The legal scene in Leeds
Such is the Leeds legal scene’s reputation for competitiveness that, in the words of one local managing partner: “Introducing lawyers to this market sometimes resembles a blood sport”.
Nevertheless, they seem to enjoy it. 3 law firms with a presence in Leeds - DLA Piper, Eversheds and Cobbetts - appear in the Sunday Times’ ‘Best Places to Work’ list, while only one London firm – Simmons & Simmons – made the top 100 in 2004.
Unsurprisingly then, local recruitment consultants report that demand from London candidates to move to the region is high. Partly, this is for ‘quality of life’ reasons and it’s partly thanks to the fact many City firms have been making people redundant. The present situation is in stark contrast to the turn of the century, when London salary hikes meant that, in the words of a partner in one of Leeds’ big six, “you couldn’t get people out of London”.
While regional law firms have come through the downturn in better shape than many of their London rivals, this potential influx of London lawyers has coincided with a relative slowdown in new recruitment amongst the Leeds’ big six. This means the city’s law firms can afford to be choosy.
So, what are Leeds law firms looking for in prospective candidates?
The national firms prefer to see another of their number or a City name on CVs, alongside a 2:1 or better class of degree. These credentials are especially important for those looking for a role in corporate where academics and a blue-chip past employer are more highly prized. The magic numbers are 2-5 PQE – experienced enough to be useful, young enough to be relatively cheap – and the practice areas most in demand are commercial property, construction, PFI, insolvency, tax and pensions.
However, despite the fact that the national firms owe much of their reputations to ambitious City lawyers fleeing the recession of the early 1990s, this time around simply having a fancy London name on the CV is no longer a guarantee of a plum job in the North. Indeed, in some respects, it can work against you.
Market conditions mean that the big six are not recruiting on a speculative basis and local connections are important to convince prospective employers in Leeds that you are there to stay. Unlike London, where staff turnover rates of 25% are not uncommon, Leeds firms like to recruit for the long-term. There is a wariness about lawyers looking to move North when they have no obvious connections to the area - particularly in the current market where some may suspect London lawyers are just looking for somewhere to sit out the downturn.
Those that don’t find that they fit into the business plans of the big six may find a warmer welcome from firms in the next tier down. Firms one level below the big six think they have spotted a gap in the market left behind by the national ambitions of the top tier firms. They have been recruiting enthusiastically in order to acquire the skills necessary to service a higher level of work.
Corporate and commercial property are particularly in demand at this level, as well as employment and litigation and, it goes without saying, anyone who can bring a following will always be popular.
Another area where the up-and-coming middle tier is keen to recruit is in their private client departments. While, with the exception of Addleshaw Goddard, the big six jettisoned their private client departments in their rise to the top, further down the scale, almost all of the firms remain committed to it. The former private client partners of DLA Piper, Eversheds and Hammonds, meanwhile, formed a specialist private client and charity firm, Wrigleys, in 1996.
Attracting young lawyers to private client work has long been a problem for law firms up and down the country, which means that the legal career opportunities for those that do choose it may be better than for some sexier disciplines.
But private client lawyers do need to be prepared for the typical doughty Yorkshire entrepreneur. As the old adage goes “You can always tell a Yorkshireman, but you can’t tell him much.”
In fact, strong interpersonal skills are something that firms of all levels stress are important in people they seek to recruit. Personal contact is a feature of practising in Yorkshire, whether as a rainmaker in a middle-tier practice or a corporate assistant in a national practice.
It is also not a region for shrinking violets nor is it one for those who like to sit behind their desks all day. One of the factors behind Leeds’ growth as a national centre for legal services is its geographical location and fast road and rail access to all parts of the country. Leeds lawyers, especially in the corporate departments of the larger firms, are likely to find themselves in all parts of the country and, increasingly, London as a matter of routine.
So if that is what you can do for your county, what can your county do for you?
Practising in a regional centre like Leeds can offer a greater spread and variety of work than London firms, especially outside the big six. While salaries are still waiting for reality to catch up after the rapid hikes of a couple of years ago, Leeds lawyers remain amongst the best-paid lawyers outside of the capital and people who can generate their own work can almost write their own salaries.
Such is the reputation of Leeds as legal centre that lawyers with experience in the city are popular with firms in other big cities, although local consultants do not report significant movement of lawyers below partner level between the major regional centres.
In the event that the bright lights of London prove to be too much of a lure, then what are the prospects of getting a job down south? If you’ve been doing quality legal for a national firm, then ‘pretty good’ is the answer. However, to quote a London recruiter, if you’ve been at “regional anonymous” then getting back into a City firm in the current market is likely to prove a tall order.
Leeds salary survey by firm size
| Experience |
Small/Medium |
Med/Large |
Larger Commercial |
| NQ |
18-24 |
25-30 |
30-35 |
| 1 PQE |
20-26 |
27-33 |
34-37 |
| 2 PQE |
24-29 |
31-36 |
38-43 |
| 3 PQE |
26-32 |
35-40 |
40-45 |
| 4 PQE |
30-36 |
40-45 |
42-49 |
| 5 PQE |
32-40 |
44-52 |
47-60 |
| 6 PQE |
35-45 |
49-55 |
52-65 |
| Sal Part, 1st yr |
35-60 |
55-70 |
75-100 |
| Prof Supp Lawyer |
N/A |
35-70 |
45-80 |
Source: Anakin Seal
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