According to Mahlab Recruitment's annual survey most law firms report low turnover and limited growth in 2012.
 
The online survey of legal professionals and firms found that 56 percent of firms had an increase in staff compared to 2011, while 38 percent of firms reported no change in their head count figures. The majority of growth was unsurprisingly in resource-intensive markets Brisbane and Perth, and this trend is likely to continue due to the major firms having comparatively small offices in these busy markets. However, limited growth in Sydney and Melbourne is also expected.

For most firms (68 percent), graduate intake was the same as last year’s intake, with an equal number of firms reporting an increase or decrease in graduate intake (15.72 percent). The influx of global law firm brands or regional brands into the market has had a particular impact on graduate and junior lawyer recruitment according to Mahlab, as those lawyers are attracted to the career prospects that those firms can offer particularly overseas secondments.
 
Melbourne junior lawyers (one to five years of experience) received a 12 percent increase in salaries, whereas Sydney junior lawyers received only a 10.5 percent increase. Overall it was Perth lawyers which received the highest salary increases, with an average of 13 percent, brining many Perth salaries on par with Sydney.  Brisbane lawyers on average received a 10 percent increase.
 
Nearly three quarters of firms surveyed increased their salary bands this year.
 
Full coverage of the 2012 Mahlab Survey inlcuding private practice and corporate lawyer salary tables will be featured in the next issue of ALB out later this month.