Insurance defence lawyers in demand

Insurance defence lawyers appear to be in high demand, with litigation expected to yield the greatest legal job prospects in the months ahead, according to research conducted by the legal employment agency Robert Half Legal.

Thirty-three per cent of Canadian lawyers interviewed by Robert Half Legal anticipate that their law firms or companies will add legal jobs in the first half of 2018.

When asked which practice areas offered the greatest number of job opportunities in the first half of 2018, 33 per cent cited litigation. Of those who answered litigation, 34 per cent said insurance defence law offered the greatest number of job opportunities in the first half of 2018, second only to commercial litigation, at 36 per cent.

The survey is based on 150 telephone interviews with lawyers in Canada. Seventy-five respondents are employed at law firms with 20 or more employees, and 75 are employed at companies with 1,000 or more employees. All respondents have hiring authority within their organizations.

Thirty-nine per cent of lawyers said that, aside from compensation or bonus, challenging work or variety of assignments provide the greatest incentive for legal professionals to remain with an employer. Flexible work arrangements ranked second (26 per cent), followed by professional development opportunities at 14 per cent.

“Law firms are focused on growing revenue in an increasingly competitive environment, while legal departments are being tasked to contain costs by managing more work in-house,” Jamy Sullivan, executive director of Robert Half Legal, said in a release. “To improve service levels, these organizations are recruiting legal professionals with highly specialized skills, strong business acumen and in-depth knowledge of their industry or sector.”