AT MORECROFTS we’re very lucky because we’re a broad church – we do lots of different areas of the law, though we don’t do conveyancing on a large scale nor do we buy in personal injury work.

We’re finding things hard, but OK. I think we’re always looking to make cost savings, but we haven’t made any redundancies and we’re very fortunate that we have that broad base.

It does test your mettle to make sure you’re planning right and looking for every opportunity. It’s making people realise that you have to be careful in what you’re engaging in.

We’ve got money in the bank and we’re OK.

Those firms that are well managed and perhaps are a little more cautious are doing OK.

The smaller firms that specialise in domestic work or those that do only one area of law are maybe finding it more difficult – unless that firm only does bankruptcies.

There are some great mergers being made and that’s a good thing to do because it gives you that big base.

Bremners going in with Brabners is a good move. It adds strength to both sides of the equation.

Jackson & Canter and AS Law is also good. That adds value to Jackson & Canter because AS Law have a good track record in their personal work and in their administrative applications. It adds to Jackson & Canter’s portfolio as a good legal aid law firm pursuing actions on behalf of independent people.

Also, Hill Dickinson’s move with Middleton Potts is intriguing. It looks like they’re looking into a different legal area by going into commodities practice.

Meanwhile there are huge difficulties in relation to criminal work. They are having it from all sides – first of all the rates of pay are particularly low and secondly because of the way that the legal system has gone.

There aren’t many trials now. Not only are you paid less for doing the work but because the police are able to give out fixed penalty fines and cautions, they aren’t pursuing as many trials as before so you don’t get the work.

But there’s downturns and upturns and I do think we will come out of the recession in a year’s time and those firms that are there will be better for it. It’s not good while we’re in it, particularly for partners.