Michelmores Vac Scheme

[Legallywhatever]

Hi,

I was wondering if anyone had any insight on Michelmores? I'm planning to apply to the vac scheme. Does anyone have any experience with the firm or thoughts about them?

 

[Ram Sabaratnam]

Hi,

I was wondering if anyone had any insight on Michelmores? I'm planning to apply to the vac scheme. Does anyone have any experience with the firm or thoughts about them?

Hiya @Legallywhatever

I've just spoken to a friend of mine who applied to Michelmores during the last application cycle. I've tried to put some thoughts together based on what she mentioned to me, and I hope this is useful to you.

Michelmores is a strong regional firm with a presence in London. The firm is particularly known for its expertise in areas such as private client, real estate, and business law. If you'd like a training contract which will give you exposure to a wide range of practice areas, I think it's worth making an application. You'd also have the chance to experience more niche practice areas, such as family law and agriculture and rural affairs, which are more difficult to come by at the larger firms in the City. Given Michelmores strengths in both private client and commercial matters, you may also want to look into some of their main competitors, which typically include firms such as Ashfords and Clarke Willmott.

The Lawyer recently mentioned that the firm was expanding into sectors that are gaining more attention for both private client and commercial clients. This includes their recent hires to strengthen their capabilities in private wealth, energy and natural capital, and financial services. It also mentioned that the firm has experienced significant growth, with revenue reaching a 10-year high in 2023/24, rising by 14% to £48.8m. Net profit increased by 20% to £10m, and PEP saw a 15% rise. Overall, I'd encourage you to make an application, particularly if the firm's main practice areas seem appealing to you.

Best of luck!

 

[Legallywhatever]

Hiya @Legallywhatever

I've just spoken to a friend of mine who applied to Michelmores during the last application cycle. I've tried to put some thoughts together based on what she mentioned to me, and I hope this is useful to you.

Michelmores is a strong regional firm with a presence in London. The firm is particularly known for its expertise in areas such as private client, real estate, and business law. If you'd like a training contract which will give you exposure to a wide range of practice areas, I think it's worth making an application. You'd also have the chance to experience more niche practice areas, such as family law and agriculture and rural affairs, which are more difficult to come by at the larger firms in the City. Given Michelmores strengths in both private client and commercial matters, you may also want to look into some of their main competitors, which typically include firms such as Ashfords and Clarke Willmott.

The Lawyer recently mentioned that the firm was expanding into sectors that are gaining more attention for both private client and commercial clients. This includes their recent hires to strengthen their capabilities in private wealth, energy and natural capital, and financial services. It also mentioned that the firm has experienced significant growth, with revenue reaching a 10-year high in 2023/24, rising by 14% to £48.8m. Net profit increased by 20% to £10m, and PEP saw a 15% rise. Overall, I'd encourage you to make an application, particularly if the firm's main practice areas seem appealing to you.

Best of luck!

Hi Ram,

This is so incredibly helpful!!! Thanks a lot to you and your friend for this insight!!

 

[Legallywhatever]

Hi @Ram Sabaratnam

I was just wondering if you had any insight into the following question: What do you think are the biggest challenges facing Michelmores clients at the moment?

I'm a bit unsure on how to go about it, so would really appreciate any advice you have!

 

[Ram Sabaratnam]

Hi @Ram Sabaratnam

I was just wondering if you had any insight into the following question: What do you think are the biggest challenges facing Michelmores clients at the moment?

I'm a bit unsure on how to go about it, so would really appreciate any advice you have!

Hiya @Legallywhatever

I’d suggest looking at Michelmores' profiles on Chambers UK and Legal 500 to get a better sense of their major clients and sector specialisms. Given the firm's expertise in real estate and private client matters, you could potentially focus your discussion on recent news/trends in these areas.

In the real estate sector, you might want to cover recent changes in the housing market, which is facing notable disparities, with house prices continuing to rise while flats lag behind. This is being driven by factors such as higher insurance premiums post-Grenfell, complicated service charges, and the shift in buyer preferences since the pandemic. Additionally, there's been discussion of the increasing strains in the rental market, with some analysts suggesting rents could rise by nearly 20% over the next five years due to a lack of new landlords entering the market. The supply-demand imbalance poses significant challenges for both tenants and property investors. You can read this piece in the Times that informatively covers these trends, and you might want to mention some of these depending on the word count you have available.

For private clients, taxation changes are a major concern. The latest budget introduced an inheritance tax adjustment that will impact small family businesses and farms, the sort of clients which Michelmores might be more familiar with, especially in its more regional offices. From April 2026, a 20% inheritance tax rate will apply to farms and businesses valued over £1 million, which could create financial difficulties for many family-run enterprises. You might want to think about how these are affecting high-net-worth individuals, with an increasing number exploring relocation due to political and social concerns, affecting both property investment and wealth management strategies. I'd only caution that this has been something that many applicants have been covering when applying to firms with strong private client practices.

Hope this helps and good luck with your application!

 

[Legallywhatever]

Hiya @Legallywhatever

I’d suggest looking at Michelmores' profiles on Chambers UK and Legal 500 to get a better sense of their major clients and sector specialisms. Given the firm's expertise in real estate and private client matters, you could potentially focus your discussion on recent news/trends in these areas.

In the real estate sector, you might want to cover recent changes in the housing market, which is facing notable disparities, with house prices continuing to rise while flats lag behind. This is being driven by factors such as higher insurance premiums post-Grenfell, complicated service charges, and the shift in buyer preferences since the pandemic. Additionally, there's been discussion of the increasing strains in the rental market, with some analysts suggesting rents could rise by nearly 20% over the next five years due to a lack of new landlords entering the market. The supply-demand imbalance poses significant challenges for both tenants and property investors. You can read this piece in the Times that informatively covers these trends, and you might want to mention some of these depending on the word count you have available.

For private clients, taxation changes are a major concern. The latest budget introduced an inheritance tax adjustment that will impact small family businesses and farms, the sort of clients which Michelmores might be more familiar with, especially in its more regional offices. From April 2026, a 20% inheritance tax rate will apply to farms and businesses valued over £1 million, which could create financial difficulties for many family-run enterprises. You might want to think about how these are affecting high-net-worth individuals, with an increasing number exploring relocation due to political and social concerns, affecting both property investment and wealth management strategies. I'd only caution that this has been something that many applicants have been covering when applying to firms with strong private client practices.

Hope this helps and good luck with your application!

Thank you so much for this!! Very grateful for the detail of your answers!