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I am hiringA 30-minute discovery meeting about the role you need to fill.I am a lawyerA 20-minute screening call, in confidence. No cost to you, ever.

Prefer to talk now? Ring 0121 661 3617 or email info@wilsonmannion.co.uk.

Legal recruitment for UK law firms and lawyersThe right move can change everything.

Wilson Mannion helps law firms find people who make a difference, and lawyers find opportunities that are actually worth moving for. We specialise in conveyancing and real estate recruitment, with reach across the wider legal market.

I am hiringI am a lawyer

Law firms we work with

  • Addleshaw Goddard
  • Ansons Law
  • Askews Legal LLP
  • Band Hatton Button
  • Bishopsgate Law
  • Bison Solicitors
  • Blythe Liggins Solicitors
  • Cocks Lloyd LLP
  • David Gray Solicitors LLP
  • Edwards Duthie Shamash
  • EMG Solicitors Limited
  • Eversheds Sutherland
  • Gateley
  • George Green
  • GN Law
  • Harrison Drury
  • HCB Solicitors
  • Juno
  • Kuits
  • Lanyon Bowdler
  • Lewis Nedas Law
  • Mander Hadley
  • Moore & Tibbits Solicitors
  • Movera
  • Muve
  • Penmans Solicitors
  • Reeds Solicitors
  • Rothley Law Limited
  • Simply Conveyancing
  • Spratt Endicott / SE-Solicitors
  • Sydney Mitchell
  • The John M Hayes Partnership
  • Thomas Flavell & Sons
  • Trowers & Hamlins
  • Vienna Kang Advocates
  • Weightmans LLP
Rated 5.0 out of 5 from 118 Google reviews

Live roles

Roles open now.

See all 25 roles
James Wilson, Owner and Director of Wilson Mannion

Your recruiter

James Wilson, Owner & Director

A career move can change someone’s life. The right appointment can change a business. Both deserve a recruiter who takes the time to understand what matters.

My route into legal recruitment began after serving in the military, where I developed the discipline, accountability and determination that still shape how I work today. I progressed to become the first regional manager appointed at my previous recruitment company, before setting up Wilson Mannion in 2022.

Read James’s story

10 years
In legal recruitment
UK-wide
Firms and lawyers nationally, in person and on Teams
Top 200
By revenue, plus Legal 500, regional and high-street firms
93%
Placements still in post after three months (2024)

In short

Wilson Mannion is a specialist legal recruiter for UK law firms and lawyers, strongest in conveyancing and property, and able to recruit across the wider legal market. Firms get shortlists checked against their role, and lawyers get a straight answer on whether a move is worth making. Lawyers never pay, and no CV goes to a firm without the lawyer's say so.

  • Conveyancing
  • Development and new build
  • Commercial property and real estate
  • Private client
  • Real estate and property litigation
  • Housing and regeneration
  • Corporate and commercial
  • Civil litigation
  • Commercial litigation
  • Family
  • Employment
  • Childcare
  • Criminal defence
  • Planning and development
  • Regulatory
  • Construction
  • Debt recovery
  • Intellectual property
  • Court of Protection
  • Banking and finance

Wilson Mannion today

Updated automatically. Today is 11 November 2026.

25
roles open today
Counted live from our jobs page.
118
Google reviews, 5.0 out of 5
Read live from our Google Business Profile.
20
areas of law we have recruited in
6 where we are deepest, 14 more we have covered.

Why Wilson Mannion

Recruitment that goes further.

We know the legal market.

With specialist roots in property law and experience recruiting across the legal sector, we understand the roles, the market and what good looks like.

We look beyond the CV.

Skills and experience matter, but so do ambitions, working styles and culture. We take the time to understand both sides, so the fit works beyond the job description.

We reach the right people.

Through established relationships and targeted searches, we connect firms with lawyers they might not reach through an advert alone.

We tell you what you need to know.

From salary expectations to reasons for moving, you get honest advice and clear feedback to make confident decisions.

See how we screenThe five values we work by
The City of London skyline across the Thames at dusk, glass towers lit gold against a deep blue sky with a barge moored on the river

Across England and Wales

Firms across England and Wales.

Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Leeds and London. Each has its own market, its own pay and its own hard-to-fill roles. See what is open in yours.

See the cities

Where does legal hiring go wrong?

We have seen the same two stories play out from both sides of the desk. Each step leads to the next, and each one is avoidable.

From the firm’s side

A hire that goes wrong, step by step

  1. A role sits empty.

    Files slip, and the rest of the team covers the work in the evenings.

  2. Supervisors get pulled off their own work.

    Interviewing and training take hours from the people who bring in the most.

  3. The shortlist wastes your afternoon.

    A pile of CVs arrives and few are worth a call, because nobody checked them first.

  4. The hire leaves, and the fee may go with them.

    Now you pay again, in money and time, to fill the same role.

We have one or two in-depth calls with you to understand your business, why you are hiring, what sets you apart and how you like to work. We manage your expectations on what is really happening in the market, and have the difficult conversation only a trusted advisor can.

Hiring through us

From the lawyer’s side

A move that goes wrong, step by step

  1. The job sold is not the job delivered.

    The advert promised one thing and the first month shows another.

  2. Supervision never arrives.

    You are left to learn on live files, with nobody to ask.

  3. Progression quietly stalls.

    The review you were promised is never booked.

  4. Your CV goes out without your say.

    A firm you never chose knows you are looking, and you find out later.

There is nothing worse than being sold a dream, then wasting a day's holiday on a role that was never right. We lay our cards on the table from the start, and tell you whether a role is a good fit and will really improve your situation, rather than hitting our targets.

Moving with us

The market in numbers

What does the market look like, and how do we do better?

Published figures on hiring and moving jobs. Under each one, what we do about it.

  • 10,724

    solicitors were practising in residential conveyancing in England and Wales in January 2026, over 2,000 fewer than at the end of 2021.

    IRN, via Today’s Conveyancer, 2026IRN Legal Reports, published February 2026. Residential conveyancing only. A commercial report, seen through trade press.

    How we improve on itWith an ever dwindling candidate pool, a trusted, reliable and consistent talent partner has never been more relevant. We go the extra mile and act on client feedback to keep improving.

  • 3 in 4

    law firms and in-house legal teams found it difficult to hire in the last 12 months.

    Michael Page, via Legal Futures, November 2024A recruiter’s own research for its 2025 salary guides. Includes in-house teams.

    How we improve on itThe legal sector needs specialist knowledge to recruit in, and an agency that truly understands your business, not one that only reads keywords on a CV. We have ten years in legal recruitment and are a trusted voice in the market.

  • 56%

    of people working in the legal sector could see themselves leaving their current workplace within the next five years.

    LawCare, Life in the Law 2025Online survey of 1,541 people in UK law, Jan to Mar 2025. Not a random sample.

    How we improve on itLawyers who might move are listening. Our 20 to 30 minute screening call pitches your role and culture properly, so candidates who go forward know what they are considering.

  • 58%

    of UK employers surveyed reported an increase in applications from unsuitable candidates.

    CIPD, Resourcing and Talent Planning Report 2026Research across all sectors, not legal recruitment specifically. CIPD also found only 33% reporting more suitable applicants.

    How we improve on itWe screen candidates for relevant experience, salary expectations and reasons for moving, so you spend your time meeting people who fit the brief and are interested in the opportunity.

  • 67%

    of respondents facing retention challenges identified better pay elsewhere as the top reason people leave.

    The Law Society and MHA, 2026Senior leaders at firms with 8 to 50 partners in England and Wales, published January 2026. Only firms where retention was a challenge.

    How we improve on itWe give you a realistic view of salary expectations before the search starts, and establish what candidates want from their next move, including workload, flexibility and progression.

  • 68%

    of conveyancers surveyed said workplace stress was a significant factor in their working lives.

    Conveyancing Foundation, 2024Wellbeing at Work Survey 2024, published May 2024, so older research. Conveyancers only.

    How we improve on itWe discuss caseloads, support, targets and supervision before introducing candidates, so both sides understand the role and its expectations from the outset.

These figures come from IRN Legal Reports, Michael Page, LawCare, the CIPD, the Law Society with MHA and the Conveyancing Foundation. Michael Page is a recruiter, so read its figure as an indicator. The Conveyancing Foundation survey is from 2024. Several cover all sectors or the whole legal profession, not conveyancing alone, so read them as a guide and follow the links for the detail.

Looking up at a grand multi-storey library with ornate gilded and dark wood galleries lined with thousands of books and a green vaulted ceiling

Insights and resources

Read it before you decide.

Plain answers on notice periods, salary questions, recruiter terms and ghost jobs, every one with its sources. Plus checklists you can download and keep. No sign-up.

Open the resources

Testimonials

In their own words.

More reviews and client videos
  • James has an excellent understanding and knowledge of the legal services employment market and has assisted us proactively with our recruitments. I have no hesitation in recommending him.
    MD, Legal 500 firm
  • Excellent support. James works alongside you to understand your business and meet your needs. First class service, always available to discuss candidates and moves things forward at a pace.
    Practice Manager, High street firm
  • James really helped me find my perfect role. My situation was a unique one that was probably not the easiest to place but James really rose to the occasion. He listens to your needs and works with you to find a role that is suitable. I couldn't recommend him enough!
    Litigation Solicitor

Two numbers worth knowing

Do the sums before you hire. Or before you move.

What does a bad hire cost your firm?

Most firms count the fee and stop. The real cost sits in everything around it.

£50,000
6 months

One bad hire costs about

£97,286

About 1.9 times the salary.

Work out yours

Is this move worth making?

Compare your package with the offer, including commute and hours, worked out in half a minute.

£45,000
£50,000

After tax, the offer is worth

+£1,186a year

Same hours and commute as now. Add yours in the full calculator.

Work out yours

Built from published UK research, with every source listed.

Google reviews

What people say about working with Wilson Mannion.

5.0118 reviews on Google
  • I had a brilliant experience working with James. He took a great deal of time to understand my experience and what I was looking for in my next role, coupled with great knowledge of the firms I was applying to. James was always available by phone and email and quick to keep me updated. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend James in future.

    Nia Chilcotta month ago

  • I had a great experience with James at Wilson Mannion he was very helpful and supportive throughout the process. His level of communication was excellent keeping me updated throughout and never left me in the dark on applications. He really listened to exactly what I was looking for in a role and found me the perfect match. I would definitely recommend!

    Theaa month ago

  • I had an absolutely fantastic experience working with James at Wilson Mannion. From the very first contact, the level of service and professionalism was exceptional. What really stood out to me was: Outstanding Communication: James kept me informed every single step of the way. I was never left guessing about the status of my application, and his updates were always prompt and transparent. Expert Guidance: The interview preparation and insights he provided were invaluable, giving me the confidence I needed to succeed. Genuine Support: Unlike standard agencies, James takes a personalized approach. He genuinely cares about alignment for both the candidate and the employer, making the entire process stress-free and seamless. Thanks to his dedication, I’ve just secured an exciting new role at a great company. If you are looking for a recruitment partner who goes above and beyond, I cannot recommend James and the team at Wilson Mannion highly enough!

    tara zahra4 months ago

  • It has been a pleasure to work with James. Very cool, calm and collective. He tailors his search according to what your needs are rather than just find a position for you and gets his job done. I haven’t been in touch with a recruiter for nearly 7 years and this experience has been one that boosted my confidence. Well done on the work you’re putting in!

    lipa begum3 months ago

  • I had a great experience working with James Wilson. They were professional, approachable and kept me updated throughout the process. They understood what I was looking for and successfully helped me secure a legal role that was a great fit. I’d definitely recommend them to anyone looking for their next legal position.

    Waqaas Azama month ago

Read all reviews

Hear it from the people we have worked with.

Who will you deal with?

James Wilson, Owner & Director

James Wilson

Owner & Director

Ten years in legal recruitment. Ex-military. The first regional manager appointed at his previous company, before he left to start Wilson Mannion.

Christina Steyn, Recruitment Consultant

Christina Steyn

Recruitment Consultant

Focused on UK conveyancing. Works with candidates across the UK, starting from their career goals, not the vacancy list.

Questions we get asked.

Straight answers, the same ones we give on the phone.

We have already tried advertising. Why would a recruiter do any better?

Most firms have, and an advert only reaches the people who are already looking. The lawyer you want is usually settled, busy and not on a job board. We approach the whole market, and we spend 20 to 30 minutes screening every candidate for the role, pitching your role and your firm so they want the job before they have even met you. Then we stay in control through to the offer, so you know whether your process needs to speed up, whether your offer is competitive, and we get ahead of counter-offers.

Recruiters send a pile of CVs and waste our time. Will you?

No. We send fewer names, each with a written note on why this person suits this role. If we cannot find someone who fits, we say so and stop. A shortlist is as long as the market justifies, not as long as looks impressive.

Do you place remote and hybrid roles?

Yes. Several of our current roles are hybrid or fully remote, and every advert shows the working pattern and the salary.

What makes Wilson Mannion different from other legal recruiters?

Our deep sector knowledge, active listening and commitment to customer service, shown by our reviews, as well as our ability to effectively sell your role and company so candidates actually want the job before they even meet you. We tell you what we think, even when it isn’t what you expected to hear, and we treat every placement as the start of a long-term relationship.

What happens if a placement does not work out?

Whilst we have a 93% retention rate on placements after three months (measured in 2024), we allow for when things go wrong by providing a rebate period during the first couple of months, where you can recover some of the cost. If possible, we look to find a suitable replacement instead.

Tell us what you need.

Pick a time that suits you. A 30-minute discovery meeting for firms, a 20-minute confidential call for lawyers.

Book a discovery meetingBook a screening call