Pros
Firm offers good CV prestige and status. A solid city law firm, with good corporate/commercial work, a mid-size national UK law firm, with access to some key clients. Generally well respected as a law firm brand, in the UK legal market and the insurance market (key client base).
Cons
The firm has a partner who is known for being problematic. However this person is extremely valuable to the firm and is a key "rainmaker" for their key insurance client base. Behaviour includes bullying junior lawyers and mistreatment. Behaviour towards junior lawyers include public name-calling, put-downs, yelling, shouting, criticism, throwing documents at them instead of handing them over, being dismissive, issuing admin/assistant tasks, issuing demeaning tasks (e.g. "I dropped a letter in my bin, get it out for me"), setting unreasonable expectations for ability level, setting tasks beyond ability level, suggesting incompetence for failure to deliver to unrealistic levels set, and openly addressing staff as "stupid". Behaviour towards female juniors includes staring, leering, standing too close, being handsy, 1-1 meetings with legs wide open while sometimes touching himself. DAC Beachcroft has an open plan office environment, so this is visible and seen by all who work there. All juniors (but one) who have worked in this person's team have not only left DAC Beachcroft, but have left law firm life, the insurance industry, the London market, and some have just quit law. Juniors who do speak up or just "fail" (to survive the environment) are blacklisted from the firm. This team has been repeatedly mentioned in Glassdoor reviews as a "no go" team and is always hiring. DAC Beachcroft simply allows this all to happen. Your average colleague is aware, partnership is aware, HR is aware. It is basically an open secret in the company. This person's seniority, importance and tenure does set the standard for wider firm culture. Given this person's profitability for the firm, it is likely their exit will be either retirement or death in service, which will be the start of the major PR disaster.