tbi is one of the largest law firms in the North East with a long history of providing a full legal service to private and commercial clients. Recommended by The Legal 500 across a number of disciplines, tbi are able to provide comprehensive and professional advice to all of our clients no matter what their legal problem.

tbi has 15 partners and over 150 staff across our 4 offices in Hartlepool, Wynyard, Stockton on Tees and Barnard Castle.

tbi aim for 100% retention of their trainees and to qualify each trainee into a department where they have shown particular enthusiasm and skill. tbi is committed to employing all of its lawyers in departments where they will be able to make a valuable contribution to the firm and further their individual career.

At any one time tbi will have up to 5 trainees at different stages of their training. tbi are looking for trainees who will be able to contribute to the significant growth and success that the firm has enjoyed over recent years.

TRAINING AT TBI
Types of Work

As a trainee at tbi you will be able to gain experience in a variety of legal areas including-

• corporate transactions and corporate support;
• commercial litigation and dispute resolution;
• commercial and IT law;
• intellectual property;
• commercial property;
• employment;
• claimant personal injury;
• matters of clinical negligence;
• publicly and privately funded family work;
• publicly and privately funded criminal work;
• private client; and
• trust work.

To learn more about the types of work that tbi undertake please take this opportunity to explore the rest of our website.

tbi offers trainees the opportunity to work in many differing specialisms and all attempts to seat trainees in departments in which they have an interest will be made. The opportunity will be there to complete up to 4 "seats" in a cross section of contentious and non-contentious areas.

What is expected

Trainees will be expected to work well in a team as well as being able to manage their own files from an early stage. Teams are partner-led and typically include a partner and assistant and/or associate solicitors meaning that trainees will never be left without adequate supervision and guidance.

A strong commitment to the North East and a desire to develop their career with the firm will be a benefit to all trainees, as tbi is committed to training and developing its employees for the long term.

Trainees will be required to have obtained high academic standards.

tbi will offer all trainees the opportunity to develop their skills with both in-house and external training as well as enabling trainees to complete the Professional Skills Course at a choice of local course providers. Trainees may also be given the opportunity to play an active role in marketing and business development for the firm.

Application Process

Applicants are invited to send their CV and a covering letter stating which intake year you are applying for to;

Head of HR
Tilly Bailey & Irvine LLP
York Chambers
York Road
Hartlepool
TS26 9DP

or email: trainingcontracts@tbi.law.co.uk

We have now completed our recruitment process for entry in September 2008.

Applications for posts commencing in September 2008 have now closed. We will update this page to include September 2009 applicant information soon.

If you have not been successful this time, we would like to thank you for your interest in tbi, and to wish you every success in securing your Training Contract

Current Trainees with tbi:

Stephen Martin

Stephen read law at Durham University where he graduated with a 2:1. Before starting his LPC he spent a year working and travelling in Australia and New Zealand, where he had the opportunity to experience legal work in Sydney and Melbourne. Stephen then completed the LPC at the College of Law York, before commencing his Training Contract with tbi in September 2007.

He was attracted to tbi by the opportunity to work in a successful and growing business law office, and is currently enjoying working in the Commercial Property seat at the firm's Wynyard Park office.

Outside work Stephen is a keen sportsman and plays rugby for Durham City Rugby Club.

Stewart Haywood

Stewart graduated from Northumbria University this year with a 2:1 in the LLB Exempting Degree. He has a keen interest in Criminal Law and was attracted to the firm by the strong reputation the firm and in particular the criminal department has in the North East. Stewart is currently working towards becoming a fully accredited police station rep. 

Stewart is thoroughly enjoying his time as a trainee with the firm, he is given the opportunity to work individually but also to learn under the close supervision of partners within the firm.

In his spare time Stewart enjoys all sport. Playing cricket for Gateshead Fell CC in the North East Premier League and also playing football and golf.  Recently Stewart completed the Great North Run and hopes to give it a go again next year to raise money for charity.

Mark McKeever

Mark graduated from Northumbria University's Exempting degree in 2006 with a 2:1 in Law having also completed the Legal Practice Course as part of the four year programme. Mark expressed a keen devotion to commercial law and was attracted by the firm's sustained growth in that area. He began his training contract with TBI in the Tees Valley office in September 2006 where he spent his first seat in the Commercial Litigation department. Since then he has completed his second seat in Commercial Property and is presently enjoying his third seat in the Employment department at tbi's new Wynyard Park office. Mark has taken on responsibility for numerous individual files under supervision whilst also working closely with and learning from his senior colleagues.

In his spare time Mark is an avid and committed sportsman. He plays football for Jesmond FC in Division One of the Newcastle Corinthians league, playing cricket, tennis and golf in his summer pre-season. Last year he tackled the Great North Run half marathon for the first time to raise sponsorship for the Multiple Sclerosis Society and hopes to do so again next year.

Kevin McKeown

Kevin studied Law and Economics at the University of Ulster in his native Ireland, before moving to Newcastle to pursue a career in law. He then worked for a large law firm in Newcastle as a paralegal for a year, which confirmed his desire to work in commercial law, before completing the LPC at Northumbria University.

Kevin commenced his training contract with tbi at its Tees Valley office in September 2006 and has completed seats in commercial property and commercial litigation. He is currently working in the firm's corporate department at the new business law office on Wynyard Park.

Kevin is a keen sports person, who has competed in the past to an international level in swimming and waterpolo. He also enjoys watching rugby, and avidly follows Ireland's exploits in the world rugby scene.

Andrew Steel

Andrew graduated from Northumbria University in 2006 with a 2:1 in the LLB Exempting Degree. He was attracted to the firm due to the broad range of work carried out by the firm and the opportunities to experience some of these different areas of law. Andrew is currently in the Conveyancng Department in our Hartlepool office.

Outside of work Andrew enjoys watching and playing football.

Applicants are invited to send their CV and a covering letter stating which intake year you are applying for to;

Head of HR
Tilly Bailey & Irvine LLP
York Chambers
York Road
Hartlepool
TS26 9DP

or email: trainingcontracts@tbi.law.co.uk