Recovering Markets Breed Optimism in the Middle East Legal Profession

From an economic standpoint, there is no denying that 2010 was a challenging time for the legal profession in the Middle East. Far from being immune to the financial crisis as was first touted by the media, the effects of the crisis were felt acutely in the region, particularly among the legal community. Many law firms abandoned the Middle East in their entirety, while others remained but downsized as the reverberations of the crisis continued to shake the profession.

However, it appears that in the wake of this difficult period, the recovering regional markets have instilled newfound optimism in the legal fraternity. This view is supported by a Salary Survey published last week; one of the first surveys to be conducted in the Middle East for the regional legal profession. 

The survey, which sought responses from 274 in-house lawyers across the GCC region, encompassed all major industry sectors including banking and finance, oil and gas, and real estate and construction. The results revealed that an overwhelming majority of in-house lawyers are optimistic about the economic future of the GCC, with optimists outnumbering pessimists by five to one.

It also revealed that lawyers are committed to remaining in the region, with those intending to stay another five years or more far exceeding those who plan to leave in the next 12 months. Almost 40% of lawyers who partook in the survey indicated that they would like to stay in the GCC until they retire. These findings, combined with a groundswell of support for large numbers of Heads of Legal expecting to recruit in 2011, paints a positive picture for lawyers working in the region or considering relocating to the GCC.

The survey results lend credence to what recruiters have been witnessing in the regional market since mid-2010. The Executive Search industry, in particular, is a bellwether for the wider economy and the survey results confirm that optimism is returning to the market and the worst seems to be over.

The results also indicate that the expatriate legal profession in the region is not as transitory as it once was. It is no longer about making quick, tax-free money for a couple of years and then returning home.

Against a backdrop of ongoing redundancies and pay cuts across the rest of the world, the GCC seems to be bucking the trend as the survey reveals most lawyers received a pay rise of up to 10% of their annual salary last year, with a very healthy proportion also receiving bonuses of between 11% and 20% of their salary.

After two consecutive years of redundancies, almost half of the Heads of Legal surveyed confirmed that they intend to start hiring again this year.

The survey also revealed other interesting observations unique to the legal profession of the region – including the impact of residence, language skills and country of qualification on salary, and the level of personal satisfaction among those surveyed.

A downloadable copy of the GCC Salary Survey is available at www.ewilliams-search.com.


Elizabeth Williams

Elizabeth Williams, Managing Director, established Elizabeth Williams Search following nine years’ search experience in the UK and five in the UAE with internationally recognised search firms. Elizabeth is one of the Middle East’s leading recruiters with an outstanding network of contacts across the region. She is widely recognised across industry circles for her pursuit of excellence, from inception to completion, during the search process.