Birketts recognised for excellence in latest Legal 500 rankings

Birketts has once again received a swathe of accolades in this year’s Legal 500 rankings, published online on 28 September 2022.

The legal directory has recognised Birketts as a Top Tier Firm in 35 practice areas, including Corporate and Commercial, Commercial Litigation, Employment and Social Housing, up from 34 in last year’s rankings.

Eight individuals were also listed in the ‘Hall of Fame’, a group comprising those at the very top of their profession: James Allen (Corporate & Commercial and Banking & Finance), James Austin (Corporate & Commercial), Laurence Weeks (Commercial Litigation and Insolvency & Corporate Recovery), Matthew Atkins (Commercial Litigation), Kath Herbert (Commercial Property), Chris Schwer (Commercial Property), Melissa Loucas (Commercial Property) and Deborah Sharples (Planning & Environment).

In addition, 39 lawyers have been listed in the elite “Leading Lawyers” group, 20 lawyers are listed as “Next generation lawyers”, and 29 have been included in the “Rising stars” group. A total of 146 lawyers are mentioned by name in Legal 500 commentary for their standout contribution to respective practices.

On the results, Jonathan Agar, CEO at Birketts, commented: “Birketts has seen exceptional growth over the past year. As we emerged from the pandemic, a new set of challenges and opportunities awaited us and these latest results are testament to the hard work that every one of our colleagues has put in to meet them head on, each playing a vital role in Birketts’ continued progression.”

The Legal 500 rankings are not just the only achievements of late. Birketts has also, for the first time, been recognised in the Law.com UK Top 50 law firms list.

Jonathan added: “These achievements highlight the breadth of exceptional work being undertaken across the firm on a daily basis, where we are consistently delivering results for our clients. We’re delighted that these efforts are helping to build Birketts’ reputation as one of the top law firms in the UK.”

The rankings come at a hugely positive time for the firm. Having undertaken an extensive rebrand, Birketts now has a completely refreshed look and feel, including a new logo, new website and a new strapline, all of which bring the new brand proposition – Next Level Law – to life.

On the Next Level Law brand proposition, Jonathan Agar said: “Having been established for over 150 years, we wanted to ensure that our branding reflected the evolution of Birketts from a small regional law firm, to the full-service, nationwide, legal powerhouse that it is today. And, Next Level Law was born.

“Next Level Law is a law firm that is more rounded, more human and more ambitious. It stems from our belief that in today’s world, lawyers don’t just need to be experts in the law, but also the industries in which our clients operate. As a proactive partner, we’re always thinking about the changes and opportunities that our clients will face, so that we can help take them to the next level.”

To review Birketts’ Legal 500 rankings please select the relevant office: