Construction Solicitors: A Rare Breed

In all of our years recruiting, QED Legal recognises that one of the greatest recruitment challenges for law firms across the UK has been attracting talent in the transactional and contentious construction markets.

So we ask, why?

1. Construction law is a highly-specialised area that involves a complex understanding of both legal frameworks and technical aspects of the construction industry. The intricacies of construction disputes and the pressure to specialise early, steers many NQ’s away from pursuing these roles.
2. Qualifying as a construction solicitor requires very specific training and experience. Fewer external NQ roles are advertised year on year than most other practice areas, such as real estate or corporate. This, alongside the limited number of training contracts with construction law seats keeps numbers low.
3. With the construction sector remaining incredibly cyclical, this volatility steers many away from specialising in this area too early. With sustained periods of investment across the UK in construction projects remaining rare, it is a risky prospect to pursue in the initial stages of your career. Practice areas such as real estate or general disputes can offer you a save haven should your niche within that practice area dry up.
4. Deadlines within construction can be as high pressure as traditional corporate/commercial roles, but without the salary levels to compensate.

What these factors do mean, is that construction solicitors, whether transactional or contentious, generally enjoy an increased degree of control over their career paths and the ability to move up and down Legal 500 rankings with much greater agility.