Merger postpones trainee recruitment at Beachcroft and DAC

Trainee recruitment has been indefinitely postponed at both Beachcroft and Davies Arnold Cooper (DAC) in preparation for the merger of the two firms on 31 October. The delay follows the decision by Beachcroft and DAC to reduce the number of places for graduates joining in 2013 by 75% to avoid the risk of trainees being affected by the merger. Trainee recruitment will be resumed once a decision has been reached regarding recruitment policies at the newly merged firm.

Reported in Legal Week, the merged firm will be comprised of 230 partners working in seven UK offices, as well as branches in Ireland, Spain, New Zealand, Singapore and Mexico. The merger will also create a combined turnover of over £175 million. The strategic goal of the newly merged DAC Beachcroft will centre on international growth, with expansion into Latin America from the firm's branch in Mexico (aided by a new international board) identified as a priority.

A Beachcroft spokesperson had this to say about the postponement of trainee recruitment: "Our training contract recruitment process is currently on hold until after the merger and until after we realign both processes…We will therefore not be attending law fairs this year or opening our application system until we have a structured process and plan in place." Potential trainee recruits will want to keep an eye on the merger's progress, and hone their international commercial awareness in preparation for the resumption of recruitment.