London is a global financial center and leading legal market, offering a modern lifestyle alongside historic sites dating to Roman times. The city attracts many international law firms and corporations, providing opportunities in cutting-edge finance, corporate, and litigation work. London lawyers can earn high salaries, especially at US firms, and enjoy benefits like bonuses, international secondments, and 25 days of annual leave. The city also has a vibrant arts scene, world-class transportation, and opportunities for an excellent work-life balance.
2. City Guide | London
Location, Location, Location
Overview
London is one of the world’s great cities, offering
both a modern lifestyle and history dating back to
Roman times. The City ‘square mile’ is recognised as
one of the leading global financial centres and is a
European base for many multi-national corporations.
Accordingly, opportunities for lawyers to be involved in
cutting-edge/international matters are exceptional.
Working in London
London’s status in the global financial markets and
its historical background as the centre for common
law have made it arguably the world’s leading legal
city. The major international law firms – including the
‘Magic Circle’ firms Allen & Overy, Clifford Chance,
Freshfields, Linklaters and Slaughter and May – are all
represented in London, as are the leading US firms.
taylorroot.com
3. City Guide | London
Principal areas of demand
The London market is dominated by the finance and corporate areas; however,
there are other areas of demand as set out below.
Principal areas of demand include:
• Asset finance
• Leveraged finance
• Project finance
• Structured finance
• Banking
• Capital markets
• Derivatives
• Corporate/M&A
• Construction
• IT/Outsourcing
• Banking/Commercial litigation
Corporate, finance, projects and litigation lawyers are highly sought after
by the larger UK and US law firms, where they will receive excellent quality
work. There is also a large appetite for lawyers from niche technical practice
areas including competition, pensions, construction and debt capital markets.
The demand for Australian and New Zealander lawyers in London has also
returned.
taylorroot.com
4. City Guide | London
Remuneration and benefits
Lawyers are remunerated very well in London. The highest salaries are
typically paid by the US firms being £95,000+ at NQ level, with the top
international UK firms paying around £62,000 at newly qualified level. This is
further augmented with bonuses up to 40%. Midsize UK firms generally offer
5% less at the NQ level.
UK law firms have a well established tradition of seconding lawyers to their
international offices as well as their clients, offering lawyers indispensable
multijurisdictional and in-house experience.
The standard annual leave allowance in the UK is 25 days and this can
increase with service. New York firms do tend to offer less holiday, usually
c15 to 20 days.
The leading firms generally offer such benefits as health insurance, pension
and subsidised gym membership.
taylorroot.com
5. City Guide | London
Lifestyle
London can cater to all tastes and interests. The city is a leading centre
for the arts including the West End’s world famous theatrical productions,
Covent Garden’s opera and ballet and the various internationally renowned art
galleries. London also offers an array of bars, restaurants and clubs.
Transport links
London’s transport network is one of the most comprehensive in the world
and there are great connections around the country and to cities across the
UK. There are new high speed rail links to the north as well as coastal regions
which includes a link to Ashford with connections to the Eurostar for Calais
and Brussels.
Gatwick and Heathrow are easily acessible from the centre of London, with no
frills’ airlines offering low cost flights to many European destinations, making
it cheap and easy to take short breaks on the Continent.
taylorroot.com
6. Contact
For more information on living and working in London or if you are interested in relocation to the region please contact your
nearest Taylor Root office.
Established in the 1980s, Taylor Root is now widely recognised as being one of the world’s leading legal recruiters. Operating
out of offices in London, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Sydney and Melbourne, we are ideally placed to assist law firms, banks
and companies with their legal recruitment on an international basis. Taylor Root has a strong track record in the recruitment of:
Heads of Legal and legal counsel; law firm associates and partners; contract/locum lawyers; paralegals; company secretaries and
compliance professionals.
Taylor Root is a member of The SR Group. The SR Group is a specialist recruitment consultancy dedicated to raising standards
in the business environments that we serve. The sectors we cover include tax, legal, human resources, marketing, professional
support and executive search, dealing with a substantial number of the world’s leading professional partnerships, multi-national
corporations and international banking groups as well as small to medium sized developing organisations.
London Dubai Hong Kong
95 Queen Victoria Street Suite 614, Liberty House DIFC 1918 Hutchinson House
London EC4V 4HN PO Box 506739 10 Harcourt Road , Central, Hong Kong
T: +44 (0)20 7415 2828 T: +9714 448 7770 T: +852 2973 6333
Singapore Melbourne Sydney
Level 15 Prudential Tower Level 2, Rialto North Tower, Level 12, 25 Bligh Street
30 Cecil Street 525 Collins Street Sydney
Singapore 049712 Melbourne, VIC 3000 NSW 2000
T: +656 420 0500 T: +61 (0)3 8610 8400 T: +61 (0)2 9236 9000
Taylor Root is a member of The SR Group
taylorroot.com
