There is life outside London for newly qualified solicitors. Plenty of it, though it may be hard to believe when everything appears to be so London-centric.
Vince Cable said a few years ago that London is like “a giant suction machine draining the life out of the rest of the country”. That may be the case in some industries, but not the legal sector. It’s true about a third of the country’s lawyers are based in the capital (and around 20% in the City) and much of the glittering work is done there. But that still means the vast majority of lawyers work outside it and high-calibre work is being done all over the UK.
There are outstanding lawyers in the regional firms spread around the UK and it is by no means a step down in class to join them. So, if the joys of an hour’s commute next to someone’s armpit and living in an overpriced shoebox are starting to pale, maybe it’s time to get out.
Let’s start with a slight disclaimer. Many firms are not enamoured by being labelled as “regional” and see themselves as offering services and careers on a par with those offered in London. To them, the fact they are based in the regions is a mere coincidence. Bristol’s Burgess Salmon would fall in that category along with Guildford-based Stevens & Bolton and Brabners in the North West. These firms, and others, would point to their Chambers and Legal 500 rankings as evidence of their status, regardless of geography.
When we say regional firms we aren’t just referring to practices with a single office or with a regional head office and a few satellite offices. We are also including the ‘national’ firms with offices across the UK (such as Eversheds, DLA Piper, Irwin Mitchell and DWF, etc.).
Added to the mix in recent years are City firms who have ‘insourced’ into the regions to handle lower value and support work. This practice is spreading, as well as changing. Several City firms now use their regional outposts to augment their City services, meaning more openings for talented lawyers. Hogan Lovells in Birmingham, Allen & Overy and Herbert Smith Freehills in Belfast, and Simmons & Simmons in Bristol are cases in point.
In law, like football, Manchester ranks second behind the capital. Next comes Birmingham, and then, in no particular order Leeds, Bristol, Sheffield, Liverpool and Newcastle. All the UK’s main towns have some sort of legal presence though and excellent firms can be found in each and every one of them.
Let’s list now some of the benefits of moving away from the capital:
1. Better work/life balance
Twelve-hour days and lost weekends can become the norm for striving lawyers at top London firms, or even ones just trying to keep up. It would be nonsense to say lawyers outside the capital don’t work hard but we would suggest that most regional lawyers shut off their computers before 7pm and rarely work whole weekends.
Added to which, your commute is likely to be both shorter and far less stressful.
2. Cheaper housing and cost of living
According to the Nationwide Building Society, the average London house costs £473,073, which is more than double the average price in the rest of the UK (£205,898). Admittedly, that’s an average over the whole country and the main cities in which the best “regional” firms are located will be more expensive.
Even so, living outside London is cheaper, wherever you are. To give just one comparison, according to website Exptistan.com, London is 49% more expensive to live in than Manchester. In other regions, the differential will be greater still. Even taking salary differences into account, you may be better off outside London.
3. Better supervision and greater responsibility
We hear this a lot from NQ Solicitors who have trained outside London. They are given more responsibility at an earlier stage and receive more hands-on supervision than their London counterparts. The main reason mentioned is that deals tend to be smaller and partners are under less constant pressure.
4. Improved working environment
If working in a super-swanky office is your thing, then the City is possibly the place to be. Balance the shiny glass atrium and meeting rooms though with the cramped working environment you’ll often find behind the scenes. Property is much cheaper outside London and often this translates into larger, more spacious offices. Admittedly, these are sometimes on industrial estates or in out of town locations, but many are in beautiful parts of the UK or at least have easy access to them.
Plus, the working environment can often be more relaxed than the highly competitive culture that is often found at the larger firms. There is also a sense outside London of your work playing an important role in the local community.
5. Quality of work
Ah, you say, what about the quality of the work? We can’t pretend the regional firms can compete with the magic circle firms in terms of international work or M&A and banking instructions. Few firms can.
Many regional firms act for multinational businesses though and do work that is every bit as challenging as London firms. And, they have reputations to match. Brabners, for example, is ranked as a leading, top-tier firm across 12 practice areas by the Legal 500. Its clients include Premier League clubs Manchester United and Everton, and the firm is renowned for its expertise in football and sports law.
This is another area where regional firms compete favourably: specialist expertise. If farming and agricultural law is your bag, head to Mills & Reeve. For equestrian law, think about Ashords in the West Country. Expertise in other, sometimes arcane, areas of law can be found in regional firms all over the UK.