Firms freeze recruitment as 'paralysis' engulfs City

Assistant solicitors are feeling the chill of a recruitment freeze caused by a state of 'decision-making paralysis' in the City amid a global slowdown, recruitment consultants confirmed this week.Greg Abrahams, a director of private practice recruitment at TMP.QD Legal, said: 'There are roughly 70 [large] firms in the City.

Nine months ago they were all recruiting mid-level assistants; now a quarter are.'Many assistants are looking to switch jobs because they 'fear the axe falling in the current cycle', said Mr Abrahams, who described firms' intentions to halt recruitment as 'decision-making paralysis'.Julian Stone, a director of in-house positions with Garfield Robbins International, said: 'There are far fewer lawyers being hired, and it's taking far longer to get them placed.'He explained: 'This is because obtaining approval from firms' sector heads - [for some firms] located in New York and Frankfurt - is taking a long time, and is sometimes being pulled at the last minute.'Nigel Boardman, head of corporate at City firm Slaughter and May, said that across the City there is a recruitment freeze going on, though he modestly discounted his own firm: 'We haven't got a freeze as such, though we are recruiting at a slower rate.'Mr Boardman said: 'UK firms tend to downsize by giving people aggressive employment reviews, whereas US firms just sack people...

It isn't down to a decision-making paralysis, it's an active decision not to recruit.'However, Mr Abrahams said partner-level recruitment is still buoyant: 'In the downturn, it's the rainmaker partners who everyone is eager to get.'Jeremy Fleming