SOUTH COAST OPPORTUNITIES

SOUTH COAST OPPORTUNITIES – article by Elizabeth Davidson, July/August YSG magazine,

Southampton, Exeter, Portsmouth... these cities are at the hub of the thriving south coast legal scene. Lawyers who have moved to the area cite quality of work as their prime motivating factor, but there is no shortage of other attractions. The sheer beauty of the landscape has an uplifting effect, and there is a plethora of water-based activities available, from sailing to kite-surfing. The area around Poole is home to some of the best beaches in England, while the striking beauty of the New Forest is a short journey away. It is relatively close to London, making it the place of choice for many young solicitors looking to relocate from the City.

What exactly is it that attracts recruits to the south coast, and how do salary, conditions and quality of work match up to other area?

Alistair Gray, HR Director at Blake Lapthorn Linnell says: “The first criteria is, unusually, quality of work, then prospects for development and career progression. Increasingly, it’s the lifestyle factor after that.” “Even if you are working hard and getting a real buzz from what you are doing, a short drive home, parking next to the office and time to be socialising, in the garden, sailing, walking, riding, spending time with the family… etc are seen as priceless.” “We aim to pay our staff as much as we can afford to get the best lawyers in the region. People relocating out of London are realistic that the rates aren’t the same as those in the City, but they are very competitive compared to other firms outside the capital. Money on it’s own is rarely the driver for career choice. Work climate, colleagues, bosses and the things I have mentioned above are probably more important. That doesn’t mean that we want to be anything other than highly competitive when it comes to pay.”

Mr Gray says: “As a major force on the south coast, we offer almost every corporate, or private client specialism; real estate, environmental, professional disciplinary, outsourcing, commercial contracts, banking, projects, pensions, business recovery, personal injury, clinical negligence, tax and trusts, family… the list goes on. We have seen strong growth across the business, at the moment our top priority is to strengthen our already flourishing real estate practice with people at the 2 to 4 year level.”

Promotional prospects may also prove attractive. Tamsin Ledger, a commercial property solicitor at national law firm Bond Pearce, who has been qualified for 3 years, says: “You are likely to get promoted quicker than if you work for one of the city heavyweights, but lifestyle and the quality of the work have more to do with it. There is a quality of lifestyle here that you don’t get elsewhere. Winchester, Poole or Southampton are beautiful places to live and the area as a whole is stunning.”

David Turner, partner responsible for training at Bond Pearce, agrees. “The legal market is buoyant, the population is growing, house prices are increasing and earnings are going up,” he says. “It’s a growing economy and that increases demand for legal services. We aim to be among the highest payers in the region and I think we’d match other firms salary-wise. A good rule of thumb is that recruits could expect about a third less than in city firms. Salaries at other firms could be 10 per cent less than us. At 1-5 years PQE, we would look at any good candidate in any area we offer. The highest demand is for transactional areas, such as corporate commercial, property and banking, although we do have demand for contentious issues such as litigation. In the last 5-10 years, we have found that at least half the work is generated outside the area.”

Trethowans human resources partner Nicola Richards says: ”I think the south coast is particularly popular because of the high concentration of reputable firms, both regional and national practices, that offer a range of services to both business and individual clients. Benefits include better commuting times, more freedom and an improved work/life balance, yet the quality of work doesn’t suffer. We attract many recruits from the city and other regions who want to work outside of London but don’t want to compromise on the quality of work, quality of clients and opportunities to grow and develop their careers.”

PROS:
High quality of work
Pleasant journey to work
Salaries compare favourably to other areas
High quality clients
Fantastic lifestyle

CONS:
Salaries lower than in London
Nightlife quieter than in City
Less chance to take part in City deals
Fewer big-name clients
Influx of summer tourists