Why good lawyers are more in demand than ever

 

Demand for legal services is increasing but so are the fears of law firm leaders that they may not attract the right talent for growth.

 

A survey from specialist legal profession recruiter Clayton Legal found that 66% of UK-based law firms are intending to increase their headcount in the next 12 months, but a similar percentage is concerned that access to talent could hamper growth.

 

Clayton’s managing director Lynn Sedgwick said that while there is optimism for the future, changing employee expectations, client demands, technology and external factors look set to alter the very nature of the jobs and skills required.

 

“Firms that embrace and respond to these changes through the development of robust, forward thinking strategies, will succeed in 2018. However, a failure to do so will almost certainly be detrimental to firms’ success,” she said.

 

Technology was ranked as the top opportunity for law firms in 2018 (48%) followed by expansion (36%).

 

Brexit is seen as an opportunity by 8% of respondents and as a risk by 4% with firms that specialise in litigation expecting increased workloads as new legislation is implemented.

 

 

International law firm Osborne Clarke will have greater access to the Indian legal market following the expansion of its relationship firm.

 

BTG Legal has opened a new office in the “Silicon Valley of India” – Bangalore – which will see an expansion of its focus on the digital sector.

 

“We’ve been advising Indian businesses in Europe for a number of years and more recently businesses in India since starting our close working relationship with BTG Legal in 2014,” commented Simon Beswick, Osborne Clarke’s international CEO. “Their expansion in Bangalore means we now have access to more practical and commercial support for our clients and prospects on the ground in a market that is very important to them.”

 

Partner Seema Sukumar will be based in the new office and is expected to be joined by additional partners and their teams later.

 

 

A team of four lawyers has joined Kennedys in Peru from local firm Barrios & Fuentes Abogados.

 

The commercial litigation team is led by partner Tabata Arteta and will be based in the Lima office which the firm opened in 2016 along with Brazil, Chile and Colombia.

 

The firm is enjoying a period of expansion which also included the addition of a team of healthcare and employment lawyers in Melbourne, who joined TressCox.