Pictured: James Brewster

With many businesses still finding trading tough Birmingham based BCL Legal - one of the leading legal recruitment consultancies outside London - is bucking the trend after announcing it placed a record number of candidates in 2011. The firm, which also has offices in Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Reading and Bristol, placed a total of 430 legal professionals last year across its network - a rise of 18% on 2010.

This news is further bolstered by the firm smashing another record after it received a total of 562 registrations from candidates in January 2012. The figure equates to a 22% rise year on year. BCL Legal employs 32 staff and specialises in the placement of lawyers at all levels from paralegal to partner within the private practice and in-house sectors on both a permanent and temporary basis. 

These results come off the back of an exciting 12 months for the company which saw it launch a number of new divisions and initiatives, including its high profile rebrand and the launch of its new website. The company has also recruited several new members of staff across both its in-house and private practice teams. 

James Brewster, business manager & head of BCL Legal's Midlands office in Birmingham, said; 'As a business, we're delighted with these results and they prove that we're in tune with the demands and expectations of our clients and candidates. We're conscious that some areas of the law are stronger than others so we've made sure that we've tailored our services to mirror market trends.' 

James continued; 'The number of newly registered candidates this month was particularly encouraging and bodes well for the rest of year. It was also interesting to see a spike on Monday 16th - so called Blue Monday!'