Matthew Porter – manager in BCL Legal’s London office...
What have been the main trends/ developments in your region over the past 12 months?
2013 saw a marked upturn in the legal market, with the overriding message from the City that all teams were busy. London boomed as the litigation hub of the world and it has been buoyant with many firms hiring large teams of document review lawyers. There were encouraging signs from the transactional factions of the City as well. From the high street, the message was that residential property is back.
What have been the real growth areas and where has the demand been coming from?
The London property market boom has meant that demand for residential property lawyers has been huge; whilst Libor related litigation has continued to evolve which has kept a large number of the leading litigation teams busy. We have also seen a demand for foreign qualified lawyers from many City law firms.
What have been the key stories that have dominated your region/ sector?
Libor related litigation has been the main story of the year with the strengthening of the property market being a close second; both have been a driver of recruitment in London.
What are your predictions for your region/ sector for 2014?
Continued optimism in the City and across Greater London.
How would you sum up 2013 in one sentence?
Competitive, fast paced but filled with opportunity.
