A SENIOR LEVEL LEGAL RECRUITER'S VIEW OF THE MARKET; IDENTIFYING TRENDS AND AREAS OF GROWTH WITH INSIGHT INTO THOSE ISSUES WHICH AFFECT THE LEGAL ARENA

·         Black Sabbath

·         Spaghetti Junction

·         Jasper Carrott

 

It’s not that long ago that Birmingham was best known for a skinny comedian, the birth of heavy metal and a motorway junction. Factor in UB40, Austin Rover and the favoured Brummie’s claims of “more miles of canal than Venice” and you had more or less covered all that there was to know about the city.

 

Times have changed admittedly; for those who visit Birmingham now the concrete is now less obvious than before. All three main train stations have been or will be overhauled, the airport will soon offer additional transatlantic and Far Eastern services and the BullRing has made the city one of the most desirable shopping centres in Western Europe.

 

Looking at the Birmingham legal market over the past 10-15 years it is clear that most national firms view the city as a key strategic location; arrivals from the East Midlands, the South-West and even the City have all viewed Birmingham as a prime location for developing their offering. Shoosmiths, Browne Jacobson, Hammonds, Clarke Willmott, Cobbetts, Freeth Cartwright and Mills & Reeve are just a few of the names which have expanded into the city in the not-too-distant past, most with great success.

 

Some of these have moved in by swallowing up existing practices in the city whilst others have made a fresh start and utilised their brand combined with the promise of new start to attract high calibre individuals to the firm. Often joining a new office of a national firm can offer possibilities to lawyers already in the locality such as achieving partnership when they may be in a “dead man’s shoes” situation where they are.

 

From a purely geographical point of view Birmingham makes perfect sense, offering as it does a gateway to the East Midlands, Staffordshire, Oxfordshire and the territories across to the Welsh border, yet remains only an hour and a quarter from London (45 minutes once the high speed rail link is completed). It also already has a thriving legal community, with major players such as Eversheds, DLA and Pinsent Masons in situ and attracting high calibre international work to the city, as well as established Birmingham practices like Wragges and Martineaus who have now both made the move into London.

 

As a specialist legal recruiter with a strong focus in the Birmingham market we have assisted a number of these firms with their key hires as they move into the city; utilising the links with our London office this has also meant that those firms we work with in one location are confident that we can replicate this service in another. One aspect which a practice is keen to reproduce is having the same ethic and ethos replicated throughout the firm’s locations, albeit that regional differences exist between all areas and these have to be factored in.

 

As the market starts to pick up it is anticipated that these moves into Birmingham will again pick up pace, and firms who shelved plans to enter the market will again actively seek premises or merger/takeover opportunities within the city.

 

Ozzy, Jasper and the canal boat owners will be proud.

 

 

 

Are you anticipating moving into Birmingham over the next two to three years, but need guidance on a strategy to do so? Looking to make the hires to ‘make a splash’ but require a professional recruiter to assist? Call one of our specialist consultants at VG Charles & Co on 0121 233 5000 or visit our website www.vgcharles.com