Pros
Good work/life balance Good location Excellent in-house facilities
Cons
The recent restructuring of the EA team is an unmitigated disaster. Completely mismanaged by a team of mediocre junior-mid level management team. Had this level of incompetence taken place in any other firm someone would have been held accountable. But as it is the mid-level management cover up what has actually happened and blame the EAs for the failures. The entire firm is managed by a junior-mid level management team. The fee earners/associates have no say in the running or are disinterested as long as there is a person there to do the work they don’t care. What you are led to believe during the recruiting process is not real. The job you go into is a standard legal EA role. I have heard the question from fee earners/associates “what is the difference between an EA and a PA” or “what does an EA do?” on so many occasions it is de-moralising. Senior EA’s have left high profile jobs to come to work here and a vast majority are deeply unhappy but we have bills to pay so we soldier on. EA’s are managed by supervisors who are extremely political and expect a “yes sir/no sir “EA and are threatened by strong people. A real lack of management experience shows in the way that your performance is discussed openly with your colleagues/peers. Information is gathered about you for feedback/performance reviews by word of mouth rather than written down. The feedback is then provided to you in a 1-2-1 with the supervisors’ interpretation/view rather than feedback collected. There is a massive undercurrent of underlying politics created by the supervisors and mid-level managers which the fee earners don’t see. They have no say in the running of the department or alternatively have no interest as mentioned above. So many excellent EA’s have been fired for the flimsiest of reasons because the supervisor can. Careers and reputations ruined. Sneeze the wrong way and you’re fired. The managers have either watched too much Apprentice or have a bad case of “Traffic Warden Syndrome”. Whatever the case, the EA is the lowest rank and your voice will not be heard. So many recruiters have advised me that they have this this exact feedback from a high number of EA’s both current and previous. Though clearly they won’t tell you this if they are trying to hire you into Freshfields as they want their commission. By far as a Senior EA this is the worse career decision I have ever made and I regret coming here with all my heart and soul. If you are a career EA stay away from Freshfields, they will knock your confidence and morale. Those who have left…..well done! Those who were fired consider it a blessing in disguise. Those still here…..I’m sorry with you.