Olswang (London)

Our view...

Olswang is one of the sexier firms in the City, combining a high-profile media (and new media) practice with a successful corporate department. Success has come at a certain price - the firm has moved on from the brash media boutique of the 1990s to adopt a more mature imagine and working style - but it's also brought in a greater variety of eye-catching work.

International expansion is very much on the menu. The firm opened a new Singapore office at the start of 2012, which will no doubt increase the praise the firm receives for its "amazing secondment opportunities." And Olswang has been bulking up in Europe too, with offices in Munich, Paris and Madrid added to the network in the last couple of years.

Its smart offices in Holborn (all Starbucks and plasma screens) hint at a youthful firm with little City baggage to drag it down. Perhaps this is why Magic Circle lawyers used to sniff at Olswang's corporate work, until they realised the young pretender was there to stay. Turnover rose by a whopping 17% in 2011/12 to £108.1m but all was not too rosey this year when they announced in early 2013 that six staff were at risk of redundancy.

Despite similar meritorious projects - real estate and the like - media remains the firm's stronghold (no matter how many press releases about other stuff they fire out). Top-drawer clients include the Guardian, FIFA, the BBC, ITV and a host of other similarly exciting-sounding clients. In fact, when it comes to film and TV, this place is pretty untouchable. Add to the above Channel 4, DreamWorks and HBO and you'll see how Olswang pretty much control the board. As an extra added bonus, assistants have previously reported that the whole firm is frequently invited along to a free screening of the films it has worked on.

Recent big deals include acting for Microsoft over unauthorised Xbox 360 accessories, advising BBC Worldwide on the sale of its magazine division and advising Marks and Spencer plc on a sponsorship and advertising agreement with The X Factor TV programme.  Plus the firm was appointed by News International in the wake of the phone hacking scandal, to help draw up a code of conduct. Although it now seems to have been shunted off in favour of Linklaters. It also acted for Elisabeth Murdoch and others on the £293m sale of the entire issued share capital of Shine to News Corporation

Staff praise the perks on offer (mainly food and booze related): "the endless cookies and jelly beans only seem to get better" and "great range of booze for end of month drinks". The firm insist on a group target policy, not individual. You might wonder if this is a touch invidious - if you take a longer lunch than you should, or leave the office before your workmates then you have to deal with the guilt of letting your mates down. Perhaps so, but people working at the firm enthused about how well the lawyers and support staff got along with each other - "relaxed, open and friendly.  It makes the working day enjoyable". And if you do feel hard done by, there's always the prospect of one of those departmental ski weekends on the horizon.

We did hear a couple of grumbles about the firm's 'short term' recruitment and retention policy. And perhaps a suggestion that the trendy veneer is looking a bit faded. One associate comments "the firm is starting to believe it's own image about being as cool as its media clients.  Really?" Further complaints of "great PR spinning the external image, but internally a very different story". And rumours of mass departures are worrying. In fact, retention does seem to be a bit iffy, and with only just over 50% of the recent intake staying on (according to one "boasting how great the half year results are and then only taking on four NQs the week later isn't cool"), there is a larger issue to be addressed here if the firm wants to continue to attract the best people.

Despite all that, Olswang is a great place for those looking for a first class grounding in new media law. If this is your area, if you are ambitious, hard working and have a strong personality, then you can probably do no better. And - whatever the truth behind the brand - everyone will think you're cool (for a lawyer, anyway).