We are pleased to announce that all 10 of our 2019 trainee intake have secured associate positions, with six securing associate roles at Stewarts.
Five of the six new associates will be based in London, with one being based in Leeds. Four will join our Divorce and Family department and two will join Commercial Litigation.
The new associates boost the number of lawyers in our Commercial Litigation team to 35 and in our Divorce and Family team to 48.
John Cahill, Managing Partner, commented:
“This year we were able to offer NQ roles to six of our 2019 trainee intake with four securing NQ roles at alternative law firms. It was another exceptional group, all of whom made an outstanding contribution to Stewarts through their talent, commitment and hard work.”
Our new associates are:
- Alice Russell, Divorce and Family, Leeds
- Finn Smith, Divorce and Family, London
- Fiona Porter, Divorce and Family, London
- Oliver Ingham, Commercial Litigation, London
- Ryan Hooton, Commercial Litigation, London
- Sophie Parris, Divorce and Family, London
Our 2019 trainee intake was made up of 10 trainee solicitors. One left the firm during this time and three have secured NQ positions elsewhere. All roles are offered as permanent employment.
Trainee recruitment at Stewarts
We recruit trainees almost exclusively from our existing paralegal pool; we are one of only a handful of firms to adopt this strategy.
Emma Hatley, the firm’s training partner spoke to The Times in 2017 about the benefits of this arrangement. She said:
“The real advantage is that we can evaluate how the candidates perform in the work environment over a more protracted period than could by achieved on paper or by interview.
“Another advantage is that the firm can consider candidates pursuing a second career — we have applicants from the media and banking sectors — and those who, for whatever reason, may not have succeeded as well in formal exams, but have what it takes to be a successful litigator.
“It is probably a reflection of the competitiveness of the legal industry that the paralegal role is an increasingly common pathway to a legal career.”
Peter Neenan, a partner in our Aviation team, who joined the firm as a paralegal, commented in the same interview:
“As a paralegal in the Aviation department I was given responsibilities that many ‘magic circle’ firms would not even have given to trainees. The practical exposure meant that I understood the firm and its culture, the aviation department and their expectations — before I even considered seeking a traineeship with the firm. They knew what my strengths and weaknesses were.”
Carly Kinch is another former Stewarts paralegal who went on to train and qualify at the firm in 2009. She was made a partner in the Divorce and Family team in 2018.
New trainee intake – The Class of 2021
In September 2021, six of our existing paralegals will start their training contract with the firm. During the next two years, they will rotate around our departments, including our Knowledge Management and Compliance department.
The new trainees will be:
- Francesca Bugg
- Georgina Hayward
- Punam Shah
- Miriam Spencer
- Dani Tselentakis
- Ronak Mahdavi Jovainy
Stewarts Career Stories
We encourage our people to strive for excellence in everything they do. Our culture promotes a good work/life balance and supports the career progression of our staff.
We’ve highlighted some of the careers of our people, outlining the diverse paths they have taken to get where they are today.
Interested in joining us?
At Stewarts, we aim to recruit and retain the best people at all levels of the firm. The ability, dedication and technical excellence of our people are critical to the successes we achieve for our clients.
If you are interested in working for Stewarts our Careers section provides further details of our recruitment process and current opportunities.
You can find further information regarding our expertise, experience and teams on our Expertise pages and more about the firm on our About Us section.
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