IA Trainee in Waterbeach

Base pay range Cambridge, CB25 9PD £32,000 - £55,000 per annum, dependant on skills. Permanent, Full Time (Optional 9-day fortnight working pattern available). Closing Date: 8th December 2025.

We are looking for a Trainee Solicitor to join our Dispute Resolution & Litigation/Commercial team. Unlike traditional firms, Stobbs do not operate a trainee seat-rotation model. Instead, you will sit within the Dispute Resolution & Litigation/Commercial team with a view to qualifying in this area. Over the course of your training, you will also have the opportunity to gain experience in the firm’s other practice areas including trade mark portfolio and registry matters, online brand enforcement, and anti-counterfeiting.

Key responsibilities:

• Disputes and litigation - covering pure IP (trade mark, passing off, copyright and design rights) and related commercial/contractual disputes. Caseload will range from pre-action, through to IPEC, High Court and Court of Appeal litigation, as well as work on advertising/SA complaints.
• Commercial contracts - centred around brand issues but extending to a wide range of commercial contracts including licences, assignments, franchise agreements, sponsorship agreements, services agreements etc.
• Brand and IP advisory work - in relation to the full spectrum of rights impacting brand owners.

Day-to-day, you will run your own smaller disputes matters, including drafting and client management (with support and supervision from qualified fee earners), and work as part of a team to support bigger disputes and litigation. Clients range from household names to SMEs and start-ups across a range of sectors.

Essential skills and experience:

• A 2:1 or above in an undergraduate degree.
• Autonomous and efficient, with proven organisation and project management skills.
• Strong analytical and communication skills.
• An excellent attitude - Stobbs is a team and our culture of support and care is central to the firm.
• Will consider those already part way through their training.
• Able to work independently and use your initiative to seek support and advice where appropriate.
• To work efficiently and effectively, prioritising your workload and billing.
• To develop and maintain good professional relationships with clients, colleagues and counsel - with teamwork at the core of your work.

Work at Stobbs:

Firm culture is important at Stobbs - friendly, social, approachable and where we look after each other. We regularly provide our own social and professional events. We manage the rights of some fantastic clients - obviously that means our advice has to be legally sound, but it's also about it being business savvy. We have high standards but learn from our mistakes. We’re not internally competitive (well, except when it comes to sports and quizzes!). We’re certainly not run with an iron fist; we want our people to bring their whole selves to work, wanting to perform well, learn from mistakes and to feel comfortable asking questions and learning, and helping us continue to improve and be the best we can be.

Our head office is north of Cambridge, with an office in central London. We are trying to strike a good balance of supporting people to work flexibly while delivering for our clients and making Stobbs an attractive place to work. Our current hybrid working policy is a minimum requirement of two days in the office, encouraging people in more if possible. We may expect you to be based in the office full-time during the first six months. Those seeking a part-time role may also be considered.

Please do not use artificial intelligence tools to assist you to complete the application form. We may not accept applications that have been completed utilising AI tools. If you would usually use tools such as these to assist you in filling in a form, please contact us to discuss this further and understand other options that are available.