Taken from YSG Magazine, written by Alexandra Van Hattum.
The resilience of Bristol's economy is mainly attributable to the diverse nature of its business community, comprising elements of the defence, media, manufacturing and aviation industries, not to mention technology and financial services. With organizations such as Orange, hewlett Packard, Lloyds TSB, and the ministry of Defence continuing to chooseBristol as their base city is well placed for the future and sets the scene for a mature and dynamic legal market.
The city has become a well-established centre of legal excellence, with the market benefiting from the thriving economy and influx of talented professionals who want to take advantage of the fantastic lifestyle couples with a more varied and flexible workload. Bristol law firms are adopting a more "hands on" approach, allowing lawyers to be involved in business development and take on more client facing roles earlier in their careers. As the London market becomes more narrow in its focus, the wider spread of practice area's in the region is proving very attractive to lawyers tired of a diet of pure corporate support work. Highly rated firms such as Burges Salmon regularly attract quality work away from City firms, serving major international Plcs such as Orange, Reuters and Coca Cola HBC - making Bristol the perfect choice for ambitious lawyers unwilling to compromise on quality of work.
Coupled with all of this is the enviable lifestyle on offer in the city. There aer numerous redevelopments offering spectacular waterfront living, or beautiful period Georgian and Victorian properties just a 15-minute walk from the city centre. Housing is more affordable, and quality of like outside the workplace is not hindered by the oppressive commute found in london and some other regional capitals. For those wanting to get away at weekends, Bristol is ideally placed - well connected by all transport networks, including an international airport just 15 minutes outside the city centre, and central to all major cities in England.
The city is also hard to match for the arts and entertainments scenes. All the big names of resturants, bars, and shopping thatyou would expect from a major city can be found, combined with niche establishments that have flourished in the city's cultural diversity.
The lifestyle, secure economy, and top law firms on offer in Bristol are pulling exceptional talent from London and other major regional firms, adding further fuel to the region's success, and securing a very bright outlook for the future.
Salaries
Information below is for Bristol firms with 15+ partners. For salary information on smaller or niche firms, please contact the Bristol Law Society.
PQE Salary Range
NQ £25,000 - £35,500
1 year £28,000 - £38,000
2 years £29,000 - £41,500
3 years £33,000 - £45,000
4 years £34,000 - £52,000
5 years £36,000 - £58,000
NB. These figures are correct as of August 2005. Salaries reveiwed annually in September, and may be subject to change at that time.
