Traditionally junior lawyers have seen private practice as the place to build up their legal career but in recent years the local job market has seen an increasing number of junior lawyers moving in-house. Taylor Root’s manager for in-house, Toby Rakison, said a number of reasons are behind this growing trend. While better work/life balance is one, according to Rakison, the main reason is the increasing profile of in-house legal departments, together with a greater appreciation of the career options that companies can provide.
“The in-house career path has become more widely accepted as a viable alternative to private practice, making it a more attractive option,” he said. “The broader scope of work, satisfaction of seeing where personal legal input has benefited a commercial process, and more consistent hours are often reasons touted for moving in-house.”
Salaries for junior in-house lawyers are on average lower in Singapore than in Hong Kong, as is the cost of living. However, Rakison said salaries can vary widely depending on the type of company and practice area. In the Hong Kong market, a junior in-house lawyer working in the financial services sector can expect a 10-15% higher salary and receive higher bonuses than that of a third-year private-practice lawyer who earns HK$70-$120k. By comparison, in-house lawyers with the same level of experience working in financial services in Singapore can expect to earn anywhere from S$60k to S$160k.
While most employers expect in-house lawyers to have a minimum of two years’ PQE, there are exceptions. Recently, ING filled a graduate role in its Sydney legal team and HP US recruited four law graduates to its newly launched in-house graduate program. To improve the chances of success, newly qualified or junior lawyers looking to move to in-house roles are better off targeting companies with many staff in their legal departments. More often than not, those companies with large legal teams are more likely to have the resources to hire and train junior lawyers than the smaller in-house teams.
- Annie Dang
To view in-house jobs listed on Legaljobscentre, click here.
Recent stories: