How we deliver recruitment solutions to Law firms

AJ Chambers is one of the UK’s leading legal recruitment consultants. We have a track record of placing the very best legal talent, from junior to senior. For the past 16 years our team has developed an in-depth knowledge of the market, becoming a source of trust and expertise.

Our specialist consultants have a deep understanding of the industry and are there every step of the way with expert advice. We asked our two most senior legal recruiters, Andrew Fragnito-Day and Stuart Whiter, to answer some of our most frequently asked questions. Andrew and Stuart have both been at AJ Chambers for over 8 years. During this time, they’ve been a key force in the drive to improve our customer-focused approach, improving the overall quality of our operations.

What service does AJ Chambers offer?

Stuart: AJ Chambers has been focused on shaping the futures of legal professionals for over 16 years. As a result, we have become a trusted consultancy for many top law firms throughout the UK. We partner with our clients to find the best talent, from the smartest juniors, up to the most experienced leaders and Partners.

Tell us what practice area you specialise in recruiting for?

Andrew: We specialise in placing qualified legal professional into law firms in Central London, the South East and East of England. We work across a wide range of practice areas, such as Real Estate, Family, Corporate, Private Client, Dispute Resolution, Employment Law, Corporate and Commercial, Litigation and Family Law.

What type of law firms do you work with?

Stuart: Our clients vary from small boutique firms through to the biggest law firms in the world. This can range from regional Top 200 firms across Essex to Legal 500 accredited firms. We have built up some fantastic relationships over the years with various stakeholders and we are passionate about making positive impacts on law firms through our recruitment.

What makes your service different to other recruiters?

Andrew: Our market knowledge sets us apart from other consultancies. Due to our long-standing relationships, we are able to deliver a bespoke service to both clients and candidates. We understand what it is actually like to work at each firm, which is invaluable, particularly when thinking about personality fit and culture. Working and living in London and Essex also gives us a great understanding about commutable distances. It’s great to be able to demonstrate this to various candidates.

What are the benefits of using a specialist consultancy, rather than going direct to a firm?

Stuart: It’s not lost on us that it takes a lot for a candidate to respond to a message, email or call to a recruiter. When looking for a career change it’s one of the most frantic and nervous times for any individual. Working with a market specialist has such a huge advantage during this time. As a specialist, we begin by having a meeting to understand everything about each candidate. Their skills, personality, career history, what they want next and so on. For some people it’s looking for a high salary, for some it is work-life balance and for others it can be working closer to home.

We then suggest alternative firms that match as close to a perfect fit as possible, with market intelligence developed over many years. Once interviews are secured, we have a further meeting on interview preparation. This is an invaluable part of the process, for a number of reasons, as interviewing at any level is a stressful time, so having a specialist recruiter who understands this process really helps. It takes away the fear of the unknown and allows the candidate to deliver the best version of themselves during the interview.

Andrew: Of course, the most obvious reason to use a specialist recruiter is financial negotiation, which is always a tough conversation to have directly with your potential new employer. Indirectly, this conversation has negative connotations, as the candidate is taking something away from the firm, whereas the interview process should be consistent discussions. Having a specialist by your side allows the interviewing process to remain positive throughout. Once offered and accepted, that’s not the end of our journey. We also have an aftercare service to make sure all candidates are happy where they have been placed. We want to make sure it’s exactly what they have been looking for.

A lot of negotiation focuses on hybrid working. Are you seeing an adoption of new work practices in the legal space?

Stuart: Each law firm is contemplating their flexible working culture for the future. Some of the larger practices have already released their plans of complete autonomy for each person to work where they wish, which is a huge change.

Andrew: Ultimately, the needs of each firm will be slightly different, as will the needs of each employee. A one-size fits all approach will not be the right way to go, so individual consultation will be required. One thing is for sure, the pandemic has had an incredibly positive impact, which is the result of the attitude and commitment to every challenge that each individual has had to face.