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Corporate Law to Offer Greatest Opportunities in 2013; Challenges Finding Top Talent Reported

TORONTO, Jan. 10, 2013 /CNW/ - Which specialty areas are predicted to yield the most prospects for legal job seekers in the year ahead? Almost one-third (31 per cent) of lawyers recently interviewed by Robert Half Legal expect general business/corporate law will generate the greatest number of job opportunities in 2013. Litigation ranked second, receiving 29 per cent of the response. Legal professionals with expertise in high-demand practice areas may have employers vying for their attention: More than six in 10 (67 per cent) survey respondents cited at least some challenge in finding legal talent.

The survey was developed by Robert Half Legal, a legal staffing firm specialising in lawyers, law clerks, paralegals and other highly skilled legal professionals. It was conducted by an independent research firm and is based on 150 telephone interviews with lawyers in Canada: 75 of the respondents are employed at law firms with 20 or more employees and 75 are employed at companies with 1,000 or more employees. All of the respondents have hiring authority within their organisations.

Lawyers were asked, "Which one of the following practice areas, in your opinion, will offer the greatest number of job opportunities in 2013?" Their responses:

*Total does not equal 100 per cent due to rounding.

Lawyers also were asked, "How challenging is it for your law firm/company to find skilled legal professionals today?" Their responses:

"Competition for top legal talent is rising as law firms strive to meet client requests and augment their teams to expand service offerings," said John Ohnjec, division director with Robert Half Legal. "Lawyers with five-plus years of experience, solid business development skills and client contacts in high-demand specialties, will likely see lateral opportunities increase at small and midsize firms in 2013. Conversely, the market for entry-level associates and articling students should remain conservative."

Ohnjec added that corporate legal departments also are hiring experienced lawyers and law clerks to bring more commercial transactions, litigation and employment-related matters in-house, and to reduce their spending on outside counsel. "With many law firms and companies hiring from the same talent pool, employers are revising their retention programs to avoid losing valued staff members to other organisations," said Ohnjec.

About Robert Half Legal
Robert Half Legal is the legal staffing division of Robert Half International. The company provides law firms and corporate legal departments with highly skilled professionals, including lawyers, law clerks, paralegals and legal support personnel, on a project and full-time basis. With North American and global locations, Robert Half Legal also offers managed review and e-discovery services. More information, including online job search services, can be found at www.roberthalflegal.com.

SOURCE: Robert Half Legal