This report looks at 12 firms in the UK top 100 that we have dubbed the ‘City independents’. They are Bristows, Farrer & Co, Fladgate, Forsters, Harbottle & Lewis, Howard Kennedy, Kingsley Napley, Lewis Silkin, Payne Hicks Beach, Russell-Cooke, Wedlake Bell and Winckworth Sherwood.
Although some do have a national or international presence, all these firms are primarily London-based. Most are heavily invested in private client, commercial or real estate work, or a combination thereof. Many, but not all, were once based in the West End but moved east as they grew. Some have bolted on smaller firms, but all have expressed a disinterest in merging and see a role for themselves as smaller, partner-led experts in London’s legal ecosystem.
This report also includes an analysis of increased specialisation within practice areas, talent pipeline and firms’ efficiency.
Read the full report here
