Survey reveals in-house solicitors are in demand

A growing awareness in the corporate sector of the value of in-house solicitors has seen 29 per cent of companies increase the size of their legal departments in the past 12 months.

A survey of more than 300 in-house legal departments by recruitment advisers Taylor Root shows a significant jump in the available positions, with 27 per cent of companies planning to recruit extra lawyers in the next 12 months.

Yet while demand is high so is the number of solicitors seeking to move in-house meaning the average salary rise is only 5.1 per cent - a poor figure in comparison with the 10 to 30 per cent pay increases that solicitors in large and medium-sized firms enjoy.

The survey also reveals that 70 per cent of in-house legal teams consistently instruct the same outside law firm, while only 30 per cent shop around.