Legal Recruitment
SteppingStones Legal specializes in placing exceptional lawyers into exclusive roles within top-tier offshore law firms.
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Take The Next Step In Your Legal Career
SteppingStones Legal is the only dedicated Legal Recruitment department located in the Cayman Islands. Our in-depth knowledge of the legal market and firsthand experience of living in the Cayman Islands and working in the legal profession means we are uniquely placed to help you take the next step in your legal career.
At SteppingStones Legal, we work closely with top-tier offshore law firms and assist them with roles across a range of practice areas and at varying levels of seniority. As one of the largest global financial centres, the Cayman Islands consistently attracts some of the best lawyers from around the world, drawn by the quality of work, career progression opportunities, huge financial rewards on offer and lifestyle to match.
Having been established in Cayman for over fifteen years, we pride ourselves in our long-standing relationships and we partner with large international law firms and smaller, boutique firms alike. We understand how these firms operate, what distinguishes them in the market and what they look for when hiring new talent. At SteppingStones Legal we take the time to learn as much as we can about the quality of work, career progression, culture and environment to enable you to make the right choice for your legal career.
We have partnered with a highly experienced and dedicated legal recruitment consultant, Charlotte Morrish. Charlotte was a barrister in the UK for six years before making the move to Cayman herself in 2019 and embarking upon her new career in legal recruitment. Since then she has established herself as a highly trusted recruiter and works closely with senior partners and key decision makers across the legal profession. Her legal background, personal experience of relocation and extensive knowledge of the Cayman legal market means she is able to offer a genuine, professional and ethical approach to legal recruitment.
Working As A Lawyer In The Cayman Islands
As a British Overseas Territory, the legal system here in the Cayman Islands is heavily influenced by England & Wales and its laws and procedures will be familiar to practitioners from similar common law jurisdictions. For that reason, only lawyers who are qualified in England & Wales, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and Canada and have at least three years’ post-qualification experience are eligible to practise here. are eligible to practice here. As well as recruiting from overseas, all the major law firms have well-established and successful Article Clerkship programmes, through which they recruit the best and brightest Caymanian lawyers. The result is a diverse and talented profession made up of experienced practitioners from the leading law firms around the world, all of whom draw on their respective training and experience to contribute to a developing body of jurisprudence, regulations and guidance.
As a leading global financial centre there is no shortage of work across a range of practice areas, primarily Investment Funds, Corporate/M&A, Dispute Resolution, Banking & Finance and Trusts & Private Client. Cayman offers the opportunity to work alongside industry-leading professionals on high value, high quality, multi-jurisdictional matters. With evolving legislative and regulatory frameworks and a dedicated, modern Financial Services Division of the Grand Court, this is a jurisdiction at the forefront of offshore law and an exciting place to work.
The Cayman Islands is a thriving jurisdiction and there is a consistent need for talented and motivated lawyers looking for a new challenge offshore. As well as the quality of work on offer, many also make the move to Cayman looking to balance their career with an excellent quality of life. The great weather and lack of commute means you can truly make the most of your free time and enjoy all that the island has to offer.
Compensation In The Cayman Islands
Not only is a move to Cayman an excellent choice for career and lifestyle, it is also extremely financially rewarding. Whilst salaries vary from firm to firm, a 3 PQE lawyer joining one of the leading offshore law firms can expect a salary of US$170-190k. The Cayman Islands has no income tax, meaning that a 3 PQE lawyer on US$180k (equivalent to £230k gross in the UK) will therefore receive US$15,000 every month.
Every firm has a discretionary bonus structure and these are usually based on a combination of hours billed and other contributions to the firm (business development, pro-bono work, mentoring/training, publications, etc.).
Any overseas lawyer will also receive a relocation package which include a minimum of your flight and one month’s accommodation and car hire, with many firms also including a lump sum to assist with additional relocation costs.
All firms provide premium health insurance coverage and many provide additional wellness benefits.
If you have any questions about legal opportunities here in the Cayman Islands and would like to discuss the opportunities on offer, please contact Charlotte Morrish for a confidential discussion.
Steppingstones Legal For Clients
SteppingStones Legal offers a dedicated, professional and consultative recruitment service to our clients in the legal industry. Our on-island market insight, industry experience and extensive database of candidates means we are uniquely placed to assist with your recruitment needs.
Our dedicated legal recruitment partner, Charlotte Morrish, practiced as a barrister with 1 Crown Office Row Chambers in the UK for six years before relocating to Cayman in 2019. A qualified lawyer herself, Charlotte utilizes her personal experiences, connections and in-depth understanding of the market in order to provide a valuable, effective and tailored service to our legal clients. Through this approach, Charlotte has established herself as the legal recruiter of choice for many of the Island’s law firms and has successfully assisted them with recruiting talented lawyers across all practice areas and levels of seniority.
At SteppingStones Legal we know that finding the right team member is vital, and that’s why we ensure that all our candidates have the necessary qualifications, experience and attributes to meet your specific standards and expectations. We understand that each firm is different, and we work hard to ensure that our candidates are the right fit for you.
By conducting background checks and interviews with our candidates, we explore their motivations to relocate to Cayman and we provide them with the requisite insight and advice about the market, quality of work and expectations to enable them to make an informed decision.
Each candidate we present has been fully appraised of the role and we only present those who are genuinely interested in working for your firm and whom we believe are the right fit for you. SteppingStones Legal provides a consultative approach in which we seek to provide a valuable and streamlined service, saving you precious time and resources.