Working in the South East
Moving from a City firm does not necessarily mean uprooting your life - particularly if you already live in the home counties and commute to London. There are many strong commercial firms around the M25, Home Counties and South East offering top quality work and an impressive client base.
When coupled with clear progression prospects, less stressful commutes and a better work-life balance, it makes sense to find out what other options might be available to youMoving from a London firm does not necessarily mean uprooting your life. There are many strong commercial firms around the M25, Home Counties and South East offering City quality work.
With such a geographically broad spread of counties, the South East has distinct legal communities rather than a single market. The main commercial and legal centres include:
- Thames Valley (Oxford and Reading)
- Milton Keynes
- Guildford
- Cambridge
- Essex (Colchester & Chelmsford)
- South Coast (Southampton, Portsmouth, Brighton)
- Kent (Tunbridge Wells)
- Crawley
The Thames Valley has one of the most buoyant economies in the South East, generating more wealth than any area in the UK apart from London. Milton Keynes has been the fastest growing centre of population and business in the UK for the last 30 years and the population is set to double in size to 340,000 by 2031.
Many locations are less than an hour on the train to London (Watford - 10 minutes; Reading - 25 minutes; Chelmsford & Milton Keynes - 30 minutes; Guildford - 35 minutes; Cambridge - 45 minutes).
Legal Market
With the South East dominating the ‘The Lawyer Rising 50’ and a quarter of the Top 100 having a presence in the South East, the region is an obvious alternative to the City.
London or national firms with a presence in the region include Osborne Clarke, Shoosmiths, Eversheds, Charles Russell, Mills & Reeve, Olswang, Manches, Clyde & Co, Lewis Silkin and Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale & Dorr.
Major regional firms include Stevens & Bolton, Howes Percival, Pitmans, Matthew Arnold & Baldwin, Cripps Harries Hall, Boyes Turner, Thomas Eggar, Bond Pearce, Clarkslegal, DMH Stallard, Taylor Vinters and IBB.
Current trends
Firms in the South East will look at all levels of qualification from good newly qualified lawyers to partners (some following is generally, although not always, required). That said, 2-5 years PQE seems to be the most popular level for qualified lawyers looking to make a move out of the City.
Firms are looking for confident self-starters. If you worked for a good firm in London or another major city and have a good reason for looking to relocate, firms will generally be interested in talking to you. Many of the firms already have a substantial percentage of former City lawyers in their ranks; people who have been attracted by the opportunity to gain a better work/life balance and greater promotion prospects.
Lawyers sometimes ask us how easy it is to move back to the City if you do move out in the first place. In the unlikely event that you decide you want to do this, the transition is easier the more junior you are as a client list and a portable practice are much less of an issue at this level.
Work-life balance
You can look forward to an improved work-life balance for starters! There is something entirely different about working in the regions - some describe it as a more relaxed atmosphere, others as a different way of working.
You won’t find a 9-5 existence, but you will find it quite different from the City. You are likely to work in a smaller team, with the chance to take responsibility from the outset, with more direct client contact, early involvement in marketing and, more importantly, the opportunity to influence your own career development.
Partnership prospects
Another important aspect of a move to this type of firm is that the route to partnership tends to be much clearer and shorter with less likelihood of a bottleneck of senior lawyers.
Unlike in the City, where you might be competing with up to ten or so other lawyers for the coveted partnership status, there may just be one or two other lawyers in line for promotion at the same times as you.
In-house and the public sector
Obviously, law firms aren't the only place for lawyers to work in the South East. Plenty of opportunities exist for lawyers to move in-house or into the public sector. Some of the major employers in the region include Vodafone, BGplc, Centrica and Microsoft, to name just a few.
The in-house market is buoyant and there is demand for lawyers with various specialisations. Moving in house offers lawyers the chance to work closely with a business and develop their commercial or risk management skills outside the pure legal range.
The public sector is one of the largest employers of lawyers and the range of specialist practice areas is vast - from licensing to childcare, property to commercial. Salaries for lawyers in both these sectors tend to be slightly lower than in private practice but you will, in most cases, also receive additional benefits such as a car allowance.
Salary and benefits
If you make the move, you should expect a slight drop in income. However, some of the local offices of City firms make either no, or very little, financial distinction between assistants in London and the regional offices.
Conclusion
If you are ready to discover the invigorating coastline, cultural cities, rolling countryside and quintessential villages of the South East, then our dedicated team of consultants has wide experience of all the key markets in the South East.For more information, please contact kelly.barker@hays.com.
