Lawyers see bankruptcy, litigation boom coming

Nearly one in three lawyers see bankruptcy/foreclosure as the area that will experience the most growth in the next three months, according to a poll released Wednesday.

Menlo Park-based Robert Half Legal said that another 22 percent believe litigation would exhibit the strongest growth within this time frame.

 

To the question: “In your opinion, which one of the following areas of law will experience the most growth in the next three months?” 32 percent said bankruptcy/foreclosure, 22 percent said litigation, 10 percent said labor and employment, 6 percent said intellectual property, 5 percent said ethics and corporate governance, 3 percent said environmental law, 2 percent said general business/commercial law, 1 percent said health care, and the rest chose other or no answer.The survey included responses from 300 attorneys from among the largest law firms and corporations in the United States and Canada, Robert Half Legal reported, and all respondents have at least three years of experience in the legal field.

 

“Economic conditions continue to fuel demand for specialists in bankruptcy and litigation,” said Charles Volkert, executive director of Robert Half Legal. “These specialties are broad in scope, since they are not restricted to specific industries or client types. Their wide reach, combined with the complex financial issues that individuals and businesses face, may result in ongoing demand in this area.”

 

Volkert added that the need for legal professionals is especially strong within small-to-midsize firms. “The uptick in litigation for insurance defense, personal injury, labor and employment, medical malpractice, and foreclosure is driving the need for experienced professionals in these areas,” he said.

 

From the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal