BCL Legal Launches Cutting Edge Mobile Website for 2010
25th January 2010 from 8:23 amOver the past few years, the way people search for legal jobs has changed and evolved. The influence of the Internet, and the role it plays, is now the defining channel for job searches and is a recruiters’ most important platform. However, things never stay the same so; BCL Legal - one of the leading legal recruitment consultancies outside London - is this week launching a cutting edge and innovative mobile phone friendly website.
The site, a relative first in the recruitment sector, is an edited version of BCL Legal’s main website and is designed to allow candidates access to the jobs section via their phones quickly and easily. The key benefits for BCL Legal’s candidates are based around flexibility and convenience as the new mobile site allows them to look for a job discreetly, whenever they want. It provides an extra level of service that responds to and addresses the needs and requirements of the company’s key audience.
The Blackberry and iPhone compatible site boasts a number of unique features including; 'send this job to a friend' and ‘request a call back’. Potential future additions may include a bespoke text function which will automatically forward specific and relevant job details to a person’s mobile phone inbox.
Careful consideration has also been paid to the site’s overall design which reflects the company’s brand position. The innovative layout is in a readable format meaning there is no cumbersome zoom in/ out option - instead a simple scroll feature is in place allowing easy navigation.
James Batt, director of BCL Legal, commented; ‘It is vital for recruiters, just like any other industry, to stay one step ahead and to meet the needs of its clients. Searching for a job is always a stressful time and we want to make the process as simple and as convenient as possible.
James concluded; ‘The new mobile website has been created to do just that and we are confident it will become a pivotal part of how we do business and how our candidates research their next career move in the legal sector.’
BCL Legal’s mobile website is live now at http://www.bcllegal.com/mobile
BCL Legal Sees Shifts in Trends for the In-house Legal Community
11th January 2010 from 2:14 pmWith many private practice law firms still finding the economy tough, and with redundancies very much on the agenda, BCL Legal - one of the leading legal recruitment consultancies outside London - is seeing and predicting a number of growing trends within the in-house legal sector as we come out of recession.
Over the last year, the team at BCL Legal has seen an increase in the number of organisations taking advantage of the much publicised redundancies being made by the law firms they instruct by directly recruiting a known lawyer into their business – more often than not as their first in-house counsel. Companies from sectors as diverse as manufacturing and technology to financial services have quickly realised that employing someone who has already worked for them, but on the other side, has its real benefits.
One recent example is 2ergo – a leading global provider of mobile enabling technology with a focus on mobile marketing, mobile customer relationship management, and mobile entertainment and media. The firm, which has offices in Salford Quays, has recently recruited Paul Basger – a former solicitor at Pannone – as its new commercial solicitor.
Another development is the large increase in the recruitment of in-house lawyers on a locum or contract basis. Despite workloads remaining high, many companies are having to go through redundancy processes and are implementing unilateral head count freezes. When this happens, the only option is for them to employ the services of an interim lawyer via a recruitment agency. BCL Legal sees this as a growth area and as a result will be looking to expand both its In-house and Temporary/ Contract Business Departments throughout 2010.
Mark Levine, director at BCL Legal and head of its In-House Team said; ‘We have been in the recruitment business for many years and these trends are really starting to gather some momentum. It seems that companies are taking a step back and reviewing what they actually need and how they can fulfill it – potentially in-house. Mark concluded; ‘It has been an interesting story so far and it will be fascinating to see how it develops next year as the legal community continues to grow and gain more confidence.’
BCL Legal Defies Downturn with Rise in Annual Candidate Placements Including a 40% Surge in Partner Level Positions
7th December 2009 from 12:51 pmManchester headquartered BCL Legal - one of the leading legal recruitment consultancies outside London – is bucking the current downturn in both the legal and recruitment sectors by placing a total of 435 lawyers for the year from November 2008 – an increase of 13 on the period 2007/2008. The figure is thanks, in a large part, to the 40% rise in the number of partner level placements that the company has completed within the North West private practice sector.
This impressive growth, in such tough trading conditions, is especially encouraging following the recent news that profits have sunk on average 33% at the region’s law firms (source: Pricewaterhouse Coopers). BCL Legal, which also has offices in Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, Bristol and Reading, primarily attributes much of this year’s success to rising confidence in the Insurance, Commercial Litigation, Employment and Personal Injury sectors.
Other key factors include increased numbers of high calibre legal professionals at all levels who have been actively seeking new positions - thanks to redundancies and ongoing job insecurity. As well as clients using the current situation to reassess their recruitment requirements by strategically employing the best possible staff to help drive them forward once the recession comes to an end.
James Batt, Director of BCL Legal, said; ‘Although the figures appear modest on first glance, they are great news as this year has been particularly tough for both the recruitment and legal professions. The results are also encouraging as it shows business confidence is picking up, slowly. There is no doubting that the market is still difficult but most private practice law firms and organisations are now firmly focused on making 2010 a success.
James concluded; ‘Although this year’s performance gives us a solid platform for growth as the economy continues comes out of recession, we are not resting on our laurels as we realise that new challenges will continue to test both us and our clients for the foreseeable future.’
BCL Legal sponsors C&I Annual North West Dinner alongside McGrigors LLP
9th October 2009 from 6:02 pmThe North West Commerce & Industry Group Annual Dinner this year is sponsored by BCL Legal, McGrigors LLP and Hartley Wadsworth & Partners and will be held on Friday 30 October 2009 at The Lowry Hotel, Manchester
This event is open to all those who work in or are connected with Legal Departments in North West Commerce & Industry, and therefore, Company Directors, Company Secretaries, In-House Barristers and support staff are also welcome to attend. The evening will commence at 7.00pm with a complimentary champagne reception kindly sponsored by BCL Legal.
Mark Levine, In House Director of BCL Legal said "we are delighted to sponsor the Dinner for the sixth consecutive year, it is a great opportunity to meet our clients in a relaxed environment. As well as the networking opportunity, going off previous years, it should be a lot of fun".
Pannone LLP appoint Mark Burch
8th October 2009 from 5:52 pmManchester law firm Pannone LLP has appointed Mark Burch as a consultant to its debt recovery team.
Burch was formerly head of debt recovery at Lees Lloyd Whitley, the 190 year-old Merseyside-based law firm. He has more than 20 years' experience in the sector and is featured in the profession's Legal 500.
Burch's appointment marks a return to a city in which he previously spent seven years with Eversheds. In his new role, he will work alongside Pannone's head of debt recovery, Karl Williams, in seeking new work streams as well as on existing client accounts.
“I am delighted to welcome Mark to Pannone,” said the firm's head of litigation, Simon Pedley. “Having both Karl Williams and Mark Burch in the same team is exceptionally good news for us. We already had one of the region's strongest debt recovery teams, and now we are an even greater force to be reckoned with.”
Mark instructed BCL Legal in his search for new employment.
BCL Legal Recruitment Consultants support the fifth annual Pannone LLP Connect2law Conference
7th October 2009 from 2:31 pmFor the fourth consecutive year BCL Legal supported the Pannone LLP Conect2law conference held at the Hilton Hotel on 6th October 2009.
Over 100 lawyers from across the country attended the conference to discuss issues within the legal profession. Rachel Dobson from Pannone LLP spoke about how to incentivise staff in the recession, Viv Williams taught us how to prepare a law firm for merger and the directors of QualitySolicitors.com highlighted the changes about to impact with the impending Legal Services Bill.
BCL Legal is the sole supplier of legal recruitment services to the Connect 2 Law group which is a free support network for law firms across the UK. Firms introduce work they prefer not to do to Pannone LLP in return for a whole host of benefits including a fee share. Connect2Law is designed to help firms retain their clients and access the support and resources of a larger law firm. Through Connect2Law, member firms can enhance their current offering to clients, retain and attract clients and increase their bottom line.
James Batt, Director of BCL Legal said ‘it was another successful event for Connect2Law members and suppliers. The network continues to expand and the conference is a great opportunity for members to talk to each other as well as listen to opinions from the key speakers on changes to the profession and how they are likely to impact. There is no doubt that we are living through the biggest changes to the profession and all need to adapt if we are going to have a chance of maintaining market share”.
If you would like further information about becoming a Connect2law member, contact Claire Smith, Partner, via email at claire.smith@pannone.co.uk
Weightmans Manchester office expansion with the arrival of Keoghs Employment department
21st September 2009 from 12:12 pmJoining the firm from Keoghs is senior associate Kevin McKenna and solicitor, Lindsey McCulloch.
Kevin McKenna has over ten years’ experience as an employment lawyer and specialises in all matters relating to employment law across a wide spectrum of sectors.
Lindsey McCulloch qualified as a solicitor in 2005, and will continue to defend employment tribunal claims at her new firm.
Mark Leach, partner and head of the employment team at Manchester said:
“We are delighted to have Kevin and Lindsey onboard. The experience and contacts they bring with them are welcome, especially after further client wins and panel successes within the last year. These additions to our team will help to ensure that we continue to deliver a high quality service to both new and existing clients.”
On his decision to join the firm, Kevin commented:
“This is an exciting challenge.
I enjoyed my time at Keoghs and I am looking forward to continuing to provide advice and support for long standing clients as well as making the most of the great platform Weightmans provides to develop and deliver employment products for our commercial clients.”
Both Kevin and Lindsey instructed BCL Legal who placed them at Weightmans and we wish them the best of luck for the future.
BCL Legal attends 2009 BPP Law School Paralegal Fair
14th May 2009 from 4:40 pmOn 5 May BCL Legal sponsored the BPP Law School Paralegal Fair.
As students are coming to the end of the academic year many are eager to know how they can market themselves to law firms to gain experience and to enhance their CVs.
We advised on how to make the most of your CV, how to apply for vacation placements and paralegal jobs and how to follow them up.
Once you have at least 3-6 months' experience within one area of the law BCL Legal are able to place you in fee earning roles where you will be provided with training and development to take you to the next stage of your career. Ultimately it will be down to your hard work and enthusiasm.
Here's what some of the top lawyers in the country told us when we asked them what they would advise junior lawyers:
Andrew Evans, Partner, Hill Dickinson, Liverpool:
"Be true to yourselves and your firm. The landscape of law firms is not what it was 10 years ago when I first started in the profession, but the rewards are there for the talented, committed and hard-working. Don't rest on your laurels. The first 2 years post-qualification should be about becoming an accomplished and established lawyer. That is the time to hone these skills, which are essential to those keen on promotion from 2-3 years PQE onwards".
Peter McCormick OBE, Senior Partner, McCormicks Solicitors:
"Despite a difficult economy currently, quality and hard work will always win through. Be prepared to work very hard. Do not be snobbish – you are in a service industry. There is no substitute for preparation. Be prepared to operate outside your comfort zone. Learn to market – those who can generate work will become Partners one day. Finally, put something back into the community – if you have been fortunate enough to be given the intelligence to forge a worthwhile and rewarding career, you owe it to the community and yourself to put something back to help those less fortunate than you".
Paul Meredith, Partner, Carpenters:
"Your career will hopefully be a very long one, so when deciding which area of law you want to specialise in, don’t be too influenced by which area of work is currently booming, or where there are likely to be jobs within your existing firm. These things are cyclical. Do something that you know you are going to find enjoyable and rewarding".
BCL Legal targets locum lawyers
20th April 2009 from 11:40 amRegional legal recruitment business BCL Legal has launched a specialist national temps and locum recruitment department.
The new department brings together recruitment consultants from Manchester, Leeds and Birmingham advising public sector, private practice and in house legal departments who are looking to recruit lawyers on temporary contracts.
There has been a boom in the need for lawyers within specific sectors as headcount freezes have put a halt on some businesses being allowed to recruit on a permanent basis. BCL Legal’s managing director James Batt said “there has always been a high demand for temporary lawyers within London and the South East. In recent years access to lawyers to be able to start immediately to cover periods of high volumes of work or to cover for periods of maternity or sick leave has been invaluable. The image of the locum lawyer has transformed. It has taken some time but the benefits of having extra help available when you need it is now being realised in the north of England as well as the south and we need to be able to offer this service to our clients”.
Mary Nowell joined BCL Legal in 2007 and have been recruiting locum and contract lawyers in private practice, public sector and in house legal departments across the north of England.
BCL Legal is the leading legal recruitment consultancy in the regions with offices in Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Bristol, Birmingham and Reading. For further information and an up to date list of all of our vacancies visit www.bcllegal.com
BCL Moving & Shaking in Manchester
28th March 2009 from 12:19 pmBCL Legal has moved its head office in Manchester to the 7th Floor of The Lexicon Building on Mount Street next to the landmark Central Library on St Peter’s Square.
BCL Legal signed up to the 3000 square feet back in January having spent three months renovating the space to a high level to meet its needs. The offices will include a suite of meeting rooms and training facilities for Manchester’s largest team of legal recruitment consultants.
James Batt, Director of BCL Legal said “the office move is important to BCL Legal and is a statement of our continued commitment to the North West legal community’’. Despite the lull in recruitment activity in the top 5 corporate practices in the city, there are still lots of opportunities and BCL Legal are working closely with its key clients to take advantage of opportunities in the region.
BCL Legal also has offices in Reading, Liverpool, Leeds and Birmingham. The next step would obviously be the City. Vicky Clark, Director of Private Practice is keen to open an office in London saying that ‘we are hoping to open in London within the next twelve months, timing is crucial and we want to ensure we are strong in the regions before we take the next step”.
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