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Fieldfisher
A European law firm combining commercial, technology and regulatory expertise with leading claimant personal injury and medical negligence practices.
About Fieldfisher
Fieldfisher is a European law firm with particular sector strengths in technology, financial services, energy and natural resources, and life sciences. Its commercial offering includes corporate transactions, financial markets, employment, real estate, technology and data, regulatory advice and disputes. Alongside this business-focused work, the firm has substantial claimant personal injury and medical negligence practices. This combination gives trainees access to different types of clients, legal problems and working relationships.
Its graduate training programme recruits into London, Birmingham and Manchester. The combination of commercial work and specialist claimant practices makes researching the relevant office and its departments particularly useful when deciding where to apply.
Fieldfisher’s two-year training contract comprises four seat rotations. Trainees receive mentoring, departmental training and a buddy before joining. Client secondments and international opportunities are available, including experience with Fieldfisher X in Berlin.
The firm funds the PGDL where required, SQE assessments and preparation courses. Published maintenance grants are £8,000 for the GDL, £8,000 for SQE1 and SQE2, and £1,150 for SQE2-only study. Future trainees attend the University of Law.
Practice areas & rankings
Fieldfisher has 58 ranked departments in Chambers UK 2026, including 12 Band 1 rankings. These include Information Technology & Outsourcing in London, Capital Markets: AIM and Sanctions UK-wide, and Litigation in the Midlands. Its claimant practices also hold Band 1 positions, including clinical negligence in London and the North West.
Ranked departmentsChambers UK
Explore the practice areas
Ranked Band 1 for Information Technology & Outsourcing in London in Chambers UK 2026, the practice advises technology suppliers, major customers and emerging businesses. Its work includes digital transformation, technology transactions and outsourcing, with clients operating in fintech, digital media and e-commerce. A recent example is advising S&P Global on an international AI governance project involving licensing arrangements and a governance framework.
Ranked Band 1 for Capital Markets: AIM, UK-wide, in Chambers UK 2026, Fieldfisher advises companies, nominated advisers and brokers on admissions and subsequent fundraisings. Energy and natural resources are particular strengths, alongside healthcare and technology. This work connects corporate transactions with the financing and continuing obligations of publicly traded businesses.
Both claimant personal injury and claimant clinical negligence are ranked Band 1 in London in Chambers UK 2026. The practices represent people affected by serious injuries, medical treatment failures and major incidents. Their work includes catastrophic injury claims and cases arising from transport disasters, combining technical evidence with close support for individuals and families.
The London corporate practice is recognised for Corporate/M&A: £100–800 million in Chambers UK 2026. Corporate work sits alongside the firm’s financial markets, regulatory and technology services, allowing teams to address the wider legal issues arising from business transactions.
Awards
UK Impact Case of the YearManaging IP EMEA Awards 2025
Won for representing SkyKick in the Sky v SkyKick trade mark litigation before the UK Supreme Court.
The application process
Click on each stage to find out more.
The two-week April 2027 vacation scheme is the graduate route to September 2029 training contracts. Applications run from 14 September to 6 November 2026 and are not reviewed on a rolling basis. The initial form focuses on personal information and academic qualifications.
Before applying, research the departments in your chosen office and identify work that interests you. A useful starting point is one client problem involving the firm’s sectors, such as financing a growing technology company or managing the legal consequences of AI adoption. Develop your own explanation of why that work appeals to you for the later interviews.
Include any relevant mitigating circumstances in the application. The firm encourages candidates whose grades fall below its usual requirements to explain their circumstances.
Fieldfisher: quick answers
How much does Fieldfisher pay trainees?
Fieldfisher pays first-year trainees £51,000, rising to £55,000 in the second year. Newly qualified solicitors at Fieldfisher earn £102,000.
When are the Fieldfisher application deadlines?
Fieldfisher has more than one deadline in the 2026/27 cycle: the spring scheme closes on 6 Nov and the training contract closes on 6 Nov. Deadlines can change and popular schemes may close early, so check the live application deadlines tracker.
How many trainees does Fieldfisher take on?
Fieldfisher takes on around 23 trainees in each intake, so places are competitive and strong applications matter.
What tests does Fieldfisher use in its applications?
Applicants complete an untimed Neurosight strengths assessment. Candidates selected for an assessment centre also complete a separate online written assessment through Canditech beforehand. Approach the strengths assessment openly and answer naturally. For the written assessment, practise reading a short business scenario, identifying the client’s objective and producing a clear response. Check names, figures and instructions, and distinguish information supplied in the scenario from assumptions you have made.
What grades do you need to apply to Fieldfisher?
To apply to Fieldfisher you will generally need a 2:1+ degree. At A-level, Fieldfisher asks for ABB. Requirements can flex where there are mitigating circumstances, so always check the firm's own criteria if your grades differ.
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