Thrings Eyes the Future with Appointment of Six Newly-Qualified Solicitors

Leading regional law firm Thrings’ plans for sustained organic growth and the ongoing investment in its staff have been boosted with the appointment of six trainees as newly-qualified solicitors (NQs).

Thrings has welcomed the NQs to work in the Company Commercial, Commercial Litigation, Planning and Family teams across four of its five main UK offices after they successfully completed their structured, two-year training contracts.

The six are: Simon Bosworth (Commercial Litigation, Bristol); Tara Connor (Family, Swindon); David Geller (Company Commercial, Swindon); Hannah Mannion (Planning, Bristol); Megan Prideaux (Family, Bath); and Tania Pugh (Commercial Litigation, London).

Comprising four six-month seats, the programme provided each trainee with the opportunity to gain experience in a minimum of three different practice areas, with a balance of contentious and non-contentious work types.

In this case, however, the six NQs were able to qualify ahead of schedule as a result of the experience they gained as paralegals under a process known as ‘time to count’.

The six also received ongoing professional and personal support and guidance as a result of Thrings’ ‘buddy’ system, with the trainees assigned to a more senior team member each time they move seat. Buddies help trainees settle into their new positions, passing on their knowledge and experience about the role and the team through regular meetings and dialogue.

Simon Bosworth said: “While the past two years have been challenging, the training programme has given us fantastic opportunities to broaden our legal knowledge and gain invaluable experience by taking responsibility for the running of matters for clients. We have also been encouraged to get involved with business development and work alongside some hugely supportive colleagues.”

In its annual student guide to the UK's premier law firms, Lex 100 ranked Thrings highly for offering trainees a good work/life balance, high quality work, client contact, a diverse working environment and overall job satisfaction.

Tania Pugh said: “Throughout my training, I’ve been fortunate enough to work directly with partners on complex and interesting matters and learn from their experience. We’ve also taken on high levels of responsibility, and the amount of contact you have with clients and the opportunities to engage in business development highlights the amount of trust the firm places in you.”

This year’s cohort also reinforces Thrings’ strong reputation for training and staff retention, with the six NQs following in the footsteps of, amongst others, senior partner, Jonathan Payne, corporate partners, Kate Westbrook and John Davies, and private client associate solicitor, Victoria Barnett, who all joined the firm as trainees.

Sarah Tompsett, HR director at Thrings, added: “History shows that Thrings remains a place where people want to work and develop their careers. The firm is very proud of its ability to attract and retain ambitious young lawyers, and offer them opportunities which support their ongoing professional development.

“Qualifying is a huge turning point for lawyers, and I would like to congratulate Simon, Tara, David, Hannah, Megan and Tania on their success, and look forward to seeing each of them make their mark in their chosen teams and contributing to Thrings’ overall success.”