The Legal Employment Agency
Hello, good to meet you
We're a team of specialist legal recruiters covering a full spectrum of roles from partner to paralegal. We work closely with law firms and individual legal professionals to help them find the right match.
Thornton Legal began as a law employment agency in 2016 and is now one of most respected legal recruitment agencies in the region. We are all experienced recruiters, with several of the team having previously worked within the legal industry as solicitors.
Meet Our Team - Expert Legal Recruiters
We're a team of professional, dedicated and knowledgeable legal recruitment consultants.
Click below to find what each of us do at Thornton Legal.
Nick Tappin
Director and Recruiter
Joe Rees
Director and Recruiter
Laura-Kate Davies
Senior Recruitment Consultant
Jack Grant
Recruitment Consultant
Nick Tappin
Director and Recruiter
I am a recruiter and non-practising solicitor with over 20 years combined experience of the legal sector. My desk stretches all the way from Liverpool to Preston, with a focus on NQ to partner level appointments across several practice areas.
Joe Rees
Director and Recruiter
I have worked in recruitment for over 20 years. My focus is on recruiting qualified Solicitors across Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Yorkshire and the West Midlands. I'm proud to have developed strong relationships with many aw firms meaning I am instructed on numerous roles on an exclusive basis.
Laura-Kate Davies
Senior Recruitment Consultant
Formally a solicitor, I have a varied role at Thornton Legal which focuses predominantly on residential conveyancing across Merseyside, Cheshire, Greater Manchester and Lancashire. I also recruit graduates, paralegals, legal assistants and support staff into all types of law firms from Top 50 to high street.
Jack Grant
Recruitment Consultant
I regularly work with national, Legal 500, regional and boutique law firms to source the best talent for their firms. On the other hand I advise and create options for legal professionals on all levels of the spectrum from Paralegals, Solicitors, Partners and everything in between across Greater Manchester and Lancashire.
Values
We're not your run of the mill legal employment agencies. Our values influence how we act with each other, our clients and our candidates as well as contributing to our business decisions.
We are a Team
The team at Thornton Legal consists of strong, driven individuals but our real strength comes from our ability to support and learn from each other. We want to build long term, mutually beneficial relationships with our clients and candidates that last for years not weeks.
We are
Recommendable
We strive to do our job to the best of our ability with our customers interests at the centre of what we do. Our testimonials demonstrate our success to date but there will always be room for improvement.
Always be Specialist
We are a specialist in the legal sector and aim to be the best legal recruitment business in the North. Specialising means we have a deep understanding of the market and offer real value to our clients and candidates.
We Act Honourably
We always want to do the right thing and choose to go about our business in a transparent and open way. Being comfortable with ourselves is important to the team at Thornton Legal. We want to demonstrate that ambition and behaving ethically can go hand in hand
Consistency is Key
We believe that consistency is the foundation of customer and employee satisfaction. Consistency allows for measurement, creates accountability and establishes the reputation of Thornton Legal.
We are Accessible
At Thornton Legal, we understand the importance of being accessible to clients and candidates at times that suit them and not us. That means making it easy to contact the team, us responding quickly and ensuring our follow through is executed consistently.
One of the best legal employment agencies in the UK.
30%
of new candidates come from recommendation
75%
of candidates registered go on to interview with a law firm
50%
of the interviews go on to offers
88%
of those offers are accepted
92%
of placed candidates are still with the same firm after 12 months
90%
of clients have instructed us more than once
82%
of registered candidates have been met
98%
of placed candidates would recommend us
60%%
of new candidates receive an offer within 28 days
Testimonials.
View All TestimonialsI chose Thornton Legal as opposed to other companies in the market given its unique placement in the North West and also the hands on approach from Joe and Nick who both have a great understanding and knowledge of the industry and contacts with the firms which operate within the area. I was making a big move and so it was important to me that it was to the right firm. Joe and Nick spoke to me in depth about the role I was seeking and were able to quickly arrange conversations with leading firms. I soon received offers which Joe and Nick gave me very helpful advice and guidance on and one of which I accepted. I'd highly recommend Thornton Legal to my colleagues and anyone looking for work or the next move in the industry.
Commercial Litigation - Senior Associate
The opportunity to become a Solicitor does not come easy and deciding where to qualify is an extremely difficult decision. The importance of knowing your options is something I would recommend to anyone. Joe was very attentive, honest and helpful throughout. Offering many phone calls to go through each option outlining the positives and negatives. I would highly recommend his services to anyone who is open to opportunity. I now work at one of the biggest law firms in the country and I am extremely thankful to Joe for the opportunities he provided.
Court of Protection Solicitor
I recently used Thornton Legal to help me secure a role at Hill Dickinson. Nick is well connected in Liverpool and has a good grasp on the market. I would not hesitate in recommending him to others.
Heathcare Litigation Associate
Joe is very knowledgeable of the legal market and I found his advice and support invaluable during my job search. Moving jobs is a big decision, but Joe made the process less daunting and gave me all the information and support I needed to make an informed decision without putting on any pressure.
Residential Property Solicitor
Thanks again for all your help with getting me to where I am. It has not always been easy but you’ve made the process far better than it could have been. I’d certainly recommend you to other potential candidates. Professional and pleasure to deal with through out.
Family Partner
I could not recommend Laura-Kate enough. I approached her to help me find a paralegal job and she could not have been more friendly and helpful. She made me feel at ease at every step of the job application process from reviewing my CV to helping me prep for an interview and she had no problem doing all of this face to face as I was quite nervous. If you are looking for someone to work with you in finding a job that best suits your needs and wants, I would certainly recommend Laura-Kate.
Family Paralegal
I found Nick to be really helpful throughout the process. He provided accurate information upfront and came back quickly with answers to any queries I had. I would definitely recommend.
Construction Associate
Law Firms We Partner With
We'd love to hear from you
Hello, I’m Joe from Thornton Legal. How can I help you?
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HQ
2nd Floor 4 St Paul’s Square Liverpool L3 9SJ