Blake Morgan recognised in Chambers & Partners guide 2024

Leading law firm Blake Morgan is celebrating its success in the 2024 Chambers & Partners Guide as it secures impressive rankings for its practice areas and individual lawyers.

The guide profiles the best performing lawyers and legal firms across the UK, based on an in-depth independent research process.

This year, 39 of the firm’s practice areas in England and Wales were included in the rankings, with 14 in the highest Band 1.

Construction, Planning and Real Estate were recognised in this category following a successful year with the teams advising on a number of high profile projects in the sector. They sit alongside other practice areas including Banking and Finance, Restructuring and Insolvency, Litigation, Professional Negligence, Administrative & Public Law, Corporate M&A, Employment, and Social Housing which were all ranked as Band 1.

The firm’s Healthcare practice, whose lawyers have worked with organisations including the NHS over the last year, has moved up a band in its ranking.  It was described by clients as ‘solutions focused, experienced and practical’ and is one of the firm’s 15 practice areas now ranked as Band 2, alongside Family and Matrimonial, Professional Discipline, Travel, London Real Estate: 10-50 million, and Intellectual Property.

Other practice areas have been ranked for the first time this year including the firm’s Local Government team, led by Penny Rinta-Suksi, whose ‘strong team’ were ‘highly responsive and provided incredible advice’, according to clients.

Blake Morgan had impressive feedback from clients across its broad range of expertise, with themes including praise for the firm’s ‘strong commercial know-how’ and ‘tailored approach to each case’. One client testified that the advice of the firm was ‘exemplary’.

The Guide also recognises leading lawyers from across the legal industry, and 63 of the firm’s lawyers were recognised individually – an increase on last year’s rankings.

11 individuals were included in the highest ranking of Band 1, including Bruce Potter, Joanne Davies, Kath Shimmin, Lee Fisher, Matthew Smith, Paul Caldicott, Richard Portlock, Richard Wade, Siân Jones, Simon Burge and Zoe Wright. A further 14 lawyers achieved Band 2 status.

Head of the Construction team, Richard Wade, was described as ‘well respected in his field’, while Richard Portlock was recognised as a ‘leading specialist’ within professional negligence. Siân Jones was positioned as a well-known name in social housing in Wales, with clients praising her as ‘absolutely fantastic to work with’.

Seven lawyers also earned their place as ‘senior statespeople’, while 11 were highlighted as ‘associates to watch’ and four as ‘up and coming’, with the guide marking these lawyers as at the forefront of their generation.

Among the associates to watch were real estate expert, Rachel Sales, whose ‘attention to detail’ was praised by clients, and ‘experienced’ public law and education specialist, Trish D’Souza. Kate Howell was also recognised in this category and described as having ‘an all-round excellence in the law’. Newly ranked family lawyer Flora Grossman was praised for her ‘incredible empathetic support’ while ‘knowledgeable’ construction expert Edward McMullen’s clients rated his contribution to making their jobs easier.

Kath Shimmin, chair at Blake Morgan, said: