Candid notes of a meeting between legal recruiters and Eversheds partners have been leaked to RollOnFriday. They shine a baleful light on the inner workings of chinnys*.

Eversheds has disputed much of the content of the notes, which were emailed by a senior recruitment consultant to his colleagues. The notes were taken by the rec cons of a briefing given by two Eversheds partners on hiring requirements for their expanding practice.

RollOnFriday has redacted personal details to protect the guilty and also the innocent, particularly the lawyers who work in the Shed's regional teams. In an observation which would otherwise break their hearts (and which, it should be emphasised, Eversheds has told RollOnFriday it does not recognise), the recruiters noted that Eversheds' Birmingham and Cambridge offices are, "where they outsource less interesting work", whereas "the quality of work is really high in London".

According to the email, the Shed partners would ideally poach associates from Nabarro because it is "apparently a sweatshop", where "they have to work harder than Eversheds because of their fee rates". As Nabarro supervisors are, the note records the partners saying, "very systematic with checking emails", their associates "are well trained".

    Recruitment consultants preparing to tranq you, right now

The recruiters also summarise (their interpretation of) partners' issues with existing team members, providing an invaluable insight into the hard-nosed world of the working chinny.

There's the lawyer who doesn't know he's bungling it across the table:

  • "They made an offer to a star in [rival firm], but there are complications with [redacted], so on hold currently but [an Eversheds partner] is working opposite him on a case and not too impressed so they are ambivalent."

The lawyer playing hard to get:

  • "Recently, a senior associate resigned on the day she was made up to senior associate because her boyfriend is a [travelling clown**] so very seasonal work so they are going travelling, the partners want her to stay and negotiating a sabbatical for her."

And the lawyer who is hard to like:

    • "They have a senior associate who is quite demanding...[partner] thinks she will leave."

    Apparently before their meeting the recruiters also talked to a recent lateral hire into the Eversheds partnership. Their write-up of what happened when they relayed the new joiner's view of his prospects to the Eversheds partners is the saddest part of the note:

    • "[New junior partner lateral hire] is bringing work with him and he is particularly strong in [redacted specialism]. He thinks it could be a £2 million practice next year, both partners laughed at that."
    A spokesman for Eversheds told RollOnFriday, “This seems to be a third-hand internal note of a confidential meeting with us. We haven’t seen this interpretation before and do not recognise or agree with much of its content, especially the references concerning our competitors and our regional offices. I would take this with a pinch of salt”.

    *RollOnFriday for 'recruitment consultant', which may be derived from 'chinny beard'
    **not really, but a job even more ridiculous which would make her immediately identifiable if revealed
    Category

    Comments

    Anonymous 16 May 16 12:22

    Oh Eversheds internal recruiter at 15.17, you really think your partners don't say such things? You really think they sit with us and trot out the HR inclusion nonsense and great opportunity crap on their website. They tell us the truth as they see it. This is tame, the bits we don't write down would raise real antipathy.

    Anonymous 17 May 16 22:49

    There is one firm recognised as a great place to go to for your last 3 years before retirement because they pay you loads and are grateful to anybody joining from a recognised name. We recruitment consultants call it the elephants graveyard where the once big beasts of the law go to die whilst filling up their pension pots.

    Anonymous 13 May 16 11:54

    Um... I reckon "Chinny" comes from the phrase "Chinny reckon", so express scepticism, with "reckon" being near to "rec-con", which is short for "recruitment Consultant".

    Would you like me to explain "dafuq" as well?

    Anonymous 13 May 16 12:00

    That nonny comment was me, Shooty*, by the way. Why can't I log on to this section? Grrrr.

    Anonymous 13 May 16 15:11

    Sure rec-con leads to 'Chinny reckon' but that comes from 'Jimmy reckon' (aka Jimmy Hill) which comes from the 5 day cultivated 5 o'clock shadow scratching 'beard!' or 'beardy reckon'

    Anonymous 13 May 16 16:17

    This is worthless press. As a recruiter, I'm embarrassed that the organisation concerned ever allowed this to get to ROF. Surely it breaches all ethics and morals?!!! Though I don't work for Eversheds anymore, I very doubt the partners will have said anything akin to what is being claimed. I hope Eversheds has a right of action and pursue it!

    There are only two losers here- ROF and the Recruitment Industry.

    Anonymous 13 May 16 17:31

    To anon user at 15:17, I agree this should not have been leaked but I think it reflects much more poorly on the Eversheds partners than it does ROF or the Recruitment Industry as you suggest. Also, why do you doubt that the partners said what is being claimed? It sounds like exactly the kind of things that partners would say in a recruitment briefing.