Does Freshfields pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Freshfields employees rate their compensation and benefits as 4.1 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Freshfields. This rating has improved by 1% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Freshfields?

69% of Freshfields employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Freshfields 3.2 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.3 for culture and values and 3.1 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Freshfields?

Associate (87) , Paralegal (38) , Legal Solutions Specialist (21) , Trainee Solicitor (20) , Intern (17) , Lawyer (16) , Executive Assistant (14) , Business Analyst (11) , Senior Associate (11) , Legal Secretary (9) , Personal Assistant (9) , Transaction Lawyer (9) , Internship (8) , Document Specialist (7) , Documentation Specialist (7)

What are the pros of working at Freshfields according to real employee reviews?

"People are great no matter the level" ((in 76 reviews)); "and good benefits" ((in 54 reviews)); "Great culture and lots of responsibility" ((in 35 reviews)); "Lots of very capable and friendly colleagues." ((in 33 reviews)); "The pay is good (I can't comment on what others are paid) as I negotiated when I joined the firm." ((in 29 reviews))

What are the cons of working at Freshfields according to real employee reviews?

"Long hours and expectations of self sufficiency." ((in 68 reviews)); "Poor management and communication Skills" ((in 28 reviews)); "Work life balance / long hours" ((in 26 reviews)); "expectstion to work long hours and considerable overtime" ((in 18 reviews)); "No career progression for paralegals" ((in 13 reviews))

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Freshfields

Freshfields reviews

3.7

69% would recommend to a friend

(642 total reviews)

Edward Braham and Stephan Eilers

50% approve of CEO

71% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

4.1

Compensation and benefits

3.5

Diversity & inclusion

3.3

Culture & values

3.2

Work/Life balance

3.1

Career opportunities

2.8

Senior management

Freshfields has an employee rating of 3.7 out of 5 stars, based on 642 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Freshfields employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Legal industry (3.8 stars).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

642 reviews

3.0

May 23, 2013

Good Company however HR and Management in Business services needs to be improved

Network support engineer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The London office has a fantastic restaurant and coffee bar.

Cons

I work in business services IT department and its a shambles! The management are not interested in keeping staff members and there is a constant turn over of contractors. If you are looking for a long turn career at Freshfields in IT I would not count on it. If you are disabled individual you get little help from the firm in regards to reasonable adjustments as HR and Health and Safety do not take responsibility for supplying reasonable adjustments for disabled people this is left up to your line manager.

1.0

Apr 17, 2026

‘The Apprentice’ vibes

Associate

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Good pay Good quality work Nice office Some good eggs

Cons

Extremely competitive, sharp elbows and all round toxic working environment where bullying is allowed to persist.

4.0

Mar 17, 2026

Excellent employer

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Overall I Freshfields are a great employer. Great office, flexible working arrangements (2 days a week mandatory in Manchester). Lots of very capable and friendly colleagues. The pay is good (I can't comment on what others are paid) as I negotiated when I joined the firm.

Cons

At an operational and strategic layer there is definitely room for optimisation. I would say the decision to outsource BAU IT to Cognizant isn't working out as hoped but we will have to see what happens with that in the future. I would like to see a 18 - 24 strategic direction for IT within the firm as it is not 100% clear. There is an appetite for AI (like everywhere) but the adoption is a bit haphazard.

Viewing 115 - 117 of 642 Reviews

Jobs at Freshfields

Information Security Auditor

Business Relationship Manager