The perception that London is the be-all and end-all in terms of legal careers is a long-outdated concept. Compare the city’s long hours culture to a Thames Valley lawyer’s work/life balance and London doesn’t come off well.

Choosing to be a lawyer outside the capital isn’t just about the lifestyle though. With many large national and top 100 firms based along the M4 corridor, London-quality work makes up most commercially led Lawyers diets. This is not just hearsay when you look at the Thames Valley’s booming economy.

Since 2002, this has been the UK's fastest-growing region. Reading serves as the region’s commercial capital and has come to the forefront of the Corporate and tech market in recent years, with the UK headquarters of giants like Microsoft and Oracle based here and many smaller firms following suit. It continues to be the British “Silicon Valley”, and has attracted established, market-leading brands like Osborne Clarke, Shoosmiths, Pennington Manches Cooper, BDB Pitmans, Gateley Plc to name but a few.

The county of Berkshire boasts a high-performing economy worth over £35 billion so law firms confidently offer a well-balanced selection of both Corporate/ commercial and HNW Private client services to the area.

Coupled with exceptional infrastructure considering Reading for your Legal career has never been more convenient. Berkshire benefits from excellent transport links and is close to Heathrow Airport. It is extremely well connected to the M25 and wider motorway network, via the M4, M3 and M40 motorways. It is also well served by rail connections via the Reading to London Paddington Mainline and Reading to London Waterloo Line. Whilst the opening of Crossrail (the new Elizabeth Line) in late 2021 will provide even faster access to Central London and The City from Reading, Maidenhead and Slough.

The Thames Valley is benefiting from major development whether that be supermarkets, state of the art retail & office space, restaurants, or amenities. With salaries rising in the area and the legal sector leading the charge the majority of local firms are now offering market-leading remuneration packages rivalling those of the mid-tier city and west end practices. With many lawyers in the region also stating that they usually leave the office by 7 pm latest, it gives them time and opportunity to enjoy what the area has to offer.

We are currently experiencing exceptional demand from our private practice clients across the region. Roles encompass skill sets from Corporate to Real Estate, Family to Private Client, and Litigation to Employment as the Legal sector continues to prove to be the most buoyant and resilient recruiting sector in the UK. If you’d like to know more about the different roles, we have in Thames Valley and surrounding areas get in touch.