The Legal 500

Barlow Lyde & Gilbert LLP (BLG) is a leading international law firm, renowned for its insurance and dispute resolution expertise.

The firm: BLG and its affiliated undertakings have over 90 partners and more than 500 lawyers in London, Hong Kong, Manchester, Oxford, Sao Paulo, Shanghai and Singapore. Founded in 1841 in the City of London, BLG provides an extensive range of legal services to clients from many different industries around the world. In the UK, BLG opened offices in Oxford (2007) and Manchester (2009) to extend the reach of its market-leading insurance practice. The firm has also significantly grown its Asia practice over the past few years. BLG offers an integrated service to clients across Asia, with particular strengths in dispute resolution, insurance, and marine.

Type of work undertaken: Whether handling contentious insurance and reinsurance matters, dealing with complex non-contentious issues, such as alternative risk transfer, restructuring, product development and distribution, or advising on regulatory requirements, BLG is focused on serving clients in the insurance industry. The firm also has an unrivalled reputation within other major industry sectors, including financial services, professional practices, shipping, construction and healthcare, particularly where clients in those sectors require insurance or reinsurance market expertise.

Three quarters of the firm’s lawyers specialise in litigation and dispute resolution – one of the largest teams in Europe. Expert in handling disputes of every type – including very large and complex matters – BLG always seeks the best commercial solution for its clients, whether through litigation in the courts, through arbitration or mediation, or by negotiation.

BLG’s non-contentious expertise spans corporate, commercial, employment, pensions, insolvency, property and insurance risk transactions.

Recruitment and development: BLG welcomes around 50 students a year to participate in its annual summer vacation scheme programme and it recruits about 15 graduates each year to be trainee solicitors. The firm’s training and development objective is to assist its trainees and its lawyers to acquire the relevant skills and legal expertise associated with delivering a high-quality service to clients. For further information on either graduate or lateral recruitment matters, visit www.blq.co.uk/careers.

Other offices: Oxford, Hong Kong, Manchester, São Paulo, Shanghai, Singapore

Number of UK partners 90+
Number of other UK fee-earners 380+