Recruitment 'upturn'

Recruitment at City law firms is picking up after a fallow end to 2001, a survey by recruitment consultants Robert Walters has found.

The company said the events of 11 September had exacerbated the problems of an already slowing market, after which some firms ceased all recruitment.

'It has not, however, continued to be as bleak as originally predicted and there has been a noticeable upturn in the market since the beginning of 2002,' the survey said.

'Clients are becoming increasingly upbeat and recruitment appears to be going from strength to strength in certain disciplines, though standards remain high.

UK qualifieds remain a priority and candidates at the senior end are in much more demand than those at the junior end.

'As always, good corporate and banking lawyers are in demand.

Pensions, employee share schemes and competition lawyers are also in demand, and are as elusive as ever.'

On the in-house front, Robert Walters reported that companies have recently been expressing a preference for those who have had a number of years' in-house experience.

Within the financial institutions the need for solicitors with mergers and acquisitions experience has 'died down considerably', the survey said.

However, this has been counter-balanced by a growing demand for candidates with experience of debt capital markets or securitised structured products.

The survey also found that salaries have remained fairly static.

One-year qualifieds in private practice can expected 43-53,000, rising to 60-90,000 for six-year qualifieds.

The comparable figures in-house were 25-35,000, and 55-70,000.