Your practice. Your terms. Your future.
gunnercooke was built for lawyers who want more — more autonomy, more reward, more purpose — without sacrificing the infrastructure, community and credibility of a leading firm.
“Cross-selling is baked into the model. I walked into a ready-made referral network from day one — it’s unlike anything I experienced at a traditional firm.“
Simon Etchells · Corporate Partner, gunnercooke Scotland
600+
Partners
40+
Practice Areas
16
Global Offices
2010
Founded
Whatever stage of your career, there is a place for you here
gunnercooke is home to partners, associates, paralegals and newly qualified lawyers — each with a dedicated path, tailored support and a community built around their success.
Together, we aim to build a Top 50 law firm that gives our clients peace of mind, provides a better life for our people, and leaves a better world than we found.
Partners & Senior Lawyers
Build, grow and own a practice entirely on your own terms. Keep up to 90% of your billings and access an infrastructure that lets you focus entirely on what you do best
- Up to 90% fee retention above £500k billings
- Full autonomy over practice, team & strategy
- Instant access to a 600+ partner referral network
- gcTrust handles compliance, finance, IT & marketing
Associates & Paralegals
Work directly alongside 600+ senior practitioners on high-value matters. Gain real responsibility, real exposure and real mentorship — with a clear, structured path to senior associate and beyond.
- Client-facing work from day one
- Dedicated partner mentor in your practice area
- Transparent progression to senior associate
- Breadth across 40+ disciplines in 16 offices
Newly Qualified Lawyers
Begin your career in an environment that treats you as a contributor from day one. Real matters, a partner mentor from your first week and a structured programme that turns qualification into momentum.
- Structured NQ programme with clear milestones
- Partner mentor matched from week one
- Real client work by month three
- Competitive package with a visible progression plan
A firm built around the people who run it
In 2010, we set out to create something that didn’t yet exist in the market: a firm where lawyers at every level could thrive with genuine support and genuine autonomy — surrounded by exceptional peers, and rewarded fairly for what they contribute.
The model has since attracted more than 600 partners across 16 offices and 126 jurisdictions, alongside a growing community of associates, paralegals and newly qualified lawyers who are building careers that look very different from what traditional firms offer.
Whether you are building a niche, growing a team, or simply looking for a platform that reflects the quality of your work, the conversation starts here.
Full flexibility over your practice
Our model gives partners the freedom to design, set up and scale their practice as they see fit. For associates and NQs, that means working with practitioners who are genuinely invested in delivering results.
Remuneration that reflects your value
Partners keep up to 90% of their billings above £500k. Associates and NQs benefit from competitive packages with transparent progression-linked increases — no arbitrary ceiling.
World-class support, invisibly delivered
Our support structure — gcTrust — handles compliance, finance, IT and marketing so everyone at gunnercooke can focus entirely on their clients and their career. The infrastructure of a large firm without the weight of one.
A culture built on shared success
Collaboration is genuinely baked into how we work. Cross-referrals, joint pitches, shared expertise — our annual Symposium brings all 600+ partners together in one room every year to strengthen what we are building together.
What you earn should
reflect what you deliver.
At most firms, partners retain a fraction of what they generate. At gunnercooke our structure is built around one principle: your success is yours.
Once you pass £550k, you keep 90% of everything above that threshold.
- Up to £375,00070%
- £375,000 – £550,00075%
- Above £550,00090%
Hear from people who made the move
Symposium is when all the lawyers from gunnercooke get together to share ideas and network with colleagues from around the world. It gave me a real sense of what makes our culture genuinely different.
Lisa Poole Commercial Property Partner · Joined 2023
I was unshackled from the traditional model and given a platform to build exactly the practice I had always envisaged. The referral network brought in work from week one — that is the real value here.
Simon Etchells Corporate Team · gunnercooke Scotland
I joined at a career crossroads and let ambition guide me. What I found was not just a better commercial arrangement — it was a community of exceptional people who actively want each other to succeed.
A gunnercooke Partner Employment & Pensions · Joined 2023
Connection at the heart of everything
From day one, our people are encouraged to collaborate across the full breadth of our community — 600+ senior practitioners covering just about every commercial discipline, in offices from Manchester to Munich.
Our annual Symposium — attended by the entire firm — brings that community into one room. Partners share ideas, build relationships and find opportunities for collaboration that carry through the year. It is one of the reasons that cross-referrals happen naturally here, not through obligation.
We have been recognised for our approach to culture because we earned it — not through programmes and initiatives, but through the way our people show up for one another every day.
Built to help you practise at your best
Our support team — gcTrust — exists so that you never have to think about the things that should be invisible. Finance, compliance, technology, marketing: handled, so you are free to focus on your clients and your practice.
Compliance
Full SRA compliance support, risk management and professional indemnity — so you practise with confidence and without distraction.
Finance
Billing, invoicing, cash collection and clear financial reporting — giving you a transparent picture of your practice performance at all times.
IT & Technology
Enterprise-grade technology and dedicated IT support — wherever you choose to work from.
Marketing & Business Development
A dedicated marketing team, BD coaching and a full events programme to help you grow your profile and reach your targets.
Talent & Team Building
From internal introductions to external recruitment support, we help you build the team around your practice as it grows.
Office & Partner Services
Office presence in London and Manchester, with meeting facilities and partner services that reflect the quality of the work you do.
A Straightforward path to joining
We keep things human. We want to understand you, your ambitions and whether gunnercooke is the right home for the start of your career — not put you through unnecessary assessment hoops.
A confidential conversation
You speak directly with a senior member of our team — not a recruiter. We learn about your practice, your ambitions and what matters most to you. There is no commitment at this stage.
Understanding the model
We walk you through how gunnercooke works in practice — the fee structure, the support infrastructure, the culture and what day-to-day life actually looks like here.
Meeting your peers
Where it feels right, we will introduce you to colleagues in your practice area so you can hear directly from people who have made the same move. The community speaks for itself.
Designing your path
Once you decide to join, we work with you to design how your role will operate — your targets, your team structure, your ways of working. This is the beginning, not the end, of the conversation.