Higgs LLP is continuing to invest in the next generation of its workforce, with 12 new trainees joining the firm this month and a further nine progressing into the next stage of their training.
The 21-strong cohort will gain experience across a broad range of practice areas, including Corporate, Real Estate, Private Client, Family, Employment, Tax, Restructuring & Insolvency, Dispute Resolution, Court of Protection, Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence.
Their arrival comes during a significant period of growth for Higgs as the firm expands its geographical footprint and builds towards its ambition of becoming the UK’s go-to law firm for owner-managed businesses and the people and families who build and run them.
Developing talent from within is a central part of that strategy.
Earlier this month, Higgs announced the qualification and retention of six newly qualified solicitors. Together with four trainees who qualified in March, the firm has retained 10 newly qualified solicitors during 2026 and currently retains more than 82% of its trainees following qualification.
Higgs is also investing in alternative routes into the profession through its growing apprenticeship programme. Alongside traditional training contracts, the firm offers apprenticeships across a range of legal and business disciplines, including paralegal and solicitor apprenticeships, and this year launched external recruitment for its solicitor apprenticeship programme for the first time.
The approach is designed to open up different routes into professional careers while enabling people to combine structured learning with practical experience from the outset.
Our trainees and apprentices are hugely important to the future of Higgs. Growth means attracting brilliant, experienced people into the firm, but it is every bit as important that we create opportunities for people to start their careers with us and give them every reason to build those careers here.
“There should not be one prescribed route into a successful career in law. Training contracts remain incredibly important to us, but so too are apprenticeships and the opportunities they create for people to learn, earn and develop through practical experience.
“What makes me particularly proud is what happens next. We retain more than 82% of our trainees and many people who started their careers at Higgs have gone on to become senior lawyers and leaders within the firm. That is the real measure of our investment in early careers.
“The people joining us today could be advising some of our most important clients, leading teams and shaping Higgs for decades to come. As we grow, building that pipeline of talent becomes more important, not less."
Sophie Wardell
People Director
The firm’s commitment to early careers extends beyond legal roles, with apprenticeship opportunities also offered in areas including finance, business administration, IT and marketing.
By combining traditional training contracts with apprenticeships and other early-career opportunities, Higgs aims to create broader routes into the business and develop the skills and talent it will need as the firm continues to grow.
