Survey data on five ways that Asian and Middle Eastern law departments recruit lawyers

Pacific Business publishes Asian-Counsel, which published the results of a survey in the summer of 2008. One question asked in the survey was “What is the most common way your company locates and hires its in-house lawyers?”

The respondents (an unreported number) came from Asia and the Middle East. One chart depicts with bars the overall percentages of responses for five ways to recruit. I estimated the percentages from the chart.

“Legal recruiters” (50%) (See my post of Sept. 16, 2008: search firms and headhunters with 12 references.)

“Job advertisements” (35%)

“Referrals by other in-house lawyers” (23%)

“From the outside counsel that you work with” (18%)

“Referrals by others in your company” (16%)

Not mentioned are unsolicited resumes that flood in.

Also, I wonder whether outside counsel suggest lawyers from their own firm, which cuts against the opposition some firms have to their secondees being lured away (See my post of Sept. 21, 2005: non-hire agreements). I doubt that partners recommend a client hire a lawyer from another firm. That lawyer’s departure might weaken the firm in the particular practice area, but strengthen other ties and opportunities (See my post of Aug. 4, 2008: patent work going more to a firm that provides the lawyer.).