Hays opens legal division in Perth

National recruitment consultant Hays has opened a legal division in Perth, citing a demand from local legal professionals for its services.

Professional service providers across the state have been vocal about the difficulty of recruiting and retaining staff in the heated Western Australian economic climate, with inter-firm poaching rife and talented staff leaving to pursue careers interstate and overseas.

Hays Legal national manager Liz Rooke said the new division had opened to service staffing requirements locally.

“Generally speaking, Western Australia’s legal market is experiencing significant levels of growth, largely due to the strength of the resources sector and Perth’s proximity to the Asian market,” she said. 

“We have found employer demand is high and vacancy growth is certainly occurring,” Ms Rooke said many quality Perth legal candidates had contacted Hays about overseas or interstate opportunities and this encouraged the firm to expand its office network into the state.

“By opening our specialist recruitment services in Perth, we can service the legal market face-to-face and assist lawyers at all levels to gain private practice, in-house or government opportunities locally as well as further afield,” she said.

Hays Perth office has 14 specialist recruitment consultancies, including banking, accounting and finance, property, engineering, and mining and resources.

Regional director of Hays in Perth, Jane McNeill, said the new division would complement the existing Hays operations in the area.

“This is an exciting expansion for us. Hays’ Perth business now operates from a large strategic base, of which Hays Legal will be a valued part,” she said.

Consultant Phil Scott will be the Hays Legal contact in Perth and will recruit lawyers post-admission at all levels, from paralegals and first-year solicitors to senior partners, general counsels and compliance officers.

Hays Legal claims to have the largest national network of legal recruiters with offices in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Auckland and now Perth.

Hays also has international offices in the UK, Europe and affiliates in Canada and Hong Kong.