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Winston Taylor
An international law firm now operating as Winston Taylor following its 2026 merger with Winston & Strawn — known for technology, life sciences, private wealth, and IP, with a genuine transatlantic practice.
About Winston Taylor
Winston Taylor launched in June 2026 through the combination of Winston & Strawn and Taylor Wessing’s UK-led business. The firm has more than 1,400 lawyers across 20 offices, spanning the United States, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East.
Its practice combines major litigation, corporate transactions, intellectual property and private wealth advice. Important sectors include technology, media and telecommunications, life sciences and healthcare, financial services, and energy and infrastructure. The combination brings together established technology, IP and private client practices with a broader US transactional and disputes offering. For prospective trainees, this creates opportunities to understand how legal advice supports innovative businesses, investment and the protection of valuable assets.
The two-year training contract comprises four six-month seats. All trainees complete a seat in corporate or finance and at least one contentious seat, providing experience of both transactions and disputes. Remaining rotations allow trainees to explore other departments and develop their interests.
Training begins with an induction and continues through technical sessions and practical work. Each seat has a supervisor who provides guidance and feedback, and trainees can request a mentor to support their longer-term development. A buddy helps new joiners settle into the firm. Client secondment opportunities are available, subject to business needs.
Future trainees complete SQE preparation through the University of Law, including SQE1 and SQE2 courses and a bespoke SQE Plus programme. Non-law graduates complete the PGDL beforehand. Tuition fees are funded, with maintenance grants of £17,000 for the SQE and £12,500 for the PGDL.
Practice areas & rankings
Winston Taylor has 32 ranked departments in Chambers UK 2027. Its Band 1 recognitions include Intellectual Property in East Anglia, Hotels & Leisure UK-wide, Media & Entertainment: Publishing UK-wide, and Intellectual Property: Law Firms With Patent & Trade Mark Attorneys in London.
Its lawyers’ recent awards include recognition for London and Dublin IP partner Andrew Payne in the UK Impact Case of the Year category at the Managing IP EMEA Awards 2026, for Generics (UK), Teva & Glenmark v AstraZeneca. This recognition relates to work undertaken before the Winston Taylor combination.
Ranked departmentsChambers UK
Explore the practice areas
Ranked Band 2 for Intellectual Property in London in Chambers UK 2027, the practice handles patent litigation, brand protection and commercial agreements involving IP rights. Its sector experience includes electronics, life sciences, fashion and retail. The team also advises on trade mark and patent prosecution, connecting the protection of rights with their commercial use.
The firm advises technology businesses and their investors from early funding through expansion, acquisitions and public offerings. Its experience covers software, artificial intelligence, fintech, digital assets and digital infrastructure. Information Technology & Outsourcing is ranked Band 2 in London in Chambers UK 2027.
The life sciences practice advises on collaboration agreements, licensing, corporate transactions and venture capital investment. It also handles pharmaceutical patent disputes, including matters involving biosimilars, and European Patent Office opposition proceedings. This gives the practice both transactional and contentious dimensions, supporting businesses developing and commercialising scientific products.
The private client practice advises wealthy individuals, families and family businesses on tax, succession, trusts and estate planning. Its work includes cross-border wealth structures, UK residence planning and the governance of family businesses. Contentious trusts and estates specialists also handle disputes concerning the ownership, administration and transfer of family wealth.
Awards
Management Partner of the YearLegal Business Awards 2026
EME Managing Partner Shane Gleghorn won for his leadership through years of record financial results and the firm's transatlantic merger.
The application process
Click on each stage to find out more.
A vacation scheme is the route to a London training contract. The current scheme vacancies cover training contracts starting in September 2029 or 2030. Applicants must be in their penultimate year of university or beyond and can apply to one vacation scheme per academic year.
The spring scheme runs from 5 to 16 April 2027, with applications closing at 11:59pm on 30 October 2026. The summer scheme runs from 21 June to 2 July 2027, with applications closing at 11:59pm on 30 November 2026.
Applications are screened on a rolling basis, although assessment days take place after the relevant deadline. The form considers academic performance, experience, achievements and responses to commercial and career-focused questions. Previous legal work experience is not essential.
Explain why the combined firm interests you, linking its practices and sectors to your own experience. Go beyond mentioning the merger: identify how its transatlantic reach could matter to a particular client or business. Use examples demonstrating collaboration, adaptability, commercial understanding and determination, making your own contribution clear.
Winston Taylor: quick answers
How much does Winston Taylor pay trainees?
Winston Taylor pays first-year trainees £56,000, rising to £61,000 in the second year. Newly qualified solicitors at Winston Taylor earn £125,000.
When is the Winston Taylor vacation scheme deadline?
Winston Taylor runs more than one vacation scheme round in the 2026/27 cycle: the spring scheme closes on 30 Oct and the summer scheme closes on 30 Nov. Deadlines can change and popular schemes may close early, so check the live application deadlines tracker.
How many trainees does Winston Taylor take on?
Winston Taylor takes on around 20 trainees in each intake, so places are competitive and strong applications matter.
What tests does Winston Taylor use in its applications?
Online assessments follow the application form. The recruitment guidance describes verbal reasoning and critical thinking testing, with a ten-day completion window for London applicants. The test provider and individual test timings are not confirmed in the current vacancy notices. Practise distinguishing what a passage establishes from what merely seems plausible. Base your answers on the information provided, identify assumptions and avoid importing outside knowledge. A separate written exercise follows the online assessments. It is described as a two-hour online task assessing analytical ability, commercial understanding and written communication. For spring scheme applicants, this is scheduled for December 2026; for summer scheme applicants, January 2027. Practise producing a concise, structured response from unfamiliar material. Identify the client’s objective, prioritise the significant issues and explain the practical consequences of your recommendation.
What grades do you need to apply to Winston Taylor?
To apply to Winston Taylor you will generally need a 2:1 degree. At A-level, Winston Taylor asks for AAB. Requirements can flex where there are mitigating circumstances, so always check the firm's own criteria if your grades differ.
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