Working in East Anglia
East Anglia has thrown off its sleepy image thanks to a boom in the high-tech and biotech sectors. Learn about life as a lawyer in Cambridge, Ipswich, Norwich and Peterborough.
Legal market
The legal services market in East Anglia has undergone a major transformation over the last decade. Firms in the four key centres of Cambridge, Ipswich, Norwich and Peterborough traditionally served the local agricultural and small to medium-sized, owner-managed businesses in their communities.
However, the enormous growth in the hi-tech and biotechnology sectors, particularly around Cambridge, has made the university city and its environs one of the leading centres of research and development in Europe. This has in turn generated a huge amount of ancillary legal work.
Cambridge
Companies like Microsoft, ARM and the Marshall Group now have substantial presences there, as have a number of major funders, such as Amadeus Capital Partners.
As a result Cambridge has been developing rapidly as a financial and professional centre and full service firms such as Mills & Reeve, Hewitsons, Eversheds, and Taylor Vinters are all regularly retained for work that was once the domain of the City.
Anglo-German firm Taylor Wessing has an established Cambridge office that is focused on corporate finance work in the biotech sector. US firm Dorsey & Whitney also has a small but dedicated team based in Cambridge.
Suffolk
Legal business-wise, the county of Suffolk is split; the west has an agricultural bias and the east is commerce-heavy. In the east, Ipswich has enjoyed somewhat of a ripple effect from the Cambridge success story and the large BT research centre based nearby in Martlesham itself generates a large amount of patent work for East Anglia firms.
The port of Felixstowe also generates shipping and transport work.Ipswich’s leading commercial practices include Prettys and Birketts. Gotelee & Goldsmith is well regarded for its local government, planning and transport work.
These firms also handle a good deal of international trade work, serving the businesses that operate out of the local ports of Harwich and Felixstowe.
Norwich
Whilst Norwich was once the business centre of East Anglia, it is fast becoming a joint market place (with Cambridge) for East Anglian law firms. Firms continue to rely on local agricultural and owner-managed businesses for much of their work and the business climate is very healthy.
The two leading firms in Norwich are Eversheds and Mills & Reeve while Howes Percival and Steeles’ Norwich offices also enjoy a fine reputation. Kester Cunningham John has offices in Norwich, Cambridge and Suffolk and is also well regarded.
Peterborough
In Peterborough the largest and best-known practices are Greenwoods LLP, a well-regarded corporate firm, and Buckles LLP, a firm increasingly focusing on commercial and litigation work.
Opportunities
So what opportunities are there? With East Anglian firms operating on a full-service basis, there are opportunities across all practice areas and at all levels of experience. In particular, 2-5 years' PQE lawyers are most sought after, especially in commercial property and corporate/commercial.Rail links to and from London are excellent (Peterborough from 45 minutes, Cambridge from 50 minutes, Ipswich from 1 hour 10 minutes and Norwich from just under 2 hours).
With an increasing focus on work/life balance, many firms are reaping the rewards of hiring lawyers moving out of the City. Very rarely do lawyers regret the decision to move to East Anglia.
Career Development
The firms encourage an ethos of loyalty and sociability, something that is easier for them to maintain given their size in comparison to the larger London firms. This less formal work culture immediately comes across although an ethos of promoting learning, teamwork and career development is still apparent.
In a smaller business community than, say, London, there are plenty of opportunities to network and lawyers are actively encouraged to do this from an early stage. Firms recognise that many mid to senior level lawyers are looking to move out from the City and increase their partnership prospects; it is safe to say that the same sort of bottlenecks that arise in much larger City teams are not generally found in East Anglia.
Ideal Candidate Profile
In Cambridge, lawyers with biotech experience are in particular demand. Despite the recent IT downturn, there are still opportunities both in private practice and in-house for good quality lawyers with IT/IP skills as the local research and development institutions produce a substantial amount of IP work.
The large commercial property portfolios owned by the university’s colleges, and the number of major developers in East Anglia, also mean a regular requirement for good commercial property (including residential development) lawyers and opportunities abound in all locations.
Currently, commercial and construction lawyers are much in demand, however, there are generally always good opportunities for strong lawyers at most levels and in most disciplines.
When it comes to interviews, East Anglian firms, particularly in Norwich, Peterborough and Ipswich, will need to be convinced as to a prospective employee’s commitment to the region. Recruitment is extremely important to them and firms have to satisfy themselves that you are likely to be happy in East Anglia for the medium, if not the long, term.
Why move to East Anglia?
For many candidates, the reason for moving is a lifestyle decision or a desire to move closer to family or friends. However, the quality of work is often on a par with that handled by many firms in the City.
With the exception of Cambridge, you will find the cost of living works substantially in your favour if you are moving out of London. The hours you work will be much more regular unless you have a particularly large transaction or piece of litigation on the go. When coupled with what is often a much shorter and less stressful commute than is found in London, the work/life balance is generally very healthy indeed.
Salary and benefits
How much will you earn? Generally speaking, you will be paid in line with most of the major regional centres in England. A newly qualified lawyer at one of the leading East Anglian firms will earn up to £34,000, while a four year qualified lawyer in any commercial discipline can expect anywhere between £45-50,000.
Most of the major firms also offer a bonus scheme that is normally worth around 10% of salary, as well as a generous holiday scheme, pensions and healthcare. Some firms also offer a relocation package.
Conclusion
East Anglia is an increasingly attractive place to live and work, so if you are thinking over a move, or you are already in the region and are looking to swap firm, get in touch with our recruitment consultants. We have had a number of years of experience placing lawyers both in private practice and in industry and we can advise you on your options.
Contact us
If you are thinking of making a move to East Anglia or would like to have a chat to find out more, contact kelly.barker@hays.com for a discussion in complete confidence.
