Employer profile
Lewis Silkin
Successful businesses rely on a unique set of ideas and people. We help our clients protect and develop those vital assets, unlocking possibilities for future success.
From iconic brands and leading multinationals to pioneering start-ups, we are proud to work with a huge range of inspiring clients, helping them to turn their ideas into reality and get the best from - and for - their people.
Our people are not only exceptional at what they do, they also enjoy doing it and consistently give their best to a firm they’re proud to be part of. This stems from our firm culture and our ethos of bravery and kindness. That ethos runs through everything we do, from our approach to recruitment, business practices, and DEI activities to the day-to-day environment in our office and our relationships with clients.
With an internationally minded team of more than 700 working across key areas of law – plus strategic partnerships around the world – we’ve got both the combination and calibre of legal experts it takes to enable our clients’ businesses to thrive. Whether it is providing global employment law advice, managing a global IP portfolio or piecing together a multijurisdictional corporate transaction, we are able to have the right people, in the right place, at the right time.
We are proud winners of the ‘Firm of the Year’ category at The Lawyer Awards 2025 – the most prestigious category in the UK’s most important legal awards. This is testament to our innovative approach and collaborative culture.
What we do
Our major practice areas include: digital, creative and commerce; corporate; data, privacy and cyber; dispute resolution; employment; immigration; investigations and regulatory; partnership; real estate; tax, reward and incentives; and trade mark and portfolio management.
Key sectors we work in include advertising and marketing; financial services; media and entertainment; professional services; retail, fashion and hospitality; sports business; and technology.
What we look for
When we recruit, our focus is simply on finding the best candidate for the role - regardless of their background. We are looking for genuine passion and interest within our specialist sectors and someone who is enthusiastic and motivated, possesses strong communication skills and is a team player who works for the benefit of all.
When applying for our training contract, it can be tempting to tell us what you think we want to hear, and pretend to be someone you're not. However, the person we most want to hear from is the genuine 'you'. We want to get to know you, your experience, and what excites you about a training contract at Lewis Silkin. Likewise, we want you to get to know us in return.
Throughout the process, we will be looking to understand two fundamental points:
- Why you want to be a commercial solicitor
- Why you want to train at Lewis Silkin
You should view your application as an opportunity to introduce yourself to us, and highlight what makes you a strong candidate for our training contract.
Training Programme
We offer training contracts in our London, Belfast, Cardiff and Manchester offices.
At Lewis Silkin, we require all trainees to complete the entire two-year training contract, composed of 4 seat rotations, spending six months in each area. This allows you to gain as much experience as possible, and helps you decide which area of law you might like to qualify into at the end of your training contract.
At Lewis Silkin we have eight seat options: (1) Corporate, (2) Data, (3) Digital, Commerce, and Creative, (4) Dispute Resolution, (5) Employment, (6) Immigration, (7) Intellectual Property Disputes, and (8) Real Estate.
Sometimes there may also be the opportunity to go on a Client Secondment for 3 – 6 months, where you’ll work in-house on a placement to a client’s legal team. For more on Secondments please see our blog here.
You will also have to do one contentious seat throughout the period of your training contract. You’ll have the choice of either Dispute Resolution, Intellectual Property Disputes, or Employment (within the Employment, Litigation, and Financial Services sub-team).
Further information about the seat rotation process can be found here: https://www.lewissilkin.com/insights/2023/05/16/seat-rotations
When and how to apply
You’ll need to apply through our online application form via Candid. The deadline to apply is 14 January 2026. Further information is available on our website and social media channels.
Solicitor apprenticeships
If you’re passionate about a career in law, and want to get started by gaining genuine legal experience, working alongside lawyers who are specialists in their field – then a solicitor apprenticeship may be the route for you. Unlike a traditional law degree, apprentices get the chance to obtain practical, hands-on experience, and develop research, negotiation and client-service skills.
As an apprentice at Lewis Silkin, you’ll spend four days a week with us, and one day a week studying with your apprenticeship education provider. By the end of the apprenticeship you’ll have earned your Law LLB University degree, gained six years of experience, and be a fully qualified solicitor through the SQE route.
We recruit for our Solicitor Apprentices bi-annually. Applications for our September 2026 intake will open in September 2025. The apprenticeships will be available in our London office.
Further information can be found here: https://www.lewissilkin.com/life-at-ls/careers/solicitor-apprentices
Sixth form work placements
If you're in 6th form and are looking to get a headstart on your legal career, we offer a range of opportunities for you to gain insight into life and work at Lewis Silkin.
We run three four-day placements throughout the year in our London office. Further information can be found here: https://www.lewissilkin.com/life-at-ls/careers/work-experience
Diversity and inclusion
Our firm is named after Lewis Silkin, whose story of social mobility continues to inspire us. His family were refugees from Lithuania and he was brought up in poverty, but qualified as a solicitor before becoming an MP and eventually sitting in the House of Lords. This history is at the core of our culture and our values and it drives our commitment to ensure that access to the legal profession is open and fair and that the profession itself is diverse and socially inclusive.
More broadly, we recognise that a more diverse and inclusive workplace allows for a plethora of ideas, thoughts and skillsets, a variety of points of view that can generate broader discussions and result in innovation, enhanced client service and a stronger and more cohesive team.
We are proud of the diverse range of people within Lewis Silkin and culture of bravery and kindness that allows individuals to be themselves at work, ensuring we provide the best possible service to our clients. All colleagues are encouraged to play a role in activities related to DEI or Responsible Business. A number of DEI groups are active across the firm - Gender, Age, Race and Ethnicity, Social Mobility, Lewis SilkOut (LGBTQ+), Disability, Wellbeing, and Interfaith – supported by our DEI Board and DEI & Wellbeing Lead.
