NQ Salary
~£95,000
TC Salary
~£48,000 / £52,000 (year 1 / year 2)
Annual Intake
up to 10 per year
Seats
6 seats
This profile is compiled from publicly available sources and may not reflect the latest changes. Always check Bristows's official careers page for current deadlines, application processes, and programme details.
Bristows is one of the UK's pre-eminent IP and technology law firms, with a patent litigation practice that is consistently ranked at the very top of the market. The firm acts for leading pharmaceutical companies, tech giants and innovators on their most important IP disputes and licensing arrangements. It is a name that carries enormous weight in patent law circles.
Culture & Values
Patent litigation is the only compulsory seat at Bristows, alongside a required corporate or real estate seat, and unusually the firm allocates all seats a year in advance, which trainees rate for the planning certainty. Many trainees come from STEM backgrounds given the IP and tech focus, though a science degree is no requirement. Retention is consistently strong, around 90% in 2023 and 2024, and the small intake of up to ten keeps the firm personal.
Generated by Folio · folioapp.co.uk · 30 July 2026
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Method
“No psychometric tests. Recorded video interview (timed responses) after application, then two rounds of in-person interviews (partner + senior associate, then two partners from trainee committee) with a written exercise. Up to 10 trainees per year.”
Tests
Independent Resource
Folio is an independent student project and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially connected to Bristows. All information is compiled from publicly available sources and may not reflect the most current data. Salary and deadline figures are approximate, based on prior recruitment cycles. Last verified: 2026-03-19. Always check the firm's official graduate recruitment page for confirmed details.