Mark Levine, Managing Director, discusses the in-house market in 2025 and shares his predictions for the coming year.
From Mark Levine
2025 has followed a similar theme to 2024: the first six months of the year were far quieter on the in-house legal recruitment front than the final six months.
This trend seems to be have mirrored across all markets, not just legal, with many of the world’s largest recruitment companies highlighting the same trend.
Economic factors
Key issues that affected the UK economy in 2025 included:
- Weak demand/falling sales and economic uncertainty.
- Cost pressures: taxation, employment costs, inflation and rising overheads.
- Employment law changes emanating from the Employment Rights Bill.
- Financial distress and insolvency risk — especially for smaller firms and consumer-facing sectors.
- Cybersecurity, digital resilience and regulatory/compliance burden.
- Supply-chain disruption, business interruption and external risks (global economy, geopolitics, climate).
- Investment and financing constraints — limited investment, expensive borrowing, hesitation on expansion.
All of the above have certainly had an effect on legal recruitment, whether that be companies holding off on hiring additional lawyers or lawyers themselves holding off on making a move.
However, on a positive note, the reality is that the UK industry is wide as well as deep and, as with every economic landscape, there will always be winners and losers.
Strongest sectors
The following sectors have remained strong in 2025:
- Digital/software/IT/tech services.
- Clean energy, infrastructure and construction (including industrial/energy-related construction).
- Financial services.
- Creative industries, digital/tech-adjacent, and new economy sectors
In-house analysis
Analysis of the in-house legal market in 2025 is as follows. We have been able to track roughly 2,500 roles in London with another 700 across England.
Commercial experience is still the most required skill set for an in-house lawyer. In runner-up position it feels like construction was the next most heavily requested skill set.
In a changing market such as this one we have seen an uptick in interim lawyers being engaged to help out on key projects or just filling a gap until a company feels in a stronger position to recruit on a permanent basis.
With 23 years of experience in the market, BCL Legal knows a huge range of lawyers who are looking for interim work. Some lawyers are available while they look for a permanent role, but others are at a career stage at which they only take on interim assignments. Do let us know if you have a need for an interim.
With 23 years of experience in the market, BCL Legal knows a huge range of lawyers who are looking for interim work.
We have also grown our Company Secretarial offering. Although we have always assisted businesses with co sec recruitment, it now has a dedicated experienced recruiter in Navita Rooprai.
Away from recruitment, we have once again been involved in a large number of events for in-house lawyers. Around the country we have been asking GC’s whether "In-house legal teams need their own PR teams to highlight and showcase the amazing and varied work that they do – especially the work that is done behind the scenes?"
So, as 2025 comes to an end let me leave you with this thought: “In-house lawyers are saving companies millions, but no one notices.”
Unsung heroes
I would also like to thank Allia Khan, Head of Legal of PoloWorks for her insightful overview, below, of the problem and solutions. This will leave you in no doubt about the requirement for, and future growth of, legal functions across the UK.
Allia says, “It’s true, we often save our businesses millions. But, sometimes, no one sees it.
“As in-house counsel, we quietly absorb risk, negotiate better outcomes, and prevent costly mistakes.
“The value is there. The visibility isn’t.
“So how do we fix that?
- Build relationships across the business.
- Join wider groups like EDI committees – but ones that resonate with you.
- Share knowledge through lunch & learns or workshops and training sessions with a twist.
- Translate legal wins into business language (not just legal jargon).
- Share key data and insights with the right people at the right time.
- Ask for and act on feedback to stay aligned with business priorities.
- Get visible on LinkedIn and network, share, influence.
- Celebrate team successes, don’t just firefight in silence.
- Be your authentic self… always.
“Do you think in-house lawyers get enough recognition for the millions we save or are we still the hidden value of the business? And if we are, is it on us to change that? (My view is, yes.)”
The in-house team at BCL Legal looks forward to staying connected with you and hopefully finding your business a lawyer or two in 2026.
