Blake Morgan praised as Thames Valley leaders in legal directory

Chambers UK has listed 10 of the firm’s teams in the Thames Valley in its 2018 edition, with four of those achieving the highest Band 1 ranking and six in Band 2.

It describes the firm, which has its Thames Valley offices in Oxford and Reading, as “one of the leading full-service law firms, providing clients with access to a depth of legal skill and experience”.

It adds: “Clients have a deep reservoir of goodwill for the firm as a result of its ‘exemplary service’ code of practice, its heritage and the access it provides to expertise, resource and sector specialisms.”

Band 1 rankings were awarded for the firm’s Family, Litigation, Planning and Social Housing teams in the Thames Valley.

Blake Morgan’s Employment practice was given the accolade of being declared a top-tier National Leader outside London, with the directory observing the firm’s “attentiveness to requirements” in the Thames Valley and its expertise in retail, charity and education and both public and private organisations.

The firm is also named as a National Leader outside London in its Band 2-ranked Banking and Finance, Information Technology, Litigation, Intellectual Property and Social Housing practices.

Blake Morgan is also celebrating success for its leading individuals in the Thames Valley, with a total of 13 of its lawyers in the region listed in Chambers. Of those five achieved the highest Band 1 listing, with two in Band 2, and one in Band 3.

The directory also looked at up-and-coming solicitors, with four of the firm’s Thames Valley associates noted as “Associates to Watch” and one listed as a “Star Associate”.

Lawyers achieving the top Band 1 ranking were: Family law specialist Christine Plews, described as the “go-to person for high-value cases”; Planning specialist Guthrie McGruer, praised as providing “invaluable advice”; Licensing specialist Jon Wallsgrove, who “demonstrates a high level of knowledge”; Construction specialist Richard Wade, who has a “wealth of experience”; and Employment and Social Housing specialist William Downing, noted for “his ability to see things from an employer’s point of view”.

Chambers UK: A Client’s Guide to the Legal Profession is compiled from research including interviews with clients and other law firms and is widely respected as the leading legal guide in the UK.

Bruce Potter, Chairman at Blake Morgan, said: “We are pleased to once again have an extremely strong showing for our Thames Valley teams in this directory. It’s been a great year in the region with some exciting deals happening across our Reading and Oxford offices.

“These directory results are based on the views of our clients and peers and we are proud that they highly value the expertise and knowledge of our leading teams across the full range of legal services, as well as the exemplary client service that we offer.”

Across Blake Morgan’s offices on the south coast and in the Thames Valley, London, and Cardiff, a total of 78 individuals were listed in the directory. Blake Morgan lawyers achieved an impressive 25 Band 1 rankings, with 16 listed in the second tier.