2015 Legal Awards

http://www.acquisition-intl.com/2015-legal-awards M&A awards 116 LEGAL awards ~ Best Private Client Team - Devon Over the last few years Wollen Michelmore has grown substantially and developed into a strong regional practice. It now has five offices throughout Devon – Torquay, Newton Abbot, Dartmouth, Barnstaple and Bideford – and is the only law firm with offices in both the north and south of the county – offering a “coast to coast” service and network of offices. The firm’s strategy has seen a mix of geographic expansion through merger/acquisition plus organic growth of departments and development of new/niche services. However the firm has also been keen not to lose sense of its identity borne out of private client service to generations of families across Devon. The largest offices in the firm, Torquay and Newton Abbot, were run by predecessor firms in their current locations since the 1860s, so whilst having a keen sense of heritage much focus has been concentrated in recent times on cre- ating a modern, profitable and dynamic law firm. Wollen Michelmore became an LLP in 2011, and currently has 15 LLP members – 11 equity and 4 salaried. The firm has signed Heads of Terms for the lease of 12,000 square feet of new office space within a new development in the centre of Torquay and is also expected to move the Barnstaple office into new premises during 2016. The firm is probably “unique” in that its growth has seen it become the fifth largest law firm in the Devon & Somerset Law Society region but is the only “large” regional firm to have retained a focus on private client services (including family legal aid) with offices in accessible town centre locations. There are five key depart- ments of the firm – property, private client (wills, probate, trusts), commercial, dispute resolution and family. The firm’s key departments are set out above but in addition the firm has developed some key niche areas in fields such as child care, marine, renewable energy, clinical negligence (particularly in the field of hospital infections), leisure and tourism, and licensing (winning several national licensing awards). The firm has won several regional awards and Rachel Carter was recently shortlisted as Solicitor of the Year at the Law Society’s Excellence Awards for her work in non accidental injury child care cases. The firm has also been shortlisted in the following categories in the Devon and Somerset Law Society Legal Awards. • Law Firm of the year 11+ partners • Solicitor of the year • CSR • Client Care • Law Manager of the year • Team of the year – Private Client and Family Company: Wollen Michelmore Web: http://wollenmichelmore.co.uk/ Address: 30 The Terrace Torquay, Devon, TQ1 1BS