Holman Fenwick & Willan (London)

Our view...  

Along with Ince and Co and Clyde and Co, Holmans is one of the leading shipping firms in the City. Shipping isn't its only area of expertise - the firm has strong trade, commercial, insurance and (with the arrival of a team from Hill Taylor Dickinson) energy departments - but it still dominates the practice. Holmans has a rather different culture from the traditional corporate firms as a result. An assistant notes that Holmans "benefits from being a relaxed environment in which to work", and that it is "less hierarchical and more informal than many firms".

Others report that it is a "fairly relaxed atmosphere" and "all the assistants are very matey". As a shipping specialist, the hours tend to be pretty civilised by City standards. Assistants report that on a day to day basis they are in at 9:00 and out by 6:30 or 7:00; even the hardest workers leave by 7:30. One assistant noted that he works until 9:00 about three or four times a year, and he has never been in the office later than 11:00.

But, no surprise here, the money is not in the top tier, but it's not bad; many assistants at larger City factories told us that they would happily sacrifice their recent salary increases for better hours, so Holmans seems to be getting it right (but then those grumbling City assistants don't actually make the move........).

A few moans persist about IT support, which is "good when it happens, but takes a long time to get there", which is a problem which bedevils many smaller firms. There was a recession-led blip in the number of NQs kept on in 2003, but retention rates are now back up to very respectable levels. All 2008 qualifiers staid with the firm, in a year that marked Holmans' 125th anniversary and a move to smarter new offices round the corner on the delightfully named Crutched Friars. With two new offices having opened in 2006 (Dubai and Melbourne) and one in 2007 (Brussels) there are also plenty of opportunities for secondments.

Overall, the work is interesting, the hours are good and the assistants seem pretty chuffed with their deal.