Commercial Law Firm, St James' Square are delighted to announce the launch of its first ever Graduate Recruitment Scheme. Scheduled to begin in October 2020, the two-year training programme offers talented graduates the opportunity to obtain necessary work experience, which is vital to continue their journey in becoming fully qualified solicitors.
Staff at the firm were thrilled to receive huge interest in the scheme, which is not surprising given that the successful graduates will receive one-to-one mentoring and guidance from some of the North East’s top lawyers.
The training programme will see two graduates each year join the firm and form part of its strategic plan for long-term growth. The graduates will rotate between different legal teams, giving them valuable experience and knowledge of a wide range of legal areas. Upon successful completion of the scheme, each graduate will join one of the departments on a permanent basis.
Mark Roche, Practice Manager said, “We are extremely pleased to be able to offer more new opportunities at St James’ Square. The Graduate Scheme is a win-win for everyone involved. Not only does it give graduates a fantastic opportunity to continue their legal training, but it also allows us to attract new talent into the business which in turn helps us grow and meet the demands of our clients.”
The firm has a history of investing heavily in its staff and The Graduate Recruitment Scheme is welcome news amidst such tough times for graduates and businesses in general. St James’ Square was established three years ago and, given its significant investment in technology and forward thinking working practices, it has been able to respond to the demands and challenges of this year.
During the lockdown period two of its departments, Corporate and Commercial Services, and Debt Recovery, experienced significant and unexpected demand from clients and had to recruit new staff to meet the needs of those growing areas. Another department, Sports Services, was also kept extremely busy with the completion of a major contract. The team, which deals with the legal aspects of football transfers, recently assisted its sister company, St James’ Square Sports Management in the transfer of the Greek National goalkeeper, Vasilis Barkas. The deal saw Barkas move from AEK Athens to Celtic Football Club for a transfer fee of £4.5 million. The transfer is a serious win for St James’ Square and highlights the level at which the firm is operating.
Charity is very important to the whole team at St James’ Square and this year has made it impossible to provide the usual level of support to their chosen charity of the year. The Chronicle Sunshine Fund will therefore be the firm’s Charity of the year for 2020 and 2021. Partner Andrew Carser, explains, “We organise several large scale events each year that help us raise a signnificant sum for charity. In 2019 we were able to raise over £40,000 for Heel and Toe, a North East based charity which helps disabled children and their families. However due to COVID-19 we have been unable to undertake many of our planned fundraising events and as a result we have taken the decision to extend our partnership with The Chronicle Sunshine Fund until the end of 2021. The work they do with children in our region is outstanding and we are delighted to continue supporting them.”
Formed in 2017 and initially operating out of one room at Hoults Yard, St James’ Square has expanded rapidly. The firm now employs over 30 staff, occupies 7,000 sq ft of Grade A premises at Esh Plaza and has a turnover exceeding £2.1 million. It has expanded its commercial departments to include services in HR & Employment, Corporate & Commercial Services, Dispute Resolution, Real Estate – Commercial Property, Real Estate – Residential Property, Corporate Recovery & Insolvency, Debt Recovery and Sports Services.
St James’ Square Law Firm is open and visitors are welcome by appointment only. Please call 0191 466 1000 for any query and we will be happy to assist.
