Champions Of The World

Move over Greenpeace.

Caroline Spelman, take a look at how it’s done.

Even Al Gore and the whole Live Earth campaign can’t compete with us.

That’s it. Legal recruitment – saving the environment and reversing global warming one lawyer at a time.

So where’s the evidence of this? Well, it’s very simple. We bring lawyers back closer to home. Recently we have been responsible for chopping the commute of one partner from a three hour daily round trip by car (on a good day!) to one of six minutes each way by bike. Over the course of a year that works out at 669 hours being reduced to less than 50. Or put another way, 25 days 21 hours extra at home every year.

Congratulations; you change your job, we give you almost a month of your life back per year.

So without even going into carbon footprints, stress associated with increased travel and such like, the benefits of looking closer to home can be immense.

Of course we can’t always guarantee an outcome as good as this example, but at the same time this is not a unique case. In the six months before we also facilitated a similar move for another partner in the same discipline, with the commute cut from 1hr each way to less than eight minutes, along with a 20% pay increase.

So why do we still jump in our cars or on trains and commute for the equivalent of a month or more out of the 12 we get per year? Well, for some it is simple logistics; if you live remotely then it can often require a commute to get anywhere. For others it may be the quality of work; partners at Magic Circle firms may find they struggle to get work of a similar calibre in the middle of Snowdonia.

However often it can be a simple lack of local knowledge; the nearby market may have grown significantly, but because you have spent the last twenty years working in the City then you have never even realised that this is the case. For example, are you aware that:-

• more than half of the Top 25 UK firms have a presence in other major UK cities apart from London?

• there is at least one firm where, by 2014, the top EPs can draw up to £1.5m in the regions?

So you get to spend more time at home with the family, or out on the golf course (although for many lawyers that may be difficult to achieve – some spend more time out there than Nick Faldo) or any other hobbies which have suffered as work has taken over.

You lose the stress of the commute, as well as the cost in a world of spiralling fuel prices.

You get to handle top quality work without needing to sell your soul to the City.

And you reduce your carbon footprint to the size of a gnat.

Legal recruiters? Pah, call us marriage-saving time-enhancing career-improving pay-rising global warming-curing eco-warriors! Might struggle to fit it on the business card, mind.

Sorry Swampy but your time has passed; there’s a new breed of tree hugger in town.

Are you interested in getting your life-back, redressing that work-life balance that seems to allude you at every turn? Talk to one of our specialist professionals as VG Charles & Co on 0121 233 5000 / 020 7649 9094 or visit our website www.vgcharles.com

What NQs Did Next

For an experienced lawyer or HR professional it’s a bit like seeing your kids growing up and leaving the nest. You’ve nurtured them, you’ve developed their skills and now the time has come to let them stand on their own two feet. You can’t be there to take them by the hand the whole way through life; they now have to plough their own furrow, armed with the knowledge and expertise that you have imparted to them.

That’s right, 3 or 4 more weeks and you’ll have to wave goodbye to that trainee of yours. Chin up, son. No tears, there’s a good lad.



Of course if you are a prospective NQ then you may well be experiencing what Sir Alex Ferguson famously referred to as ‘squeaky bum time’. Your firm has 10 trainees but only 6 spaces which means there is a 40% chance that you will be looking for alternative employment. The good news is that the market is nowhere near as bad as it was this time last year, and is massively better than where we were at in 2009, but unfortunately we’re still not in a position where many firms’ requirements will stretch beyond their own trainees.

Frankly Dad, we’d rather not fly the nest right now if it’s all the same to you? I’m still not sure that I got the hang of those commercial contracts during my first seat; any chance I could do it again?


So the market isn’t bleak, but it’s not great either; what are you going to do?

Stage One: get a bloody good CV together. You are now at the point which will make or break your entire career. Get yourself a great NQ job and you’re well on the way to building up that vital PQE which will be your badge for the entirety of your professional life.

Stage Two: get another bloody good CV together. As mentioned in our last blog (http://vgcharles.blogspot.com/2011/07/selling-out.html) it’s important that your CV does the best possible job of ‘selling you’ as it can. If you would consider a post-qualification role in either employment or litigation don’t rely on one CV doing the job for you; have one for each and make sure that the right CV goes to the right vacancy.

Stage Three: get yourself a good legal recruitment consultant. Unless you’re thinking of plastering the market yourself in the hope that something sticks (not recommended) then you need to be talking to someone who knows the market in-depth. Once done you can be confident that as soon as something becomes available that you are getting a call about it; a good recruiter will also be willing to work proactively on your behalf and will have the contacts to make sure they are talking to decision makers, not that your CV will land on a pile with a hundred others. Speak to other people about the recruiters they used; if they can testify recruiter x went out into the market proactively and effectively then this is a good sign, even if that recruiter didn’t ultimately get them the job. If however recruiter y seemed to sit on their hands and wait for a job to land on their desk then it may be worth avoiding them.

Stage Four: identify what makes you good and tell the world. We wade through numerous NQ CVs which state about how well a candidate performed in a university mooting competition, or how close they came to a 2:1, or the fact that they ran a 5k race for charity. Frankly, all of that’s piddle.

What you need to be saying is what makes you different to every other NQ out there. A couple of NQs that we have worked with recently have, for example, trained with niche practices where they have actually gained a level of experience beyond that which you would expect from an NQ. Instead of doing 4 six-month seats these candidates have done a mixture of contentious and non-contentious work in a specific area such as employment or IP and have ran their own files, meaning that they actually have the experience and acumen of someone of circa 1yr PQE. If this applies to you, make sure you tell someone!

Stage Five: don’t limit yourself if you can avoid it. Of course if you are married or cohabiting then you may find that relocation is a definite ‘no’ but if for example you have trained with a Magic Circle firm you may find that, whilst opportunities within the Square Mile are limited, there is actually quite a few openings in other cities like Birmingham or Manchester which can offer work of a comparable quality and which are always keen on candidates who have had the kind of training that you have had. If you can relocate then don’t limit yourself too much; you can always return ‘home’ at some point in the future.

Stage Six: don’t give up. Many firms will appear to have closed their doors to NQ recruitment, although in some cases it may be they don’t feel their own trainees are strong enough. You may find that once their trainees have left the practice the opportunities for NQs suddenly come back onto the market. Also, in the wake of the recession firms are likely to under-recruit rather than overstaff, although after a couple of months those same practices realise that they could do with another NQ after all – so keep looking!


The signs of an improving NQ market are there for all to see, with some firms retention in the 90+% range (http://www.rollonfriday.com/TheNews/EuropeNews/tabid/58/Id/1453/fromTab/58/Default.aspx) although admittedly a few are still some way off this. You can take solace from the fact that this year is likely to be one of the best years for qualification out of the last three or four, so take on board some of the above and hopefully that ‘leaving the nest’ feeling will turn out to be a blessing in disguise.

Are you a newly-qualified or soon-to-qualify solicitor still seeking that new role. Or is your firm in the market for a high quality NQ but finding that you are struggling to attract candidates of the calibre you require? To discuss NQ recruitment from either side call one of our specialist consultants at VG Charles & Co on 0121 233 5000 / 020 7649 9094 or visit our website www.vgcharles.com

Selling Out

And so there it is. News of the World, rest in peace. 1843-2011. Not a bad innings, but that’s it. All over. Rain stops play.

That is, if by ‘rain’ you mean an absolute torrent of public outrage being aimed in your general direction and which, having caused the termination of the NOTW now also threatens to derail Rupert Murdoch’s plans to take over BSkyB. So, pretty heavy rain then.

And what was it that brought the self-proclaimed ‘Britain’s biggest selling paper’ to its knees?

Well, it was just that. Sales. That desire to sell more than your rivals, at almost any costs, which caused the ethics to be lost somewhere along the way.

One thing that you can’t fault them on however is that ability to sell themselves. Everyone reading this blog will have a different opinion on the quality of the journalism and how relevant the stories are to their own lives and agendas, but when it comes to the ability to self-promote the NOTW and other News International publications have proven to have few who can (or could) touch them.

Many of you will regularly meet clients and hand over sleek, professionally put together promotional material which will testify to why you are the best firm to instruct. Working together with your marketing team you have produced an enviable document/presentation which intimates that you are the people to do the work, and that the client might as well cancel meeting all of the other lawyers who are potentially in line. You are that good. Oh yes.

Yet startlingly enough when it comes to putting together a CV that ability to self-promote somehow seems to go completely out of the window. We are regularly in conversation with senior level lawyers and partners who produce a résumé for us which tells us absolutely nothing about them, their work, their expertise nor how they could add value to a potential new employer.

And let me tell you; a legal recruiter’s time is extremely valuable. Unless it is a retained search then essentially a legal recruitment consultant is working on a no-win no-fee basis, and hence has to prioritise exactly who they should work on behalf of and to what extent. We have always prided ourselves as being a legal recruitment consultancy which goes the extra mile, which means that we don’t just sit here and wait for roles to land on our desk. We go out there into the market proactively and confidentially to source opportunities for strong candidates that we may be working with, usually at the expense of others who we have to judge may not have as much to offer.

The curriculum vitae that you produce is probably the most valuable tool that you have in terms of finding that next role. Therefore you owe it to yourself that your CV does as good a job to sell you as possible. Here’s how.



1) Make it clear. Who you are. Where you work. Where you previously worked. What type of work do you do. What type of clients do you act for. Where you went to university.

2) Be explicit. Not in a Christian Bale on the set of ‘Terminator’ kind of way, but focus on the type of work that you do and elaborate on this. If your description of your most recent relevant role doesn’t take up half-to-three-quarters of a side of A4 minimum then there’s not enough in there.

3) Don’t be explicit. Think about what’s really relevant. If you are a newly-qualified lawyer then the fact that you spent three months on a placement at Clifford Chance during your summer break before the LPC is useful to know. If you have around 30 years PQE working with leading national firms and billing £600k per annum for blue-chip clients then it’s not quite so important.

4) Name drop. But don’t name drop. Don’t be afraid to talk about notable matters that you’ve dealt with, particularly if they are reported cases. Perhaps include a couple of lines about how each progressed and what the result was. But be confidential; your client may not wish to be named and have it banded around the market how you reached a particular resolution or what they were accused of. Also bear in mind that your future employer may not want to hire someone who will disclose the entire client base at the drop of a hat.

5) Don’t keep it to two sides. For crying out loud, don’t keep it to two sides. In the words of Baz Luhrmann ‘If I could offer you only one tip for the future...’...... he then went on to rattle off some twaddle about wearing sunscreen, which is decent advice admittedly, but when it comes to getting a job it’s not as important as making sure your CV says as much about you as it needs to. If you’ve handled a range of corporate matters including five mergers worth £3bn, nine acquisitions of £12bn+, assisted with the MBOs of eleven FTSE 100 PLCs and also assisted one client who successfully purchased the moon then are you really going to sit there and work out which ones are least important just to save on one extra side of A4?

6) Don’t keep it two sides. There you are, you’ve been told twice now.

7) Understand what your CV is. It’s not a bit of paper with your name written on it and a basic career history:- we could get that from LinkedIn. Your CV is a tool to get you to interview. If you are going for a role doing commercial IT which requires outsourcing then you need to need to make sure that your CV says that you have done outsourcing. It may not be a partner who is shortlisting, so whoever is measuring your CV against the job spec needs to be able to tick each part of the criteria against your CV.

8) It won’t ‘do’. Your CV, if starting from scratch, should take you upwards of an hour to get right, and to get all of the relevant information on there. If it’s taken you 15 minutes then throw it away because it’s rubbish.

9) Be proud. Talk about your achievements. Don’t feel bad about being accused of ‘blowing your own trumpet’. In fact forget the trumpet - get a whole brass band in if you’re that good.

10) Make more than one CV. Only if its relevant to do so, but if you are a commercial litigator who also does property litigation and would look at opportunities in both then have a CV for each; one which lists your prop lit first and at some length, and the other which covers the basics of your comm lit practice but makes it clear that property if your no. 1. Then produce another which flips this around and incorporates your prop lit into you general experience, and ensure that the appropriate CV goes to the right vacancy.


So that’s it. Your CV may not be the News of the World (although hopefully more truthful than some of the stuff they reported over the years) but invest the time and effort in getting a document which ‘sells’ you and your experience and your chances of securing that interview will increase enormously. If you are unsure then speak with your recruiter about your CV and how it is best structured; after all we are the experts in this matter from years of wading through the good and the bad (and the ugly!)

To discuss general careers advice, including opportunities in your location and how best to construct a CV which will get you that job, speak to one of our specialist consultants on 0121 233 5000 / 020 7649 9094 or visit our website www.vgcharles.com

The Pursuit of Happiness

Every so often there comes a point where you have to stop and reflect on things. Many of you reading this blog will be looking forward to a summer holiday, which may be the first time that you’ve ‘properly’ stopped since January 4th. That means that over the last 6 months it is possible that the momentum you’ve built up in your work means that at no point have you paused and thought “well hang on, where am I going here? And is that somewhere that I even want to go to?”

I was recently sent this blog to read by one of my colleagues (http://quitewellintoss.blogspot.com/2011/07/lou-reed-eat-eat-yer-heart-out.html) – I would strongly recommend stopping the clock and casting your eye over it for five minutes. In summary it’s the thoughts of a man who realises just how important it is to recognise what life gives you, and to fully appreciate everything that you have. It’s well written and certainly something which will make you think.

So why do I mention it? Well, take some time to think over your own life. Chances are that there are areas that you wish to improve on. By my own reckoning (and I’m no expert) there are various main ‘parts’ that make-up your life; the importance and emphasis on each will change at various times depending on your circumstances but those ‘parts’ are:-

• family & relationships;
• finances
• health;
• career;
• faith & beliefs;
• hobbies & leisure; and
• ambitions.

Each of us places a different emphasis on each of these areas but generally speaking everybody should have some element of each incorporated into their life. We could introduce another category of ‘general happiness’, but an argument could be made that your happiness is almost a result of your success in each category. Of course the government will tell us that we can even measure this happiness, although we await official confirmation of how this will be worked out and the units of measurements – I’ll keep you posted.

Anyway, let’s take those parts I mentioned and look at what you can control and to what extent.

Health; well there are certain things that you just can’t cover, but healthy eating, regular exercise and perhaps one less glass of wine at that networking event would be a step in the right direction.

Faith & beliefs are personal and would require more than one blog to cover – so far more than 2000 years of ‘discussion’ hasn’t resolved differing opinions on that one.

The career aspect is one which is largely within your control, and your career will have a bearing on your levels of satisfaction relating to both finances and ambitions, and how much time you get to devote to family & relationships and hobbies & leisure. So if you’re not entirely happy with your career, or if you’re finding that it is not rewarding the other parts of your life sufficiently then you owe yourself to have a look at it. If you are working a 50-hour week, which is pretty likely if you’re an associate trying to hit those 1500+ billable hours then you are spending almost half of your wakened life at the office, so if you’re not enjoying it then frankly you need to get out.

Conversely if you are the kind of full-on corporate billing machine who signed up at law school with the full intention of selling yourself to the capitalist dream, yet find yourself in a 9-5 firm where the client base is poor and the equity spread stops at £80k then you may well find that those aspirations and ambitions you had are far from fulfilled.

As the summer holidays start to kick in and people head for sunnier climes then it may be worth spending some time whilst you’re on the beach thinking about where you want to be once you return.

Are you earning the kind of money you think you need to be?

Are you satisfied with your work/life balance?

Can your present firm offer you the prospects which are so crucial to you being able to say “actually, yes, I am absolutely happy with my lot”?

If not then why not speak to someone about resolving this. You owe it to yourself, surely? Who knows, maybe your own ‘perfect day’ could be just around the corner.

To discuss your aspirations and ambitions, and to talk to experts in the market about which type of opportunity is most likely to meet those requirements, call us at VG Charles & Co on 0121 233 5000 / 020 7649 9094 or visit our website www.vgcharles.com

Two Become One

Michael Jackson featuring Slash – Give In To Me. One of the best tracks MJ ever did, and is criminally under-recognised as such.
Queen with David Bowie – Under Pressure. Fantastic stuff. Or at least it was until Vanilla Ice got his hands on the bassline.
Jay Z with Alicia Keys – Empire State of Mind – one of the tracks of 2009 (although it’s also worth checking out the version with just Miss Keys on her own.)
Dire Straits & Sting – Money For Nothing. It’s brilliant. Just don’t admit it in public.

There’s no doubt that sometimes pooling resources can create something greater than the sum of the parts that makes it up. Not always (David Bowie & Mick Jagger’s ‘Dancing In The Street’ anybody?) but often working together can create something quite spectacularly good.

Morecambe & Wise.
Lennon & McCartney.
The Rat Pack.
Laurel & Hardy.
Punch & Judy.
The Chuckle Brothers.

According to a report in The Law Gazette last month (http://www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/top-firms-involved-merger-talks) the trend for firms to look at merging is showing no signs of abating since we last covered the subject in a blog last year (http://vgcharles.blogspot.com/2010/06/to-merge-or-not-to-merge.html). The 2009 figure of 75% of the Top 100 having been approached has been mirrored in 2010 according to a survey which indicated that just over 74% of firms in the Top 200 have had the same conversation in recent times.

What does seem to have changed though is the reason why these conversations have taken place. In 2009 during the immediate post-recession market many of the conversations amongst smaller firms were based upon a recognition that firms need to pool their resources to survive. Now though it is the looming spectre of Alternative Business Structures which appears to be driving practices to look at how they are structured, whether they are set-up to deal with ABSs, and if not then how they can best achieve this.

Recently our business has been involved in brokering a number of these mergers; our vast experience in the legal recruitment market lends itself very well as, just like advising a candidate, the most important aspects remain what the ‘fit’ is, understanding what each side hopes to achieve and therefore which firm(s) represent the best match for doing so.

That specialist knowledge of understanding the individual ethos and ambition of each firm, the working mentality, client base, calibre of lawyer etc is absolutely crucial in ensuring that the merger is on track for success and that the combined entity will work as a fully integrated and functional practice.

So if mergers or an acquisition is something which you are considering at the moment, then what do you need to consider?

- WHY? – what do you hope to achieve from such a move? Is it to boost turnover, to add a new service, gain a presence in a new location or is it simply economies of scale?

- WHO? – you know who you are, what kind of practice you are and the type of person who is typically successful there. Chances are that you will be looking for firms of a similar outlook and working practice, but who fits the bill?

- WHERE? – are you seeking to merge or acquire so that you are not entering a new location ‘cold’, or are you looking to maximise your local presence by going into business with a nearby rival, thus cornering a greater percentage of the market?

- HOW? – well, that’s where we come in! :-)

- WHAT? – this is perhaps something more important in the ABS market than before, but even now we are seeking firms like BLG and Clyde discussing mergers which will create a behemoth of the insurance world. What do you want the final firm to be? An international transatlantic giant or the leading high street practice in town?

These are all questions which both parties need to consider from the outset. However firms should also retain an open-minded stance; often a practice interested in merger talks may be one which doesn’t initially seem to fit the expansion plan, yet just one conversation between the parties can reveal that actually it’s a match made in heaven.

In other cases it is through having such a meeting that it can firm up in the protagonists’ minds exactly what it is they are seeking. As such we work with a number of firms who are not actively pursuing expansion of this nature, but who nonetheless wish to be made aware of any practices who are considering mergers in case this may fit with their long-term and/or opportunist strategy.

Like most things in life you have to buy a ticket to take the ride. Some talks simply won’t go anywhere, but only by talking to people in the market who can put you in touch with the right opportunities do you stand a chance of finding out if that ideal merger partner may be out there.

And remember, nothing ventured nothing gained. Not all collaborations are perfect:- consider Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder – Ebony & Ivory. Actually, best not.

To discuss possible merger opportunities in the legal market, including in-depth conversations about the strategy and driving factors behind such a move, call one of our specialist consultants at VG Charles & Co on 0121 233 5000 / 020 7649 9094 or visit our website www.vgcharles.com

All Your Eggs In One Basketcase

Pensions. Brilliant stuff. Nothing more cheery than thinking about whether you’ve got enough tucked away to make sure you don’t starve before you die of something else.

As someone who has been looking at pension arrangements lately it’s apparent that you have to try and make sure you have a balanced element of risk when you’re sorting out where to invest. Do you target your fund on those global markets offer a better rate of return, albeit at a higher risk to your money? Or do you instead look at less volatile areas which provide greater security but without the possibility of making any stratospheric gains.

It’s a bit of a balancing act, but generally people will make some effort to spread the risk. Putting some money on those high return areas on the hope of making a quick buck, with other funds in medium-to-low risk markets, spreading the investment to ensure that not all of your eggs are in one basket. That way if one goes down you still have other irons in the fire which you can bring into place.

And what does any of this have to do with the legal recruitment market? Fair point, but stay with me.

When it comes to legal recruitment we are only too aware that for some candidates it can be a wrench to decide to move firms, particularly if they have been with the practice for a number of years. However experience has taught us that the worst thing that you can do is to make a half-baked effort at it, hence when we are working with solicitors, partners and teams who are looking to move we make a point of putting as many serious opportunities in front of them as possible. This isn’t a ‘seeing what sticks’ mindset, but is a carefully considered and strategic approach of matching the candidates’ aspirations with the strategies and ambitions of the various firms.

There is an understandable reluctance amongst partners to be thought of as ‘on the market’ and occasionally they will reject this advice, preferring to only speak to one firm at a time, taking things through to a conclusion and then deciding whether to accept or reject an offer. Good idea?

Nope.

In fact, it’s just about the worst approach you can take.

Look at it this way. You’re booking a holiday; do you a) look at a number of locations, and a number of different accommodation options in those locations, including reading reviews and getting prices? Or do you b) pick one hotel, almost at random, without checking facilities, prices, reviews, what is nearby to keep you occupied, etc. but just turn up there with bags in hand?

Of course you wouldn’t, and that’s only you doing your due diligence for a fortnight of your life; what about the place you are going to spend ten hours a day, five days a week?

Put simply, if you are thinking of putting all of your eggs in one basket then you run the risk of seriously limiting your options. If you have indeed decided that your career needs to move forward then your best choice is to sit down with a legal recruiter and discuss exactly what you are looking for, from size of firm and type of client base through to ambitions and ethos of the practice. Any recruiter worth their salt should then be able to outline a number of firms which match up with your aspirations, and hopefully facilitate meetings based on this.

There are any number of clichés which can be thrown in here along the lines of it’s good to talk/talk is cheap, etc but in principle it is true. Often it can be difficult for people to realise that meeting with a particular firm it is not a legally-binding contract that if they then offer you a job that you have to join them! It is literally a case of talking to a key contact who can tell you more about what the practice is seeking to do which, more often than not means that a firm is a more attractive option than it initially appeared.

Indeed recently we were involved in a team move where two partners were initially reluctant to speak to one particular firm, instead preferring two other practices based on their own preconceptions. Sure enough after discussions with the two preferred options and then later with our suggested firm it turned out that this was in fact the best opportunity for them, a point which was only realised by having conversations of this very nature.

So in conclusion? Well, the choice to only look at one option at a time is a matter of personal choice, and in fairness sometimes there are only one or two firms which do actually represent that move forward which you are seeking. However if you are going to move, make sure that you do it wholeheartedly and explore as many options as you can; if you don’t then you are only limiting your ambitions to your own preconceptions and a certain amount of hearsay.

Your recruiter can then advise you through the process, the offer and the negotiations involved. Unless of course it involves the nitty-gritty of sorting out your pension arrangements, in which case you’re on your own!

If you are currently considering exploring other opportunities within the legal market and would appreciate guidance from career professionals then speak to one of our specialist consultants at VG Charles & Co on 0121 233 5000 / 020 7649 9094 or visit our website www.vgcharles.com

The Recovery Is Go Go Go!!

Has anyone been watching the Formula One this year? Only four races in and already it promises to be a particularly exciting season, particularly if anyone can make inroads into the dominance of Sebastian Vettel’s Red Bull and give him a real run for his money. What has really stood out is the amount of overtaking which has taken place compared to other years where many races have been little more than 24 cars driving round in formation, usually led by a certain Mr M Schumacher.

This year though has been a whole new story, evidenced yesterday by Kobayashi recovering to tenth from the back of the grid, and Mark Webber storming from last to third in China a few weeks back, a recovery which even Lazarus would have been proud of.

Recovery seems to be the buzz word for many of us for some time now. Ever since the credit crunch began and banks started folding most of us in the business world have been anxiously looking for signs of the market and economy improving and strengthening. There have been some false dawns along the way, including the surprise contraction in the economy in the last quarter of 2010, but generally speaking the market has been improving and firms have gone from consolidation mode to now looking at ways in which they can strengthen and improve their situation.

Further evidence of this has recently been supplied by a survey carried out by the Law Society in Birmingham. In 2010 the level of practice fee income rose marginally by some 0.2%, a considerable contrast to a 6.5% drop the previous year, with levels of profit per partner increasing by nearly 20% on the 2009 figures.

The most ringing endorsement of firms’ confidence in the market though has been the level of recruitment enjoyed in the same period, with more than 1000 new members of staff being hired in this time. At an average of around 20 new recruits every week the evidence of recovery is undeniable, with considerable investment being required by firms to facilitate recruitment at this level.

We are therefore at a very interesting time in the legal recruitment market, as this increased confidence coincides with what is always a busy time of year for recruiters – pay review time. For the last few years it has not been as keenly pursued as usual, as the general consensus amongst solicitors has been to hold onto the job that they are in, with the associated security of longevity in the role and redundancy compensation if the position is terminated.

This year though we expect a significant increase in the levels of lawyers looking to talk, as there is the growing realisation that not only are there other (and better) opportunities out there but also that any risk of a swift redundancy in a new position has considerably diminished with levels of work at higher levels than for years. The corporate market in particular is calling out for talented solicitors and with many having been forced to accept reduced hours and pay cuts just to stay in a role it is likely that there will be an increased level of movement in this area.

All round the UK there is a certain level of ‘draw’ which particular legal centres exert on other locations. Like moons and tides, an increase in activity in Birmingham is often reflected by an upturn in Nottingham, Derby and Leicester; heightened levels of instructions in Reading can see increased levels of work in Oxford and Basingstoke. It is therefore logical to assume that this improved level of performance reported in Birmingham will be reflected in other nearby areas, as slowly but surely the world starts to turn again.


Will the market ever get back to the way it was a few years back? Corporate work booming, firms with commercial property work coming out of their ears? Perhaps, although whilst we are moving towards this a recovery at this level may still be a while off.

And a German running away with the Formula One World Championship? Well, some things never change.

To discuss nationwide opportunities in an improving market speak to one of our specialist consultants at VG Charles & Co on 0121 233 5000 or visit our website www.vgcharles.com.

Search and Ye Shall Find

“I’ll do that for you cheaper. You know, mate’s rates”.

Sound familiar? Your friend from school runs a small garage/decorators/builders firm and says that he can fix your car/walls/house for a bit less than it would cost to go to a more reputable company.

And admittedly sometimes they’re right. A quick oil change or re-pointing some brickwork and everything’s fine, all done for less than you’d usually pay (plus the cost of a couple of beers afterwards).

However for those of us who’ve had the benefits of this there also those who are aware that relying on a friend for work can sometimes be more hassle than it’s worth. You often have to wait until ‘proper’ paying customers have their jobs completed before yours is looked at, and then if something goes wrong or the quality of work isn’t up to scratch you leave yourself in an awkward position as to how you approach a complaint.

So what do you do? Well on those occasions you may have to bite the bullet and accept that you should have gone to the experts in the first place. Hopefully any sub-standard work can be remedied, but in other instances you have to accept that damage can be permanent. Your mate’s lack of knowledge of the intricacies of Bentley engines is only too evident when it seizes up halfway down the M1 and the pistons come through the bonnet.

Relying on personal relationships is never the most productive way forward in a business transaction. The reason that you pay an expert is to get an expert’s level of service, the benefit of their having spent years doing work of this nature, as well as the fact that both parties know that the expert can be held to account for a poor result in a way that a mate can’t.

Also, isn’t there just that extra ‘warm’ feeling you get when you go to the garage to collect your car and its there, gleaming and ready to go? Where you know that you may have paid a little more than that at the garage down the road but as these guys ONLY deal with cars like yours day-in, day-out, you know that it’s had the best possible care and attention?

At the time of writing this blog we are presently working on seven live, and specifically retained, search assignments. Allow me to put the emphasis on the ‘retained’ aspect; anything else isn’t a ‘true’ headhunt, it’s tyre-kicking (no mechanic-related pun intended).

What a retained assignment means is that a firm places enough importance on this role that they feel it is worth paying money up front for a professional headhunter to go into the market and approach specifically-agreed people for them. It means that the firm recognises that the particular search consultancy that they have appointed are the best of the best in terms of understanding what the opportunity offers, and who can effectively communicate this to key individuals within this sector.

The role of a headhunter has, to some extent, been diluted by the number of people who use this (often badly) as another way of recruiting for other positions; however when it is done well it remains the most effective and flattering way of finding the right talent for the right role. Firstly, it is a way of attracting people who are not actively looking for a new role, meaning that these are the individuals with live and profitable practices which would move with them.

Secondly, and crucially, it sends out a clear message to the potential candidate, similar to the ‘warm’ feeling you get at the prestigious garage:- ‘You are important enough to us, and we rate you highly enough that we want to invest significant levels of time and money in someone to approach you on our behalf. Someone who does this as a profession, not some chancer with a phone or a partner you met at an event once. Someone who can not only effectively communicate our message, but also who understands the market well enough to know your current firm inside out including its pros and cons, and hence can explain why our opening may be of interest.’

Quite simply, it is a question of gravitas. If you want someone to feel that their car has been well looked after you bring out the head mechanic in his pristine overalls to explain what has been done and answer any questions in as much depth as required.

If you want to impress the owner of the house you send the foreman to discuss in detail how the extension will be constructed and the timescales, not the lackey who carries the bricks round from the lorry.

If you want your candidate to be impressed from the initial approach right through to the offer and acceptance then you need to use a headhunter. If you get one of your partners to make the call to a woman he worked with ten years ago then you need to accept that, unless she is presently unhappy where she is then you are likely to get a polite decline. If you use a headhunter who can make an approach and outline not only what the opportunity is but also specifically why the firm is interested in this particular individual (interested enough to appoint a professional to make the approach) then you are more likely to be successful.

Not only that, but as professionals who maintain a huge amount of confidentiality you can be confident that a headhunter will not be disclosing which firm is recruiting until the right moment; if anyone from the practice itself makes the approach then not only is the firm disclosed at an early stage but it can easily get out into the market that Firm X is recruiting. Like the Bentley with the blown engine the damage then can be permanent; it’s hard to then employ a headhunter to re-approach the individual in question and professionally attempt to sell them a position which has already been declined.

It may sound clichéd but if you want to sell your house you use an estate agent. If you want your teeth looked after then you go to a dentists. If you want someone to negotiate a point of law then you use a solicitor. If you are looking to recruit then surely you should be looking to use a professional for this too?

Because if you’re not then you can be damned sure your competitors are. Perhaps whilst you are out trying to source a spare engine for a Bentley.

To discuss utilising a professional headhunter for specific search assignments contact one of our specialist consultants on 0121 233 5000 / 020 7649 9094 or visit our website www.vgcharles.com. Please note that we don’t recruit mechanics, builders or decorators......

Planning For Success

For those of you who are currently considering a move, particularly those seeking a partner-level role, you will no doubt be looking forward to putting together a business plan. For most of you I use the term ‘looking forward to’ quite wrongly.

For many of even the most astute and commercially-minded lawyers the suggestion of having to put together a business plan seems to bring out deeply suppressed fears and much anguish. The very concept of committing to paper a list of clients and potential revenue streams which will follow when moving firms does in some cases cause huge concern, as does formulating a strategy for firstly integrating and then expanding an existing practice into a new firm.

But does it really need to be like this? Is there an easy way round this?

Of course there is. Be realistic; not pessimistic.

As a rough ballpark figure we would estimate that about 75% of partners we work with subscribe to the mantra of “under-promise, over-deliver”. There is nothing they would like more than to walk into a new firm on the premise of bringing a client following of £800k and then blowing the partnership away as they manage billings of £1m+ in Year One to much applause, back-slapping, adulation and cigars all round.

Sadly though you are unlikely to even get your foot in the door to prove this, and it all comes down to salary. If you can bill £1m a year then you’re probably already doing so at your current firm (or have done recently), and unless something has gone spectacularly wrong you’re likely being recompensed accordingly, picking up somewhere between £300k-£400k per annum. Whilst partners will move for less money if the opportunity is right then it is unlikely that too many will drop from that figure to the circa £250k you would need to accept if selling yourself as an £800k biller.

Be aware that no decent recruiter is going to advise you to enhance, titillate, exaggerate or downright lie on your business plan, but you need to be aware that looking at a worst case scenario on your plan may leave you in an even worse case scenario – that nobody wants you and you’re left where you are! A good business plan can be both optimistic and realistic, and finding that middle ground between what you are comfortable pitching and what your new firm is expecting is the key to making the move work.

Be aware that nothing in life is certain; similarly firms do not and cannot expect your business plan to be 100% bullet-proof. It is a document which indicates what you anticipate happening, and as long as you have not entered the realms of fantasy when creating it then there may be a certain degree of leeway given if not everything pans out as expected.

With more firms taking steps to protect their client base, including assigning multiple partners to each key account, it can be harder to guarantee with any certainty which work will definitely follow. If your business plan outlines 4 clients who are 100% to move, 3 who are at 75% and 5 at 50%, you are unlikely to find your neck on the line if one of the 50%ers decides to remain where they are, particularly if your business plan has been explicit in stating the likelihood of moving and the firm has made you an offer on this fully-informed basis.

The business plan also tells a lot about you as an individual; what your awareness of the market is and how you judge the strength of the brand you may be joining in terms of their ability to attract work of a particular calibre. If you are moving to Sleepy, Dopey, Bashful & Co, a three-partner firm in a quiet town in rural Herefordshire then your ambitions to attract all of the corporate work from Coca Cola and IBM may be somewhat misplaced. Similarly it shows a level of commercial nous that you have an idea of controlling costs and where investment in marketing and suchlike is likely to pay off.

Business plans are now an essential part of the recruitment process at many levels of qualification, not just partner. More often than not we are finding that associates are being asked to prepare a guideline of their client base and potential following, and also those lawyers who are seeking to reach partner status where they are now need to prepare a full business plan to be perused by a partnership body or committee prior to any promotion of this nature being considered. Working hard and delivering on your billing targets is no longer enough. Indeed just this week one of our consultants is representing a three year qualified lawyer who has an impressive following of work, and she is being asked to put together a business case to make the hire a feasible option.

The business plan is not a document to be feared. It’s not a noose with which to hang yourself as some may believe; instead view it as your passport to a new opportunity where you can deliver on the promises you’ve made.

To discuss the preparation of your business plan, including guidance on key aspects to include or omit, contact one of our specialist consultants at VG Charles & Co on 0121 233 5000 / 020 7649 9094 or visit our website at www.vgcharles.com.

Relocation, Relocation, Relocation

As mentioned in previous blogs, a good legal recruiter is not just someone who finds a lawyer a job. That’s a CV pusher you’re thinking of.

No, a quality legal recruiter is a strategic partner and advisor to both firms and individuals, providing insight on everything from salary levels to key areas for firms to target growth and how this may be best achieved, including identifying key individuals in the market to achieve this. We are also consulted on where there is likely to be an upcoming skills shortage based upon the needs of other firms, and any associated trends which we can advise on.

One of the interesting aspects of working in the legal recruitment market at the moment is the way in which particular areas of the law are busy in some locations yet relatively quiet in others. For example, recently we have been very busy recruiting into private client in both East Anglia and the Shropshire areas, yet our consultant specialising in the south-east has seen no real demand for lawyers in this discipline for a number of months.

Similarly if you are looking for a role in corporate then Birmingham and Manchester are crying out for good quality M&A and corporate finance associates, yet the East Midlands has little to no requirement to recruit into this area.

It can be hard to pin down exactly why there is such a fluctuation based on geography, particularly when you compare markets like Birmingham and Nottingham which are only 50 miles apart. Certain area of law naturally lend themselves to particular locations better than others; for example there is often a demand for agricultural law in the South-West, Shropshire and East Anglia, or a particular requirement for equine specialists in the Newmarket & Cambridgeshire vicinity, yet this demand drops quite dramatically in the Thames Valley region. However when one city has a thriving commercial property scene yet others have not seen an improvement since the start of the downturn it can be difficult to understand why, when real estate is a fairly universal sector.

For whatever reason these regional peaks and troughs are occurring, more and more solicitors are considering relocation for a role which meets their requirements. Since the days of the trail-blazing Dick Whittington there has always been the draw of London for those seeking what is perceived to be the highest quality work, including the whole lifestyle of 24/7 law which often appeals to the racy, corporate-minded, Apprentice-applying lawyers. However now with the likes of Bristol, Manchester, Reading and Birmingham having firms able to offer work of a comparable calibre to that enjoyed by City practices, and often with the benefit of the much-touted-yet-rarely-witnessed work/life balance, an increasing number of lawyers are finding that the draw of these cities is more prevalent than before.

Put quite simply; the quality of work that you are seeking might only be found in another location to then one that you are sat in now.

So what are the steps to finding yourself the right role in a new location? Well, firstly firms do still look for a tie or at least a discernable interest in moving to a particular area. Schooling, university, family or property are usually the criteria that firms seek evidence of, although the more specialist or niche you are the more firms are willing to look at relocating lawyers for active requirements, particularly if it is an area where they have previously struggled to recruit into or where there is a dearth of local talent. Being willing to ‘go anywhere’ for a job is not often what firms are seeking to hear, so if you are in this boat then be prepared to have to justify why at interview.

However as the market recovers it is now more often opportunity rather than necessity which is prompting thoughts of relocation, with lawyers choosing to move instead of being forced to through lack of local opportunities. We recently worked with an extremely high calibre matrimonial partner who had worked for one of the recognised High Net Worth practices in the country and realised that to continue enjoying clients of this calibre it was necessary to relocate to join one of the other four or five practices who work on a similar plane.

If you are open to relocating to maximising your career prospects then the most crucial aspect is to instruct a recruiter who understands both where you are coming from and where you hope to get to (not just geographically!) Anyone can open the Legal 500 and reel off the firms to you in the order that they appear; what you should be looking for is someone to explain (if they are working proactively for you) why a particular firm is worth a conversation; how the department is structured, how the firm is run, the calibre of work that they handle and how the practice is generally run culture-wise which can all be essential for ensuring that you are moving in the right direction. After all, when you are joining a new and unfamiliar legal community it is essential that you are working closely with a legal recruitment firm that knows the territory.

That is not to say that only a local recruiter knows the location; indeed often recruitment consultancies will claim to have a presence in a particular city when in fact it is no more than a satellite office with a phone number bouncing you to an office elsewhere. Talk to recruiters and assess how just how well they know the market; they should be able to tell you the ins and outs which are not readily accessible and available in the public domain, and which would only really be known by someone who works in that location.

In a market which still does suffer the legacy of recession there is a world of opportunity out there for candidates who are willing to go the extra mile (or more!) to secure the right move.

To discuss your career goals and plans, including for advice on how your ambitions may be best served in a location outside of your present area, speak to one of our specialist consultants at VG Charles & Co on 0121 233 5000 / 020 7649 9094.

Deal Of A Lifetime

Here’s a great opportunity for you. It’s a chance to invest a considerable chunk of money; let’s say one year’s gross pay.

For that investment you get an annual dividend, which for four out of the last five years has been considerably less than what you have invested. Please take on board that it’s been a difficult economic climate so we can expect your dividend to go up soon....once we’ve paid off all of the loans that we took out to keep afloat. So let’s accept there’s another couple of years before it will be worth having this investment, but stay with me on this.

To get this dividend I should also highlight that you are going to be expected to work at least ten hours per day, basically free of charge to qualify for the annual payout that I referred to earlier which is spread over 12 months. However please also be aware that if we pay you too much over the year having over-calculated the projections then we reserve the right to claw some of this back. Also if the profits are down then we may also ask you to pump additional capital into the business, but we can cover this further at an appropriate time.

In this difficult market you may have to accept that your dividend may be considerably less than the salary paid to the new guy sat across the office two levels lower than you in the hierarchy. In exchange for this you can also expect to be held partly-liable for the firm should the worst happen, liabilities which the new guy doesn’t have to share.

Also the chances of the venture failing are perhaps slightly higher than usual, as the person in charge of running the company has little or no management training although we hope that they will turn out to be a success. As insurance thought we are all going to rely on the brand and marketing efforts of you and the other employees to bring business in.

And if I haven’t sold this opportunity enough I should point out that when you decide to cash in your investment you will not get back a penny more than you put in, even if the value of the firm has grown tenfold in that time.

Interested?

No? Well why not? After all, there’s every chance that I’ve just pitched you the opportunity of equity with your current employer.




From October 2011 the legal profession is facing its biggest shake-up in a generation. The introduction of the so-called ‘Tesco Law’ means that as well as non-lawyers becoming partners there is also the increasing likelihood of firms realigning to incorporate much more of a ‘conventional’ business structure.

Some practices are already mooting the possibility of floating on the stock market, meaning that those partners who hold equity within the firm will essentially change to shareholders. How this will all pan out is open to interpretation, but this will certainly prove to be a useful tool in the short-term in order to recruit new partners at equity level who may wish to speculate with their own careers in terms of making a healthy profit in the short term. Firms which have a model which easily transfers to a ‘sellable’ business or where there is a clear sector focus which can be embraced by a strategic partnership or takeover stand an excellent chance of recruiting top talent in the near future, with a glance at the legal press indicating that a number are already exploiting this.

Not all of this willingness to embrace more business-like structures is new however. A number of firms have for years employed non-lawyers in key strategic roles such as business development and even chief executive posts, recognising that being a lawyer does not make necessarily make you the best person to run a law firm. Indeed, sometimes being brought up in an industry with a three hundred year precedent for ‘how things are done’ is not the best upbringing for dealing with the demands of a modern business, particularly in a market with increasing numbers of firms coming in from different jurisdictions and with different approaches.

Sometimes it takes the eye of an accountant or even a sales manager to be able to look at the workings of a practice and break it down into the simplicity of a balance sheet, identifying areas of profit and loss and also putting forward solutions which may not meet the traditional law firm model in order to maximise these gains. In truth firms have had alternative business structures for some time already:- look at the evidence of those running separate debt recovery arms or those who held an interest in a bulk conveyancing practice during the property boom for evidence of this.

Where the big firms will need to reassess their approach is that those firms out there who are providing legal services in a non-regulated capacity already will be able to come under the Law Society arm as of October. Niche will writers and bespoke commercial drafting firms are already in place and suddenly will become more of a consideration to these larger practices as they start to pitch for work with the promise of regulated work at a fraction of the price. Firms will be left with three choices:- rest on their laurels and pray that their client base remains loyal; differentiate their service level by purely chasing the ‘Big Ticket’ work; or else amend their own business to meet these challengers head-on.

It’s a difficult one to call exactly where change will be seen the most but you can be sure that over the next decade, with increased external investment and increasing numbers of non-lawyers in key partnership positions, that they legal market is likely to look very different to the one we have now.

To discuss your options in the pre-‘Tesco Law’ climate, either as a candidate or as a firm, with a view to how things will progress or chance in October talk to one of our specialist consultants on 0121 233 5000 / 020 7649 9094 or visit our website at www.vgcharles.com.

Last Orders

For George Best it was 28.

For Alexander The Great it was 32, although for him it was rather enforced.

For Richard Branson, it’s 60 and counting.

The point in your career when you decide to consider a change will vary from person to person. Some will have made a number of moves during their career as this is generally recognised as being the fastest way up the ladder, although for others they will remain at the firm that they have trained with and internally work their way up through the ranks before emerging at the top, blinking in the sunlight with a partnership tag tucked under their arm. Of course not everyone can make it this far, but for the few who do it may make it seem worthwhile.

As mentioned in a recent blog (http://vgcharles.blogspot.com/2011/01/have-i-got-old-news-for-you.html) the changes in employment law removing a mandatory retirement age will be viewed with some trepidation within a number of legal practices, quite ironically as most companies will be looking to the same firms for guidance on implementing their own non-discriminatory policies. However, and as again discussed in the same blog, only the passing of time will tell whether or not this genuinely does stop practices tapping partners on the shoulder at a certain age and suggesting that perhaps they are entering the autumn of their time there.

We had an interesting meeting last week with a partner at a large international firm who is currently considering another opportunity through ourselves. Having been offered and declined the chance to apply for equity status four or five years ago they are now at a point where the Big Five-Oh is looming and that decision not to invest has removed a certain amount of engagement from the firm. Five years ago the world was a very different place!

When we are involved in a retained search, or indeed any kind of recruitment, part of the process is discussing why the new opportunity represents a better career move than remaining in the present position. With this individual there was a certain amount of this done for us, as the candidate indicated that they couldn’t predict with any certainty whether they would still be with the firm in three years time anyway. Although enforcing mandatory retirement ages may now be illegal there remains a concern that the legacy of these clauses may impact on the future of partners who are now reaching what was previously a predefined and enforceable barrier.

With people now living longer and consequently being required to work longer the thought that your own destiny could be taken out of your hands is a course of quite considerable concern.

For firms which have always employed the default retirement age this to some extent solves a potential issue, for as long as there is the concern that partners may be forcibly retired then those partners will still always look for a new position from 18-24 months ahead of time. There will be one or two who are well within their rights to sit tight, convinced that they can see things through thanks to the new legislation, and best of luck to them.

However for others the thought of overstaying their welcome will cause some to reach the conclusion that they should either stand down from the partnership or look for pastures new. This is what this particular individual has decided to do, hence the series of meetings which have taken place so far.

There is a sense of the great unknown when partners who have been with a firm for a long period of time decided to dip their toe in the recruitment market. For many the processes will be considerably different than last time they were seeking a new position, with new or emerging firms coming to the fore and replacing some practices which have rested on their laurels and who now appear to be a spent force.

There are also a number of firms which, without necessarily ‘pitching’ themselves as such, seem to have a strong reputation for picking up partners from bigger firms who are seeking to continue handling top quality work yet who don’t feel that there is a future for them with their current employer. These partners then carve out a very successful next chapter in their career, enjoying excellent remuneration for their efforts, and indeed with some receiving a high reward from firms which are aware that not only have they acquired a healthy client following, but that these clients are unlikely to be tempted away from the firm when the said partner does decide to call it a day.

Life begins at 50? Well, it’s just the new 40 isn’t it?

Which was always the new 30.

Which is really just 21 + VAT.

To discuss opportunities in the market for partners at all ages, shapes and sizes call one of our specialist consultants on 0121 233 5000 / 020 7649 9094 or visit our website at www.vgcharles.com.

First Impressions

They say that ‘you never get a second chance to make a first impression’. I have no idea who said it originally, but whoever it was is absolutely spot on.

Within legal recruitment we commit a large part of our time to preparing candidates and clients for interview to ensure that both parties do the best possible job of selling themselves to the other. As the war for talent reignites it is just as important for the interviewer to convince any new recruits that the firm can meet their requirements as it is for the potential employee to show that they are the person for the job.

Usually when you are dealing with high calibre lawyers the basic rules of making a good first impression are generally ingrained already......usually....!

Wearing a best suit and a well-ironed shirt tends to be part of the culture with most client-facing solicitors anyway, along with polished shoes and the ability to employ a smile and a firm handshake. Even in these days of relaxed dress-down cultures most lawyers are only the time it takes to put on a tie away from being in interview attire.

What does continue to both surprise and frustrate us though is what we would consider to be the ‘pre-first impression’. Allow me to give you two examples, both of which have happened in the last fortnight:-

Firstly we are asked to recruit a corporate associate for a large regional player which consistently punches above its weight and attracts high calibre individuals from leading national and international firms. Having introduced one particular candidate we are asked to supply additional information as to why this person is considering leaving their present firm after just four months.

Obviously we know the true nitty-gritty of why this person is leaving as well as the ‘official’ reason, but as a matter of course we contact the candidate to cross-check this so that there is no discrepancy. After two days of waiting we are forced to go with what we have so that the candidate does not appear to have ‘gone cold’. Following this the firm comes back with four possible dates and times, which we again speak to the (now-delighted) candidate about, who promises to get back to us in three hours once she’s checked her diary.

Two days ago, and counting.

Second example; working with a Magic Circle senior associate who is looking for opportunities closer to his Thames Valley home. He has particular opinions of some firms in the area, some of which are very accurate, others we would say are wide of the mark.

One firm which he wasn’t as clued-up on actually would represent a very good move for him, and after discussing the benefits of what they could offer him versus his requirements he is happy to have a conversation with them if they are interested.

The firm is indeed interested, and so after identifying two suitable gaps in the diary we advise the practice that either of these dates would suit, and await their confirmation.

That was a week and a half ago.

In previous blogs we have discussed a number of benefits of utilising legal recruitment companies for both candidates and clients. The ability to work proactively and confidentially on your behalf, provision of targeted and impartial career advice, and even using a recruiter as a go-between in salary negotiations can make the whole process go much more smoothly from both sides, with each side having a reduced level of culpability if a ‘dealbreaker’ is introduced into the equation when it comes via the recruiter, albeit at the candidate or client’s behest.

What is also important, and is perhaps not as well-documented, is the use of the recruiter as a ‘buffer’. Whether it be a firm looking to delay a decision and hoping to ‘buy’ a weekend without upsetting the candidate, or whether it be an individual looking for an extra day for another offer to land to contrast and compare, we can be involved in making sure that this leeway can be found without making one side look like they are stalling unduly. It’s much harder to do this when speaking to the other party directly!

However, our buffer can only work so far. If you are unable to come back with interview times in less than a week then exactly what kind of preconceptions will any firm or candidate have about you?

“Yes, we do invest in the greatest IT systems that are out there, and everyone has access to everyone else’s diary for greater transparency and cohesion between our teams......but it takes me three days to discover that the partner is in France that week.”

Or for a candidate:- “I pride myself with providing the highest levels of client care possible. I have my BlackBerry/iPhone/carrier pigeon* (*delete as necessary) beside me 24/7 and will always respond within 15 minutes, no matter how insignificant the query. However when it comes to my OWN CAREER you’ll be lucky if I even acknowledge your interest before the end of the month.”

Let me make this clear:- impressions matter. At ALL stages of the process. You may turn up for interview on time with your designer suit and your shiniest shoes plus tie with matching cufflinks, but if your dealings up until that point have been less than professional you’re fighting your way uphill from the start.

So in summary; yes we appreciate you’re busy. We understand that you have clients who are also demanding some of your time. Yes we know you have other concerns apart from organising an interview, but bear in mind that unless you can give it 100% of your attention for 2 minutes now you may have to sell yourself a whole lot more later on to get that deal you’re after.

To discuss your options from either a recruiting or a candidate point of view talk to one of our specialist consultants, who guarantee you their full attention, on 0121 233 5000 or 020 7649 9094. Alternatively visit our website – www.vgcharles.com.

Hanging On The Telephone

Let me say it – I’m not happy. Firstly it’s Monday morning, which is never a good thing.

Secondly I haven’t had a weekend because I’ve spent the whole of Saturday and Sunday doing DIY and then to crown it all I’ve woken up with a sore throat which is making it difficult to talk. Whilst this may lead to some blessed relief for the rest of the office it does put something of a dampener on your day when you normally spend at least 40-50% of your core hours on the telephone.

The phone is a key part of the armoury within legal recruitment; whilst the advent of the internet has meant that a lot of researching can be done from your desk, it is only by picking up the telephone and speaking to firms and candidates that you can build up enough market intelligence to ensure that you are ahead of the game. After all, if you don’t and it’s not on the firm’s website then you’re going to be well out of the loop.

Our belief is that we have a responsibility to our candidates to make sure that they have the best possible opportunity to secure their next position. This encompasses career counselling, advice on CVs and also making sure that candidates are fully briefed and prepared for interview, but it goes further than this. Any legal recruiter can sit there and wait for a client to instruct on a requirement, but by this time the role has already been advertised and the firm has about 40 other CVs for the candidate to compete against.

Those of us who have been in the legal recruitment market for some time are aware that the smart way of working is to be on the telephone to clients, both actual and potential, on a regular basis talking to them about their strategies and areas of growth over the coming months so that you know what is coming up well in advance.

This is obviously very good news for our candidates when they’re in the market for a new opportunity; if you can introduce them whilst the firm is still at the “we might think about recruiting a...” then the candidate stands a much better chance of being able to say “this is what I can offer” and the role gets tailored to their capabilities. If however the firm has reached the point of job specification, person specification, expected psychometric profile and have invited CVs from all and sundry then there it is likely that the firm has a fixed preconception of what it is they are after and thus may be less likely to consider applicants’ individual merits which may not match the job description.

This is also where the use of a legal recruiter can stand you in better stead than relying on direct approaches. Unless you are out of work and in a position to assess who the relevant decision maker is in every firm then it can be a real slog to get your CV in front of the right person. However due to the relationships that a recruiter builds with their clients, it is common that we can pick the phone up to the relevant partner and discuss our candidate’s qualities and sometimes even arrange an interview before a CV is ever submitted. In fact some of our relationships are strong enough that a CV doesn’t even change hands until an offer has been made and someone in personnel highlights that one is missing!

The use of the telephone to build market information also works to the benefit of clients. As well as speaking to candidates who are actively on the market, a good legal recruiter makes a policy of speaking to others who are ‘in the market’; ie those who wish to keep a watching brief of what is going on, interested in being kept informed if and when something interesting comes up. Again, sometimes this market intelligence is crucial when a firm is looking for a high calibre individual but when candidates of this nature may not be so actively looking that they are searching online job boards, or even have an up to date CV.

There is no doubt that the introduction of the internet and email has revolutionised the way in which business is conducted, but in terms of building up the market intelligence necessary to source roles effectively, the telephone still remains king. The old adage that people do business with people that they like remains as crucial today as it ever has, and there is no better way to build a rapport with someone than through a proper conversation.

After all, in the words of Confucius “it’s good to talk”.*



*(Actually it was Bob Hoskins on the BT adverts, but he doesn’t have quite the same gravitas.)

To discuss how one of our specialist legal recruiters can help you with opportunities in the market call us on 0121 233 5000 / 020 7649 9094; we like to talk! Alternatively visit our website at www.vgcharles.com or drop us an email and we can call you back.

Brand On The Run

There’s an email that comes around every so often, and which may well have previously landed in your inbox. It always amuses me each time I receive it, and works by posing you two moral dilemmas:-

Question 1:

If you knew a woman who was pregnant, who had 8 kids already, three who were deaf, two who were blind, one mentally retarded, and she had syphilis, would you recommend that she have an abortion?

We’ll come back to that one, but first try this next question:-

Question 2:

It is time to elect a new world leader, and only your vote counts. Here are the facts about the three candidates. Who would you vote for?

Candidate A:- Associates with crooked politicians, and consults with astrologist. He's had two mistresses. He also chain smokes and drinks 8 to 10 martinis a day.

Candidate B:- He was kicked out of office twice, sleeps until noon, used opium in college and drinks a quart of whisky every evening.

Candidate C:- He is a decorated war hero. He's a vegetarian, doesn't smoke, drinks an occasional beer and never cheated on his wife.

Candidate A is Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Candidate B is Winston Churchill.

Candidate C is Adolph Hitler.



Whoops. Yeah, I went for C too.



Recently we were retained on a national Head of Property opportunity with a Top 100 practice. As is standard we discussed potential candidates with the client before approaching and meeting these partners face-to-face to discuss the opening in some detail, initially on a confidential basis until we has ascertained that there was sufficient interest to discuss things more formally.

As is occasionally the case, when we disclosed which firm we were representing one of the candidates opted not to be considered further, despite the fact that she was presently with a smaller firm, the job specification ticked all of the boxes and that the position represented a significant uplift in salary. Why? Quite simply the brand wasn’t good enough.

Interestingly enough there were others who were pleasantly surprised when we revealed who our client was. Having discussed the PEP, the projected earnings, ambitions of the firm, the turnover and the calibre of the client base some of the individuals were perhaps slightly surprised that a brand they believed to be inferior could offer work of that quality and the financial remuneration to match.

Brands can be weakened or tainted through a number of factors. Loss of high profile clients (or high profile loss of clients!) poor financial performance and departure of key staff can impact a firm’s standing, although dodgy write-ups in the press or a well-documented high staff turnover can also lead to a firm being tarred with an undesired reputation. After all, as the economy recovers from the recession there are a number of law firms who didn’t do themselves a huge amount of credit by the way that they handled the downturn.

The other factor that firms need to consider is how long their brand may remain tainted or frowned upon following a period of negative press. For those who are putting short-term profits first by axing staff it may be worth considering the longevity of their actions and the consequences when it comes to trying to attract staff:- we recently spoke to a partner reluctant to consider options at a firm due to their performances a decade before!

The fact is that the partners who will gain are those willing to look beyond the rumour and the brand, and instead look at the opportunity. One client we have acted for in the past who have a damaged brand can also boast of top equity being substantially higher than any other client in the city; is it worth discounting an opportunity just based on the name when you’re talking about those numbers?

Obviously as the saying goes there is no smoke without fire; if you hear horror stories about a firm it is worth looking in some detail as to whether these are genuine and if there are currently issues in need of resolution. However you may just find that these rumours have been greatly exaggerated and that there’s actually an absolute diamond in the rough where you can handle good quality work; only by exploring the options and not discounting opportunities out of hand will you get the opportunity to discover this further.

And, by the way, back to your answer to the abortion question: if you said yes, you just killed Beethoven.

For an open-minded discussion on opportunities in the market at all levels contact one of our specialist consultants on 0121 233 5006 / 020 7649 9094 or visit our website www.vgcharles.com

Partners In Crime (or corporate, property, family, employment, etc.)

Look at this; a blog that goes straight(ish) to the point. Apologies to those who’ve grown fond of the usual witless, meandering introductions; normal service will hopefully be resumed next week.

I had a very interesting meeting with a senior corporate associate in the East Midlands last week. As legal recruitment consultants we go to great lengths to emphasise the ‘consultant’ aspect of what we do, a factor which is sometimes overlooked by both clients and candidates alike, who perhaps are used to dealing with ‘CV factories’; those so-called-recruitment consultancies which are often little more than a resumé relay service.

As consultants our expertise includes providing careers advice, information about the market as a whole, discussing salary levels and advising on general management of an individual’s career to help them achieve their goals.

Of course if a candidate is desperate to leave a firm then we can do our utmost to facilitate this, ensuring that the new practice ticks the boxes for what that candidate is seeking.

However at other times we need to advise on the overall strategy of a candidate’s career to reach their overall aim. Sometimes this can involve advising a sideways move or that even a ‘one step back to take two forward’ move may suit them best. At other times it needs some ‘tough love’ to outline that actually a candidate is better off staying where they are in the short-term and building a client following or business case to make them a more attractive proposition in the future. Often there is little or no chance of a firm being interested in an individual with what they can currently bring to the table.

Anyway, back to my corporate associate. She was trying to choose between whether to make a sideways move to another firm where she could hope to progress to partner, or whether she should stick it out at her current practice and hope to make partner there before looking to move as a lateral hire.

An interesting conundrum, and one which generated some discussion until we dug down further into the potential business case and following and discovered that actually:- there wasn’t one.

As discussed in an earlier blog (http://vgcharles.blogspot.com/2010/11/to-follow-or-not-to-follow-that-is.html) the following aspect is increasingly crucial for lawyers at all levels, not just for partners, as firms seek more ‘rounded’ solicitors with an ability to attract new clients. Unless a practice is absolutely snowed-under with work or if there has been a resignation with no obvious internal replacement then applicants will have to be able to generate client instructions, and even if there is a surplus of work firms are still looking at the ability to attract new business once the current pipeline is exhausted.

The same remit is in place for those who are perhaps senior associate or legal director at one of the larger practices and are looking to take the step-up to partner. Firms are usually seeking a business plan indicating clients attracted, marketing successes, business development capabilities and most importantly the resultant billings which have been generated by all of these; in fact with top firms there is often little difference in the process for an internal promotion or an external lateral hire.

One thing which should be highlighted however is that whereas it is sometimes difficult for an associate to move without some level of following, for a partner it is nigh on impossible. Therefore candidates need to ensure that if they are indeed offered partnership without them having to produce a business case that they are intending on staying with the same firm for quite some time.

I have a lot of time for this particular associate as she has endeavoured to build up her client following and is doing all the right things; she’s networking, she’s referring work, she’s tweeting, LinkedIn’ing and getting herself known locally. Technically she is excellent, and I have no doubt that she will make partner in the future, but unless she is able to establish her business case then she may end up finding it difficult to make the move; even more so if she does make partner where she is and still finds that she has no quantifiable following of her own clients.

Therefore with this individual I did advise them that looking for a sideways move did represent their best option. We are looking at opportunities now for this individual to make this move and the initial signs are encouraging; now it our job as consultants to make sure that the firms we are speaking to can offer her the marketing opportunities and support to build this following, meaning that the partnership title is a realistic and attainable goal.

The reason for highlighting this particular case in this blog is that what struck me during the meeting was the associate in question wasn’t truly aware that a following was so essential, and that simply being a partner in one firm didn’t guarantee partnership in another. Whether this is widely known to non-partners or not seems to vary from firm-to-firm, with different practices taking a different approach to followings as they strike the balance between solicitors bringing work into the firm versus being keen to retain the clients should those solicitors move on.

To discuss your options in the market, following or not, call one of our specialist consultants at VG Charles & Co on 0121 233 5000 / 020 7649 9094 or visit our website www.vgcharles.com

Control Freak

I’m sure this scene will be familiar to many of you. You get back from work, have something to eat, pour yourself a glass of wine and settle down to watch a DVD.

First thing you get? That anti-piracy warning:-

DUN-DUN-DUN “You wouldn’t steal a car” DUN-DUN-DUN “You wouldn’t steal a handbag” DUN-DUN-DUN......

Fairly presumptuous I suppose, but in most cases quite valid. However by this point your head’s throbbing and you’re starting to doubt yourself. Actually, would I steal a car? Have I stolen a handbag? Are those sirens I can hear? RUN....!

If this doesn’t ring a bell then how about the warning which originated on American TV – “it’s 10pm – do YOU know where your children are????” Even at 4 years old it still put the fear of God into me. Where’s teddy? I told him not to go across the road and now I can’t find him and......oh there he is, next to the train set where I left him.

So you know you’re watching a kosher DVD, and that the car and handbag have been paid for legitimately. You know that the kids are safe outside and wouldn’t dream of crossing the road without your consent:- what about your personal information? Who may be looking at that without your knowledge?

As the world becomes more digitally-focussed we spend more time making sure that our identities are protected, whether it be log-ins to online bank accounts or passwords for shopping websites. For years we have covered the keypad when entering PIN numbers and every time a bank statement comes through it usually gets shredded or thoroughly destroyed. Yet every day our consultants at VG Charles talk to candidates who are unsure about where their CV may have been sent to.

Speak to any law firm or a quality legal recruiter and they can tell you that one of the factors which complicates the recruitment process is duplicate submission of CVs. It drives firms mad, as they receive the same details four times from different recruiters for the same role, and as well as making the recruiter look foolish it can make the candidate look desperate, potentially weakening any negotiating position if and when it comes to offer stage.

A CV can be duplicated for a number of reasons; sometimes due to a poor recruiter, more often unfortunately it is the fault of the individual. How to avoid this? Well the simplest way is for candidates to extensively track where their CV has been sent and when, as well as which role it was for and the location; that way if another recruiter approaches you for the same position you can highlight that this has already been covered on your behalf.

Occasionally a CV can be duplicated when a candidate has been spoken to about an opportunity but for reasons of confidentiality the recruiter will refuse to disclose which firm it is with, and convince you that it is ‘standard policy’ to work this way.

Nonsense. Absolute rot.

Do you really want your details to be in front of your peers yet not know which people will have seen these? How can you go into a mediation yet not be slightly concerned that the person across the table from you may just know that you’re on the market, what your frustrations are at your firm and also have an idea of what you’re being paid?

If a recruiter won’t tell you who the firm is then tell them where to go. Different if it’s a headhunt, as there is usually a strategic reason for the recruitment which means the client doesn’t want it known that they’re hiring, certainly at the early stages. However for ‘standard’ contingency recruitment you should always have been advised exactly where your details are being sent.

As online job boards become more common your CV may be on a website which can be accessed by anyone who has the database search capability. At best you can then expect a number of calls to come through from people who have ‘seen your details online’; at worst, someone unprofessional may send details out to every firm in the hope that something ‘sticks’, then contact you retrospectively.

It’s imperative in this market that candidates retain full control over their CV at all times. You will find that often a job advert contains the details of the consultant advertising the position, so why not pick up the phone and talk to them about the role? That way if it’s not right for you then you haven’t released your details; if it does then you’ve already had the chance to convince the recruiter that you’re right for the role before your CV even arrives. It also allows you to verify that they will respect your details and will not send them out without your consent, which is crucial in this market.

Additionally you can get an idea of the person you may be relying on to represent you; if they sound to you like they don’t know what they’re doing will they be able to convince the recruiting firm that you’re the person for the role?

The duplicate CV question raises its ugly head more often that we’d like, and unfortunately at times can be to the detriment of a candidate’s chances of getting the role. So how to avoid it? Quick do’s and dont's.

• DO track everywhere that you’ve given consent for your CV to be sent, including when, which recruiter sent it and whether it was a speculative application or for an actual vacancy;

• DON’T trust your CV to someone that you may not have spoken to before. If it’s a recruiter, speak to them first about the opportunity and only when you’re satisfied that they’re professional enough to respect your confidentiality should you release your details;

• DO make sure that you get a guarantee from everyone that you speak to that your CV will not be sent out without your consent;

• DON’T send your CV out to every single recruiter on the web at once. Identify one or two who you feel can represent you positively and professionally, both in relation to actual openings and who can work proactively on your behalf; and finally



• DON’T steal handbags, cars or DVDs. It’s not big, it’s not hard and it’s not clever.

To discuss opportunities in the legal market on a confidential and professional basis, with absolute confidence that nothing will be disclosed without your express permission speak to one of our specialist consultants at VG Charles & Co on 0121 233 5000 / 020 7649 9094.

Girls & Boys

Women don’t know the offside rule. It’s official; I found out on Sky.

Of course the woman in question, one Sian Massey, actually does know the offside rule and was spot on in her call. To be an assistant referee in a Premiership match indicates not only does Ms Massey understand the offside rule, but indeed all of the laws of the game. In fact, to be in such a position at the relatively-tender age of 25 implies that she may even have something of a flair for it.

There is an urban legend which states that, traditionally, the best way to explain the offside rule to a woman is to liken it to a shopping queue, with someone throwing a bag from the back to the front as you step forward to be served. Of course ever since FIFA introduced the controversial inactive/active player clause there doesn’t seem to be too many people who understand the rule at all, shopping queue analogy or not, as proven when even a former international player like Andy Gray can call the decision wrong.

Irrespective of whether you feel the comments were unintentional yet inoffensive banter or if you are of the opinion that Messers Keys and Gray should be hung out to dry for their opinion, the furore which has been kicked up has again raised the question of whether sexism is still prevalent within the game, or indeed life in general.

The percentage of female lawyers within the UK has risen steadily over the last forty years or so; in 1971 only 3% of lawyers were women, and in 1987 this figure still only stood at 16%. Over the next decade this doubled to nearly 33% and last year stood at around 40%. However within Top 100 practices less than 20% of partners are women, with this figure dropping to under 15% at the Magic Circle, perhaps suggesting that there may still be some element of a glass ceiling. As yet there has not been a woman managing partner at a Magic Circle practice; is this evidence of sexism in the workplace?

Frankly it’s difficult to put a definitive ‘yes’ or ‘no’ argument forward for this. On the surface of things it would appear that if 40% of the workforce is female then 40% of the partnership should be as well.

However to say so skips over the fundamental point which is that men and women are different. Certainly in terms of potential, ability and ambition there is no difference between the sexes, and anyone who commits wholeheartedly to their career should expect to achieve a similar level of progression and reward, irrespective of gender. In fact, in a world where partnership potential is often judged as much by business development capability as by technical ability it is entirely feasible for a woman to progress quicker than a man if she has the nous to turn contacts into revenue.

In a less-than-startling revelation, even the most rudimentary grasp of biology will make you aware that only women can bear children, and often with motherhood there is a reassessment of where you either want to be in your career. As was recently revealed in the legal press Ashursts are now expecting 50 billable hours per week from its partners, which is unlikely to conform to the requirements of many mothers of young children. Consequently it may simply be that many women who are not willing to make that kind of sacrifice for the sake of their career opt instead to remain outside of the partnership whilst their children are young, hence it is their choice and not a glass ceiling which has put such a slant on the statistics.

Bear in mind also that whilst the number of women solicitors continues to grow (around 60% of NQs) we still have to consider that it takes some time to reach the top of the partnership tree. Assuming a time period of ten years from qualification to make partner, a further five to get equity and then another five to ten years to stand a chance of making Managing Partner, you are therefore looking at potential candidates having around twenty years PQE. This then takes you back to 1991 qualifiers which as proven above stood somewhere around the 20% bracket; therefore it is perhaps not quite as surprising that so few women have held the Managing Partner title.

There is growing recognition for female lawyers which is bound to see this eventually becoming more common. With the likes of Nabarro and Pannone already headed by women, around 40% of The Lawyer’s recent Hot 100 lawyers being female there’s no doubt that any glass ceilings which may remain are under serious threat.

Perhaps there are still one or two boundaries to be crossed yet, but looking at the bigger picture the market has undoubtedly come a long way since Carrie Morrison was admitted as the first female solicitor less than 90 years ago.

Debate still rages over whether she knew the offside rule.

To discuss opportunities within the market, irrespective of gender, contact one of our specialist consultants at VG Charles & Co on 0121 233 5000 / 020 7649 9094 or visit out website www.vgcharles.com. For enlightenment on the offside rule and whether a player is active or inactive.......your guess is as good as ours.