New office opening: overcoming fierce competition

Background

Langleys, a UK leading law firm based in York, has recently opened a defendant insurance office in central Manchester - headed up by fraud partner, Peter Oakes. BCL Legal, as a preferred supplier, was instructed to find an experienced client-facing solicitor with strong technical skills and existing client relationships, as well as a fraud analyst with some level of experience.

Challenges

Experienced solicitor

Not many lawyers in the defendant field have links to their insurer clients, so generally this is a rare find.

Fraud analyst

Despite Langley’s being a reputable law firm, most fraud analysts based in Manchester are settled in well-established teams at mid and top tier firms or national and international heavyweights; because of this, some candidates have concerns around security given they’d be moving to a brand-new team.

Solution

Immediately, BCL Legal’s North West personal injury team were able to source a shortlist of potential candidates for the partner to consider. The successful candidate was able to show a strong performance in the insurance field and had strong client-facing experience.

When it came to tackling candidate concerns around job security, emphasising Peter Oakes’s credentials as a leading fraud expert was crucial.

Outcome

Looking to develop in a highly competitive market with very specific requirements, BCL Legal managed to source two strong candidates for the new Langleys Manchester office. Both lawyers moved from law firms that hold excellent insurance offerings in central Manchester; BCL Legal knew what to emphasise to convince both lawyers to leave secure jobs for the new (and exciting), and were confident that for the right candidate, the opportunity would be enticing.