LawCareers.Net

Geldards LLP is a top 100 regionally based commercial practice. It serves its clients from offices located in Cardiff, Derby, Nottingham, Ilkeston and London, drawing business from all parts of the United Kingdom. Geldards' approach to life is collegiate and supportive. The firm has succeeded in establishing long-term relationships with its clients and staff and has an enviable reputation in developing its people. A number of the firm's partners were previously trainees with the firm.

Types of work

Within the firm are some of the strongest core practices in the regions, with particular emphasis on corporate finance, property and dispute resolution.

Over recent years there has also been rapid growth within the firm of what might once have been considered niche areas; such as commercial law, planning and environmental law, energy law, rail and transport law, construction contracts and building arbitration, employment law, restructuring and insolvency, trusts and tax. The firm offers candidates an opportunity of completing seats in all of these areas.

Who should apply

We are looking for candidates with a strong academic background who display evidence of being motivated and hard working. Throughout the recruitment process, we are looking for individuals who exhibit potential to be future business leaders.

Beyond that, we are looking for individuals with a sense of humour, a degree of self-confidence and the ability to work in a team environment. Geldards employees show commitment, passion and drive in everything they do. They hold a high level of ambition, and display enthusiasm within their approach. We often find that successful candidates can demonstrate an involvement in extra curricular activities, which to us are indicators that we will be working with like minded individuals.

We offer vountary work experience placements on an ad hoc basis throughout the year, typically to undergraduates for four to five days. During the week that our work experience students spend with us, we do our best to ensure they spend each day with a different department within the firm to ensure they get a rounded picture of the day to day activities of our lawyers. The departments will often get students to help them with current cases, undertake relevant legal research or produce a peice of work relating to that area of law.

If you are interested in completing a work experience placement please send an up to date CV, along with a cover letter, office preference and your available dates, addressed to Katie Rowlands at recruitment@geldards.com. We are often oversubscribed during academic holidays but do our best to accomodate as many students as possible.

Training is divided into four six-month seats in the firm's main practice areas. Trainees are allocated to a particular team and are supervised by the lead partner or senior solicitors within the team. For their first seat, trainees are assigned a department by human resources which has been carefully considered and matched to their personality, experience and/or academic background. Towards the end if their first seat, we meet with each trainee to discuss their next seat and do our best to accomodate department preferences.

Trainees are formally reviewed at the end of each seat but informal feedback is given throughout a seat. There is also an opportunity for trainees to discuss their progress and that of the firm's during trainee forums. An open-door policy applies and trainees are regarded very much as an integral part of the team. Formal training will be a combination of external course and internal seminars.

• Commercial property
• Corporate
• Employment
• Commercial services
• Commercial dispute resolution
• Private client
• Family
• Injury dispute resolution
• Planning
• Construction

• Corporate & Commercial
• General Commercial
• Niche

• Cardiff
• Nottingham
• Derby
• London