A RAPIDLY growing firm of York solicitors is seeking a new chief executive - with a salary package of £200,000.

The huge reward for a top gun comes from Minster Law, the firm which last autumn bought out road traffic insurance business from Corries for an eight-figure sum, and moved into Corries' old HQ at Alexander House, in Hospital Fields Road, York.

Since then, under the guidance of Bob Perry, the 46-year-old chief executive seconded from Peterborough-based Advance Claims Management (ACM), Minster Law has rapidly grown from about 200 staff to 320.

Adrian Christmas, chairman of Minster Law, said: "Now Bob is returning to ACM, which is a client of ours, and we need someone as dynamic to take his place.

"It is a big job and, to that extent, we need to attract the right sort of applicant. We are a national firm, doing work all over the country and, in two years time, we are hoping our numbers will grow to 500. We are working hard to replace the jobs that York will have lost as a result of Norwich Union Life's recently-announced manpower cuts.

"We don't mind if the new CEO is a lawyer or a non-lawyer. Having a non-lawyer in charge has proved a great success. The advantage of a non-lawyer is that lawyers tend to score points off each other."

Mr Christmas would not reveal how much within the £200,000 per annum package was a basic salary and how much was bonus and benefits. However, he said: "It is significant."

He said Mr Perry had already implemented changes to make the business more efficient, and this is what would be inherited by his successor.

Meanwhile, Corries, which is now based at Rowntree Wharf, in York, is also rapidly expanding.

It is concentrating on its old reputation for representing asbestos claimants, as well as employment law, personal injury and medical negligence cases, plus family law and property services.

Since it sold its traffic insurance arm to Minster, Corrie's remaining team of 50 has now expanded to 67.

Owner Bruce Corrie hopes to employ a further ten people within the next year.