Firm Profiles
Addleshaw Goddard
Addleshaw Goddard
A full-service UK-headquartered firm with a genuinely global reach. Known for banking, corporate, and real estate work
A full-service UK-headquartered firm with a genuinely global reach. Known for banking, corporate, and real estate work
Year 1 Trainee
£52,000
Year 2 Trainee
£56,000
Newly Qualified
£100,000
About the firm
About the firm
TC Number
±60
Seats
4
Secondments
Yes
Offices
21
Addleshaw Goddard traces its roots to the very first public record of solicitors in the UK — the Law List — published in 1775. Today the firm has 21 offices across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia with over 1,800 lawyers and revenue of £551 million in 2025 — an 11% increase year on year, with profit per equity partner of £1 million. The firm is the 19th largest law firm in the UK by revenue and ranked 97th worldwide.
The firm is known for its collaborative culture and genuine commitment to people from a wide range of backgrounds. In August 2025, Addleshaw Goddard retained 50 of 58 qualifying trainees — an 86% retention rate — its largest qualifying cohort to date. In the same announcement, the firm confirmed NQ salaries would remain at £100,000 rather than increase, diverting the additional funds into a £19 million bonus pool to address salary compression between junior and senior lawyers.
The four-seat training contract includes at least one contentious and one transactional seat. Secondment opportunities include Dubai, Oman, Singapore, and Paris offices, and a significant client secondment programme with FTSE 100 companies including JD Sports. The firm funds SQE preparation via University of Law and provides a £15,000 maintenance grant for London-based future trainees.
Practice areas and rankings
Practice areas and rankings
Rankings in Chambers
92
Category
International
Addleshaw Goddard achieved 92 practice area rankings in Chambers UK 2026 across its UK and international offices. The firm won the headline M&A deal of the year at The Lawyer Awards 2025 for its role advising JD Sports on its $1.1 billion acquisition of Hibbett. The firm was also recognised for UK's first ever opt-in class action against a cartel of truck manufacturers and for advising on the sale of BT Tower to MCR Hotels. In June 2025 it was named one of the Top 20 Most Innovative Law Firms of the Past 20 Years by the Financial Times Innovative Lawyers report.
Top practice areas:
Banking and finance
A leading banking practice recognised consistently in Chambers UK across leveraged finance, acquisition finance, real estate finance, and restructuring. Particularly strong in mid-market and upper mid-market transactions.
Corporate and M&A
A large and active corporate practice advising on domestic and cross-border M&A. Notable work includes advising JD Sports on its $1.1 billion acquisition of US-based Hibbett and acting on complex cartel class action proceedings in the Competition Appeal Tribunal.
Real estate
One of the firm's most active practices. Advises institutional investors, developers, and lenders on high-value transactions and developments across the UK. The BT Tower sale is one of the most high-profile recent real estate mandates in the UK market.
Employment and incentives
A strong employment practice advising major employers on complex workforce issues, incentive arrangements, and employment disputes. Particularly active in financial services and retail sectors.
Infrastructure, projects, and energy
A growing practice reflecting the firm's investment in energy transition and infrastructure mandates. Particularly active on renewable energy projects and public sector infrastructure work across the UK and Middle East.
The application process
Written application
The online application form asks for personal, academic, employment, and qualification details, and strengths-based questions exploring experiences and motivations. There is no Addleshaw Goddard type and the firm is explicitly looking for authentic personalities rather than a particular mould. Candidates can only submit one application per intake year. Applications are not reviewed on a rolling basis — all applications are considered after the deadline closes. The firm's early careers website includes a Career Matching Tool to help candidates identify which vacancies to apply for across London, Manchester, Leeds, and Scotland. Candidates must commit to a location at application stage.
Psychometric Testing
Candidates who progress are invited to complete a 20-30 minute analytical thinking and reasoning skills assessment under timed conditions. This tests the ability to work through information quickly and accurately — a core skill for trainee solicitors.
Interview Stage
Candidates who progress are invited to complete a voice interview online in their own time. Unlike a traditional telephone interview, the voice interview is completed via a recorded system — candidates can see themselves on screen but the Early Careers team cannot see them. Before starting, candidates have the opportunity to complete a practice recording to check their sound and familiarise themselves with the system. Each question is played as a video. When the video ends, the question remains on screen in text. Candidates then have 30 seconds to think and structure their answer, followed by 2 minutes to record it. There is one attempt per question and five questions in total. The interview takes approximately 15 minutes including practice time.
Assessment Centre
The assessment day is a full-day in-person session at the firm's offices. It includes four components:
Proof reading exercise
A timed 15-minute task. Candidates are assessed on their ability to identify spelling, grammatical, and factual errors within a document in the allotted time. Attention to detail and working at pace are both assessed. This is not a legal exercise and there are no red herrings. Candidates should keep an eye on the time and ensure they complete the full document.
Briefing exercise
Candidates are given 30 minutes to read a pack of documents about a fictional client, making notes as they wish. They then present to two assessors for up to 10 minutes, covering the client's circumstances and the options available to them. A 20-25 minute Q&A follows. This is a commercial assessment, not a legal knowledge test. Assessors are looking for a structured and logical analysis of the options, including pros and cons of each. There is no single right answer — the thought process and how recommendations are supported matters more than the conclusion reached.
Group assessment
Candidates work together on a task with 10 minutes reading and preparation, 20 minutes group discussion, and 10 minutes presenting findings. Assessors are looking at the ability to work with others — listening to contributions, building on ideas, communicating clearly, and showing respect. Candidates do not need to dominate the discussion to perform well; active and constructive contribution is what counts.
Partner interview
A 30-minute interview with two assessors including a 5-minute introduction, 20 minutes of questions, and 5 minutes for candidates to ask their own questions. Questions are a mix of competency-based, skills-based, commercial awareness, and career focus. Assessors are looking for candidates who have clearly researched the firm and understand what a trainee solicitor does and the skills required to succeed. The STAR technique (Situation, Task, Action, Result) is useful for competency questions.
The application process
Written application
The online application form asks for personal, academic, employment, and qualification details, and strengths-based questions exploring experiences and motivations. There is no Addleshaw Goddard type and the firm is explicitly looking for authentic personalities rather than a particular mould. Candidates can only submit one application per intake year. Applications are not reviewed on a rolling basis — all applications are considered after the deadline closes. The firm's early careers website includes a Career Matching Tool to help candidates identify which vacancies to apply for across London, Manchester, Leeds, and Scotland. Candidates must commit to a location at application stage.
Psychometric Testing
Candidates who progress are invited to complete a 20-30 minute analytical thinking and reasoning skills assessment under timed conditions. This tests the ability to work through information quickly and accurately — a core skill for trainee solicitors.
Interview Stage
Candidates who progress are invited to complete a voice interview online in their own time. Unlike a traditional telephone interview, the voice interview is completed via a recorded system — candidates can see themselves on screen but the Early Careers team cannot see them. Before starting, candidates have the opportunity to complete a practice recording to check their sound and familiarise themselves with the system. Each question is played as a video. When the video ends, the question remains on screen in text. Candidates then have 30 seconds to think and structure their answer, followed by 2 minutes to record it. There is one attempt per question and five questions in total. The interview takes approximately 15 minutes including practice time.
Assessment Centre
The assessment day is a full-day in-person session at the firm's offices. It includes four components:
Proof reading exercise
A timed 15-minute task. Candidates are assessed on their ability to identify spelling, grammatical, and factual errors within a document in the allotted time. Attention to detail and working at pace are both assessed. This is not a legal exercise and there are no red herrings. Candidates should keep an eye on the time and ensure they complete the full document.
Briefing exercise
Candidates are given 30 minutes to read a pack of documents about a fictional client, making notes as they wish. They then present to two assessors for up to 10 minutes, covering the client's circumstances and the options available to them. A 20-25 minute Q&A follows. This is a commercial assessment, not a legal knowledge test. Assessors are looking for a structured and logical analysis of the options, including pros and cons of each. There is no single right answer — the thought process and how recommendations are supported matters more than the conclusion reached.
Group assessment
Candidates work together on a task with 10 minutes reading and preparation, 20 minutes group discussion, and 10 minutes presenting findings. Assessors are looking at the ability to work with others — listening to contributions, building on ideas, communicating clearly, and showing respect. Candidates do not need to dominate the discussion to perform well; active and constructive contribution is what counts.
Partner interview
A 30-minute interview with two assessors including a 5-minute introduction, 20 minutes of questions, and 5 minutes for candidates to ask their own questions. Questions are a mix of competency-based, skills-based, commercial awareness, and career focus. Assessors are looking for candidates who have clearly researched the firm and understand what a trainee solicitor does and the skills required to succeed. The STAR technique (Situation, Task, Action, Result) is useful for competency questions.
Firm history
Firm History
Ready to Apply?
Ready to apply?
The Future Trainee Academy covers the full application, including written applications, online assessments, interviews, and assessment centres.
For situational judgment and reasoning practice, the Watson Glaser Practice Hub gives you unlimited free timed tests with worked explanations.
Firm Profiles
Addleshaw Goddard
A full-service UK-headquartered firm with a genuinely global reach. Known for banking, corporate, and real estate work
Year 1
Trainee
£52,000
Year 2
Trainee
£56,000
Newly
Qualified
£100,000
Practice areas and rankings
Rankings in Chambers
92
Category
International
Addleshaw Goddard achieved 92 practice area rankings in Chambers UK 2026 across its UK and international offices. The firm won the headline M&A deal of the year at The Lawyer Awards 2025 for its role advising JD Sports on its $1.1 billion acquisition of Hibbett. The firm was also recognised for UK's first ever opt-in class action against a cartel of truck manufacturers and for advising on the sale of BT Tower to MCR Hotels. In June 2025 it was named one of the Top 20 Most Innovative Law Firms of the Past 20 Years by the Financial Times Innovative Lawyers report.
Top practice areas:
Banking and finance
A leading banking practice recognised consistently in Chambers UK across leveraged finance, acquisition finance, real estate finance, and restructuring. Particularly strong in mid-market and upper mid-market transactions.
Corporate and M&A
A large and active corporate practice advising on domestic and cross-border M&A. Notable work includes advising JD Sports on its $1.1 billion acquisition of US-based Hibbett and acting on complex cartel class action proceedings in the Competition Appeal Tribunal.
Real estate
One of the firm's most active practices. Advises institutional investors, developers, and lenders on high-value transactions and developments across the UK. The BT Tower sale is one of the most high-profile recent real estate mandates in the UK market.
Employment and incentives
A strong employment practice advising major employers on complex workforce issues, incentive arrangements, and employment disputes. Particularly active in financial services and retail sectors.
Infrastructure, projects, and energy
A growing practice reflecting the firm's investment in energy transition and infrastructure mandates. Particularly active on renewable energy projects and public sector infrastructure work across the UK and Middle East.
About the firm
TC Number
±60
Seats
4
Secondments
Yes
Offices
21
Addleshaw Goddard traces its roots to the very first public record of solicitors in the UK — the Law List — published in 1775. Today the firm has 21 offices across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia with over 1,800 lawyers and revenue of £551 million in 2025 — an 11% increase year on year, with profit per equity partner of £1 million. The firm is the 19th largest law firm in the UK by revenue and ranked 97th worldwide.
The firm is known for its collaborative culture and genuine commitment to people from a wide range of backgrounds. In August 2025, Addleshaw Goddard retained 50 of 58 qualifying trainees — an 86% retention rate — its largest qualifying cohort to date. In the same announcement, the firm confirmed NQ salaries would remain at £100,000 rather than increase, diverting the additional funds into a £19 million bonus pool to address salary compression between junior and senior lawyers.
The four-seat training contract includes at least one contentious and one transactional seat. Secondment opportunities include Dubai, Oman, Singapore, and Paris offices, and a significant client secondment programme with FTSE 100 companies including JD Sports. The firm funds SQE preparation via University of Law and provides a £15,000 maintenance grant for London-based future trainees.
The application process
Vacation Scheme Deadline
TBD
N/A
A-Levels Reqs.
Degree Reqs.
2:1
Written application
The online application form asks for personal, academic, employment, and qualification details, and strengths-based questions exploring experiences and motivations. There is no Addleshaw Goddard type and the firm is explicitly looking for authentic personalities rather than a particular mould. Candidates can only submit one application per intake year. Applications are not reviewed on a rolling basis — all applications are considered after the deadline closes. The firm's early careers website includes a Career Matching Tool to help candidates identify which vacancies to apply for across London, Manchester, Leeds, and Scotland. Candidates must commit to a location at application stage.
Psychometric Testing
Candidates who progress are invited to complete a 20-30 minute analytical thinking and reasoning skills assessment under timed conditions. This tests the ability to work through information quickly and accurately — a core skill for trainee solicitors.
Interview Stage
Candidates who progress are invited to complete a voice interview online in their own time. Unlike a traditional telephone interview, the voice interview is completed via a recorded system — candidates can see themselves on screen but the Early Careers team cannot see them. Before starting, candidates have the opportunity to complete a practice recording to check their sound and familiarise themselves with the system. Each question is played as a video. When the video ends, the question remains on screen in text. Candidates then have 30 seconds to think and structure their answer, followed by 2 minutes to record it. There is one attempt per question and five questions in total. The interview takes approximately 15 minutes including practice time.
Assessment Centre
The assessment day is a full-day in-person session at the firm's offices. It includes four components:
Proof reading exercise
A timed 15-minute task. Candidates are assessed on their ability to identify spelling, grammatical, and factual errors within a document in the allotted time. Attention to detail and working at pace are both assessed. This is not a legal exercise and there are no red herrings. Candidates should keep an eye on the time and ensure they complete the full document.
Briefing exercise
Candidates are given 30 minutes to read a pack of documents about a fictional client, making notes as they wish. They then present to two assessors for up to 10 minutes, covering the client's circumstances and the options available to them. A 20-25 minute Q&A follows. This is a commercial assessment, not a legal knowledge test. Assessors are looking for a structured and logical analysis of the options, including pros and cons of each. There is no single right answer — the thought process and how recommendations are supported matters more than the conclusion reached.
Group assessment
Candidates work together on a task with 10 minutes reading and preparation, 20 minutes group discussion, and 10 minutes presenting findings. Assessors are looking at the ability to work with others — listening to contributions, building on ideas, communicating clearly, and showing respect. Candidates do not need to dominate the discussion to perform well; active and constructive contribution is what counts.
Partner interview
A 30-minute interview with two assessors including a 5-minute introduction, 20 minutes of questions, and 5 minutes for candidates to ask their own questions. Questions are a mix of competency-based, skills-based, commercial awareness, and career focus. Assessors are looking for candidates who have clearly researched the firm and understand what a trainee solicitor does and the skills required to succeed. The STAR technique (Situation, Task, Action, Result) is useful for competency questions.
Firm History
Ready to apply?
The Future Trainee Academy covers the full application, including written applications, online assessments, interviews, and assessment centres.
For situational judgment and reasoning practice, the Watson Glaser Practice Hub gives you unlimited free timed tests with worked explanations.