that is hard to explain" more prevalent in some departments than others - something that one SJs veteran says "has not really changed" in his years at the firm. "Work hard, cry at home and get nasty if you want to succeed," advises another lachrymose contributor. However, a more pragmatic view is offered by one of the many lawyers from Australia and New Zealand at the firm - he describes the atmosphere as "very intense" but recognises that "this is to be expected".
"You get pushed and get your opportunity to succeed," offers another pragmatist. "Those that don't manage to do that or aren't driven are usually the ones that moan."
Partner Stephen Kon, meanwhile, in his Dealmaker interview describes the firm thus: "While I know this may contrast with the way the firm has been characterised in the press, the firm has never been ‘hard-nosed’. We work hard and are driven as a firm and as individuals; but at the same time, we look out for each other and try to be as caring as possible towards each other, while having fun."
A positive sign was the firm's move in spring 2008 to introduce a new appraisal system for partners, handing associates the scope to provide feedback on criteria including leadership skills and people management.
Key departments
Essentially a full-service outfit, SJ Berwin was in previous years associated with several sectors, notably property, technology and media and private equity. The property influence is as strong as ever on the firm, which acts for some of the top names in real estate. Private equity is also a key area, especially fund formation work, where until recently SJs would have been considered the unassailable leader.
However, competition in the sector has dramatically increased in recent years, partly due to a sustained push from magic circle giant Clifford Chance and a wave of new US entrants into the City market. One of those entrants, Kirkland & Ellis, in early 2007 landed a major blow to SJs’ fund team with the recruitment of a respected three-partner team. Opinions are split between those who feel that the firm has such a strong funds brand that it will not struggle to rebound and those who argue it has suffered serious damage. SJs counters by saying that the funds team has had a “phenomenal year” since the K&E departures, arguing that the critics will be proved very wrong in the near future.
Elsewhere SJ Berwin’s practice has continued to mature, particularly its M&A and banking teams. The firm is also a respected player in competition.
National/international coverage
The firm has an expansive European network. While many were initially sceptical of the firm’s European strategy, SJ Berwin is now widely regarded to have made a success of its international network. The firm’s full list of offices is: Berlin, Brussels, Frankfurt, London, Madrid, Milan, Munich, Paris and Turin.
In April 2008 it emerged that the firm was narrowing its relationships with its US referral partners - including Boston private equity shop Goodwin Procter. For an analysis of where next for SJB, check this entry on the Editors' Blog: SJs: thinking beyond Europe.
Key clients
In property, the firm acts for major names such as British Land, Prestbury, Brixton Estates, Schroders Property Investment and Morley Fund Management. In corporate the firm acts for a host of private equity houses including Apax, Bridgepoint Capital, Macquarie, Lion Capital, Morgan Grenfell Private Equity and MidOcean Partners. Banking clients include Royal Bank of Scotland, Barclays and Standard Chartered.
Leading partners
SJs has many partners with a real client following. Senior partner Jonathan Blake is still regarded as Europe’s top private equity funds lawyer. Corporate partner Steve Davis is credited with doing much to invigorate SJ Berwin’s corporate practice in recent years, alongside fellow partner Rob Day.
Competition partner Stephen Kon and property partners David Ryland and Jon Vivian are respected names, while other notable performers include finance head Gillian Smith, financial services chief Bruce Gardner and head of litigation Craig Pollack.
Career prospects
Good in the sense that this is a very expansive, ambitious firm that has promoted aggressively over recent years, as could be seen in 2007 when the firm made up 16 partners. A more modest eight were made up in 2008, although with six promotions in the City, the firm cannot be accused of neglecting its home territory in favour of looking abroad (as some rivals could).
Still, not everyone is happy.
"Unfortunately, SJB has not had the foresight to develop an alternative career path to partnership," one contributor laments. "Instead, the old-fashioned carrot of partnership is used to try and 'motivate' associates." This could be changing, with SJs currently looking at flexible working arrangements - perhaps a sign of new career paths to come - although readers commenting on Legal Week's report on the move do not seem particularly optimistic. One Aussie contributor at the firm warns compatriots they are likely to end up in the 'cannon fodder' category.
"For other [Aussie and NZ lawyers] thinking of coming to work at SJB, they should do so with their eyes open," he says. "You will get a pay cheque for your time but if you are interested in developing your career in London, look at joining a different City firm." This Australasian flavour is apparently not reflected at partner level.
"At my count, there is one Austalian who might fall into that category," says one poster. "Nathan Briner in banking. Apart from him there are two others who, at a stretch, might class themselves as Antipodean. The first, Stephen Maffey, has lived and worked in the UK for over 20 years. The second, Michael Bywell, has lived and worked in the UK for over 15 years and was a lateral partner hire from DLA Piper about two years ago."
"My view is that [Aussie and Kiwi fee earners] are mostly well-trained lawyers who provide a good floating resource in a booming market," observes one contributor.
Salaries
The firm lifted its salary for newly-qualified lawyers to £64,000, pretty much in the middle of the range set this year by magic circle firms. This rises to £68,000 at one year's qualification. Past that, the firm operates a more variable model, though it does still move around a form of associate ‘lockstep’ in which rates are banded on the basis of years of qualification.
The much-discussed bonus scheme is in theory very generous, being worth up to 75% of salary, but the firm has faced some criticism as a considerable proportion of the award is based on assistants billing more than 2,000 hours a year.
Trainees receive £36,000 in their first year and £40,000 in their second.
Recruitment
Key contacts are Sharon Doberer in graduate recruitment and Karen Chalmers in general recruitment.
Work-life balance
Work-life balance simply "doesn't exist" according to one corporate fee earner, who presumably (hopefully) is exaggerating a touch. Either way, the contributor's commitment to getting the job done is admirable. Perhaps they'll let him out of the office eventually. The poster adds that the "primary focus is on hours billed" - but surely that's true of every firm in the top 50.
For its part, SJ Berwin strongly rejects the 'sweatshop' tag, pointing to a fairly civilised - by City standards - annual billing target of 1,575 hours. The firm also says that it is now moving to raise its game as part of a strategic initiative championed by senior partner Blake dubbed Phase 2, which the firm says includes: developing a statement of values; winning the war for talent; growth models; international strategy; working together and CSR; as well as the development of core business areas. Part of that initiative will involve talking to the firm’s Assistant Solicitors' Forum to help draw up its firm-wide strategy.
SJs promises that flexible working and learning and development will be top of the agenda, so the firm will get a chance to show if it can walk the talk. SJs also thinks it has a secret weapon in the 'quality of life' battle with its genuinely impressive new Queen Street Place City HQ. Aside from attracting headlines for its revealing elevators, the hyper-slick office (pictured right) boasts the latest in design and a not-half-bad rooftop terrace that overlooks the Thames.
Diversity
As mentioned above, there are plenty of Aussie and New Zealand lawyers at the firm, perhaps reflecting a more general trend in the City to recruit from far and wide with homegrown talent in such high demand. But, again as mentioned above, this is apparently yet to translate into many Aussie/NZ partners.
Pro bono/corporate social responsibility
SJ Berwin’s CSR policy is split into five strands, outlined by the firm below:
“Pro bono - An active programme covering debt counseling; housing advice at a local community centre; receiving referrals from the Environmental Law Foundation; acting as ‘Honorary Legal Advisers’ for the Law Courts Citizens Advice Bureau at the Royal Courts of Justice and playing a leading role among City solicitors who act on death row appeals to the Privy Council.
Community involvement - we are in partnership with a local primary school and provide over 60 volunteers a week who read to school children. We also offer careers advisory work. We have been involved with the local community centre by funding their school holiday activity programmes; ‘team’ days where a group of SJ Berwin employees spend time making a physical difference to the centre’s environment (examples include laying turf and clearing the ground to make way for a children’s play area). We also donate presents for their Christmas party.
Environment - SJ Berwin was the first UK law firm to become carbon neutral and we have been off-setting our emissions for six years now. We have an established and active environment committee which ensures the firm maintains its environmental commitment as set out in our policy and manages initiatives which seek to reduce our emissions; this committee is confident of achieving an ambitious target this year to reduce our energy use significantly.
Charity - Each year we appoint an official charity and match funds raised by our partners and staff pound for pound. This year’s charity is the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, for whom we have raised over £90,000. These funds will provide a training grant for a cystic fibrosis specialist at the Royal Brompton Hospital.
Developing our People - The firm is undertaking initiatives to ensure that we offer equal opportunities for all. Our diversity working group is managing our policies regarding age, sexual orientation, religion and ethnic backgrounds and has introduced a number of initiatives recently including a flexible working policy and a sabbatical policy.”
(Can we can get some feedback on the firm’s CSR efforts? - Wiki Ed.)
Great place to work
Re: Career prospects... unfortunately, SJB has not had the foresight (like some other firms) to develop an alternative career path to partnership. Instead, the old fashioned carrot of partnership is used to try and 'motivate' associates.
Work life balance doesn't exist; long hours culture; primary focus is on hours billed.
I worked at SJB and found it as dull as dishwater. From what I hear, the same gripes still exist - a disconnect between management and the assistant base and a zero-tolerance for iniative/dissent from below. Associates should be seen (working) and not heard - although maybe that is the same in any top law firm.
Legal Week picked up on a wave of discontent last year because it provided a release valve for anonymous comment without the usual fear for assistants of internal consequences. SJB's reputation was eventually going to catch up with it.
A firm doesn't get that sort of rep for no apparent reason.
The current postings are about right. Not many of my friends who left SJ Berwin (or the few that are still there) have good things to say about it. Not sure why but it has quite an oppressive culture which is hard to explain. Some departments are worse than others e.g. corporate and litigation.
I'm now at another top 20 firm in the City and much happier.
I recently commenced from an Australian top-tier law firm. I am in the private equity group and find the support, training and size/quality of deals second to none.
People do work very hard and the environment is very intense, however this is to be expected, given the nature of the team.
The office is incredible and overall, the people seem quite nice. So far, the firm seems better than any law firm I worked for in Australia ...
I am an Australian solicitor who worked at SJ Berwin for two years (corporate). I'm now at another City firm which is, in my opinion, more akin to life in a top-tier Australian firm. I note the previous posting by an Austarlian lawyer. I have to say that I would actually prefer to work as the Pakistan cricket coach than have a job at SJ Berwin.
Berwins is not friendly. The hours are not good. The pay is going-rate for a firm in the chasing pack but no better. The work is good, it must be said. Nevertheless, the foregoing often adds up to disaffection and regular departures. Many associates here agree that better pay and management are the only solutions - but we are not confident.
I am interested to read the two postings by the Australian lawyers. Having had experience at SJB, I agree that the quality of deals is of a pretty good standard but I also agree that it can be a miserable place to work. Being an Australian myself, there is just one other comment I would like to add. There are a large number of Aussie (and NZ) lawyers at SJB.
For any others thinking of coming to work at SJB, they should do so with their eyes open. You will get a pay cheque for your time but, if you are interested in developing your career in london, look at joining a different City firm.
The question of whether there are "dozens" of Antipodean partners at SJB is laughable. At my count, there is one Austalian who might fall into that category; Nathan Briner in banking. Apart from him there are two others who, at a stretch, might class themselves as Antipodean. The first (Stephen Maffey) has lived and worked in the UK for over 20 years. The second (Michael Bywell) has lived and worked in the UK for over 15 years and was a lateral partner hire from DLA Piper about two years ago.
I have now been at SJ Berwin for four years. In my experience, the firm has not really changed in that time. The culture is work hard, cry at home and get nasty if you want to succeed. Ninety per cent of those who qualified in my year have left. Another exodus is likely if this year's pay review in May fails to leave associates on rates matching the magic circle. Everyone is watching the MC pay-rises closely.
I think the Aussies and Kiwis need to adjust their sights a little. They are useful at cricket and rugby but, on the whole, I don't think they've got the mentality to be a quality partner in a top City firm. My view is that they are mostly well-trained lawyers who provide a good floating resource in a booming market.
And you wonder why SJ Berwin has the reputation it has!
I left SJ Berwin earlier this year and now work at another top 20 firm. It may not be a scientific comparison, but I am much happier now with the way I am treated and supervised. I only regret not leaving earlier.
I think that most of the comments above are slight bitterness from people who have failed to get on at SJB - its easy and fun to gripe.
I have been here for nearly 5 years and am really very happy. I work hard but still have a life and am very content with my lot. Sure, there are things that the firm could do better, but isn't that the same in any organisation?
Overall, I have always found it to be a good environment to work in - you get pushed and get given your oppertunity to succeed. Those that don't manage to do that or aren't driven are the ones that usually moan.
It appears from this thread that quite a lot of people have "failed to get on at SJB". Maybe that says more about SJB itself than anything else. However, it is heartening to hear that there is at least one person who merrily enjoys the push at SJB. From what I hear, there can be no more deserving candidate for success than someone who enjoys their lot at SJB!
"I work hard but still have a life." I wish people wouldn't post such butt-clenchingly embarrassing comments. It seems to me that the firms that have landed themselves in hot water on Legal Week Wiki are those that have tried desperately to over-publicise themselves as something they are not. It must be foolhardy to market yourself on the outside without first convincing those on the inside of the value and accuracy of the message being given.
Stephen Kon: "The firm has never been hard-nosed"
SJB Graduate Recruitment Magazine (PLUM): "If it's the ferocious, hard-nosed, take no prisoners beast within that you are anxious to set free, then this could be the [place] for you." Not to be out done by... "I see myself as the person responsible for irritating my fellow partners and the associates to the requisite degree that ensures they stick to the game plan..." (Craig Pollack, SJB Strategy Committee)
http://www.sjberwin.com/careers/graduate_recruitment/plum.html
Bizarely, in the same "PLUM" brochure, the SJB heads of department variously liken themselves to members of the animal kingdom, including a camel (Steven Davies), a badger (Michael Metliss) and a 'chinese fire monkey' (Tim Taylor). Gillian Smith, head of banking, believes she has all the traits of a "suitably elegant" panther, and, helpfully for our clients, David Calligan describes himself as a rhino because "you've got to charge like one". Great!
It is an open secret here that the firm has a deserved reputation as being an unpleasant place to work. There are a number of initiatives addressing this but unfortunately they seem to have been conceived and led by the very factions that make the place unpopular in the first place, namely management and their laughable sidekick, aka the HR department. Word on the floors is that many of us are waiting to see whether last year's "bonus scheme" fiasco will be replaced with pay matching Magic Circle rates, which Ralph Cohen publicly promised, and a more transparent career structure. There's a reason why the building is increasingly full of Australians and Kiwis and it is not that UK talent is hard to find. People ask their friends what it is like working here and the response is generally that it makes a good enough stepping stone. This is my third firm (I trained outside London) and I can honestly say I don't know anywhere more miserable, except maybe the dole office in Streatham (yes, I have been there!).
Another inspired comment from Craig Pollack of the management committee; when asked what advice he would give to people starting a career in the law, he quips: "Don't be fooled by the glamour and the promise of endless free time to pursue other interests". More of a plum than a visionary!
As a former associate my impression of SJB was that only billable hours matter. There are also a number of...shall we say, rather "unstable" partners who are not adverse to banging desks or shouting at trainees and associates for no good reason. I was on the end of one of these rants. Apparently it was my fault that a partner in another department decided to do something that my partner didn't like. This was, as is usual with this partner, followed by a mild apology. The firm has great work but there is too much faith in the partnership carrot - it needs to realise pretty soon that it needs to do something to halt the exodus of lawyers. On paper it does try but, for me, the partners are just too old school and still think they have demigod status. Fight the power!
I thought SJ Berwin was like a zoo when I was there. Now I know why!
I am a former SJB lawyer (very happy at a magic circle firm) who has two friends still working at SJ Berwin - one in real estate and one in corporate. To say they are not happy would be an understatement. The stories are not pretty - especially out of corporate (one of my friends works in funds).
There seems to be a view that the firm is greedy, archaic and out-of-touch with other London law firms. The main gripe seems to be that the firm can't loosen up - if they did, people might want to work there.
SJB is a Jewish-led firm with a large swathe of antipodeans in the lower ranks of the assistant base. (This comment is intended to be no more than an observation of the inside profile of the firm).
What else could it be?
The recently announced fund formation team departures are continuing at the assistant level. The strategy committee is in a panic about stemming the tide and instructions from large fund sponsors have already been lost. A lot of us think the firm should have seen this coming. It is not as if SJB's reputation was unknown to the partners but it seems that they did not take matters seriously enough before it was too late. All of a sudden people like me have several options if we want to move on that do not require giving up our specialisms.
The loss of the Vector IPO has also been a major blow. I can't actually understand how we reached the turnover/PEP that we apparently did last year but the way things are going this year it is turning into a slump. The management committee are continually trying to paint a rosey picture to try and induce lateral hires but I sense reality is starting to bite. I'm outta here asap!!
The 'Senior' associate (SJB doesn't actually have such a position) who thinks Aussies/Kiwis don't have the mentality to be a partner in a London law firm is a racist. Change Aussie/Kiwi to black or Asian and tell me that it is not racist. People like him are the main reason why it is unpleasant to be at SJB. Working on an escape plan!
I'm also leaving. Associate churn is as high as ever and without a seemingly limitless supply of Australian lawyers I think the firm would go under. Partners have clearly been told to act nice in an effort to make people believe it's a good place to be. My own line manager was able to keep this up for about a fortnight before relapsing. Not a place I would recommend anyone joining, despite the free lunches.
Two of my friends have recently handed in their notice. Both are highly-regarded mid-level associates whose departure will be a real loss to the firm. Unfortunately, this happens frequently at SJ Berwin. The partnership seems to think that paying market-matching salaries will suffice to contain discontent. They don't seem to realise that they are dealing with highly intelligent adults many of whom have their own view of the future and are not dazzled by PEP or the over-worked, under-stimulated existence of so many of their seniors.
The one lesson I have learned in my time here is that money alone really is not the answer. It takes much, much more than that for a firm to retain its best talent. SJ Berwin is trying to plug the gap by recruiting from elsewhere in the Commonwealth. Whoever thought short-termism in the City was dead?
I have just been reading these posts and it is incredibly eerie. i feel like that man who grew up in Jersey thinking he was the only gay man on the planet, before realising to his enormous relief that he wasn't a freak
i have never been treated with such rudeness by an employer as i have during my 18 months at sjb
i am also leaving once something good comes up or maybe i'll go back to new zealand
I'm a third seat trainee but have noticed a lot of good associates leave since I joined. I feel misled by the image the firm presented to me during recruitment. I turned down a US firm and two MC firms to come here, thinking I would get the right balance of training, prospects and experience. Instead it appears the best people leave for the very firms I turned down. I am already finding the politics a real drag and don't think the firm is as good as it represents.
Woeful
A firm many partners are out-of-touch and mean-spirited.
Gosh.... I understood that trainees at SJB were "living the dream" - as referenced by the SJB trainees on Facebook. Such shame, I was under the impression that they had successfully achieved a great balance.
Living the dream?! More like living the nightmare!
Further departures from the private equity funds formation team are expected - and not just from the junior ranks. People are leaving because there are more pleasant places to work that pay substantially more and which don't require sacrificing prospects.
SJB has for a long time assumed its staff would not leave the "flagship" department. A mistaken view.
The firm has been quoted saying that departures are of no concern because clients have a relationship with the firm, not particular lawyers. Keep trotting out the spin... and turn out the lights when you leave.
I am leaving after Christmas. There may be worse places to work but I came to law because I enjoyed my law degree and this place is making me miserable! If everyone over four years qualification left then that might solve it, but life is too short to risk ending up like these people. No wonder the firm pays so much for management consultants. But they should consider psychoanalysis!
Here is a further example of SJB's smoke and mirrors PR machine: Last Monday, the Lawyer ran a story on flexible working policies and SJ Berwin was ranked lowest at of the city law firms. This week in the Lawyer appears a story that SJ Berwin is now implementing a flexible working policy together with a cherry interview with a female property partner about her working arrangements. I work at SJ Berwin and there ain't much flexibility involved. There is one thing you can say about SJ Berwin - you're not allowed to say anything negative about it. Quite similar to the Church of Scientology really.
Current joke doing the floors:
There's a new bonus scheme for the best associates - they won't hold you to your notice period.
Stop whinging! One has to remember that being a successful lawyer and a happy person depends on you and you only. There are some truly great characters at SJB, but like any other firm, it exists for the sole purpose of making a profit (as distinct from making you happy). Have your lunch, play a bit of table tennis, be entertained at an in-house theatre on the 2nd floor - enjoy it. Partnership is but a carrot. Do your calculations - is it worth slaving away for 10 years? Also, would you trust those new partners to grow the business - they seem to be just little soldiers themselves. Stepping stone is the magic word. Open mindedness is one ingredient missing at SJB. Come on SJB, get that entrepreneurial feel back (hide your army routines)!
Being a successful lawyer and a happy person is not dependant on the individual alone. Both can be negatively affected by the individual's working environment. i think that is why there are a large number of disgruntled comments on this wiki about sj berwin.
I agree with you - to an extent, of course, we are affected by those around us. My driving point was that the ultimate success and happiness is in your hands. No point staying somewhere where it does not feel right. I think part of the problem of the SJB culture is that partners do not spend any time with associates outside work and interact effectively at work. Having worked at other UK and US firms, it seemed to me an odd phenomenon, and it is damaging to that vital human relationship. Clients and lawyers are all a law firm has, and affability is key in both courts. One cannot develop a strong relationship without genuine interaction (business or associate development is the same game - the latter not being played at SJB). Do you agree?
I have two friends at SJ Berwin, one in corporate and one not, and both are looking for their next jobs. I have never worked there myself so will not pretend my views have authority, but whenever I see SJ Berwin people outside work they are always talking about how political and internally divided the firm is. A recurrent theme is that the firm recruits perfectly pleasant juniors but that the partners and more senior associates treat the firm as a closed club and view new hires with suspicion and as little more than "resource". Having done two years as a trainee at Clifford Chance I have myself experienced bad treatment and the usual office politics, but SJ Berwin sounds worse, since colleagues of mine do not spend half their free time saying how dreadful their employer is and plotting their next moves.
I used to work at SJB and made the leap to a hedge fund and couldn't be happier - the work is better, the pay is better (gotta love hedgies), my work is appreciated and I am feeling worthwhile again. However, having been in pp at a few firms I think it is a pp thing.
I had a short stint at SJB and absolutely loved it. “Why short then?”, you may ask. Fate (and commitments in Hollywood). Great bunch of people - I am still seeing people across 4 departments on a weekly basis and would recommend the place to anyone. Superb seared tuna, perfect sunbathing terrace, plenty of sport and strong espresso. It is not nasty at all - I would say they are a bit on the soft side. (FYI - the fashion as of September 26 is "stay positive" - follow me, feel the vibe).
Ex-SJB, I think you must be an exception. Like the posters above, I am fed to the teeth with this place and want out. It is the chav of all 'top' City firms - plenty of barking and posturing but very few people who actually know much law and a place which values self-promotion and billing above ability or actually doing a good job. I wish I had accepted Clifford Chance for my training contract and am going to try for a move.
People certainly like to think they are wonderful and put others down. It's only when you move that you realise what most of the people at SJB are like. The firm really needs to get over itself.
Dear SJB, I share your sentiment. When you say that “a place values self-promotion”, that in itself is a contradiction. Those who value self-promotion are the individuals who seek to be promoted – it is only natural (one cannot blame them). ‘A place’ is made out of people, and I am confident that you can find one or two like-minded lawyers until such time when your training contract comes to an end (Ask funds associates to give you my number – they know who ex-KGB is – I will direct you in the ‘happy’ direction). If you are not a trainee, leave. Billing always comes above ability – this is a simple formula for any business. We do not sell ability - we sell fantasy. Sad, but true. You need to enjoy what you do to start with. Do you?
May I join in? I don't think it's a contradiction to say this place values self promotion. The person above just meant that self promoters get ahead quickly and that this is the best strategy. That is accurate but not all of us like it. In my experience here people who self promote are often unpleasant and not great lawyers. Anyway, I am one of many who regret coming here. It feels like working in Foxtons whereas I was hoping for something where standards count for more than how thick your skin is. My mistake.
Please do, it is always a pleasure to have active readership. Self-promotion is not the best strategy. It is the only strategy. Think about it logically: promotion, in the law firm context, means getting a slice of profits (little by little your slice will get bigger). Why would you be interested in promoting anyone unless that person had something great to offer? And how would you know what they have to offer (in addition to being a billing soldier) if that person did not show or tell you = self-promotion. You don’t need to have thick skin, but you need to open up your eyes. Being a genuinely pleasant person can co-exist with self-promotion. More to the point, what stops you from correcting your mistake?
I think you misunderstand the complaint. Some people are SJB seem to do well not because they are good lawyers but because they are shameless in making a noise and attracting attention. Others are bullies. I agree that you have to take responsibility for getting noticed but there are ways of getting noticed that should not earn promotion. If you think it's legitimate to blag your way to the top then I am surprised you left as this is the place to do it.
Dear SJB Lawyer, last week I saw a leopard tear up and eat a wildebeest, probably twice as big as its predator. You could argue that both animals are genetically sound. However, the law of nature dictates that a wildebeest feeds the leopard with its flesh. Perhaps unfair on the wildebeest, I agree. The same goes on in law firms. If you refuse to see it, one day you may hurt very much. All I am trying to do is help you see the reality. You can then graze in safe territories. “Promoted, top” – you and I think in different dimensions. I have no doubts that I will be an equity partner. I think: “How do I get more good clients and work less?”.
I work here and have grown used to how c*** the deal is. Partners are generally rude and the place is intensely political and cliquey. It is no surprise to see in this week's news that SJB is "addressing retention issues". I used to think SJB's reputation was just silly name-calling but the stories I hear about life at other firms is making me reconsider.
Haha! I'm laughing reading these postings - they are 95% accurate. I've just taken a job elsewhere and am writing my resignation letter. I liked the observation that SJ Berwin is a chav firm, which promotes blag over substance. So true.
The attrition at SJ Berwin is a closely guarded secret. Another issue is the state of its funds team, which has been demoted to rank 2 in Chambers for private equity fund work, behind Clifford Chance. We in the property group are feeling rather smug and secure, because despite all the problems elsewhere in the firm, our market position is strong and getting stronger. To be fair, the firm is not everyone's cup of tea (see attrition comments) but it's probably no worse than many places.
Utter joke shop. I left two years ago and no one from my qualification year is left (after six years).
They are still smarting over the three private equity funds partners who went to Kirkland & Ellis in 2007. That has left a gaping hole in the funds practice that no amount of PR can fill. SJ Berwin's says the London office has nine dedicated funds partners. In reality, the corporate department has three and they presumably count non-corporate partners with an involvement in funds. It appears that SJ Berwin's reputation for style over substance is catching up with it.
To the Senior Associate who derides Antipodean lawyers for not having the quality to make it in a top City firm, you must be kidding! All I have seen in my two years is the Aussie and Kiwi associates running rings around their English counterparts and rising quickly through the ranks as star performers in the various top City firms.
I quit recently after realising that practically all my friends at other firms were happier and learning to be good lawyers more quickly than me. A number of its star associates (not to say partners) have left in the past year, since I bothered keeping track. They tend to go to higher-tier UK and US firms that they originally passed over in the hope that Berwins really would offer faster progression in a more meritocratic environment. A common theme is frustration that being loud and politically astute counts for far more here than being dependable and good at the law, both commercially and academically. On the plus side, the free lunches and new offices are undeniably very pleasant.
Probably the exact opposite of Slaughter and May, since the stress is on presentation over ability. This is reflected in the firm's intake. I think that is why the firm attracts so many outgoing but less than brilliant juniors. It's one way to make money.
I appreciate the two years of training I received but, having left as an NQ, I can honestly say I am infinitely happier in my new role. My last few months at the firm saw the loss of some great people and the recent partner hires have been nothing short of extraordinary.
....in that the firm needs to look at solving the retention issues at the junior end first, rather than brining in new big guns at the top.
They have not been able to find replacements for the private equity funds partners who left last year for Kirkland & Ellis. That says something about the direction the firm's supposedly flagship department is heading.
The firm is becoming a mid-tier M&A and property shop along the lines of BLP. US firms have seriously crashed the funds party and are hiring all the funds staff. There is a general feeling that you stay here for a while then try to go one better somewhere else.
i am a trainee in my third seat and i want to leave! The only nice people are trainees and junior associates who are in the same position being expected to do bad hours with little support and no thanks.
Life is too short to spend it hanging out with people like Ex-KGB. (I hope you enjoy your equity and I hope it keeps you warm at night - though it sounds like the Discovery channel is doing that.)
Having left I realise now how low the average level of legal knowledge was at SJB; getting the deal done was the main thing.
I find the comments made by Stephen Kon (head of Competition) laughable. If the Competition partners are really looking out for the associates, then why have eight associates resigned from Competition in the last six months?! And the partners can only blame themselves - bright, hard-working lawyers who would be recognised as an asset at other top firms are no longer willing to work ridiculous hours in a stressful environment. Some of the partners, Kon in particular, are excellent lawyers, but the concept of managing people so as to get the best out of them is lost on them.
Dear "Formerly SJB", it's been a while since I commented. Doctors say that it is good to realise your hopes sooner rather than later, so I will assist you with confirming that I do keep warm at night (As if by magic, one of your hopes became reality). Discovery channel? Of course not - it was a real spectacle in the fresh air of Kenyan Maasai Mara. Spending too much time in the office and watching too much TV is a mistake. Not helpful for equity.. or your health.
The Vauxhall Astra of law firms (to the Magic Circle's Bentley).
Ex-KGB, you have not been to Kenya recently and I hope you enjoy Herbert Smith more than SJB.
I left when I realised I was smarter than the partners I worked for but working harder than them principally for their benefit. The ego vetoed that.
Dear Formerly SJB and Currently Physic Wannabe, mistaken identity, I am afraid. I wonder who else qualifies for Ex-KGB status and why!...
SJ Berwin's brand equates to telling potential recruits that there is still everything to play for if they join. Since the average joiner has a less glittering CV than the standard magic circle recruit, the firm is able to pack them in. This works in a boom market when clients are less interested in the quality of the lawyers, so long as deals get done. But in a downturn it leaves firms like SJ Berwin exposed, since at such times clients ask closer questions about what they are paying for. As someone who joined during the good times but with offers to go to "better" City firms, I wonder whether I have made a mistake. The trouble is that the recruitment market now seems to have dried up!
I was about to join this firm when the associates I went to drinks with told me not to. It was like, um, we are outta here!
I wouldn't reccommend this firm to anyone.
My third firm, but the first where no associate I know identifies with or likes any of the partners. It has been a real eye-opener working here. The non-partners are here to serve the partners for as long as they can bear it. You succeed here by waiting until all your peers have sought happiness elsewhere.
Well now. That last comment does seem a little... overstated. No associate likes any partner? Are we supposed to believe this stuff?
As a trainee I am ok with my supervisors but they do not inspire me. Kirklands here we come...
I have a relation working there who told me to choose the Magic Circle for a TC if they offered me. So now I am happily going to A&O.
I don't believe you. Anyone else hear the sound of axes grinding?
Someone needs to spinkle some loving on the above people.
It is a bitter place
No it's not! It's a great place to work and most people here are really happy. I look at the posts above and I simply don't recognise the firm these people [if it is more than one person] are describing.
hello sj berwin pr dept
I`m not in the PR department and I don`t recognise all the comments above either!
I have accepted a TC with SJB starting next year, and I am horrified by what has been written here. During the Vac scheme and the recruitment process, the firm was painted as a supportive and enjoyable place to work. But 90% of these comments are negative. Whats going on SJB?
Do not fear, Trainee-to-Be. There is a great deal of resentment amongst the contributors and that is a real shame. As far as I can recollect, trainees had brilliant time there. Remember that law firms use you and so you have to learn to do the opposite, whilst junior. Don't forget to have fun!
so they were nice to you during the recruitment process? whatever next!!
Trainee2b - the only good thing about an SJB traning is that you will be employable by superior firms once you leave.
If these supposedly 'superior' firms are so keen to employ people trained at SJB, the firm's training must be really good.
Although I personally did not enjoy my time there, from what I saw the training appeared to be excellent.
Will SJB be increasing trainee pay along the lines of its competitors?
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