Blake Morgan teams in Thames Valley celebrate success in Legal 500 listings

The directory, just published, reviews the strengths of lawyers across the UK and recommends them based on how they are seen by clients and their peers.

The guides rates the firm’s Thames Valley offering in the top Tier 1 rankings in 13 practice areas – among them Corporate and Commercial, Employment, Pensions, Charity and Not-for-Profit, Family, Project Finance, Education, Commercial Property and Construction. This is an increase on the five practice areas listed in the top tier of the guide in the previous year. The results reflect the firm’s deep understanding of its clients’ sectors and the regional markets they operate in.

The Legal 500 lists five Blake Morgan Partners in the Thames Valley as “leading individuals” – the highest accolade the directory can give. A further 32 are listed as “recommended” by the guide.

Listed as “leading individuals” are Christine Plews, who leads the family law practice and is described as a “fantastic lawyer”; Chris Potts, who leads the Commercial Litigation team in the Thames Valley; Bruce Potter, chairman of the firm and a public sector health specialist, praised for his “extensive experience”; include Corporate specialist Guy Constant who “has a knowledge of the market that is second-to-none”; and Ruth Leadbitter, who leads the real estate team.

The directory notes: “Blake Morgan attracts praise for the impressive breadth and depth of legal talent housed within the team whose expertise and depth of capability is excellent. The firm provides a truly exceptional level of service in an efficient and friendly manner, and the team is always supportive, accommodating and flexible to all requests that are made, which allows the client to make an effective and informed decision.”

It adds that “clients have a deep reservoir of goodwill for the firm as a result of its ‘exemplary service’ code of practice, its heritage and the access it provides to expertise, resource and sector specialisms”.

Bruce Potter, Chairman of Blake Morgan, said: “It’s been a great year for the legal teams in the Thames Valley and these results underline our continued growth and success this year.

“We are proud that the expertise and professionalism of our partners and their teams has been recognised by our clients and peers.

“We are particularly proud that 13 of our practice areas in Oxford and Reading have achieved the top tier rating – a real success story for our teams.”

The Legal 500 placed 33 of the firm’s practice areas across England and Wales in its top-rated Tier 1 ranking – among them Corporate and Commercial, Dispute Resolution, Private Client, Commercial Property, Employment, Health, Education, Pensions, Local Government, Social Housing, Intellectual Property, and IT and Telecoms. A further 40 practice areas were “recommended”.

A total of 38 lawyers from Blake Morgan’s offices in England and Wales were named elite “leading individuals” and 159 Blake Morgan lawyers were “recommended” – a large increase on 103 in the previous year.