Articles From the Team
Dublin private practice legal salary review - 2022
From Sean Cully
Over the past 12 months legal recruitment in Dublin has very remained busy and we still have an enormous number of live roles across most practice disciplines.
The most in-demand roles are mid-level, 3-5 years PQE data protection lawyers, privacy, corporate lawyers, financial services lawyers, and company secretaries.
Salaries have seen an increase across the board, especially since new international entrants to the market have pushed remuneration above the levels being offered by the more established domestic firms. Benefits, including healthcare, pension, and annual bonuses are offered, in some form, by most firms.
Signing on
Sign-on bonuses have continued play a large part in attracting solicitors to make lateral moves. While they are not offered in all circumstances, they have come to be expected by many.
Such bonuses are usually used to attract mid-level associates, and we rarely see such bonuses at the NQ level. Candidates have also received payments to compensate for loss of bonuses should they decide to move and miss out on the payment of a bonus they have earned at their current firm.
Balancing act
While salaries and bonuses remain a key factor for those considering a move, we have noticed a large proportion of candidates look at “flexibility” and “work-life balance” as deciding factors when considering a move.
While the larger firms offer fantastic packages and uncapped bonuses, we have seen a number of top tier candidates move to mid-tier and niche commercial practices which offer more flexibility and more manageable hours.
With flexible working, the majority of firms have adopted some form of hybrid working, the most common being three days in the office and two days working from home.
Business needs will dictate its success but there seems to be a desire from all sides to make this blended model work. This has been one of the most significant changes in the legal market and it is likely to have a positive effect for the future.
There’s some anxiety about the economy and the effect this will have on recruitment. However, the general consensus from global economy specialists seems to be that, whatever happens, lawyers are still going to be very busy.