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Mishcon de Reya

Mishcon de Reya

Next deadline

Disability Open Day (Virtual) · 11 Nov 2026

(22 days)

Apply now
In their own words

It's business. But it's personal. A firm where innovation, complex legal issues, and a human-centred approach is at the heart of what we do for our clients and our people.

Snapshot

Firm type

Silver Circle

UK offices

London, Cambridge, Oxford

International offices

Singapore; Hong Kong; Dubai; Abu Dhabi

Training contract places

30

Vacation scheme places

60

First-year salary

£52,500

Second-year salary

£57,500

Newly qualified salary

£110,000

Trainee retention

86%

SQE support

Full SQE 1, SQE2 and PGDL funding, and maintenance grant

Visa sponsorship

Yes

International secondment

Yes

Client secondment

Yes

Guaranteed secondment

Not disclosed

Recruitment route

Vacation scheme only

Rolling recruitment?

No

Seat structure

4 six-month seats

Can trainees repeat a seat?

Sometimes, depending on the circumstances

Can trainees express seat preferences?

Yes, preferences are considered

Trainee salary basis

Reviewed annually

Non-law applicants

Actively welcomed

Career-changer applicants

Actively welcomed

Remote working

Standard hybrid working

Holiday allowance

25 days

Minimum academic requirements

ABB at A-level and a 2:1 degree

Typical start time

9:00am

Typical finish time

6:00pm

Wellbeing support

Mental Health First Aiders; Private Medical Insurance; Virtual GP Services; AXA Mental Health Support Pathway; Yoga and Breathing Break; Massage and Reflexology; Wellbeing Fund; Eye Tests

Maintenance grant

£15,000 for the SQE; £13,000 for the LPC; £11,000 for the PGDL

PGDL funding

Full funding

Retrospective SQE or PGDL funding

None

Diversity networks and partnerships

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee; Disability Equity Committee; Social Mobility Committee; Gender Steering Committee; Pride Steering Committee; Pride Network; Mishcon M:BRACE (Race Equity Network)

% female partners

38%

% BAME partners

10%

% LGBTQ+ partners

5%

% female trainees

72%

% BAME trainees

28%

% LGBTQ+ trainees

22%
Before you apply

Before you apply, ask yourself:

Would you enjoy training at a firm where disputes account for more than half of its work, while still having access to a broader full-service practice?

Would you be comfortable being in the office around four days a week, even though Mishcon does not have a formal office attendance policy?

Do you want early responsibility and opportunities to contribute directly to client work from the beginning of your training?

Would you value a structured learning environment through the Mishcon Academy alongside the day-to-day learning you gain within your seats?

Are you comfortable applying for a training contract exclusively through Mishcon’s one-week Vacation Scheme, rather than through a direct training contract route?

Next deadline

Disability Open Day (Virtual)

11 Nov 2026

(22 days)

View job

Deep dive

Explore this firm in detail

What makes it different

Dispute powerhouse

What this could mean for you
Disputes account for more than half of Mishcon’s work, with over 350 litigators working across areas including commercial litigation, fraud, international arbitration, white-collar crime, tax disputes and financial services investigations. You could develop substantial contentious experience while still rotating through a full-service firm, with exposure to complex disputes involving businesses, institutions and individuals.

First-class training through our Mishcon Academy

What this could mean for you
The Mishcon Academy provides structured learning alongside seat-based experience, with the firm offering a substantial programme of courses and wider professional development opportunities. You could combine learning through live matters with a structured development programme designed to build your legal, commercial and wider professional skills throughout your training.

Responsibility from day one

What this could mean for you
Mishcon says trainees are expected to contribute meaningfully from the outset. Its relatively small trainee intake and supervisor-led seat structure are designed to give trainees opportunities to become involved in substantive work and client matters early in their training. You could take on meaningful work and client exposure early in your training, with responsibility increasing as your skills and confidence develop.

Practice area strengths

Disputes

Dispute Resolution is one of Mishcon de Reya’s defining strengths, accounting for more than half of the firm’s work and bringing together over 350 litigators. The practice spans commercial litigation, fraud, international arbitration, white-collar crime, tax disputes, financial services investigations and other specialist contentious areas. The team handles complex, often cross-border matters for clients including multinational corporations, financial institutions and high-net-worth individuals. Recent work includes acting for the Government of Nigeria in overturning an $11 billion arbitral award and representing London black cab drivers in group litigation against Uber. The practice is also recognised externally across areas including civil fraud, commercial litigation, competition disputes, investigations, international arbitration and asset recovery. Trainees can gain hands-on experience drafting court documents and witness statements, conducting legal research, preparing hearing bundles, attending court and mediations, liaising with clients and counsel, and supporting complex investigations. The firm says trainees are given responsibility from an early stage, with opportunities to contribute directly to case strategy.

Private

Mishcon Private takes a holistic approach to private client work, advising on the personal, family and business issues affecting its clients rather than focusing solely on wealth preservation. Through its “Private Ecosystem”, the practice brings together expertise from across the firm and a network of external advisers to provide support across clients’ interconnected legal and personal affairs. Clients include high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, family offices, trustees, collectors and international families. The work can involve sensitive and multi-jurisdictional matters spanning wealth and tax planning, trusts and estates, family business disputes, reputation management and luxury assets. The practice is also recognised externally across areas including personal tax, trusts and probate, contentious trusts, art and cultural property and ultra-high-net-worth family matters. Trainees can gain exposure to both advisory and contentious work, with opportunities to attend client meetings, draft advice and legal documents, conduct research and assist with trust and inheritance disputes, family and commercial litigation, luxury asset matters and international private wealth work. This gives trainees experience of matters where legal, commercial and personal considerations often overlap.

All practice areas

CorporateDispute resolutionEmploymentPrivate wealthReal estateInnovationImpact
Who it may suit

Before you apply, ask yourself:

  • Would you enjoy training at a firm where disputes account for more than half of its work, while still having access to a broader full-service practice?
  • Would you be comfortable being in the office around four days a week, even though Mishcon does not have a formal office attendance policy?
  • Do you want early responsibility and opportunities to contribute directly to client work from the beginning of your training?
  • Would you value a structured learning environment through the Mishcon Academy alongside the day-to-day learning you gain within your seats?
  • Are you comfortable applying for a training contract exclusively through Mishcon’s one-week Vacation Scheme, rather than through a direct training contract route?

This firm may suit candidates who...

  • Want substantial exposure to disputes while retaining the breadth of a full-service training contract.
  • Value early responsibility and opportunities to contribute directly to client work as their experience develops.
  • Want structured development through the Mishcon Academy alongside learning within their individual seats.
  • Are interested in working with a varied client base spanning businesses, institutions, entrepreneurs and private individuals.
  • Want some input into the direction of their training through expressing preferences for their four seat rotations.
  • Have an entrepreneurial mindset, with a track record of demonstrating proactivity and making things happen.

Things to consider

  • Disputes account for more than half of the firm's work, so candidates should consider whether contentious work is an area they would be interested in exploring.
  • Trainees are usually in the office around four days per week, despite there being no formal office attendance policy.
  • Training contract recruitment is exclusively through Mishcon's one-week Vacation Scheme, with no separate direct training contract route.
  • Working patterns can vary between seats and matters, with longer days possible around deadlines and during busier periods.
  • International and client secondments are available, but these opportunities are not guaranteed.
Work-life reality

Work-life balance varies by team, seat and transaction cycle. This section is designed to help you understand the pattern, not reduce the experience to a score.

Predictability

Working patterns can vary between seats and matters. While trainees can generally plan around their work, deadlines and busier periods can sometimes result in longer or less predictable days.

Busy periods

The intensity of work can vary between teams and matters, with transaction deadlines and other time-sensitive work creating busier periods.

Late finishes

Working hours vary by seat and workload. While a typical finish time is of 6:00pm, longer days can occur during busy periods and around deadlines.

Seat variation

Trainees complete four six-month seats across the firm's practice areas. They can express preferences for their rotations, which are taken into account, and may be able to repeat a seat in some circumstances.

Flexibility

Hybrid working is available, with trainees typically spending most of the working week in the office and some opportunity to work from home.

Holiday allowance

25 days

Office attendance

Trainees are usually in the office four days per week, although there is no formal office attendance policy.
Culture & support

Supervision style

Trainees work closely with supervisors within each seat, with opportunities to learn through day-to-day work alongside more experienced lawyers.

Relationship with partners

Trainees can work directly with partners and other senior lawyers, with the firm's smaller trainee intake providing opportunities for interaction across different levels of seniority.

Open plan or traditional offices

Trainees typically share an office with their supervisor.
Application process

Online application form

(30 minutes)

Chat-based interview

(45 minutes)

What happens

This is powered by an AI screening tool, Bright Apply. The Bright Apply tool has been created to give candidates a chance to better contextualise their applications. Bright Apply uses information from candidates' applications to start a conversation, resulting in a tailored interview for all applicants and allowing candidates the opportunity to showcase their potential. Candidates take part in a virtual interview where they can expand on their experiences, motivations, and why Mishcon de Reya is the right fit.

Neurosight Online Assessment

(5 minutes)

Assessment Day

(Half day)

Vacation scheme

(One week)

What happens

Further assessments include a group exercise and pre-set tasks.

Interview

What happens

The interview is a chance for interviewers to learn more about the candidate and their reasons for wanting to train at Mishcon. You’ll meet with a combination of assessors who could be fee earners or members of the People Team to discuss your online application and answer some competency and situational-based questions. 

Vacation scheme

What happens

Vac schemers at Mishcon do real work-related tasks and learn more about the firm’s legal departments by speaking to current trainees, training principals and other fee earners. You’ll sit with a practice group and have a supervisor, as well as attend sessions with the early careers team and undergo individual and a group assessment. The Academy Tech and Knowledge teams will also host training sessions on core technologies and how to conduct legal research. 

The group assessment is structurally similar to the case study completed at the assessment day but is completed as a group instead. The teams will prepare and present a solution to a complex client scenario to a panel of assessors. 

Opportunities
Disability Open Day (Virtual)

Mishcon de Reya

Mishcon de Reya

22 days leftCloses 11:59pm, 11 Nov 2026

View job
STEM Open Day (In Person)

Mishcon de Reya

Mishcon de Reya

24 days leftCloses 11:59pm, 13 Nov 2026

View job
Insights
The edge of what's possible
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