Legal practitioners who specialise in energy and resources, corporate law or banking are likely to remain in high demand in 2012 according to recruiters. “It has been difficult for law firms to recruit across corporate, energy and banking, where we have seen many firms compete for top talent, and this looks set to continue into 2012, particularly in candidate short markets such as Perth and Brisbane,” said Taylor Root consultant Kathryn Parry.

Perth in particular is a competitive market for senior lawyers in the energy & resources field according to Julianna Shearn from Shearn Legal. “The WA resources industry is huge – iron ore oil, as well as gas and oil – and therefore the lawyers’ roles are all around that,” said Shearn. “We are so well placed here in Perth, that’s why we have international firms setting up base here.”

The demand for general banking lawyers appears unlikely to abate given recent legislative changes and many firms are looking for multiple candidates across offices according to Parry, who added that construction lawyers are also in demand outside of Melbourne and Sydney.

In the past year Perth has welcomed several international firms including Clifford Chance, DLA Piper and Squire Sanders Dempsey, not to mention many national law firms such as Gilchrist Connell, Moray & Agnew and Maurice Blackburn. In the coming months Mallesons Stephen Jaques will merge with Chinese firm King & Wood, while Blake Dawson will become Ashurst. While many firms tout merging with a global player as a key recruitment tool for attracting top lawyers Shearn says she does not expect a mass exodus from the local top tier firms to those new international players. “We won’t see that happening for another 18 months I think,” she said. “While we are seeing movement in the legal industry, it’s not as much as before, because people are still being careful post financial crisis.”

However, Parry has a different view of the international invasion: “Undoubtedly the arrival of the international firms has impacted the traditional top tiers. Many lawyers (particularly those at the junior/mid level) are increasingly attracted to the quality work, international network and salaries being offered by the new entrants. This talent war will no doubt heat up as the year progresses and the international firms’ brands become more established locally,” she said.