A lot of senior management and partners aren’t very approachable with the culture feeling a bit old school. The office atmosphere is strict, with an expectation to work in silence, which makes it hard to collaborate or feel part of a team or even feel like there's any point in coming into the office.
In the London office especially, some partners have a reputation for intentionally intimidating or patronising junior staff, which creates an uncomfortable and demoralising environment. There’s still a tendency for partners to bring in their kids for work experience!
Socials still tend to revolve around drinking, which isn’t inclusive for everyone. Sespite multiple people requesting different types of socials which are activities instead of drinking but these are ignored. When we do have social, conversations can feel cliquey and exclusive.
Communication and transparency from the management needs a lot of improvement, Some partners are known for being overly controlling or difficult to work with and it’s not unusual to hear them speaking negatively about each other or other colleagues in the office. There’s also a noticeable divide between fee earners and support staff, with some partners treating non fee earners, such as facilities staff, quite poorly.
