The Legal 500

Shoosmiths is a national law firm providing legal services tailored to meet clients’ objectives and goals. Its offices stretch from Southampton to Manchester office.

The firm: Shoosmiths’ client-centred approach has defined its achievements for more than 160 years. The firm works with market-leading and recognised clients, each of whom demand expert and dedicated attention. It’s this approach which drives Shoosmiths’ philosophy that great service is something you do, rather than talk about.

Shoosmiths’ three-year business strategy is to exploit a ‘service vacuum’ in the legal market, following the expansion of (formerly UK-only) national law firms into international markets. Shoosmiths identified a gap for a service-oriented, client-centred law firm, able to deliver year-on-year cost savings to clients on the segments of their legal spend that do not warrant a City price tag. Its proposition is focused on how it works with clients, and through customising in some detail the way it delivers legal services to them, individually. Shoosmiths’ clients say they like this approach and the fact that the firm has not lost its personal touch, investing heavily in the relationship interface – something just as important to them as the outstanding professional advice they expect and receive from some of the best lawyers and advisers in the country.

Shoosmiths introduced a non-lawyer account management service for key clients in 2008, providing greater co-ordination for the non-legal aspects (including reporting and billing), thereby allowing those clients to get more from their relationship with the firm. The non-lawyer account manager does not replace the traditional client partner role, but acts as an independent channel alongside it. This client-centred strategy has paid off: Shoosmiths has developed rapidly in recent years, with growth both in turnover, which has increased from £43m in 2002 to £99m in 2009, and in reputation. Shoosmiths is a member of the World Services Group and is ISO 9001 and Investors in People accredited.

Types of work undertaken: Shoosmiths continues to attract work from fast-growth and major UK companies, and UK subsidiaries of overseas-owned corporates, providing them with an intelligent alternative to mainstream City providers. The main markets in which Shoosmiths competes and where its core strengths lie are within: financial services, retail and residential development sectors where, in three sectors alone, it acts for some of the top FTSE 100 and 250 organisations.

Commercial: the firm has specialists in data protection, e-business, EU and competition, franchising, IP and brand protection, IT contracts, outsourcing and projects, and public procurement.

Corporate and banking: Shoosmiths’ team has a successful track record advising companies through the business lifecycle, from start-up and first-round finance through to mergers and acquisitions, buyouts, development funding, flotation (AIM and full list) and other exits. The team specialises in the mid-market, typically advising on transactions worth up to £100m.

Employment: the large national team provides tailored and practical advice, strategies and solutions to HR teams and senior management on issues including TUPE, redundancy, disciplinary and dismissal, data protection and privacy, contracts of employment and employment tribunals.

Preventing and resolving disputes: Shoosmiths has a large national team with a wealth of court experience, as well as expertise in all other forms of dispute resolution, including arbitration, mediation, expert determination, executive mini-trials and adjudication.

Real estate: independently ranked as a top-20 UK law firm for real estate, the firm has more than 130 lawyers advising on property, planning, construction, tax, environmental and property litigation.

Compliance, regulatory and risk: from data theft to product recalls and fraud to advertising standards, the team advises clients on reducing and managing exposure to risk.

Lender services: the firm operates a national team which brings together three related areas of expertise for clients in the finance sector: finance litigation, recoveries and collections, and regulation and compliance.

Consumer services: Shoosmiths is one of the largest personal injury practices in the country, with dedicated experts in complex claims, especially spinal cord and brain injuries, as well as specialists in clinical negligence. In February 2010, Shoosmiths launched a new brand for its consumers called Access Legal from Shoosmiths. It brings together more than 100 legal services for consumers, grouped under seven headings: conveyancing; employment law; legal disputes; medical negligence; motoring law; personal injury; and wills, family and wealth.

Number of UK partners 107
Number of other UK fee-earners 519