Manchester Legal Market Update

Manchester’s legal market is busy at the moment, with it being home to many national and international firms such as JMW, Pinsent Masons and Eversheds Sutherland.

As a result of this booming market there is high demand within the real estate, commercial property and corporate practice areas. We have also noticed that practice areas once exclusive to London are now prominent in Manchester, for example there is now a significant amount for work related to employee benefits and pensions.

Within Manchester, all the top firms are well-established meaning the competition between them is higher than ever. These firms include Addleshaw Goddard, Gateley, Brabners, Shoosmiths and Pinsent Masons. We also have the various other firms such as Irwin Mitchell, Mills & Reeve and Hill Dickinson.

This diverse and busy city is becoming more popular each year round therefore revenue streams are flourishing. This is what is attracting many more people to relocate to this city and we are also seeing many more global brands set up shop here.

Within the legal market we are seeing an increasing amount of aspiring Solicitors take big steps within their career whether that’s firm size, title or even salary. We are witnessing a lot of NQ salary increases due to the demand for Associates. Firms that have done this include DLA Piper, Addleshaw Goddard and CMS. Also, due to the pandemic, law firms are taking the route of offering hybrid or fully remote working which gives employees a healthy work/life balance.

Manchester also offers some of the best universities – University of Law, The University of Manchester and Salford University, to name a few – and we have noticed an increase in students relocating to study law from all over the country and even the world. The significant number of talented law graduates from Manchester’s universities and law schools is also leading law firms to come from the City to the North. Manchester is proud to have one of the country’s largest law societies and is home to the Manchester Young Solicitors Group and Manchester Trainee Solicitors Group, which offers networking and business development opportunities for the city’s Lawyers.

Every year we will be celebrating this legal talent as Principal Sponsors of the Manchester Legal Awards held in Manchester City Centre. With Manchester-based legal recruitment being central to what we do, we are grateful to be a part of the celebration, congratulating the excellent firms and Lawyers of the city. This has been the twelfth year that these awards have taken place.

Here at Interlink we have built close relationships with some of the best regional, national and international firms with them putting full trust in us to find the best talent Manchester has to offer. To fill current vacancies we have built a reputation to prove to our candidates they are in the best hands to be placed at well-established firms giving them the confidence to progress their careers.