East Anglia

Regional overview
A largely rural area, East Anglia is sometimes dismissed as a dormitory for the City, with few local opportunities for ambitious commercial lawyers. This is far from the case – the region in reality offers truly excellent career opportunities across every discipline.

The region can be clearly divided between those commercial centres within easy commuting distance of London, such as Cambridge, Chelmsford and Ipswich; and those strong regional centres such as Norwich and Peterborough which identify strongly with their region and largely service their local business community.

The region boasts many long established and well-regarded firms with excellent profit per equity partner potential. These tend to recruit from both London and the Midlands – markets in which they can and do compete on equal terms.

Principal business centres and key employers
Stansted’s continuing development brings more and more international business to the area, and Cambridge is a technological and pharmaceutical hub, served by firms with excellent reputations, such as Taylor Wessing, Taylor Vinters and Mills & Reeve.  Eversheds is one of several firms taking advantage of a thriving shipping market in Norwich 

With the Thames Gateway – the largest development site in Western Europe – and the Olympic site at Stratford attracting unprecedented investment, this is an exciting time to consider working in the region.

Living in the Area
With fast transport links into London via Liverpool Street and property prices becoming more attractive the further into the region you venture, there is plenty to consider in East Anglia.  The major centres of Norwich, Cambridge and Ipswich are attractions in themselves, with the countryside never far away.  Stansted provides quick and easy international links, and the future prospect of Crossrail extending fast lines along the Thames into Essex make this well worth considering.  This is probably the only area adjacent to London where you can meaningfully upsize in property whilst staying in touch with the capital.