Recruitment Market Update - January hiring activity accelerates across the London marke

January delivered a clear and decisive increase in hiring activity across the London legal recruitment market. Following the seasonal slowdown in December, firms returned to the market in volume, with 145 new roles recorded during the month.

Banking & Finance: Remaining Highly Active

Banking & Finance continued to record high levels of hiring activity in January, with 17 new roles coming to market. While slightly below December’s total, this remains one of the most active practice areas in terms of volume.

Real Estate: A Notable Increase in New Roles

Real Estate recorded 18 new roles in January, representing a clear uptick in activity. This is the highest number of new Real Estate roles recorded in a single month over the past two years, exceeding the previous high of 16 roles in August 2025. In addition, 4 Real Estate Litigation roles were also recorded during the month.

Corporate: Activity Picks Up

Corporate hiring increased in January, with 15 new roles coming to market. This marks a noticeable rise from the final months of 2025 and brings Corporate back towards more typical monthly volumes.

Employment: Continuing Consistency

Employment remained consistently active, recording 9 new roles in January. This continues a pattern of steady monthly hiring volumes for the practice area.

Intellectual Property: An uptick or just one very busy firm?

Intellectual Property saw 8 new roles recorded in January; this is way above the normal monthly levels of 2-3 roles. However half of the new roles were with one firm!

Outlook

January’s data points to a clear increase in hiring volumes following December’s seasonal slowdown, with 145 new roles recorded across a broad spread of practice areas. How this level of activity carries through the first quarter will become clearer as further monthly data emerges.

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Breakdown by Practice Areas

Transactional Roles:

At the beginning of February, we identified the following number of London based legal jobs that were being advertised by law firms on their careers’ pages in the below practice areas:

• Banking & Finance:  54 roles (three being PSL roles) - eight with US firms, 37 with UK international/global firms and nine with City/regional firm.  There were 17 new roles added to firms’ careers’ sites during January.

• Corporate:  30 roles - seven with US firms, 13 with international firms and 10 with City/regional firms. There were 15 new roles added to firms’ careers’ sites during January.

• Restructuring/Insolvency:  Eight roles - two with US firms, two with UK international/global firms and four with City/regional firms). One of the roles was new, having been added to the firms’ careers’ site since the beginning of January.

Number of live London transactional roles advertised directly by firms

Advisory Practice areas:

At the beginning of February, we identified the following number of London based legal jobs being advertised by law firms on their careers’ pages in the below practice areas:

• Antitrust/EU/Competition: Seven roles (including one PSL role) - two with US firms, four with UK international firms and one with a City/Regional firm. One new roles was added to firms’ careers’ sites during January.

• Employment - 38 roles (including two PSL role) - two with US firms, 12 with top tier international firms and 24 with City/regional firms. There were nine new roles added to firms’ careers’ sites during January.

• FS/Regulatory - Four roles - all with international firms. There were two new roles added to firms’ careers’ sites during January.

• Funds - Seven roles (including one PSL role)  Two with US firms and five with international firms.  One of the roles was new, having been added to the firms’ careers’ site since the beginning of January.

• Incentives - Four roles.  Two with UK international firm and two with a City/regional firm.  No new roles were added to firms’ careers sites during January.

• Pensions - 13 roles (including three PSL roles) - Eight with international firms and five with City/regional firms.  Three of the roles were new, having been added to firms’ careers’ site since the beginning of January.

• Tax - 18 roles (including one tax litigation role) - two with US firms, 12 with international firms and three with regional/City firms. There were six new roles added to firms’ careers’ sites during January.

Number of live London Advisory roles advertised directly by firms

Litigation:

At the beginning of February, we identified the following number of London based legal jobs being advertised by law firms on their careers’ pages in the below practice areas:

• Commercial Litigation - 20 roles (including two PSL roles). One with a US firms, 10 with international firms and nine with regional/city boutiques). Five of the roles were new, having been added to the firms’ careers’ site since the beginning of January.

• Real Estate Litigation - Seven roles - two with international firms and five with City /Regional firms).  Four of the roles were new, having been added to firms’ careers’ site since the beginning of January.

• Insurance Litigation - 14 roles. 10 with international firms and four with city/regional firms. Four of the roles were new, having been added to firms’ careers’ site since the beginning of January.

• Personal Injury (including clinical negligence) - nine roles.  Five with international firms, and four with City/Regional firms).  Seven of the roles were new, having been added to firms’ careers’ site since the beginning of January.

• Specialist Litigation - 15 roles - five with international firms and 10 with city/regional firms.  Six of the roles were new, having been added to the firms’ careers’ site since the beginning of January.

Number of live London Litigation roles advertised directly by firms

Construction, Planning and Real Estate:

At the beginning of February, we identified the following number of London based legal jobs being advertised by law firms on their careers’ pages in the below practice areas:

• Construction – 18 roles (including one PSL role) - five with international firms, 13 with City/regional firms).  Four of the roles were new, having been added to the firms’ careers’ site since the beginning of January.

• Construction Litigation - 10 roles.  Six with international firms and four with City/Regional firm).  Two of the roles were new since the beginning of January.

• Planning - Four roles.  Two with international firms and two with City/regional firms).  One of the roles was new since the beginning of January.

• Commercial Real Estate - 29 roles (including three PSL roles). Three with US firms, 11 with international firms and 15 with City/regional firms).  18 of the roles were new, having been added to the firms’ careers’ site since the beginning of January.

Number of live London Construction, Planning and Real Estate roles advertised directly by firms

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