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25 February 2022 / Seamus Hoar
Issue: 7968 / Categories: Features , Career focus , Profession
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Will the party end in 2022? Not before it gets a whole lot louder

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Cash is king and lawyers are in demand, writes Seamus Hoar
  • Market expectations in 2022: salaries, jobs, office-working and culture.
  • What to expect when the market inevitably corrects.

Many of the top law firms have experienced serious increases in revenue over the course of the pandemic, as client demand has, arguably, been at its greatest over the past two years. In fact, according to MLA’s recent Global Law Firm Report, demand from clients is up 15-25%. As a result of this uptick, firms have been ferocious in their efforts to acquire both partners and teams. The pandemic has ultimately given rise to a near ‘perfect storm’, with appetite from firms, principally US, coupled with a lateral market at its most receptive to new opportunities. Ultimately, firms are paying more than they ever have for the top talent and cash is certainly still king.

As the market charges ahead, we can expect some stand-out factors to keep law firms up at

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NEWS

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Momentum is building behind proposals to restrict children’s access to social media—but the legal and practical challenges are formidable. In NLJ this week, Nick Smallwood of Mills & Reeve examines global moves, including Australia’s under-16 ban and the UK's consultation
Reforms designed to rebalance landlord-tenant relations may instead penalise leaseholders themselves. In this week's NLJ, Mike Somekh of The Freehold Collective warns that the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 risks creating an ‘underclass’ of resident-controlled freehold companies
Timing is everything—and the Court of Appeal has delivered clarity on when proceedings are ‘brought’. In his latest 'Civil way' column for NLJ, Stephen Gold explains that a claim is issued for limitation purposes when the claim form is delivered to the court, even if fees are underpaid
The traditional ‘single, intensive day’ of financial dispute resolution (FDR) may be due for a rethink. Writing in NLJ this week, Rachel Frost-Smith and Lauren Guiler of Birketts propose a ‘split FDR’ model, separating judicial evaluation from negotiation
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