It would be fair to say that a large brunt of legal activity in this country takes place in the capital. It’s hardly surprising, after all, London is one of the leading cities on Earth and is home to international, market-topping firms of all shapes and sizes. In addition, most of our major courts are based here as are the majority of regulatory and trade bodies.

UK legal recruitment

London-centricity isn’t necessarily a good thing and as the country has become more focused on the capital, debates have started over whether activity and investment should be spread more evenly across the country. It was suggested, for example, that the national football stadium – based in Wembley – should in fact have been built in Birmingham to provide easier access to those living in the North of the UK. The arrival of HS2 could close the gap between London and the rest of the country, but it will be some time until this is rolled out in full.

The legal sector has the same issue. While the trend of ‘northshoring’, has picked up pace in recent years, the industry as a whole is still overwhelmingly focused on London, largely at the expense of other regions of the country. UK legal recruitment is no different and the majority of hiring agencies are based in or around the capital.

You’ll find many Northern based firms complaining about how it’s unfair that they’re not given the same level of backing or support that others in London receive and that infrastructure is not as developed as it is down south. However, those suggestions aren’t entirely accurate. Transport links aren’t as extensive and there isn’t a wholesale equivalent to the tube, for example, because the population is smaller and there is less demand for these services. You can be sure that if there was a market for improved infrastructure or services that a firm would have already jumped on the opportunity to make a potentially huge amount of money.

However, regardless of levels of investment, we feel where we’re based is immaterial. Perhaps 20 years ago when communication channels weren’t as extensive as they are now it would have mattered, but in the modern world, not even slightly. UK legal recruitment is as it sounds, UK-wide, and despite being based in Preston, our rigorous approach combined with our deep networks and complete understanding of the legal market means we can effectively serve firms and find them the talent they need wherever they’re based across the UK.

Different area, same skills

Legal professionals aren’t just based in the capital, they’re all over the country, and rather than selecting an agency on the basis that they’re relatively close to London and must therefore know what they’re doing, firms should instead conduct thorough research into their suppliers and choose the organisation that can offer the best deal, has the best relationships and ultimately provide the best service. Where they’re based is insignificant if they have the right resources and approach in place.

If the legal market still worked in the way it did 50 years ago, then geographical location would still be relevant, but the days of striding out of a firm and walking into the office of the nearest recruiter to find a new role are gone. And, with the vast majority of communication done online, it doesn’t matter if a hiring agency is based in London, Leeds or Liechtenstein, as long as they can fully map the market, have existing relationships with legal specialists and can ultimately find your firm its next game-changing employee.

Check out some of our other blogs to find out how you can find the right legal recruitment agency for your firm

Or take a look at some of our current legal jobs