Relocating to Manchester: Is there life outside London for solicitors?

London is known as the UK’s major legal sector hub. But in the large regional legal communities like Manchester, Michael Page Legal has seen a massive spike in hiring activity, due to the rising recruitment needs of law firms post-pandemic.

These parts of the country are full of great solicitors. However, they are also candidate short at certain levels of post-qualification experience, and in certain disciplines. High-growth sectors include real estate, corporate and employment, commercial, IT, and intellectual property, as well as certain niche areas like energy and healthcare.

So, what can life outside of London offer you as a solicitor? Here are a few questions that we are often asked by solicitors considering relocating or moving back to a law firm away from London.

1. I don’t want to compromise on the prestige of my work – will this be affected by a move out of London?

Because clients are becoming increasingly cost conscious, law firms in the regions are benefiting from an increase in work that would previously have gone to London firms. Corporate teams are running high profile, often international corporate mergers and acquisitions (M&A) work out of their regional offices for leading international companies. These deals are not being half-serviced out of the regions; they are being led by local partners and driven by their teams alone.

Manchester is an excellent example of this. Manchester is home to a number of international law firms, including:

• Pinsent Masons
• Eversheds Sutherland
• Squire Patton Boggs
• DLA Piper

2. Work-life balance is important to me: Will I be able to maintain it in the regions?

For the record, lawyers in the regions work very hard. Moving out of London should not be seen as an opportunity to pump the brakes; firms are looking for lawyers with ambition, drive and motivation.

However, it is certainly a chance to reclaim your work-life balance. There is such a variety of law firms in the regions that you can make the move whatever you want it to be. Ultimately, you don’t have to be chained to your desk – unless you want to be, of course!

3. I’m facing a progression ceiling – What are my prospects in the regions?

Teams tend to be smaller in the regions than in London and the right people can therefore progress through the ranks to partnership faster.

Moreover, the elusive ‘client following’ – which lawyers often need in order to make an external move at mid to senior level – is not as much of a barrier. The regional firms we work with are often more open-minded about finding the right skillset and person.

In certain disciplines, there is more opportunity for outstanding lawyers to move at a senior level. Often, junior lawyers in the regions can hold senior positions, as many firms reward high achievers and promote through a meritocracy, with less of a focus on PQE.

4. Will I have to take a huge pay cut?

London firms pay London wages, and nothing can change this – but law firms will be competitive for the right candidates and very competitive for the best candidates. Since the pandemic, we have seen regional law firms significantly increase their salaries. Newly-qualified solicitors can earn up to £65,000 at some Manchester firms. Equally, property prices and the general cost of living in the regions are significantly lower.

Find out what you could be earning in a legal role

5. Will law firms in the regions be interested in me?

The standard of lawyers in the regions is excellent and there are plenty of great candidates. However, firms are certainly interested in solicitors from outside of the regions. High-calibre solicitors from certain disciplines in particular (like employment, litigation, real estate, corporate, tax, banking, commercial, intellectual property, and IT) will almost always spark immediate interest.

The key thing to remember is that if you are a driven and ambitious solicitor at any level and considering a move to the regions, then both our clients and we would like to hear from you.

For a confidential discussion about regional opportunities, please contact:

Mike Smith, Director, Michael Page Legal
T: 0788 190 4018
E: [email protected]