Law Jobs May Beckon In Exotic Locations, Says LawFuel

Law Jobs May Beckon In Exotic Locations, Says LawFuel

LawFuel.co.nz - NZ Law News & Law Jobs - Second tier firms may be providing a working life for young kiwi lawyers seeking their OE - not the usual countries beckon however.

Veteran Wellington recruiter Frieda Crawford’s new Clarity Consulting company is believed to be working towards a plan to recruit local lawyers for law firms operating in various tax havens and offshore jurisdictions away from the usual London Magic Circle firms. London is slow and likely to remain so with the Eurozone issues and general economic slowdown.

Although she’s not saying much, word is that there will be a strong push towards jurisdictions that are experiencing high demand for legal talent in the wake of the global financial crisis, including Oman, Dubai, Jersey, Guernsey, Hong Kong, Singapore, the Cayman Islands and elsewhere.

Much of the work would be with so-called "Silver Circle" firms that comprise the second tier practises away form the Magic Circle firms and who are aggressively expanding their work for high net worth individuals, trusts and corporations that are now reassessing and relocating their assets in the wake of the continued financial uncertainties.

The attraction, apart from remuneration and quality work, is also the adventure of a life beyond just Big Law.

One of the issues that has arisen for the bigger firms during the GFC has been the logjam of legal talent in large firms. Those who would normally have moved away have stayed.

While many may return to the same firm after securing their legal “wings” in the City or elsewhere, they are hanging about the water cooler without the work they may have otherwise sought. These exiles-in-their-own country may well respond to opportunities presented to work in exotic locations for three or four years.

© Scoop Media