About our regional hubs

Pannone LLP is a full service law firm with clients split almost equally between businesses and private individuals. With roots that can be traced back as far as 1852, the firm now has 355 lawyers, 110 partners and a total staff of 700 who all work within specialist teams focusing on the niche work carried out by their department. We are based centrally at our office on Deansgate in Manchester city centre and from here we serve clients throughout the North West, as well as nationally and internationally. Pannone also has satellite offices in Alderley Edge and in Hale, Cheshire.

We are recognised by both The Legal 500 Guide and The Chambers Guide to the Legal Profession as one of the leading North West law firms and have many Partners who are considered to be 'leaders in their field'.

Pannone People
We are acutely aware that our staff are our greatest asset and go to great lengths to ensure that we recruit lawyers who are not only technically capable but also commercially astute, and secretarial/support staff who are accurate, efficient and think matters through.

Teamwork is central to the way we work with all our clients and the way we manage our business. We take care to match the expertise and personalities of our team members to your requirements. Our size, combined with the structure of the firm, means that we can guarantee a high degree of partner involvement, thereby providing you with a fast and efficient legal service that is also cost effective.

Quality Counts
At Pannone Solicitors we pride ourselves on providing a quality service to our clients. Our commitment to this is illustrated with the following accreditations and awards which all combine to ensure that the quality of service and advice delivered by the firm is second to none.

• ISO9001 - first law firm in the UK to achieve accreditation in 1991
• Lexcel - the Law Society's Practice Management Standard
• SQM - Specialist Quality Mark of the Legal Services Commission for our specialist departments in respect of publicly funded work (legal aid)
• Investor in People

Pannone Solicitors was voted 3rd in the Sunday Times 100 Best Companies survey 2009 (the highest placed law firm in history of the survey) and was most recently voted 'Enterprising Law Firm of the Year 2007'.

Pannone Law Group - PLG
We are founder members of the Pannone Law Group EEIG, a European Economic Interest Grouping of law firms. This enables us to handle clients' matters abroad with confidence and to readily obtain an appreciation of any particular member country's legal system. The Pannone Law Group has 1,200 lawyers at member firms in Andorra, Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Cyprus, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and in Uruguay.

The prime objective of the firm has always been to provide an exceptionally high level of service combined with first-rate legal advice, a tradition that still stands today.

The company dates back to the 1840's when Benjamin Chadwick opened his first office in Dewsbury. He could not have foreseen how his practice would develop into a leading regional firm.

Chadwick Lawrence now has five offices covering the West Yorkshire region and the practice is now listed as one of the twenty largest firms in Yorkshire and Humberside.

Departments offering traditional legal services such as family law and conveyancing sit side by side with dedicated commercial and employment departments. Chadwick Lawrence is one of the few law firms in the area to have specialist medical negligence and sports law capabilities.

Today Chadwick Lawrence is a broad based modern law firm proud of its Yorkshire heritage. It is trusted across the region to have the knowledge and experience to help in any legal situation.

Chadwick Lawrence are Yorkshire's Legal People.

Andrew Jackson commercial solicitors in Hull deliver excellent professional, personal service to business and individuals in Hull, Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, the UK and across the globe.

We have served the business community and private individuals in Hull since 1874 and have continually moved with the times. We have specialist lawyers in corporate, commercial, IP, banking and finance, agriculture, litigation and employment. This new decade sees us engaged in renewable energy on and off-shore, the environment, wind farms and other eco/green issues.

We are proud of our global recognition in our specialist shipping and transport department, dealing with all aspects of the carriage of goods by sea, road, rail and air, and the sale/purchase/ finance/ chartering of ships and yachts, and disputes, salvage and personal injury.

The private client business has recognised specialist solicitors dealing with family and financial issues, wills, tax, trusts, settlements, administration of estates and conveyancing.

13 partners/individuals are listed in Chambers. Legal 500 lists the shipping department under the national heading London: Transport.

FBC Manby Bowdler LLP is a leading law firm, based over 5 locations in the West Midlands and Shropshire regions offering a comprehensive range of both commercial and private legal services.

Progressive and focused on delivering results, the 36 Partner Firm with over 250 employees prides itself on having a strong understanding of clients' needs and being able to provide them with results driven legal solutions tailored to their requirements. This is facilitated by the Firm's specialist teams, the strength and depth of which are unparalleled in the region.

FBC Manby Bowdler's commercial and private client expertise is recognised in the independently researched Legal 500 Directory.

The Firm is committed to quality and is Lexcel and ISO 9001:2008 LQS accredited. It is also a member of Lawnet, a network of law firms committed to providing practical legal advice of the highest quality.

We are a full-service law firm rated in 17 different legal specialisms by the Legal 500 (2005) Long established but light on formality, we offer a unique combination of expertise and value, supported by a level of personal service that's rarely found today.

In-depth resources

With 150 staff in three divisions - Business Services, Criminal & Immigration and Private Client - we offer you a genuinely complete legal service.

The Darbys team working system, and our high proportion of partners to administrative staff, ensure that your case is handled by a fully experienced professional lawyer.

Genuinely personal service

From the start of any clients relationship with Darbys, they will have their own dedicated Client Partner who will take care of all their legal needs. So, no matter what team is allocated to a case, a client partner will make sure there is no compromise.

No airs and graces

You'll find we're a pleasure to deal with. Our no nonsense approach, clear explanations and plain English documents make sure you always know where you stand.

Harper Macleod LLP is a young, dynamic business, which has grown organically. The firm's structure has been successfully developed to encourage the provision of flexible and tailored legal services to meet the individual needs of clients.

Based in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Inverness, the work undertaken by the firm is as wide ranging as our clients, from blue chip UK and multi-national companies, UK and international financial institutions and local and other public authorities to entrepreneurs and small business start-ups.

We are a Scottish firm, focused on serving our clients in the Scottish market. The passion for success and innovation is firmly integrated into the firm's culture and amongst the 42 partners and 255 staff.

Client Care

Harper Macleod has always been a client-centric firm. Recognition of the importance of client relationships and two-way communication with clients is engrained in the firm's culture - we embarked upon a client survey programme over 12 years ago.

Our People

We were accredited with the Investor in People award in May 1998 and was the first commercial law firm in Scotland to achieve IIP accreditation and were reaccredited in 2008. In addition, Harper Macleod was one of only five organisations to be awarded the Big Tick in the Business Community Awards 2009 in the category of Healthy Workplace Award.

Independent Recognition

We are extremely proud of the independent industry recognition we have obtained. Please click the following link for details of our most recent award successes - http://www.harpermacleod.co.uk/the-firm/independent-recognition/awards

One of the largest law firms in the East Midlands, Nelsons offers one-stop solutions to the legal needs of businesses and individuals.

Founded in Nottingham in the early 1980's, we have also become a major force in Leicester and Derby and have city centre offices in each location. Through dynamic growth and mergers and acquisitions, we have built specialist teams with 100 lawyers meeting the wide ranging needs of businesses and individuals throughout the East Midlands, and beyond.

The firm has been consistently recognised by the independently researched Legal 500 as a 'Regional Heavyweight' who refer to us as "Strong with major regional clients".

The range of our expertise is confirmed by their rankings which recommend us in:

Corporate and commercial, Commercial litigation, Debt recovery, Insolvency and corporate recovery, Employment, Commercial property, Construction, Property litigation, Intellectual property, Personal tax, trusts and probate, Family, Personal injury and Clinical negligence. We are also recommended by Chambers and Partners.

As a forward thinking firm, with a strong commitment to innovation and service, we link our expertise to fast response times, clear communication, and frank explanations of costs.

Quality Standards

Nelsons holds the Lexcel quality mark, as evidence of our high service standards.

Lexcel is the Law Society's Practice Management quality standard which is awarded for effective practice management and excellence in client care.

In order to achieve Lexcel accreditation, Nelsons underwent a rigorous assessment by independent experts who looked at the firm's systems and procedures across a number of key areas including matter management, forward planning, financial management and office administration.

The Lexcel accreditation demonstrates that the firm has been tested against the highest standards of excellence for the legal profession and clients can feel reassured that they will receive a service which is first-class, committed, focused and business-like.

Stanley Tee is a substantial legal practice with a strong regional presence. It operates throughout the M11 Corridor and beyond from locations close to Stansted Airport and Cambridge, with fast connections to the M25, East Anglia and the Midlands.

As a full service practice, with 20 partners and a further 50 fee-earners, Stanley Tee offers cross-disciplinary support to clients in all categories, from private individuals and independent businesses, through to professional partnerships, national corporations and institutions.

The firm is renowned for its private client work and operates in conjunction with Tee Financial plc to provide overall client advice on wealth management, tax planning, inheritance and trust services. The firm's family department also accounts for a high proportion of its work.

On the business side, the firm specialises in company commercial and commercial property work. Its real estate work in the region is driven by proactive government policy for the creation of new housing in the eastern counties and M11 Corridor, allied with the continuing expansion of Stansted Airport.

A client-centred service

Stanley Tee has a reputation for excellence and a commitment to providing the highest levels in all aspects of its operation. It is approachable, continuing to attract many new clients by its friendly and client-focussed attitude. Investment in technology and innovative management practice put it at the forefront of legal practice.

Hugh James was established in 1960 and is now one of the top 100 law firms in the UK and is the largest independent Firm in Wales with 48 partners and 720 staff (including 26 Welsh speaking fee-earners).

Hugh James provides a comprehensive range of commercial and private client services across the UK from a regional centre in South Wales.  We are a modern and innovative full service provider to a diverse UK customer base.

We are recognised in both Chambers and Legal 500 as regional leaders with a national presence.  The Lawyer magazine's independent survey of the legal sector in 2006 highlighted Hugh James as the number one firm in the Wales and Midlands region and ranked 67th of the Top 100 UK Law Firms.

Hugh James is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

Veale Wasbrough Vizards was formed on 16 November 2009, having previously been Vizards Tweedie and Veale Wasbrough Lawyers.

The firm has around 300 employees and 46 partners and operates from two offices in central Bristol and Fetter Lane in London and generates a turnover of approximately £22m.

Veale Wasbrough Vizards is a full commercial law firm acting for clients nationally.

Our professional practice and business management are organised accordingly and our four key client sectors are:

• Education & charities
• Healthcare
• Family owned businesses
• Public sector.

The firm also offers a dedicated service to private clients.

Collaborative teamwork and the training and development of our people are a high priority and we were the first major law regional law firm to acquire the Investor in People accreditation, in June 1996. We have also maintained the Lexcel accreditation since January 2004.

IBB delivers a quality of service equal to its City peers but at a value for money more usually associated with regional firms. Its extensive business and private client community include UK and foreign owned private and public companies; national property developers, landlords and tenants, charities, SMEs, financial services, banks and other professional practices as well as both high-net-worth individuals and those less advantaged.

The firm has 30 partners, more than 150 staff in total and is widely regarded as a regional heavyweight with leading lawyers recognised in 15 different fields.

IBB is ISO 9001:2000 accredited and a member of LawNet - a federation of independent law firms.

Described as "one of the top regional firms and a force to be reckoned with", Pictons LLP have been offering a comprehensive range of commercial and private client services for over forty years. With offices in Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire, we are well placed to serve the needs of our clients regionally and nationally.

Working in dedicated niche departments our teams of lawyers pride themselves in offering technical expertise with exceptional client care to deliver the desired results in the most cost effective manner.

Not only are our legal achievements recognised by the leading industry commentators but we continually strive to fulfil our social and environmental responsibilities. Our lawyers are involved with many voluntary organisations within the community and we are currently working towards an environmental management accreditation.

This firm has over 90 lawyers (including 37 partners) advising businesses and individuals and another 100 support staff. We possess a strength and depth of expertise which only a handful of firms can claim in the South East outside of London. We enjoy ongoing verification of this by the fact that we have held the Lexcel quality mark since 1999, are ranked by the leading independent guides to UK law firms in 25 specialist practice areas and currently have 13 lawyers recognised as "Leaders in their field" by Chambers Guide to the Legal Profession - a particularly high percentage of the total number of lawyers compared with other firms, many of whom do not appear at all.

Our approach

The firm's philosophy is that the successful practise of law depends on the expertise of individual lawyers and the strength of their relationships with their clients. Our values place our clients at the centre of everything we do and dictate our behaviour. Independent research shows that clients like our hands-on partner led service which ensures that they have access to high quality people at the most senior level, who respond quickly. Clients also tell us that we are pragmatic and able to get quickly to the point, delivering commercial advice and driving tenaciously for the best possible outcome. We recognise how important it is for us to invest our own time to understand clients' needs and requirements. Clients tell us that they value the excellent service which we are dedicated to providing and view us as "experts, friendly and effective". We are committed to delivering value for money.

Our head office is in Tunbridge Wells and our Thames Gateway office, which we opened in 2005, is in Greenhithe, to the east of Dartford. We are the only major regional firm of lawyers with offices in the Thames Gateway. We act for listed PLC's, subsidiaries of overseas companies, SME's, owner managed businesses, Housing Associations, Local Authorities, charities and private individuals. The firm is made up of 8 practice areas (combined on the basis of the delivery of similar services) namely:

• Corporate & Commercial
• Employment
• Commercial Property
• Dispute Resolution
• Private Client
• Residential Conveyancing
• Clinical Negligence & Personal Injury
• Family

Founded in 1866, Trethowans has grown to become a team of over 130 people, including 23 partners and over 45 lawyers across offices in Salisbury and Southampton, serving clients within the Hampshire, Dorset and Wiltshire regions as well as nationally. We offer a complete range of services for business and individual clients that are delivered with the kind of dedication and excellence you expect from one of the South's leading legal practices.

Our business lawyers, who specialise in different areas of the law, work together to regularly advise international and national household brand names, owner-managed, entrepreneurial and major regional employers across the UK, Hampshire, Dorset and Wiltshire.

For individuals who require help for personal matters, our teams of expert lawyers deliver advice in a down-to-earth and approachable manner. It is here that the Trethowans personality is particularly beneficial so that individual clients can meet the real person behind the lawyer.

Our expertise in different areas of law is rated in the two independent guides to the legal profession, Chambers Guide to the Legal Profession and Legal 500, and a number of Partners are also individually ranked as leaders in their field.

Michelmores LLP is a leading, full service law firm, providing national and international clients with advice across a range of practice areas and sectors within our key groups: Property, Business and Private Client. Our reputation for competitive legal advice has made us one of the South West's leading practices, and in December 2009, we were named "UK Regional Law Firm of the Year" at the British Legal Awards. The award singled us out for our impressive growth over the last few years, which has been achieved through organic growth and a commitment to staff development and retention.

The firm has a wide range of experienced legal teams that provide clear and decisive advice based on a combination of the law, commercial considerations, common sense and, above all, our clients' interests.

Taylor&Emmet LLP is one of the leading and most successful law firms in the South Yorkshire region, a position it has held for more than 130 years.

This success has been achieved by delivering the highest quality legal advice to business and private clients, many of whom have remained with the firm for generations.

To maintain this enviable position, we have invested significantly in the business in recent years, in terms of our geographic location, number of offices, technology and the quality and ability of our people.

We have been consistently recognised by The Legal 500 guide to the legal profession as one of the leading law firms in the South Yorkshire region.

A different approach

Whether you are a business or an individual seeking legal advice for the very first time, our tried and tested approach to client service remains the same:

• We listen carefully to what you want to achieve
• We will work with you to deliver a no-nonsense solution that is practical, jargon free and tailored to suit your specific needs.

Our goal: to be the law firm of choice in the region

Anthony Gold has over 100 staff in three London locations who are committed to our energetic and supportive approach to providing legal advice. Many of our lawyers are recognised as leading experts in their fields. The breadth of our practice area allows us to provide a thorough and cost effective service as our lawyers can use the expertise of other departments if this is necessary for your case.

We help and advise both individuals and businesses, in a whole range of matters:

For Individuals

• Catastrophic Injury
• Clinical Negligence
• Contentious Probate & Trusts
• Employment
• Family & Divorce Law
• Housing & Public Law
• Personal Injury
• Professional Negligence
• Property Dispute Resolution
• Residential Property
• Wills, Trusts & Probate

For Businesses

• Business Sales and Acquisitions
• Commercial Agreements
• Commercial Dispute Resolution
• Commercial Property
• Employment
• Notary Public Services
• Professional Negligence
• Property Dispute Resolution

Our focus is to maintain our client relationships by thoroughly understanding your specific requirements whether you are an individual or a business. We believe that by working in accordance with our core values we provide an excellent service.

Energetic: We will respond quickly to your needs and process your case as efficiently, smoothly and effectively as possible.

Innovative: We are experts in our practice areas and are at the cutting edge of developments in the law, which will help your case and provide the best outcome for you.

Approachable: We are proud of the way we work with people and the level of our client loyalty. We understand that legal language can be daunting and all our lawyers are trained to speak to you in plain English. If English is not your first language we can arrange to advise you in a language of your choice so you feel comfortable and have a full understanding of all aspects of your situation.

A full range of funding options is available and we will advise you on the best option for your individual circumstances at the outset.

Crutes is a rapidly expanding regional law firm with a national reputation in its chosen sectors. From our three offices in Carlisle, Newcastle and Teesside Crutes services an impressive client base, with particularly strong links to the Public Sector, the Insurance Industry and local businesses.

At Crutes, we pride ourselves on client care and have recently carried out a client satisfaction survey. More than 94% of our clients in sectors as diverse as local authorities, leading insurers, health care trusts, housing groups and police authorities say they would recommend us to someone else for our legal services. The other 6% were not in a position to recommend. So, every client in the survey who could recommend us, would recommend us.

This may be because we believe in the importance of building relationships with our clients and listening to their needs and requirements.

Crutes is continually investing in IT and uses it as one of many tools to deliver excellent value for money.

We employ over 90 staff, including 18 partners, offering specialist services for Insurers, Public Bodies, Businesses and Individuals including:-

• Claims for Public Services
• Corporate and Commercial
• Commercial Property
• Debt Recovery
• Employment
• Handling Sensitive Cases
• Health and Safety and Regulatory
• Insurance Liability Services
• IP/IT/E-Commerce
• Mediation
• People Services, Family, Conveyancing and Wills
• Social Housing
• Solving Commercial Disputes

Background History

O'Reilly Stewart is one of the leading law firms in Northern Ireland, specialising in Medical Negligence, Judicial Reviews, Licensing, Education, Construction and Employment Law, The firm was established in 1934 and is based in Belfast city centre, servicing the entire Northern Ireland jurisdiction.

Reputation

O'Reilly Stewart is a progressive, influential Northern Ireland law firm with a broad commercial client base including listed companies, public bodies and major regional employers.

O'Reilly Stewart is firmly established in the "Top Ten", as one of the strongest commercial, property and litigation practices in Northern Ireland. This is evidenced by the quality and most importantly, the diversity of our client base. In the Commercial sector, we have extensive expertise in the areas of company law, commercial property, employment, construction law, banking, securities, and licensing.

We also represent major financial institutions, public bodies, incorporated companies including major plcs and medium to large Northern Ireland family based corporations, employer's unions, construction companies and pharmaceutical companies.

Quality

O'Reilly Stewart is certified for both ISO 9001 and Lexcel (the Law Society's Practice Management Standard). The Partners have made a long-term commitment to maintaining high levels of customer service through investment in quality assurance systems and recruitment of staff. Each member of our professional staff has an impeccable academic background and a number of senior members of staff teach on the Legal Practice Course at Queen's University, Belfast. We are one of the few law firms to be accredited by the English Law Society as a Training Provider for Solicitors.

Location, Facilities and Accessibility

The firm has just completed the most progressive legal office project to be undertaken in Northern Ireland. We have opened a new state of the art, four storeys building, which is situated in a prime location beside the main Courts complex in the jurisdiction.

Courtside House is easily accessible to all the major transport and regional infra-structural links. Designed by the award-winning architects RMI, the offices provide extensive meeting and seminar facilities for clients, including video conferencing and CPD events.