We are two distinct law firm brands under one corporate umbrella. With two brands, ambitious trainees get dual insight and exposure to diverse, interesting and challenging work for motivated, often high-profile, clients. Our teamwork, inventive spirit, open culture and agile approach means we set milestones for both our clients and our competition.
Early careers guide Everything you need to know about starting your career with us
Contents
Message from Jon Divers, CEO
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Get to know us
4
Seat rotations options
5
The work we do
6
Meet the early careers recruitment Partners
7
Application process
12
Get to know our Trainees
14
Wellbeing & support
19
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
22
Corporate Social Responsibility
26
Contact us
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2
Chief Executive Officer’s message
We are committed to developing the next generation of legal professionals who will shape the future of the industry. We value your expertise, and we will ensure that you have the opportunities and the training to realise your potential and enable high performance. Providing opportunities for staff to develop their skills has a direct impact on the quality of work that we do for our clients. This means that our clients can be satisfied that our firm offers the most up to date skill sets and a forward thinking approach when it comes to tomorrow’s business world. A training contract at Memery Crystal and Rosenblatt provides you with a framework enabling you to get the most out of development and training opportunities. As a graduate, you’ll be joining a workplace where your talent, passion, and drive will be nurtured by experienced mentors, challenging work, and a culture of excellence. This is more than just the start of your career—it’s the beginning of a journey to make a difference in the legal world.
Thank you,
Jon Divers Group Chief Executive Officer
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Get to know us
We are two distinct law firm brands under one corporate umbrella.
Memery Crystal’s suite of practice areas include banking and finance, equity capital markets, M&A, construction, real estate, commercial, IP and technology, employment, financial regulation, and tax. Clients include well-known companies and financial institutions, owner-managed businesses, HNW individuals and entrepreneurs. Rosenblatt’s international ground-breaking disputes offering includes commercial litigation, international arbitration, defamation, financial crime, insolvency, and civil fraud. Professional practices, financial services, media, leisure and HNW individual clients all seek incisive action on contentious commercial issues. With two brands, ambitious trainees get dual insight and exposure to diverse, interesting, and challenging work for motivated, often high-profile, clients. Our teamwork, inventive spirit, open culture and agile approach means we set milestones for both our clients and our competition.
With our head office located on Fleet Street in London, we offer an exceptional environment where you can thrive in the heart of the legal district. As a mid-sized city law company, we offer trainees immediate access to clients, fostering both support and opportunities for growth from day one. During their Training contracts, Trainees will sit with a Partner, Legal Director, Senior Associate or Associate. Their development is monitored closely, and due to our partner-led service, trainees will work frequently with partners from all departments. They will also recieve regular feedback in addition to their appraisals every three months with their supervisor and a member of HR, helping them to set and achieve goals for their future.
46 Partners
53 Business Ops/ Secretarial
10 Trainees
7
19
36
Paralegals
Junior Lawyers
Senior Lawyers
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Seat rotations options
Trainees will rotate seats in our various departments every six months across the two-year period. We aim to give second years their preference in seat choice and offer the option of repeating seats.
We take on four to five Trainees per year. We currently have one trainee opening for a September 2025 start, and one opening for a September 2026 start. For 2027, we will be looking for five Trainees in total.
- Acquisitions & disposals - Construction - Corporate real estate - Development - Landlord & tenant - Planning - Real estate finance - Private client property
Assisting free holders, landlords and tenants in dealing with a full range of disputes, including lease renewals, portfolio management issues, collection of rent, and planning appeals.
We provide trusted legal support on HR issues. We often advise on confidentiality and restrictive covenant matters, whether dealing with a team move or drafting appropriate restrictions to protect the business.
- Trade mark, copyright and design protection, and strategy - The law of confidential information - IP infringement - Technology contracts - IP development and licensing - Market channel arrangements (sales, distribution, franchising) - Advertising and marketing - Data protection, consumer law and labelling - Domain names
- Equity Capital Markets - Public & Private M&A - Private Equity - Tax - Financial Regulation
Working closely with banks, lenders and borrowers, we view and understand banking and finance from all perspectives.
All kinds of litigation including insolvency, arbitration, and meditation. Acting for individuals in some of the highest profile financial crime cases and defending and advising individuals facing investigation.
Advising corporates, investors and state entities in commercial and investor-state arbitration proceedings globally, providing strategic advice at all stages of a dispute in order to achieve the best commercial outcome.
5
The work we do
Memery Crystal Advises on successful rescue of The Body Shop from administration Memery Crystal advises Arc’teryx on new flagship store in Covent Garden Memery Crystal advises Zeus Capital Limited on $10 million fundraising for Devolver Digital Memery Crystal advises Regal on the letting to National Lottery operator, Allwyn Memery Crystal acts on sale of King’s Place student housing site to Unite Students Memery Crystal advises on first ever cannabis IPO on LSE Main Market Memery Crystal advises Global Holdings on delivering the UK’s largest full timber structure, net zero carbon office building Memery Crystal advises Songtradr on conditional acquisition
Sellers prepare legal action against Amazon claiming tens of millions of their funds were frozen unlawfully Rosenblatt helps secure Court of Appeal victory for Esken Limited (formerly Stobart) Rosenblatt achieves settlement for leading bakery Rosenblatt secures landmark Supreme Court win for Bott & Co Limited against Ryanair Rosenblatt advise Corbin & King on High Court Challenge over £34m debt repayment Rosenblatt uncovers $70m Bitcoin scam Rosenblatt acts for Simon Cowell in Sony deal Rosenblatt Limited acts for Northern & Shell in a £100million merger of Emoov and Tepilo
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Meet the early careers recruitment partners
Simon Walton Training Principal and Dispute Resolution Partner
Elizabeth Weeks Dispute Resolution Partner
Liam Bell Real Estate Litigation Partner
Lucie Burniston Corporate Partner
Robert Bines-Black Corporate Partner
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Q1 What motivated you to join this company, and what has kept you here?
I joined as a Trainee in 2010, and the decision came about simply because the company ticked all of the boxes I was looking for in terms of profile. Upon attending my assessment centre, I was immediately struck by the warmth and friendliness of everyone I met – from the receptionists to the Trainees who took me to lunch, to the Partners who interviewed me. I very much felt everyone wanted me to do well. It all felt very genuine – and that is a big part of what has kept me here ever since.
Liam
I originally joined Rosenblatt as I was keen to work in a city practice which had dispute resolution at its heart. I’ve been with the company since 2017; interesting work and clients has meant I’ve stayed put. Never a dull moment!
Elizabeth
As a graduate looking for his first job in law, I wanted to join a firm which was not too big, but covered interesting areas of law and somewhere where I could progress. I also liked the “vibe” of the firm. I have now been here nearly 20 years. I love the people, the work, the environment and I have grown up with the firm.
Simon
Q2 Can you share a memorable experience from your early years at the company that shaped your career?
I have had so many but more relevant is observing my colleagues at the time and the way they are laser focussed on client service and communication. Learning that this is a ‘communications’ business and not just a law company was a key lesson.
Simon
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Q3 Why is being on the early careers recruitment team so important to you?
Being on the early careers recruitment team is important to me for two reasons – firstly, I want to ensure we continue to recruit a diverse intake of trainees, drawing on my first-hand experiences to try to promote strong female and neurodiverse candidates; and secondly, because I want to show our applicants that the Partners at Memery Crystal are approachable, friendly and supportive and demonstrate that the company has a wealth of good role models, as I’ve been fortunate enough to benefit from during my career path here.
Lucie
I have worked my way through every job title from Trainee up to Partner since joining. Our friendly and supportive culture has always been a key part of what has kept me at the company, and, by participating in the recruitment process, I hope that I am helping to preserve and continue that culture for others coming into the business.
Liam
Q4 If you were a new graduate today, what would excite you most about starting a career at Memery Crystal and Rosenblatt?
The feeling of being a valued part of a deal team, taking on responsibility and having the opportunity to shine. With a small annual Trainee intake, we really notice Trainees who we think have potential to be great lawyers, and we encourage them to hit the ground running from early on.
Robert
I think the two brands together signify expertise and it is an opportunity to work with both teams and experience a consistently high calibre of varied legal work. As well as advising entrepreneurs, both Memery Crystal and Rosenblatt are entrepreneurial in spirit themselves – constantly looking for new opportunities to develop new specialties and differentiate themselves in a crowded legal market.
Lucie
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Q5 What are key attributes the company looks for in a successful graduate recruit?
Academic excellence, but much more. The company is looking for future leaders, even at this early stage; people who we can imagine giving advice to our clients and representing the company on the wider stage. Presentation skills are therefore key, as well as getting across that special personality that will stand you apart from the rest. We also look for people who are 100% committed to their career and to the company.
Simon
When I’m interviewing, I’m first looking for signs of a good-humoured, down- to-earth, friendly candidate – someone I would want on my team – as I know that all of our candidates have strong academic records and will be capable of acquiring the necessary legal knowledge once they get started.
Lucie
What really encapsulates the firm for me is its entrepreneurial spirit. Both our lawyers and our clients are bold, business-focussed and intellectually agile. These are traits that I always look out for in graduate candidates. Can they put themselves in clients’ shoes and understand the commercial and financial drivers behind the need for the legal advice we are being asked to give?
Liam
Q6 What common challenges do new lawyers face, and how does the company help to overcome these?
Imposter syndrome is prevalent amongst junior lawyers and trainees. After spending your education as a high achiever, and likely standing out from your peers, you suddenly find yourself in an environment where everyone around you is more experience and more knowledgeable – and that can be a difficult adjustment to make. Fortunately, the company has a fantastic internal support network, including a dedicated Trainee Partner, a mentor system, and a range of social clubs and networks where fee earners of all levels can share their experiences and insights.
Liam
10
I think that one of the most common challenges is the inclination to spend a lot of time on a piece of work. That is quite understandable when coming from an academic background. Often the “best” solution to a client query/ issue is one that is found within the client’s timescale and budget. That might not of itself be an ideal outcome, if a client had an endless budget and timescale.
Elizabeth
I always found as a Trainee that, every time you move department, you feel like you’ve just understood how a department operates, and the work involved, and then you start from scratch again! Nobody expects you to be all-knowledgeable when you join a department – it’s more important that we see trainees learn and develop during the seat. We are a very welcoming company, with robust ED&I and wellbeing policies, and we are always keen to help trainees fulfil their potential. Through training sessions, mentoring initiatives and supervision, we want to ensure trainees feel comfortable and valued.
Robert
Q7 What advice would you give to graduates considering a career at Memery Crystal and Rosenblatt?
If you want a very hands-on experience with culture, where you are valued and important to client work from day one, and throughout your career, then Rosenblatt and Memery Crystal is where you need to be.
Simon
A professional career demands rigour, and so I would advise researching company options thoroughly to ensure, as far as possible, that it is the place for you. All companies are different.
Elizabeth
11
Application process
Applications open
December 2024
Applications close
8 June 2025
Stage 1. Interview
w/c 16 June / 23 June 2025
Initial in person interview with a member of the HR department and a senior fee earner
Stage 2. Assessment centre
Assessment centres 2 & 3 July or 8 & 9 July 2025
Successful candidates will be invited back for one of our two-day assessment centres. This will include individual exercises, group exercises, work experience with our current Trainees and a group dinner with our early careers recruitment Partners
Stage 3. Final Interview
Interviews with Partners w/c 21 July 2025
The final interview will be held in person with two of our early teams recruitment Partners
August 2025
Training contract offers made
12
The company will support you through the funding of your PGDL (if needed) and the LLM in Legal Practice through The University of Law, along with the SQE1 and SQE2 exams if qualifying via the SQE
route. The company will additionally support you with a £6,000 maintenance grant for each year of study. Please note we are unable to provide funding where studies have already been completed.
Route to training contract
Law degree
Non law degree
PGDL
SQE 1 &2 / LLM with SQE 1&2
Start of training contract
13
Get to know our Trainees
Sam Sykes Trainee Solicitor
Alex Campbell Trainee Solicitor
Sahima Sajid Trainee Solicitor
Alex Willis Trainee Solicitor
Asher Laws Trainee Solicitor
Georgia Little Trainee Solicitor
14
Q1 What motivate you to join this company?
I was attracted by three key features of the company: • The company’s considerable strength in core practice areas of corporate and disputes work. • The company’s diverse client base, including all kinds of business from medicinal cannabis companies, and ranging from SMEs and high-net worth individuals through to large publicly listed companies. • The company’s small size and the corresponding opportunities that brings for trainees to have more substantive involvement in the company’s work, for the company to prioritise fee-earners’ work life balance with a view to retention, and for the business to work in a nimble, creative and efficient way.
Sam
Q2 How does the company support work-life balance, especially for those at the beginning of their legal careers?
Work-life balance is strongly supported at the company. Although the hours rarely stretch deep into the evenings, the occasions that they do are usually predictable, and your personal engagements are respected and accounted for.
Alex C.
The company does not have a culture of staying late in the office for the sake of it. The few times I have been in the office later than 6pm, its been noticed and questioned. Similarly, when I have evening plans that my team knew of, these have been considered when delegating urgent tasks.
Sahima
15
Q3 What kind of training and development opportunities does the company provide for new graduates?
The company offers regular seminars across a range of practice areas, both run internally by fee earners and delivered by external presenters; these are open to all trainees and we are encouraged to come to as many as possible. In particular, trainees are encouraged to attend department specific tax talks from the company’s tax expert, and the disputes team runs a wide-ranging series of lunchtime ‘know-how’ talks. Trainees are also encouraged to get involved in research and preparing articles for the company’s website on particular practice areas.
Sam
Q4 What opportunities are there for trainees to work on high-profile cases or with major clients early in their careers?
Trainees are given the chance to work on high-profile matters from the off, working for big-name companies and high net worth individuals, as well as fascinating start-up clients. The exposure to headline-making work is brilliant and trainees contribute in a meaningful way to the projects.
Alex C.
Trainees have just as much opportunity to work on high-profile cases as anyone and there is often direct client contact involved. Partners are very receptive to requests for being staffed on particular matters – taking ownership of your career is actually something they value very highly.
Alex W.
16
Q5 What advice would you give to graduates considering a career at Memery Crystal and Rosenblatt?
Apply! The company has a collegiate atmosphere, is committed to developing new trainees and is the right size for providing close interaction with senior fee- earners who are invested in developing you as a trainee. In addition, there is a strong work-life balance, regular social events and a HR department who want to work with you to best achieve your goals.
Asher
If you value personal well-being and professional development, and you can contribute to a positive, balanced workplace while staying committed to your legal career, then definitely apply! If so, tailor you application to highlight your understanding of the company’s culture and how you align with its values.
Georgia
Q6 How does the company support the career progression of junior lawyers?
The company offers structured mentoring in each department of your training contract. This means you are buddied up with an Associate or Partner that you have regular update meetings with. In addition to this, the company provides regular feedback on your work and attitude and how you can improve.
Georgia
Junior lawyers are encouraged to work with everyone in their team, not just their supervisors. There are also plenty of social events from department to company wide, which allow junior lawyers to build new connections and interact with senior lawyers they would not otherwise work with.
Sahima
17
Q7 How would you describe the culture of the company?
There is a strong culture, employees are constantly involved in developing social events (such as the company pub quiz and Thirsty Thursdays) as well as ED&I initiatives like the programme of speakers we have had speaking on a variety of topics such as social mobility and Black History Month among others.
Asher
It is a highly sociable place to work – both with regards to organised events and ad-hoc drinks with other juniors. The Thirsty Thursday at the end of every month is particularly well received by everyone in the business. To pick one thing I am personally very passionate about, the company does a lot of work in the Social Mobility space – largely through our long-standing relationship with the Sutton Trust. For the last 5 years, we have hosted work experience students from the Sutton Trust, and I know from being involved the last two years just how valuable they find exposure to life in a city law company.
Alex W.
18 18
Wellbeing & support
At Memery Crystal and Rosenblatt, we believe that a fulfilling career goes hand-in-hand with a supportive and balanced work environment. Our commitment to employee wellbeing is reflected in the comprehensive support we provide to help you thrive both professionally and personally.
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Training and Mentoring As a Trainee, you will be paired with a mentor who will guide and support you throughout your journey, helping you navigate challenges and achieve your goals. Our company also offers a thorough range of internal and external training sessions across all departments, ensuring that you gain valuable insights into different practice areas. This combination of personalised mentoring and diverse training opportunities equips you with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in your legal career.
Junior and Senior Networking Groups At Memery Crystal and Rosenblatt, we are dedicated to fostering a collaborative and supportive culture, ensuring that both our junior and senior lawyers excel professionally through networking, knowledge sharing, and cross-referral opportunities. Designed specifically for junior fee earners, the Junior Lawyer Networking group offers: • A platform to enhance networking and cross- referral skills. • Access to guidance and mentorship from senior lawyers and business development professionals. • A collaborative environment that promotes open communication about clients and supports your career growth within the company. Tailored for Senior Associates and Legal Directors, the Senior Lawyer Networking group provides: • Opportunities to network and connect with senior lawyers across various departments. • A space to share knowledge, skills, and recent client successes. • Regular involvement from BD & Marketing teams to aid in client development. • Informal presentations on recent cases and career talks from Partners and Heads of Departments (HODs).
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Hybrid Working We recognise the importance of flexibility and work-life balance, which is why we have adopted a hybrid working policy. This approach allows employees to split their time between an agreed remote location and the office, offering the flexibility needed to meet individual preferences while supporting your professional development. Our policy requires employees to work from the office at least two days per week. One of these days will be fixed by your Head of Department to ensure that the majority of each team is present on the same day. This consistency encourages collaboration, the sharing of knowledge, and career development across all levels. It also supports business development and the company’s broader operational needs. While the policy provides flexibility, you will be expected to adapt as needed to ensure effective teamwork and the continued growth of the company. Social Life at Memery Crystal and Rosenblatt Trainees play a key role in the company’s social life, planning events such as the annual Pub Quiz and the Landmark Challenge, a company-wide competition that brings everyone together for some friendly rivalry. You will have the opportunity to join as many or as little clubs the company has to offer including our book club, run club or the yearly tennis tournament! Our monthly Hub Days bring everyone together in the office for a day of collaboration and socialising. Our Social Committee organise after work drinks on these days – each month often having different themes and events running alongside. Monthly Town Halls and Quarterly Briefings will keep you informed about company-wide updates and successes and provide opportunities to engage with colleagues across all levels.
Employee Assistance Programme
We prioritise the well-being of our employees through our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP). This confidential service provides support for personal or work-related challenges, including mental health, financial concerns, and legal advice. Available 24/7, the EAP offers access to professional counsellors and resources designed to help you manage stress, maintain a healthy work-life balance, and thrive in your role. We are committed to fostering a supportive and caring environment, ensuring our employees have the tools they need to succeed.
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Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
Gender parity For gender equality to be effective, there must be no glass ceiling. Barriers that exist or are perceived to exist are being broken down, to allow everyone to achieve greater gender balance, in all areas of the company, at all levels and within society at large. Awareness and specific initiatives will help make us more conscious of such innate differences which hold no validity in the way in which we do our work. We are much more comfortable talking more widely about areas which affect women and trans, such as menstruation, menopause and perimenopause and with increased access to knowledge, information, support and policies to assist people at different life stages, we retain loyal and productive people who feel valued because of how they are treated.
We are committed to ensuring we offer an inclusive work environment where equal opportunities are available to all, everyone is assessed on their own abilities and that we maintain a culture of mutual respect; where everyone can bring their whole self to work and where our differences are welcomed and celebrated. We have a dedicated ED&I committee and six active sub committees that focus on specific strands of diversity, who meet regularly to identify initiatives, changes to policies and processes, training, events and other ways to raise awareness, support and promote an inclusive work environment.
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Culture & Ethnicity We operate in diverse industries, across diverse cultures and in diverse areas of the world. We are one world dispersed across six continents and our ability to reach out to every corner of our globe is becoming limitless. As legal advisors, our clients want to know that we are reflective of the environments in which we operate. Words aren’t enough - we must have a strong cultural sensitivity to be able to transact the law with clients as the natural way of doing business. Our great strength is that our people love to talk about the cultural heritage, their ancestors, their traditions, and customs. An even greater strength is a genuine desire of our people to listen, learn, and be part of that culture. A healthy dose of the food from different cultures goes down particularly well!
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LGBTQ+ However you identify, whatever is different about you, we make you comfortable bringing the real you to work – your identity inside work and outside in your private life is seamless and no different. We adopt pronouns, gender neutral facilities, a trans and inclusion policy and our dignity and respect at work policies are there to serve you and ensure that you don’t encounter any difficulties in the company.
Social Inclusion In many countries the socio-economic background children are born into is still the biggest determining factor in their life chances. Working in the legal sector is steeped in historic ideologies and we are doing what we can to help young adults step into the law where they may not have had opportunities to do so in the past. We work with organisations where we give opportunities to university students to have a mentor, join our vacation schemes, we review our channels for attracting candidates from the less obvious universities, and we now have solicitor apprenticeships, which allow students to learn and earn and obtain a degree without the financial burden which comes from a university education.
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Disability & Neurodiversity We may not be in a position to know what challenges people are facing in their personal lives, and we aim to support people who have invisible as well as visible disabilities or challenges. Organisations who have a neurodiverse workforce benefit from individuals who bring creativity, new ideas, and fresh perspectives. It is hugely valuable to have different thinkers, lateral and sometimes off the wall ideas. We are at the start of our path to greater understanding and support around neurodiversity and we are working with IT to showcase to all our people helpful resources around assistive technologies.
Faith & Religion Faith is part of belonging to a set of beliefs which drive your actions in life. We recognise and support people with their faith at work and allow those who may not have a faith to recognise that. Our aim is to create our work environment where belief is acknowledged and understood as a significant aspect of our lives and a culture where people of all faiths and none can flourish. We do this through the cultural celebrations that we mark throughout the year, which form part of our overall understanding of faiths and what is important to people in their everyday lives and which guide their actions.
Download our Inclusive Guidelines
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Corporate Social Responsibility We have a long-standing commitment to support our staff in engaging with their local communities and charities. The social awareness is present throughout the business, from our employees to our clients, our professional connections and the suppliers we use.
Noah’s Ark Every year, Memery Crystal and Rosenblatt Partners with a charity, as voted by our staff, to provide fundraising support. This year our charity of the year is Noah’s Ark who help support young children with life-threatening or life-limiting conditions, and their families. This year so far we have raised money through office sweepstakes, bake sales and the selling of our old refurbished laptops. Members of staff have even had the pleasure of visiting the Ark to help with the gardening for the day! Keen London In 2023 the chosen charity was KEEN London. KEEN addresses the lack of support for young people with additional needs to access meaningful employment or volunteering opportunities and gain valuable transferable skills. Highlights of fundraising for KEEN include staff competing in a Tough Mudder, Winter Walk and a Christmas raffle. In total the Company raised £35,807 throughout the year.
Sutton Trust 2024 marks the fifth year of working with the Sutton Trust, a social mobility charity that supports students from underprivileged backgrounds at University. At Memery Crystal and Rosenblatt, we host students for a week’s work experience to gain an insight into working life, as well as giving them the skills and experience they need to apply for graduate rules. Beyond the Bow We continue to support the Beyond the Bow initiative, which organises presents for disadvantaged children in foster homes, those experiencing homelessness or those who need therapeutic care due to adverse childhood experiences. In total last year, staff donated 120 packages to the initiative.
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Black British Initiative As part of our EDI programme and Black History month, we are supporting an exciting initiative aimed at helping thirty black entrepreneurs. The MBA 30 conceived by Black British Initiative (BBI) in partnership with the Stephen Lawrence Day Foundation is a short transformative business course and qualification delivered by SOAS University of London to provide practical tools and advice to boost prospects for commercial success and access to funding. We are currently sponsoring two students through their MBA and are looking to further grow this exciting partnership.
Lawcare Finally, we support Lawcare, a mental charity specifically for people in the law industry. As a firm, we can refer employees to LawCare who provide signposting and peer support to individuals dealing with difficulties in the workplace. Pro bono We believe in the power of giving back to the community and making a positive impact on the world around us. Each year, we are offering all employees a discretionary amount of paid days specifically for volunteering, supporting our chosen charities and other ad-hoc initiatives.
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Contact us
memerycrystal.com rosenblatt-law.co.uk
Early careers team: recruitment@rbgls.co.uk
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