Pictured: Freeth Cartwright Birmingham managing partner
Richard Beverley
The Birmingham practice of heavyweight Midlands law firm Freeth
Cartwright is set to move into an office space three times larger
than its existing premises as the firm continues to expand in
response to the Legal Services Act.
The firm, which also has offices in the East Midlands,
Manchester and London, has signed the lease on new offices on
Bennetts Hill in the city centre, four years after its Birmingham
launch, and will make the move from its current Colmore Row base
before the end of November.
Freeth Cartwright also has ambitious growth plans for the
headcount of its Birmingham practice and intends to double the
number of lawyers it has based in the city within the next two
years.
Birmingham managing partner Richard Beverley said: "Freeth
Cartwright has grown from nine to 23 lawyers since we opened the
city office in 2007. Our expansion in Birmingham mirrors the firm's
national growth plans, which reflect our belief that we need to
maximise our size and strength to remain competitive under the new
Legal Services Act.
"It is also becoming increasingly important that we offer
enhanced national coverage to our clients, a strategy which is
currently being reinforced by the rapid development of our
Birmingham, Manchester and London offices."
Freeth Cartwright aims to reinforce all of the firm's core
commercial services with its new hires, but will also be looking
for expertise in its supporting practice areas, such as regulatory
and pensions, as well as the firm's rapidly expanding energy
practice.
The firm's Birmingham expansion plans follow a number of key
hires by the city practice in recent months. Catherine Burke joined
in the summer from Birmingham law firm Martineau, where she was a
partner and Head of Renewable Energy, and social housing specialist
Mushtaq Khan joined from rival Birmingham law firm H B J Gateley
Wareing, where he led the social housing management litigation
team.
News of Freeth Cartwright's Birmingham office move comes shortly
after the national firm announced its merger with seven-partner
Milton Keynes firm Kimbells on 1 November.