Lawyer Testimonials | Charles Leveque

Charles Leveque

I joined the Corporate and Commercial Group of Harbottle & Lewis in May 2007. I had trained at and spent my first three years as a qualified lawyer in the corporate department of a large city law firm and I was looking for a change. I knew that I wanted to move to a smaller firm, preferably outside the City of London and I wanted that firm to have an excellent reputation with industry focus. The impression I was left with after meeting several Harbottle & Lewis partners and lawyers as part of the interview process combined with the fact that I have a genuine interest in the media and entertainment sectors left me with the belief that Harbottle & Lewis was exactly the firm I was looking for.

I was not disappointed. Harbottle & Lewis has proved to be everything I hoped it would be. Its size means that you feel part of a firm that is big enough to carry out, and has the resources to challenge for, the best work in the media and entertainment sectors whilst at the same time being small enough to allow you to put a name to just about everyone's face within a couple of months of joining.

Harbottle & Lewis has a clearly identified sense of tradition and a forward-looking culture: it is a culture that gives its lawyers the freedom to initiate and innovate and that actively encourages its lawyers, of all levels of qualification, to develop the firm's business (and this is a more realistic prospect, even for junior lawyers, than it would be in some larger firms with a different client base).

There is a very real sense of family at Harbottle & Lewis and I think that the people who work here value and appreciate that. It is a theme that runs through all aspects of the firm: in a work context colleagues are approachable and supportive and subsidised social events and sports teams provide ample opportunity to get to know your colleagues outside the office. My decision to join Harbottle & Lewis is a decision I am very glad to have made.