Bath law firm Thrings is today ranked among the regional heavyweights of the legal sector with rivals Withy King and Stone King named as major players in the market.
The latest Legal 500, the legal market’s annual ‘bible’ which is published today, places Thrings, which also has offices in Bristol and Swindon, as one of the top 14 firms in the South West in a table traditionally dominated by Bristol-based practices.
The Legal 500 identifies the firms and individuals who are setting the pace in the region and, as such, has become an indispensable resource for anyone buying legal services.
Things, which rebranded earlier this year from its earlier name Thring Townsend Lee & Pembertons, shares equal billing with Withy King as a second-tier player in the corporate and commercial market (M4 corridor), with Stone King in the third tier.
Legal 500 singles out John Davies at Thrings, for leading the team which advises clients across sectors including aerospace, oil and manufacturing. “Highlights included acting for Dynamatic Technologies on restructuring to streamline its UK operations.
The team maintains fruitful relationships with banks including HSBC and NatWest,” says the report. John is named as one of the South West's 'leading individuals' (see table, right) along with Thrings colleagues Andrew Braithwaite and Peter Cusick.
“Clients say Withy King is ‘more proactive and better networked’ than many competitors,” Legal 500 says. “David Cavaliero is highly rated and empathic, and Katharine Mortimer is also well regarded.”
Highlights for the team included securing an equity investment, and acting for Homes Caring for Autism on a refinancing deal with RBS. The team also advised new client Hanfrageo on restructuring.
Withy King's head of clinical negligence Simon Elliman is named among the region's leading individuals.
Roy Butler at Stone King LLP delivers ‘excellent service’ and ‘creative solutions’, according to the report. The firm's chairman and senior partner Michael King is listed among the region's leading individuals.
Across the region, Legal 500 says 2010 was a less turbulent year for law firms compared to 2009 with positive signs for 2011.
“Certainly, the region continues to benefit from the willingness of clients to move work out of the City as value for money remains a key driver in choosing legal services,” it adds.
It identifies education as a strong growth area for many firms with conversions to academy status a substantial source of work.
Debt recovery work has also been on the increase, as the consequences of the economic downturn continue to make themselves felt.
“Renewable energy projects are an important area of work for agriculture and estates teams, as landowners realise the potential of turning land over for development; pensions remains a live area against a background of public sector cuts; and professional negligence claims are on the rise,” says Legal 500.
While the region is less reliant on the public sector than some other areas of the UK, large-scale spending cuts hit many specialist practices across the region “as clients increasingly scrutinise the cost/performance ratio, and fund increasingly skilled in-house departments” the report says.
