Law firms ecognised as best in N. West

Sep 19 2007 by Vicky Anderson, Liverpool Daily Post

FOUR of Liverpool’s biggest law firms have been declared “regional heavyweights” in an annual directory of the 500 best companies in the country.

The Merseyside offices of DLA Piper, DWF, Halliwells and Hill Dickinson were named top in the North West alongside six Manchester firms.

The Legal 500 is a yearly review covering each of the different legal disciplines and categorising the best firms in three tiers of achievement.

Other firms who made the top tier included Bermans and Leeds Lloyd Whitley for debt recovery, Mace and Jones for employment law, Thompsons for personal injury (claimant), Berrymans Lace Mawer and Weightmans for personal injury (defendant), Weightmans for professional negligence, and Brabners Chaffe Street for charities.

In all its core practice areas, DLA Piper achieved top-tier status, and in three – corporate and commercial, commercial litigation, and banking and finance, it is the only Liverpool law firm in the top tier.

The firm’s Liverpool managing partner, Philip Rooney, said: “We are extremely proud of our regional roots and delighted to be providing acknowledged market leading advice from Liverpool.”

DWF was within the top-tier for insolvency and corporate recovery, employment, health and safety, defendant personal injury, professional negligence and charities.

Halliwells performed strongly thanks to its role in high-profile deals including the recent stock market flotation of Eddie Stobart.

Peter Jackson, Hill Dickinson managing partner, said the firm “has once again been recognised by The Legal 500 for its leading status in a number of specialist areas”.

vickyanderson