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This section covers the South East of England, excluding London. The borders are roughly Southampton to the south, Milton Keynes to the north, Newbury to the west and the Kent/Essex coastline to the east. In the absence of a single dominant urban centre, the South East is a patchwork of different legal markets, covered here as five sub-regions: Thames Valley, Berks, Oxon, M4/M40; Kent, Surrey, Sussex; Beds, Bucks, Herts, Middx; Hampshire; and Essex. All lawyers recognised in this chapter work full-time or part-time in the region.

Many firms experienced a significant upturn in work in 2011, but there is still caution in the market and transactional activity is far from pre-crisis levels. The anticipated increase in insolvency instructions has not yet materialised, nor has the predicted rise in litigation; ADR however remains a hot topic in the market, with a growing number of solicitors qualifying as mediators or collaborative lawyers. Despite the challenging market conditions, firms are displaying a quietly optimistic outlook and a determination to focus on key growth industries in order to increase profitability.

The market saw a number of mergers. Clyde & Co’s national merger with Barlow Lyde & Gilbert LLP created an insurance powerhouse in the South East through its Oxford and Guildford locations. Milton Keynes firm Kimbells LLP joined forces with Freeth Cartwright LLP, to become Kimbells Freeth LLP. In Essex, Tees Solicitors acquired Wortley Redmayne Kershaw. Fisher Jones Greenwood LLP acquired Budd Martin Burrett and became part of the QualitySolicitors network; the firm now operates as QualitySolicitors FJG.

2011 also saw a number of new office openings, including Penningtons Solicitors LLP in Guildford and Birkett Long LLP in Basildon, growing its already significant Essex presence. In Hampshire, Coffin Mew LLP opened a larger Portsmouth office, and Moore Blatch LLP expanded its presence through a new Whiteley base. Despite this increased South East coverage for some, many firms are going through a period of consolidation. Charles Russell LLP closed its Oxford office; Blake Lapthorn shut its Winchester base; and Matthew Arnold & Baldwin LLP now operates from London and Watford following the closing of its Milton Keynes office.

Niche practices continue to grow across the region. In Oxford, former Manches LLP partners Steven Maier and Cathleen Blackburn formed IP and media firm Maier Blackburn; and in Faringdon, family law firm Selby Lowndes Solicitors LLP was launched by William Selby Lowndes and Jane Aizlewood, formerly of Darbys Solicitors LLP. In Woking, Karin Walker left TWM Solicitors LLP to start KGW Family Law; and in Brighton, former asb law LLP partner Philip Warford set up niche private client practice Renaissance Legal. Oxford-based Emmerson Law was established by commercial litigation specialist Simon Emmerson following his departure from Manches LLP in 2010.

Firms with widespread regional coverage include Shoosmiths, with offices in Reading, Basingstoke, Southampton, and Milton Keynes; and Thomas Eggar LLP, which has a presence in Crawley, Chichester, Worthing, Newbury and Southampton. Blake Lapthorn and Penningtons Solicitors LLP also have broad coverage, each with three offices across two South East counties.

In the Thames Valley, Osborne Clarke continues to dominate banking and corporate work, while Morgan Cole is well recognised for its health-sector expertise. Pitmans LLP is noted for its property and litigation capabilities, and Boyes Turner is singled out for its insurance and niche industrial disease expertise, as well as its very strong IP capability. Manches LLP remains strong for family law and life sciences related TMT matters, and Clarkslegal LLP is well respected for litigation and employment.

The Kent, Surrey, Sussex region maintains the highest number of regional heavyweight firms, including Clyde & Co, which ranks highly in shipping, insurance and employment; DMH Stallard LLP, which is renowned for its public sector experience; and Stevens & Bolton LLP, which has strength in corporate and commercial matters. asb law LLP wins plaudits for its aviation industry expertise, while Charles Russell LLP maintains a formidable reputation in family and construction.

In Milton Keynes, EMW is recognised for its expertise in employment, commercial and property matters; and Dentons is well regarded for corporate work, with the firm’s construction practice also going from strength to strength. In the Beds, Bucks, Herts, Middx region, Taylor Walton LLP is particularly strong in private client matters; and IBB (Iliffes Booth Bennett) ranks highly across the board.

Hampshire-based Bond Pearce LLP has a strong national reputation and stands out for its high-profile corporate and retail clients, while Paris Smith LLP is well regarded for its connections with large local businesses, and receives high rankings for employment and private client matters.

Tees Solicitors’ arrival to the Essex market in 2011 has led to increased competition among the incumbent firms. Birkett Long LLP is particularly strong in private client work, while Birketts LLP excels in corporate and commercial matters and continues to expand following the firm’s takeover of Wollastons LLP in 2010.

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