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Which type of law firm is for you?
It’s really important for you to know the differences between law firms, so you can decide which would suit you best. In essence, there are basically four main types of law firm.
General practice
This involves small or medium-sized firms, usually with no more than 20 partners, working within the local community. Their work includes: the drafting of wills; family law matters; investigating compensation claims for injury victims; property buying and selling and representing workers at employment tribunal.
Commercial law
These firms, especially those in London, specialise in advising large corporates on multi-million pound disputes or deals. They’re large, have wide-ranging experience and employ highly qualified staff. They therefore cover numerous areas of law including commercial, banking, IP, corporate finance and large-scale commercial litigation. Many have other offices in major financial and commercial centres throughout the UK and abroad.
Niche practices
Specialists in one particular area of law or sector, these practices operate in a niche market. For instance, it could be a sports law specialist representing footballers or clubs; or a media law specialist representing celebrities in contractual and sponsorship negotiations. Other niche areas include PFI, construction and family law.
