Field Fisher Waterhouse

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Overview

Mid-tier City player Field Fisher Waterhouse made waves in 2007 after deciding to rip up the strategy it had been quietly pursuing in favour of a programme of international expansion, including launches in Germany, Belgium and France.

In recent years the firm has risen up the UK top 50 rankings, and, following a record-breaking 2007-08, posted an 8% increase in revenues to £94.9m for 2008-09, a creditable performance in a tough 12 months for the legal profession. However, during the same period partner profits fell by 31% to £515,000.

The firm has more than 130 partners, 220 other lawyers and nearly 300 support staff.

History

The history of the firm can be traced back almost two centuries and the structure has changed significantly in that time. The two main mergers, which created the firm in its current form, were the 1989 merger of Waterhouse & Co and Field Fisher Martineau and the 1998 merger with Allison & Humphreys. Allison & Humphreys' alumni include Moira Gilmour, who became managing partner in April 2006.

In 2009, Field Fisher picked up the Commercial Team of the Year award at the British Legal Awards for its work advising on the decommissioning of Sellafield - a process that will take 125 years to complete and cost at least £75bn.

Culture

Key departments

The firm's main areas of practice are corporate and commercial, IP and technology, banking and finance, regulatory and real estate, with a particular focus on employment and pensions, dispute resolution, tax and competition and EU law.

National/international coverage

As well as its international offices in Hamburg, Brussels and Paris, Field Fisher also has exclusive relationships with Spain's Jimenez de Parga and Italy's La Scala.

Key clients

Major clients of the firm include Accenture, Time Warner, the BBC, BP, Citi, GMC, Department for Work and Pensions, Home Office, Luminar, and Thomas Cook. Field Fisher was also among those appointed to the commercial sub-group of the Government's 48-strong 'Catalist' super-panel in the summer of 2007.

Leading partners

Well-regarded partners at Field Fisher include:

• Mark Abell (intellectual property);
• Kirstene Baillie (financial services);
• Anthony Brockbank (corporate/AIM);
• Michael Chissick (technology);
• Paul Houston (real estate);
• Matthew Lohn (public law/regulatory);
• Rodney Nelson-Jones (personal injury/medical negligence);
• Mark Holah (trademarks);
• Peter Stewart (commercial litigation); and
• Charles Whiddington (competition).

Career prospects

In 2009, the firm promoted four new partners, all of them at its City headquarters.

Salaries

First-year trainees pocket £33,000, rising to £36,000 in their second year. Other salaries are:

• NQ - £60,000
• 1PQE - £64,000
• 2PQE - £68,000
• 3PQE - £71,000

Recruitment

Sonia Cooke is the contact for fee earner recruitment, while any graduate recruitment queries should be sent to graduaterecruitment@ffw.com.

Work-life balance

Diversity

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