News/Blog
Thornton Legal news, opinion and insights on legal and recruitment matters.
- Written by Published
This week is Thornton Legal’s 3rd anniversary, and it’s come around in the blink of an eye. I am also 40 years old on Friday! Happy birthday to both of us!
I think it’s fair to say that Thornton Legal is faring better than I am. Whilst there have been some hiccups along the way (recruitment can be a tough slog sometimes!), Nick and I can honestly say that the past 3 years have been a big success.
When we decided to move away from ‘employee’ security, we put together a 3-year business plan of what we wanted Thornton Legal to be and what success would look like and, broadly speaking, we have achieved what we set out to do. From hitting financial targets and relationship building through to hiring employees into Thornton Legal and investing in growing our skills as businessmen.
We have a lot to be thankful for. A lovely office, fantastic staff and a loyal and growing client base.
In the last couple of years, we have successfully (in our own minds) juggled our burgeoning business with hectic home lives, having seen our other halves give birth to a couple of healthy children.
While we have worked hard, Nick and I have been fortunate to be able to spend time with our young families, and on our leisure activities....me running and Nick golf! Balancing work and personal lives has and will continue to be one of the core pillars of Thornton Legal.
But, of course, that’s not it for Thornton Legal. While the original business plan can be stamped ‘success’ and filed away we now have a new 5-year plan that starts now!
2019 is set to be a challenging year for the UK. The ongoing uncertainty surrounding Brexit is an unwanted distraction for businesses.
In spite of this, there is cause for optimism. The legal industry is notoriously resilient, and we want to continue to grow our business and ensure that we retain the commitment we have made to providing a quality recruitment experience to clients and candidates. We also want working for Thornton Legal to be fun and rewarding. We think that’s the key.
On behalf of myself and Nick, thanks to the Thornton Legal team, our families, clients, candidates and numerous other people who have helped us along the way. Have an excellent 2019!
Thornton Legal is a leading legal recruitment company, recruiting for legal jobs in Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Chester and Preston. We are passionate about providing a professional, innovative and reliable legal recruitment service that is focused on quality and ensures our clients are matched with the strongest legal talent available. Contact one of our legal recruitment consultants today on 0151 307 5757 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to see what we can do for your law firm or legal career.
- Written by Published
After a whirlwind 2018 Nick and I wanted to pen one last blog to say thanks to our clients, candidates and the team.
January 2019 will be Thornton Legal’s third birthday and we are proud of what we have achieved in a relatively short amount of time. It certainly hasn’t been easy (far from it sometimes!) but we go into the new year with bucket loads of confidence and positivity. I’m sure it will be a challenging 12 months for different reasons but Thornton Legal is well placed to not just survive but to grow further and achieve even more.
We have some amazing clients who we do regular work with and we are very thankful to them for trusting us to recruit the right people for their legal teams. Alongside existing business, we have good success with new clients as well, with 30% of 2018’s billings coming from firms we have never recruited for, this will be a key focus for the Thornton Legal team next year too.
Our candidates come from lots of different places, sometimes where we least expect to find them! 2018 has shown us the importance of longevity in the legal recruitment market, with candidates choosing to use recruiters they know and trust, luckily for us the message from the market is that this includes Thornton Legal. Candidate generation will be more of a challenge in 2019, but we know we have the right team and tools in place to continue to find the hard to find ones!
Lastly to the team. This year the team has more than doubled with plans to recruit further in 2019. But while we are ambitious, we want to grow the right way meaning we would prefer to take our time getting the right consultants on board than make costly hiring mistakes that take time and effort to fix. Having said that Nick and I think we have done a pretty good job so far!
In January Jade Ivory came on board as our marketing and recruitment administrator and she has transformed our on-line presence with the minimum of fuss. She is a reliable, trustworthy and creative member of the Thornton Legal team who has helped me focus on other recruitment and business matters.
Alex Daniel joined us in March as a trainee consultant and has taken to recruitment like a duck to water. He understands what is needed to be successful in what is often a tough job! Alex has had a brilliant first year in recruitment, and we are confident 2019 will be even better for him.
Finally, Laura-Kate Davies started with Thornton Legal in October and she is working out exactly as we hoped she would. Nick and I worked with Laura-Kate previously, so we thought we knew what we were getting but so far she has exceed out expectations. We’re sure 2019 will be an excellent year for Laura-Kate!
So that’s it from us until January so to everyone who knows us, have a brilliant Christmas and New Year and we look forward to working with you in 2019 and beyond.
Thornton Legal is a leading legal recruitment company, recruiting for legal jobs in Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Chester and Preston. We are passionate about providing a professional, innovative and reliable legal recruitment service that is focused on quality and ensures our clients are matched with the strongest legal talent available. Contact one of our legal recruitment consultants today on 0151 307 5757 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to see what we can do for your law firm or legal career.
- Written by Published
If you search when is the best time to look for a new job, January comes up time and time again.
With the festive break out of the way, thoughts turn to the new year with a clear mind and focus.
January is a key time for making changes to our lives, where we want to be and how we are going to get there. Are you looking forward to your first week back in the office with positivity or are you dreading the thought? – perhaps it’s time to consider a move.
December is a very hectic month, but January is the opposite with time to consider the coming year with a clear mind. Time to be used constructively on updating your cv, searching for jobs on line, speaking to recruiters and attending interviews.
There are the fewest numbers of jobs advertised in December but they shoot up in January and February. Once we get into the New Year, recruitment budgets are put in place as firms review staffing requirements, jobs that we put on hold in December become live again and recruiters are engaged again in sourcing top talent.
If you are considering a new job in 2019 then start thinking about what your strategy will be – January will be here in a blink of an eye! Here some things to consider:
Spend some time on your CV – your CV is your own personal sales document that will help sell your skills and secure an interview - https://www.thorntonlegal.co.uk/candidates/candidate-tips/cv-tips (a few tips to help you)
Job search and networking – Scouring job boards can give you a feel for what is available but being more actively involved in networking can help boost your job opportunities. Research by CareerXRoads found that referrals are still the top sources of new hires, a job seeker who has been referred is 4 more times likely to be hired than a job seeker without a referral. It is definitely worth investing some time here.
Get in touch with a recruiter – A recruiter can do all the work for you, making the job search less stressful. They will know what role is suitable for you as soon as they come up. Also, they will have access to hidden markets and will have opportunities that either aren’t being advertised or are being recruited for exclusively. You just need to find a recruitment company that specialises in the market you want to go into and a recruiter you can work with (like Thornton Legal hint hint!)
Meet your recruiter – It is always helpful to meet your recruiter for a coffee, this way they can get a better understanding about what you want and position you in the best possible light to potential employers.
If you are in the law, then get in touch with Thornton Legal and we will help secure you a role for the New Year. We recruit Legal Assistants through to Senior Solicitors with roles available in all areas of Private Practice, from Commercial Disciplines to Private Client, Personal Injury, Family and everything in between.
Don’t forget, once you have secured an interview you need to prepare for the next stages, this includes (with links to our tips):
Interview Preparation - https://www.thorntonlegal.co.uk/candidates/candidate-tips/interview-tips
First Impressions - https://www.thorntonlegal.co.uk/candidates/candidate-tips/first-impressions
The Resignation Process - https://www.thorntonlegal.co.uk/candidates/candidate-tips/resignation-process
How to make the most of your first 100 Days - https://www.thorntonlegal.co.uk/candidates/candidate-tips/100-days
Thornton Legal is a leading legal recruitment company, recruiting for legal jobs in Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Chester and Preston. We are passionate about providing a professional, innovative and reliable legal recruitment service that is focused on quality and ensures our clients are matched with the strongest legal talent available. Contact one of our legal recruitment consultants today on 0151 307 5757 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to see what we can do for your law firm or legal career.
- Written by Published
How did you get into legal recruitment?
I was a Solicitor for 10 years. I never really enjoyed it if I am being completely honest. I didn’t want to be a Solicitor but didn’t know what else to do and leaving the industry altogether seemed like a massive leap of faith. I had friends who were recruiters. They all seemed to be enjoying themselves and earning some decent commission, so I thought why not give it a go.
Who is your closest colleague?
Joe by default. I’ve known him for 30 odd years. We have been described recently by a lawyer we know as being the Ant and Dec of recruitment. I’m not sure what that means. It can’t be good!
What has been the highlight of your career so far?
Winning Best Start Up at the Merseyside Independent Business Awards was fun. Turning a profit inside 3 months of starting TL was fun too.
What advice would you give someone wanting to start their own business?
It is much easier to succeed if you have a good support network of people to give you advice. Ask if you don’t know the answer to something and make sure you have a plan for the first 12 months. That and watch your pennies!
What would you say is your biggest failure in business?
I am hung up on very minor and often irrelevant details. The small decisions take ages for me to make. I’m pretty good at making the big decisions quickly.
What do you do to relax?
I spend most of my time outside of working failing to relax. On the rare occasions I am relaxed it usually involves a combination of the seaside, sunshine and alcohol.
Is there a sport you wish you could play?
I play golf, badly. I’m lucky enough to be a member of the Royal Liverpool Golf Club. I play off 14 and should be better. I’ve wasted a lot of money over the years on lessons, books, magazines and new clubs. I will never improve.
What is your favourite book?
The one book I have read more times than any other is The Great Gatsby. Its poetic and haunting. I also like the themes it explores of tragic hope and the decaying influence of materialism on society. I also like anything by Evelyn Waugh. Decline and Fall is a firm favourite.
What would people be surprised to know about you?
I hate conflict.
What is your favourite quote?
“Eighty percent of success is showing up.” – Woody Allen
Thornton Legal is a leading legal recruitment company, recruiting for legal jobs in across Merseyside, Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Yorkshire and the West Midlands We are passionate about providing a professional, innovative and reliable legal recruitment service that is focused on quality and ensures our clients are matched with the strongest legal talent available. Contact one of our legal recruitment consultants today to see what we can do for your law firm or legal career.
- Written by Published
How did you get into legal recruitment?
I’ve been a professional services recruiter since 2005, starting in accountancy and finance before moving across into legal private practice in 2013. Nick Tappin and I started Thornton Legal in January 2016 and we are now an established name in the North West, with an ever growing presence in Yorkshire and the West Midlands. Thornton Legal is named after a village on the Wirral where Nick and I are from.
Who is your closest colleague?
Nick of course! We have worked together for over 6 years, the majority of which as joint owners of Thornton Legal. To add to the mix, we have also been close friends for almost 30 years so we definitely have an emotional and professional attachment to each other!
What has been the highlight of your career so far?
Leaving the comfort of a regular monthly salary to start Thornton Legal with Nick in January 2016 is the best choice I’ve made in my career. In a relatively short amount of time we’ve achieved a lot and far exceeded our expectations from when we started trading in my house. Over the past couple of years we've added larger national and international to our client base. Law firms recruiters only have success with if they can find the lawyers, which we've been able to do.
What advice would you give someone wanting to start their own business?
Just go for it. If you back yourself and work hard, you’ll be successful.
What would you say is your biggest failure in business?
In the past I’ve been too forthright in my views (mainly constructive, occasionally not!) with my previous employers. Usually down to me believing things could be done better and being frustrated that what I saw as obvious wasn’t always taken on board by others (usually my manager!). I wasn’t quite unmanageable, but not far off sometimes! Perhaps being my own boss is the perfect job for me. I’d like to think I’ve mellowed in recent years, certainly since we started Thornton Legal, although I’m not sure Nick would always agree!
What do you do to relax?
Run, cycle drink wine and occasional cocktails (usually a Margarita or Bloody Mary) and hang out with my wife and boys Theo and Gus. I’m also a keen but very amateur gardener.
Is there a sport you wish you could play?
I’ve always been reasonably handy at sports, particularly in my younger days. My friends and family would say I’m competitive and I’d 100% agree! Rugby was my sport at school which I really enjoyed but eventually my (lack of) height became a problem – 5’9 is a little on the small side for a number 8!
What is your favourite book?
I’m not a great reader to be honest. My wife will read four books in the time i get through one! The books I enjoy tend to be sport, travel or food related, rarely fiction. At the moment I’m reading Anthony Bourdain’s A Cooks Tour, I last read it about 10 years ago and watching the recent Netflix documentary on his life and death promoted me pull it off the shelf again. Both Kitchen Confidential and a Cooks Tour are excellent.
What would people be surprised to know about you?
I’m a keen runner, and have taken park in half marathons, marathons and a 37 mile ultra-marathon in the Lake District a couple of years back. My wife and I used to have quite successful food blog, through which we were often invited to restaurants to try a new menu or just when they wanted us to write a review on the blog. I’ve eaten home reared garden snails with garlic and butter, they taste just like the French ones but look far less inviting!
What is your favourite quote?
“You win some, you lose some, but you live to fight another day!” Craig’s Dad, Friday
If you'd like to talk to Joe, you can get him 8am - 8pm Monday to Friday on 07903222898 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Thornton Legal is a leading legal recruitment company, recruiting for legal jobs in across Merseyside, Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Yorkshire and the West Midlands We are passionate about providing a professional, innovative and reliable legal recruitment service that is focused on quality and ensures our clients are matched with the strongest legal talent available. Contact one of our legal recruitment consultants today to see what we can do for your law firm or legal career.