Kelly-Anne Willis, Senior Associate, reviews the Bristol private practice market in 2024 and looks forward to a prosperous new year for Bristol based lawyers
From Kelly-Anne Willis
Bristol remains one of the leading legal hubs in the UK and a hotspot for lawyers outside of London.
The city continues to offer forward thinking and progressive firms, excellent quality work and some of the highest salaries amongst the regions.
Fast-growing market
Bristol also has one of the fastest growing legal markets in the UK, with many major firms moving to bigger and better offices in 2024 as part of their ambitious growth plans and a number of firms, one of the most notable this year being Birketts, opening their first offices in the city.
Sectors and specialisms
The noticeable trend this year in terms of hires has been within the energy and projects/construction teams after many firms saw a marked rise in new instructions from across these sectors.
Litigation hires have been at an all-time low this year in Bristol, as well as more junior hires. There has been a significant focus on senior hires across both real estate and corporate, with new teams in the real estate data centre space being a push for some of those leading international firms.
Salary increases and growth plans
There also appears to be no slowing down as we move into 2025.
Firms are already collating salary information and will be looking to hike their pay rates even further as we move into the New Year (both at NQ and more senior levels).
There have also never been so many ways to work flexibly, with many hybrid working options being offered. Growth plans also continue to be at the forefront for most of the leading firms as we look forward to the next 12 months.
That being said, it looks as though firms are not yet finished with 2024 as many teams are still looking to hire! So, if you are open to hearing about new opportunities both now and in the New Year, please do get in touch.
