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Leathes Prior is celebrating the news that, for an incredible fourth year in a row, the firm has been awarded as ‘The most sociable law firm in the UK’ by the Lex 100; annual trainee solicitor survey.  

The anonymous survey asks over 2,500 trainee solicitors across the country about their experiences whilst training within their law firm. The responses cover 12 key categories and in addition to topping the UK rankings for sociability, Leathes Prior is also delighted to have had the firm’s new Vacation Scheme, launched in 2019, recognised as award winning in its first year, scoring 91 in the winner's table. Due to the current climate, going ahead with the 2020 Vacation Scheme was not without its challenges, however the firm was delighted to be able to successfully host this year's scheme remotely.   

The 2020 edition of the Lex 100 reports that Leathes Prior is known for investing a lot of time in trainees, for the firm’s “friendly nature” and for offering opportunities lots of early responsibility. The reports also stated that the firm “has a fantastic reputation within the local and regional community, but also has a client base much further afield which is not typical for a firm of its size”.

Dan Chapman, Leathes Prior’s Training Principal, commented:

“Winning, yet again, the award for being the most sociable law firm is a source of huge pride to us.

There are considerable benefits to being a sociable business: improved insight, employee satisfaction, increased productivity as a result of encouraging collaboration and involvement, more innovation (some of our best ideas genuinely do come out of hours over a glass of wine!) and better client relationships. By being seen to be a sociable business, clients are seeing that we are open, transparent, accessible and responsive. Our employer brand is built around this and in recruiting the most talented lawyers to join us on our journey, this spirit is engrained from the outset. 

Of course, this award was based on the period that pre-dated lockdown and the ongoing restrictions that have hit the hospitality industry hard and limited the ability to socialise with our colleagues. We have continued to do all we can, notwithstanding, to encourage and enjoy the company of our colleagues (and support that industry and all those that rely on it for their livelihoods) and once the climate permits, we look forward to returning to our previous levels of unmatched sociability.”

The Lex 100 survey concludes its verdict on Leathes Prior as follows:

“For a firm where everyone genuinely talks to each other and works together, be they a partner, fee earner or key support staff, consider Leathes Prior”.

For more information, see the Lex100 website. The profiles offer a valuable insight into the day to day culture within a law firm and is a great start for candidates starting to think about applying for Insight Events, Vacation Schemes and Training Contracts. For those ready to find out more on how to apply to join Leathes Prior - head straight to our Careers page.