Wanted: Post-Brexit Trade Lawyers Willing to Work on the Cheap
- New Brexit-related jobs pay much less than London law firms
- Gap risks weakening plan for independent British trade policy
A man passes a puddle reflecting Elizabeth Tower, commonly referred to as Big Ben, and Houses of Parliament in London, U.K. on Tuesday Jan. 17, 2017. The U.K. is likely to pull out of the European Union's single market for goods and services and seek a completely new trading relationship with the bloc, Prime Minister Theresa May will say Tuesday as she sets out her plan for Brexit.
Photographer: Luke MacGregor/BloombergSeven months after then-Prime Minister David Cameron said the U.K. would need to “tool up” on trade experts because of the British vote to leave the European Union, the country is following through with a recruitment campaign that faces market hurdles.
The Government Legal Department has published vacancies for as many as 17 London-based trade lawyers who would receive a starting annual salary of 48,400 pounds ($60,747). While the going rate for British government lawyers, that’s as much as 60 percent less than what similar private-sector positions offer.