“I am an associate at a City firm and was sent out on secondment to a good banking client of the firm a few months ago. My fixed duration as a secondee is due to come to an end soon, but I’ve found that I prefer working in-house and I’m interested in staying on permanently.

“I’m considering asking my manager about the possibility of a permanent role, but I’m concerned that if my request was rejected, my firm could start to question my commitment if they found out that I had made enquiries about leaving. Is it common for lawyers to go on secondment and not return to their firm?”