The Legal 500

This rapidly expanding practice, based in Surrey and South London, provides company and commercial services to a broad range of clients, with commercial property, commercial litigation and employment services being particular areas of expertise. The firm acts for businesses of all sizes, from big brands like Toyota to small, family-run concerns, many with international interests and across most industry sectors, including financial, construction, medical and travel. The firm also provides legal services to private individuals in the areas of family law, residential property conveyancing, wills, trusts and probate. Morrisons is happy to act as agents for other solicitors in litigation matters.

The firm: Morrisons, which was founded more than 200 years ago, has a well-established reputation for dependable and high-quality advice delivered by friendly and approachable staff. Lawyers are all specialists in their chosen field and have the ability to deliver creative yet highly practical solutions.

Easy access to London and the M25 means that the firm acts for clients throughout the South East of England and in central London, as well as in the Redhill and Reigate areas.

Through controlled expansion, the firm has doubled in size in the past five years, largely via acquisition. In the past year, Morrisons has made significant investments in IT systems and practice management expansion.

Types of work undertaken: Company commercial work includes negotiating, drafting and enforcing business contracts; business start-up advice, such as company and partnership formations and directors’ responsibilities; commercial agreements, including joint ventures and franchise agreements; terms and conditions of business, marketing and supply arrangements.

Corporate advice includes raising of capital, buying and selling of shares, and intellectual property, with computer purchase arrangements and e-commerce being particular specialisms. The firm has developed a growing reputation in the dental sector, especially in the purchase and sale of dental practices throughout the UK.

Commercial litigation services cover such areas as trading disputes, professional negligence, competition and insolvency.

Employment law is an area of notable expertise and includes engagement procedures, discrimination, employers’ duties, agreed and disputed termination, and TUPE.

Commercial property expertise covers site assembly and development, including planning law and options and conditional sale agreements; landlord and tenant, including acquisition of freehold; agricultural land and countryside development, including sales of farms and leases of farm buildings. Other areas of expertise include the acquisition and disposal of shopping centres and environmental issues.

For private individuals, wealthy entrepreneurs and families with significant inherited wealth, Morrisons offers considerable expertise in family law, including family breakdown, financial and property matters, domestic violence and arrangements for children. All of Morrisons’ family solicitors are SFLA-accredited specialists and two are accredited mediators.

The private client department gives advice on all aspects of wills and trusts and several lawyers are specialists in dealing with the affairs of the elderly. The department also deals with the administration of estates and disputes relating to wills. Financial planning, especially with regard to inheritance tax and capital gains tax, is a specialism.

Morrisons’ residential property department deals with all types of residential property conveyancing.

Morrisons intends to further develop its existing areas of expertise in the coming years.

Other offices: Woking, Camberley, Wimbledon

Breakdown of work %
Company and commercial (including commercial property) 20
Litigation (including employment) 21
Trusts, tax and probate 23
Family 18
Residential conveyancing 18

Number of UK partners 15
Number of other UK fee-earners 44