Carter Newell has restarted its recruitment program, having lifted a freeze initiated during the depths of the economic crisis last year.
CEO Peter Ellender told ALB that the firm is looking to strengthen in a number of key areas. “At the moment we’re looking to boost our team in quite a few of our specialist areas, including our resources team, the construction & engineering team, the corporate team and the insurance team,” he said. “We did have a hold on recruitment last year as the downturn hit and things were a little uncertain in core areas but we’re now looking at recruiting in those specialist teams and to keep growing.”
The firm made the decision to lift its hiring freeze late last year after discussions with clients and economic news convinced management that the recovery will be sustainable. Along with re-starting its recruitment program, Carter Newell also doubled its associate team by promoting five lawyers and making one lateral hire.
Three of those new associates joined Carter Newell as graduates. Ellender said the firm has a strong retention rate. “We’ve got a very high retention rate for our grads,” he said. “We’ve had 100% retention over the last few years, retaining them for at least two years after they become junior solicitors.”
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