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In an increasingly competitive and dynamic legal market, it is crucial for law firms to recognise the pull factors which draw lawyers into new firms. A recent report from  found almost three quarters of lawyers would not accept a role with a firm that was known to have a ‘toxic’ work culture - and 41% said they wouldn’t even bother applying for a role for a company with negative online reviews.

survey awarded the top spot to corporate law firm Travers Smith, with a lawyer at the firm saying they "tried hard to maintain its culture" during the pandemic, and that the firm "does genuinely care about the wellbeing of its lawyers over profit."

Despite having been in business for more than two centuries, Travers Smith still maintains a vibrant and dynamic firm culture, says the firm's HR Director, Carly Hubbard. "People are at the very heart of everything we do."

Here's some of the firm's winning strategies for maintaining a good workplace culture and ensuring the promotion of positive wellbeing.

Enabling autonomy with agile working

Travers Smith have an agile working policy for all our employees and partners. Everyone whose role permits can work on an agile basis regardless of their rank and title, says Hubbard.

"Our agile working policy gives our people more control over where and when they work. The current approach gives everyone the option to work remotely for up to 50% of their time per fortnight, with a minimum of two days in the office each week.  It is crucial that the approach to agile working does all it can to balance the needs of all parties from all angles. This includes continuing to deliver high quality work to our clients, enabling development and collaboration opportunities and supervision. We understand that the foundation of a successful agile working policy is trust and we work hard to ensure the trust is there to build that success."

This, Hubbard believes, introduces a greater level of flexibility and autonomy into people's lives which presents benefits to the individual and to the business.

Removing chargeable hours targets to increase collaboration

One of the ways Travers Smith stands out in the current legal market is its refusal to set chargeable hours targets.

"This is very unusual amongst top City firms," says Hubbard, pointing out that it breeds a collaborative culture which encourages people to help (and accept help from) others without the pressure of looming targets.

In addition, the firm prioritises collaboration by encouraging development across all departments and teams. It also uses a psychometric tool across departments to "help them understand their strengths better or form part of a team building exercise to enable smaller teams to draw on each other's skillsets."

Attracting and retaining diverse talent

We aim to attract exceptional talent, support career development and create a truly inclusive and modern working environment, says Hubbard.

"We value diversity and believe the way our people think, our experiences, our views and our values help us to achieve excellence and to better serve our clients and communities. As a firm we aim to break down silos and recognises the multiple identities we each carry and the value these can bring."

One of the firm's strategies to supporting diversity and inclusion is through its well-rounded benefits packages and through family-friendly leave policies, which includes enhanced pay for paternity, maternity and shared parental leave.

Prioritising staff wellbeing

According to the anonymous Travers Smith employee quoted in the RollOnFriday's survey, "senior management put in a huge effort to look out for its people".

Commenting on the various initiatives the firm has in place to promote mental health and wellbeing, Hubbard said: "We signed up to the Mindful Business Charter in 2020, which is aimed at removing unnecessary sources of workplace stress and promoting better mental health and wellbeing in the legal community."

Travers Smith also regularly run webinars and events aimed at different aspects of wellbeing. "Earlier this year we ran a dedicated 'Health Month', which included a series of external speakers covering issues that impact both men and women's health. Additionally, we mark Mental Health Awareness Week in May each year by running a series of wellbeing-related events."

Training and development

Creating learning and development opportunities, regardless of seniority, is crucial to Travers Smith's values and internal culture, says Hubbard.

"Our people have access to a range of training on legal development matters, from developing presentation skills to strengthening their personal confidence," she says.

"We distinguish ourselves by the depth and sincerity of our support for our people throughout their careers and beyond. We work together to help one another realise our full potential and offer everybody who works at the firm the opportunity to have a rewarding and fulfilling career."