Rich is The Lawyer’s deputy editor. He has a particular focus on firms outside the UK top 50.
He was previously editor of The Lawyer’s student publication Lawyer 2B, and as such also has an interest everything to do with legal education, training contracts and pupillage, as well as lawyers’ ongoing career development.
The Lawyer’s UK200 has relatively few truly specialist firms. There are a handful of big litigation, personal injury and insurance beasts, like Stewarts, Digby Brown and Keoghs. Sackers focuses on pensions; Stowe and Vardags on family, but the bottom end of the annual ranking of the UK’s largest firms is dominated by regional independents doing […]
Bevan Brittan’s revenue passed £75m for the first time in 2023/24 as the firm grew for an 11th successive year. The top line increased from £67.3m to £76.2m off the back of exceptionally strong performances for the higher education team (up 37 per cent), the independent health and care team (32 per cent) and the […]
The country desperately needs growth, but there are a limited number of levers that Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves can pull. Likewise, in the UK legal profession, mid-tier growth is hard to find and there are few options available. Listing on the stock exchange is out of fashion and getting a boost from private […]
Stevens & Bolton has recorded growth of 20 per cent as it celebrates 150 years in business. The Guildford firm shortened its financial year to 11 months to accommodate Basis Period Reform, and so hit £38.8m in revenue for 2023/24, up 20 per cent on the same period the previous year. Grossed-up on a 12-month […]
Listed firm Knights has acquired the West Midlands firm Thursfields in a deal worth £12.5m as it aims to enter another period of rapid growth. Knights has been a prolific acquirer of mid-market law firms over the past decade, with Langleys (£17.7m), Shulmans (£17.6m), Keebles (£12.6m), ASB (£12.5m) and Coffin Mew (£11.3m) among its most […]
South West: Growth at Exeter-headquartered firm Michelmores has hit a 10-year high following a period of inward investment. Beyond the Bubble, in association with LexisNexis: Revenue at the firm climbed 14 per cent from £42.8m to £48.8m, just shy of the psychologically important £50m revenue barrier, which the firm is likely to hit next year. […]
Leeds: Mills & Reeve is soon to double its footprint in Leeds with the relocation of its office. Beyond the Bubble, in association with LexisNexis: While the firm is staying put at 1 City Square, it is vacating its current premises on the fourth floor and has agreed to take a 10,200 sq ft office […]
As Sir Keir Starmer settles into Number 10, so law firms must adapt to the new political order. With that in mind, it is worth taking note of a couple of lateral moves that have taken place in the mid-tier in the last couple of weeks. Alex Madden, the head of planning at South West […]
This blog will be updated with results for lawyer candidates as they come in. Then follow us in the morning for reaction.
Tomorrow, the country speaks. Let the chips fall where they may. Whatever your party affiliation, you have lawyers to vote for in this election – in fact, we’ve found no fewer than 193 of them standing. In a quartet of seats (Birmingham Ladywood, Finchley & Golders Green, Newark and Tottenham) voters even have a choice […]
Reflecting on the time since the last general election it’s hard to imagine, at least in recent times, a more chaotic period in British politics. There are many government and parliamentary functions that are not serving us; we would not run a successful business this way, so why do we allow our country to be […]
Senior associate Jo Howard is standing for the Labour Party in Christchurch.