Birmingham law firms are suffering from a shortage of four- to five-year qualified corporate and property lawyers, according to a survey by recruitment consultants, Cavendish Boyle.
The survey found that salaries in these practice areas carried a "significant" premium, but also that salaries were rising across the board due to competition with Leeds and Manchester for London lawyers and the growth of Dibb Lupton Alsop and Garretts in the city. Garretts was singled out for paying above-average salaries.
Newly qualified corporate lawyers at top firms can expect £26,500, compared with £24,500 last year.
The survey also noted that the arrival of Garretts and Dibbs had accelerated staff turnover and that firms were increasingly recruiting from Leeds and Manchester.
In addition to corporate and property, the survey also found the employment, IP and IT sectors to be buoyant. However, litigation was reported to be "settling down" after the Woolf Reforms.