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The Firm
Pitmans is a major Thames Valley firm of solicitors which offers a comprehensive law service to local, national and international businesses and private clients.
The Firm practices from offices in Reading and London and its origins can be traced back almost 150 years.
In recent years, the partnership has grown and with it the breadth of skills and specialisations offered. Many of the partners and solicitors have been recruited from major London practices or have worked in commerce or industry.
Pitmans' continued expansion is underpinned by The Firm's philosophy of offering a first class service at competitive rates. The highly specialised departments are supported by advanced technology, on-line databases and a wide range of professional and commercial relationships in the City of London, nationally and internationally.
Pitmans' wide range of specialisation and its prompt provision of high quality legal services, coupled with a commitment to the development and expansion of The Firm, illustrate the partners' determination to meet the challenging requirements of the business community well into the future.
Training at Pitmans
The Firm is now recruiting for 2010.
The Firm wishes to recruit talented and committed candidates to help The Firm meet the challenge of continuing to provide the highest quality legal service to our clients. A 2:1 degree is required. The starting salary is competitive and regularly reviewed throughout the training period.
General
The Firm offers a wide range of high quality experience to Trainees and expectations are high. You will have the opportunity of dealing with clients directly. As you gain experience, you will have conduct of matters yourself under the supervision of a partner. You will be expected to work hard and be prepared to accept responsibility in a friendly office atmosphere.
During your training, you will gain experience in working with a number of the partners in each of the following departments:
Corporate
You will be involved in the formalities of company formations and reorganisations and can expect to assist in company merger, acquisition and disposal work. A wide variety of general commercial work can be encountered, including business purchasing and sales, advising on terms of trading, employment issues, patent, licence and other intellectual property areas, borrowing, lending and other financial services matters. You may have an opportunity of concentrating on insolvency, intellectual property or employment work for part of your time in this department.
Commercial Property, Planning and Regeneration
You can expect to be involved with acquisition work both for commercial and residential developers. In addition to acquisitions and options to acquire, there is a range of related matters to be attended to in assembling sites and bringing them forward for development.
Pitmans' general commercial clients are involved in the acquisition and disposal of commercial premises for their own use, both freehold and leasehold. You should also have the opportunity of dealing with the taking of mortgages and the grant and surrender of leases of business premises.
The Firm has a very strong planning practice, involving a significant element of contentious work.
As a result of its considerable property orientated client base, The Firm is also involved in a number of substantial planning matters.
Dispute Resolution
Pitmans provides a comprehensive service for business and private clients for any legal disputes in which they may be involved. Trainees can expect wide ranging experience of claims in this country and may be involved in international work. There will be an opportunity to become involved in some of the more substantial claims handled by The Firm.
Employment
The Employment Department covers the full range of contentious (High Court and Tribunal) and non-contentious employment work for companies and senior employees including unfair dismissal, discrimination, collective redundancy, TUPE, contract and policy drafting, restrictive covenant injunctions, disciplinary hearings, dismissals and appeals and provides an opportunity to deal with clients and see cases through to hearings in the Reading and other Tribunals. The Department provides updates, seminars and workshops to clients and opportunities to deal with international employment issues in relation to this growing area of practice.
Pensions
Advising employers, trustees and their professional advisors about their duties under occupational pension schemes, including drafting scheme documentation, ensuring regulatory compliance, and dealing with pension disputes. The Department advises on pension aspects of corporate transactions and act as professional independent trustees of schemes through Pitmans Trustees Limited.
Other Departments
There are opportunities to spend time specialising in other areas including Intellectual Property, Insolvency, Matrimonial and Private Client.
Reading - a major commercial centre
Reading has developed over the last forty years to become the predominant commercial centre of the Thames Valley. The seeds of this growth were sown in the 19th century when Reading became an important centre of communications during the canal and later the railway age. The grant of the Royal Charter to the University of Reading in 1928 and the establishment of Nuclear Research establishments at Aldermaston and Harwell after the war, helped to lay the foundations of the high technology industries, a significant number of which are now based in the area.
The M4 motorway, high speed communications to central London and its proximity to Heathrow Airport, have made it an attractive location for both companies seeking to relocate outside London and overseas companies seeking to establish a base in the United Kingdom.
As an expanding administrative centre, Reading has also long attracted regional or area offices of national institutions and, in recent years, all the major international accountancy firms have established offices locally.
Reading offers a considerable range of sports, cultural and recreational activities, as well as being a significant regional shopping centre. All of this is complemented by Central London, only 23 minutes away by train.
The Reading area also provides a wide variety of accommodation. The Firm encourages Trainees who are joining to liaise with our existing Trainees for assistance in finding rented accommodation, should this be required. Whilst property prices locally are higher than the national average, reflecting the region's prosperity, the range and quality of property available to buy locally is considerably greater than that available in London and is more reasonably priced. Nearby are attractive areas such as the Chilterns, the rural parts of the Thames, Kennet and Loddon Valleys, as well as the Downs.
Applications
For all training contract enquiries please contact:
Sue O'Brien
The Anchorage
34 Bridge Street
Reading
Berkshire
RG1 2LU
e: sobrien@pitmans.com
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