Guide rates QD, Taylor Root and ZMB as the leading legal recruitment consultantsQD, Taylor Root and ZMB are the top legal recruitment companies in London, according to a guide out this week.The London Professional Recruitment Guide rated all three as the top companies for both private practice and in-house recruitment, although Michael Page Legal was added to the top group of in-house recruiters.EJ Legal, Garfield Robbins, Graham Gill and Kellyfield Consulting were banded together in the next best group of private practice recruiters.

Garfield Robbins, Graham Gill and TMP Worldwide were similarly ranked for the in-house sector.QD edged ZMB in the 'market profile' category.

The most highly rated individuals were Jonathan Brenner and Joe Macrae of ZMB, Gareth Quarry of QD Legal, Nick Robbins of Garfield Robbins and Stephen Rodney, who recently left QD to set up Fox Rodney Search.

Baines Gwinner and Spencer Stuart & Associates were ranked as the leading headhunters.The guide, which was produced by the publishers of The Legal 500, said that HR professionals at law firms considered legal recruitment to be immature in some ways.

'In a market where the commodity is professional staff, it is surprising that unprofessional practices - such as the so-called "scattergun" approach to CV distribution - survive,' it said.

'The commission structure at some consultancies requires staff to fulfil a certain quota of CV output per day or week, encouraging consultants to process high quantities of candidates and bombard the desks of HR professionals with unsolicited CVs.'While the current shortage of candidates means that law firms cannot afford to be too picky about which consultancies they use, the guide said that those 'that continue to engage in this style of bucket-shop recruitment and fail to build up solid relationships with their clients' might be squeezed out in the event of a slowdown in recruitment.Legal recruiters typically charge between 14% and 19.5% of the placed candidate's first-year salary, the guide found, while retained search costs between 30% and 33% of first-year salary.Gareth Quarry said that 'the sooner we get to the next recession, the better', as it would force out the 'bucket shops'.

He also agreed with a finding of the report that there was less call for recruiters to be legally qualified.

At first QD took on lawyers as a way to differentiate itself in the market.

'But we have re-focused and would now not hold back on taking on a consultant who is not legally qualified,' he said.Neil Rose