About Realm

At Realm, we have a deep-seated belief that people should be happy at work. Happy people drive successful businesses.

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Building happier workplaces, one match at a time

Many lawyers aren’t as happy in their roles as they could be, and many law firms struggle to find and keep the right talent, affecting their growth. That’s where we come in.  

By partnering with law firms and connecting them to the right lawyers, we help boost happiness and profitability across the legal sector. With a team of friendly, specialist consultants and an unwavering commitment to doing things the right way, we make recruitment insightful, enjoyable, and truly effective.

We're trusted by wonderful companies

What makes Realm different?

We’re incomparably specialist

Our consultants focus on specific practice areas, developing unmatched relationships within each community.

This depth of knowledge means we can access opportunities and candidates others can’t, giving both lawyers and law firms a unique advantage in their search for the perfect match.

We’re your brand ambassadors

We’re more than recruiters; we raise your profile within your practice area and beyond.

We help law firms build and communicate a strong Employer Value Proposition (EVP) and support lawyers in highlighting their unique strengths, making you stand out in a competitive market.

We’re your growth partners

We’re in it for the long haul. Think of us as your dedicated growth partner, providing tailored insights and guidance.

For lawyers, this means helping you navigate your career path with confidence. For law firms, our in-depth market knowledge will support your team’s growth, stability, and long-term success.

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The Realm Promise

Our focus is on truly understanding your needs, whether you’re looking for a role that aligns with your career goals or seeking the right talent to grow your firm. With Realm, you can expect a straightforward, insightful, and enjoyable recruitment experience, designed to bring lasting value and success. 

Get in touch with us today to discover the difference a Realm partnership can make.

Meet the Realm team

We have specialists in all core legal practice areas, with each of our consultants working within a single legal niche.

Duane Cormell

Managing Director and Co-founder

He set up Realm in 2015 with the aim of helping law firms improve their productivity and profitability through a refreshing, values-driven approach to legal recruitment. 

Kelly Reid

Associate Director and Head of the Recruiter Division

Specialist for private client, Court of Protection and contentious probate in the North West.

Paula Pawlowska

Associate Director and Head of Recruiter Division

Head of our team of specialist recruiters.

Proud to be award-winning

At Realm, our team have won and been shortlisted for several prestigious regional business awards over the last few years, including the Made in Manchester Awards (MIMAs) and the Manchester Young Talent Awards (MYTAs).

2022 MIMA: Business Owner/Entrepreneur of the Year

Duane Cormell

Winner
2021 Greater Manchester Business Awards: Wellbeing in the Workplace

Realm Recruit

Winner
2021 MIMA: Recruitment Professional of the Year

Paula Pawlowska

Winner

Explore our frequently asked questions

Find out more about working with Realm and get your questions answered.

How are you helping law firms in the current talent-short legal market?

At Realm, we’re tackling the talent shortage head-on by building strong relationships with lawyers well before they start actively seeking new roles. Unlike many recruitment agencies that focus solely on active jobseekers, we invest in engaging with legal professionals early on in their decision-making process. This means that when lawyers are ready to consider a move, we’re their first call.

We keep our talent pools engaged with a wide range of valuable content, including skill development resources, career advice, events, podcasts, interviews, and regular newsletters. Our approach not only keeps our audience connected but also helps us stay top-of-mind with legal talent across the market.

How can you help raise our firm's profile as an employer?

As your legal recruitment partner, we don’t just help you fill vacancies – we help build your employer brand. We create strategic content plans designed to showcase what makes your firm unique to our audience of over 10,000 lawyers, positioning you as an employer of choice. Whether it’s for an immediate vacancy or a long-term brand-building campaign, our approach cuts down on time-to-hire and supports sustained growth.

With one of the largest marketing teams in legal recruitment, we provide tailored content strategies that effectively communicate your firm’s values and culture. This service is offered at no extra cost when you work with us on an exclusive or semi-exclusive basis or as a paid service for other arrangements.

How do you market my vacancy?

Partnering with Realm gives you access to a comprehensive and innovative vacancy marketing strategy. We consistently review and optimise our channels to ensure your vacancy gets maximum exposure. Here’s where your role will be promoted:

- Our extensive talent pools – we connect with over 275 lawyers daily
- Premium job boards, where direct advertising could cost up to £2,500
- Leading CV databases
- Our social media platforms, followed by thousands of engaged legal professionals
- Our email database of nearly 10,000 lawyers

This multi-channel approach ensures that your vacancy reaches both active job seekers and high-quality passive candidates who could be open to the right opportunity.

I'm a lawyer looking for a new opportunity; if I agree to work with you, where will you send my CV?

At Realm, your privacy is our priority. We take an ethical approach and will never send your CV to any law firm without your explicit permission. We’ll collaborate with you to identify the best-suited firms based on your experience and career goals, ensuring you’re represented professionally and accurately.

What are your fees, and do you offer discounts?

Our fees are highly competitive and reflect the value we bring in today’s market. As highlighted in our annual research, only a small percentage of lawyers are actively looking to move, making it more challenging than ever to find top talent. Our investment in proactive marketing and relationship-building ensures we reach both active and passive candidates, giving you access to the best talent available.

The additional investment we make in nurturing our talent pools and expanding our reach ultimately provides our clients with exceptional value. To learn more about our fee structure and discuss potential arrangements, contact us directly.

Will our conversation be confidential?

Absolutely. Confidentiality is at the core of our service. We will never share your details or disclose your conversations with us to your current employer. We understand the sensitivity of exploring new career opportunities, and you can trust that we’ll only present your CV to firms with your full consent.

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Start your journey with Realm

With each of our consultants covering just one practice area in a focused region, we know pretty much every lawyer you might want to recruit and every law firm you might want to join. We build close, long-term relationships with our engaged communities of lawyers and are therefore better able to connect the right people to the right firms. Through our refreshing approach to legal recruitment, underpinned by our three core values – to be refreshingly collaborative, human and dynamic – we help to develop legal careers and sustainably grow law firms.