The Legal 500

Mills & Reeve is a top 50 UK law firm, with offices in Birmingham, Cambridge, Leeds, London, Manchester and Norwich. The firm offers a full range of commercial legal advice, including market-leading practices in health, education and for private clients. It is also recognised for its real estate, corporate, technology and insurance capability.

For international advice, clients are able to access an established network of firms across Europe, Asia, the US, Latin America and Australia. Lawyers at the firm are used to working across jurisdictions and can effectively bring projects together wherever they are based.

The firm: The culture of Mills & Reeve has been carefully nurtured so that its people are encouraged to want the best for their clients. This distinct philosophy, called ‘infectious ambition’, is about going the extra mile in the service provided.

Acquiring knowledge and expertise is encouraged and new ideas are fostered in an environment where teamwork is highly prized. Clients benefit from a happy and enthusiastic workplace where people spark off each other to achieve more.

The firm’s philosophy and talent base is supported by a focus on value. A cost-effective business structure means that quality advice can be delivered at an affordable and transparent price.

Types of work undertaken: Mills & Reeve has a substantial client base, ranging from FTSE 100 businesses to start-ups, and includes more than 70 universities and colleges, 100 healthcare institutions and 65 local government institutions. A full range of legal work is carried out:

Corporate and commercial: the service is supported by specialist commercial disputes, employment, insolvency, intellectual property, licensing, pensions and tax teams.

Real estate: development and property management teams advise both business and institutional sectors with a strong capability in construction and engineering, regeneration, planning and environment, PFI and projects, and a long-standing reputation in the agricultural sector.

Private clients: tax, trust and family lawyers advise a wide range of landowners, entrepreneurs and business people. The firm’s private client group is fast becoming one of the largest and most highly respected in the UK.

Insurance: the group advises the main carriers of professional indemnity risk, as well as clients in the wider London insurance and reinsurance markets. Alternative methods of dispute resolution are used to achieve effective handling of claims.

Banking and finance: Mills & Reeve has one of the largest dedicated banking and finance teams outside London, acting for lenders and borrowers across various industry sectors and often in different jurisdictions. The group specialises in corporate and property-related finance, providing advice across a wide range of areas – acquisition finance, property and development finance, PFI funding, company restructuring and insolvency matters.

Higher and further education: the team occupies a leading position, advising HE institutions and acts for more than 70 universities and colleges on everything from PFI schemes to technology transfer.

Technology: the firm focuses on key areas of concern to technology-based companies, advising on IP/IT, environmental, health and safety and related property issues.

Health and the public sector: Mills & Reeve is one of the UK’s leading advisers to the NHS, acting for more than 100 NHS trusts and other health bodies. The firm is the pre-eminent adviser on the establishment of PCTs and leads on arrangements for partnership working between public sector bodies.

The local authority practice advises around 65 local government institutions.

Number of UK partners 98
Number of other UK fee-earners 360