In the legal recruitment business, it is fair to say that an average recruiter will generally have many more candidates than jobs. It is just the way of things. Accordingly, for a normal job, one would ordinarily expect to be able to put forward several well qualified candidates. But that is certainly not the case with some of the roles we are instructed upon in Mainland China at the moment. The reality is that for certain openings in the PRC there is a serious shortage of interested candidates with the right qualifications, experience and skills.

Of course there are plenty of lawyers around, but quality law firms and legal departments do not want just any lawyer. In recent years, employers’ have become increasingly particular over what they require in a candidate for a specific role. Furthermore, many of the best candidates, whether Chinese nationals or foreign lawyers with the requisite language skills, would rather live and work in other jurisdictions, whether that is Hong Kong, London or New York.

In terms of job opportunities, the leading local firms have experienced significant growth over the last few years. At the same time, there has been a steady flow of new foreign firms opening offices in China for the first time. Those overseas firms who have been in the PRC for longer have, in many cases, also increased the size and number of their Mainland offices. Accordingly, the demand for skilled lawyers has been growing rapidly.

The main areas in which we are finding a significantly stronger demand than supply of suitable candidates are generally in practice roles with leading international law firms, most notably US based practices with offices in the Mainland. Bilingual Chinese candidates with a strong US education from a quality law school and dual PRC and US qualification are in big demand, particularly if they have prior legal practice experience with a well regarded Mainland firm. However, they must be truly bilingual, which in practical terms means being able to conduct a business meeting confidently and effectively in English. The demand is such that some law firms are now trying to recruit at source, namely at the best US law schools as well as law colleges in the UK and Australia.

It has become increasing common for, typically, mid-level Chinese lawyers to take a break from paid employment to obtain an overseas education and foreign qualification. Accordingly, there are now relatively significant numbers of such individuals completing their studies each year. However, not all of them are of interest to the vast majority of firms for whom we act. Some obtain qualifications from relatively obscure law schools, which are worth very little, if anything at all, in recruitment terms. To obtain the kind of advantage in the job market that such individuals are seeking, they need to focus exclusively on highly regarded, reputable law schools. Similarly, for a US qualification to be of significant value in the Asian market, it should generally be from New York State Bar.

At the mid-level, usually in the range of 3 to 6 years post qualification experience, top quality Hong Kong qualified candidates who can speak, read and draft in Chinese are also much sought after in the Mainland market, as are the best, English speaking, PRC candidates from the leading Chinese firms. However, in the absence of overseas education and qualification, Mainland candidates will only be considered for roles as legal assistants or consultants.

At the senior end of the market, there is strong demand for foreign qualified, partner level candidates with high quality Asian market experience in top tier firms. Such candidates do not necessarily need to be Chinese, although Chinese language skills and prior professional experience in the PRC, while not always essential, are obviously valuable assets.

In general terms there is a shortage of good quality banking and finance lawyers in the PRC. This has caused upwards pressure on salaries as firms compete for the available talent. Even some of the best Chinese firms are willing to pay top international rates for finance specialists with a strong US legal education and quality experience from leading international law firms.

The growth of the Mainland legal market continues at a terrific pace. However, the fact remains that while there is no shortage of outstanding roles for quality lawyers, firms often face a significant challenge in filling their openings with candidates of the requisite quality. The net effect is that the Chinese market is currently a land of great opportunity for those lawyers with the right kind of education, qualifications and language skills.