As part of “The Qualification Season” a series of blogs by CapeClarke aimed at trainee solicitors looking to qualify in September 2016 – we will give a brief overview of the market conditions affecting many of the core legal disciplines that trainee solicitors look to qualify into.
The next area of law for discussion is Corporate Tax.
The Current Market
Corporate tax is one of the fundamental issues affecting business of all sizes and there are constant changes to the taxation system, regardless of which political party is in power.
You would expect a full service commercial law firm to provide a corporate tax service to its clients. Unfortunately, in the North, that is not the case. More so than pensions (as the other real niche discipline on the list), there are only a very small number of firms in Leeds, Manchester and Sheffield who host a corporate tax team. The mid-tier tend to avoid the area and will refer that aspect of work out to a preferred firm.
Is this a good career option?
Corporate tax presents a strong, stable career as there is always a need for tax solicitors and they are often well rewarded by law firms. It is a very technical area and regarded as particularly specialist. As there are not many firms who have specialist corporate tax teams, the opportunity to move will be limited, but when a role does arise (and in 2015, a number of roles arose in quick succession), there is nowhere near the competition you might expect in a more general discipline.
September 2016 opportunities
It is difficult to say with any certainty whether there will be opportunities in the market this year – given the recruitment various teams undertook last year, they may feel pretty well stocked. On the other hand, the larger teams are becoming increasingly busy so there may be a need to make an addition. Again, like pensions, the key is to be proactive if you are looking externally.
If you have been thinking about a move or would just like some general advice about options in the market, please feel free to contact Terry Cape or Chris Clarke on 0113 2385965.
CapeClarke is a leading niche legal recruitment consultancy operating across Leeds, Manchester, Sheffield, Newcastle, Liverpool and London. Please feel free to check out our priority legal vacancies by clicking here. Please note these legal vacancies are only a small selection of those we have been instructed on, so please get in touch if you do not see a role which looks suitable.
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