Clarke Willmott's South West offices ranked highly in 2025 Legal 500
The South West offices of national law firm Clarke Willmott LLP have once again ranked highly in this year’s Legal 500 guide, with numerous practice areas and individual lawyers being recognised.
Clarke Willmott’s offices in Bristol and Taunton were named in the top tier of the prestigious guide in eight practice areas: debt recovery; employment; personal injury – claimant; professional negligence; family; personal tax, trusts and probate; property litigation; and sport.
The guide, which ranks the UK’s top lawyers and firms, recommended Clarke Willmott’s Bristol and Taunton offices in a further 18 practice areas.
Clarke Willmott South West partner Alex Jakubowski was named in the elite ‘Hall of Fame’ list, the Legal 500’s guide to outstanding lawyers nationwide, along with two other Clarke Willmott lawyers.
Meanwhile 12 South West lawyers were named as ‘Leading Partners’: Philip Roberts – debt recovery; Lee Hart – personal injury – claimant; Alex Jakubowski – professional negligence; Gareth Schofield – family; Graham McIntyre – property litigation; Tim Copplestone – sport; Esther Woolford – commercial litigation; Marguarita Tyne – clinical negligence – claimant; Bonita Walters – contentious trusts and probate; David Stedman – commercial litigation; Oliver Smedley – social housing; and Simon Thomas – corporate and commercial.
Seven Clarke Willmott lawyers were named as ‘Leading Associates’ - James Edmondson – personal injury – claimant; Stephanie Bishop – insolvency and corporate recovery; Polly Ridgway – contentious trusts and probate; Jade Lyus – social housing; Stephen Harper – social housing; Sarah MacLarty – employment; and James Marshall – commercial litigation.
A further six Clarke Willmott lawyers were named as ‘Next Generation Partners’ - Laura Robbetts – property litigation; Sarah Manley – commercial property; Naomi Cunningham – property litigation; Philippa Yeo – family; Laura Mackain-Bremner – commercial litigation; and Tim Copplestone – employment.
Clarke Willmott LLP chief executive, Peter Swinburn, said: “We are delighted with our numerous rankings in the Legal 500 guide and are especially pleased to receive Top Tier rankings in no less than eight practice areas across our Bristol and Taunton offices.
“Having celebrated our 135th anniversary this year and having moved into our state-of-the-art new Assembly C building, these rankings are a good reflection of our position as an industry leader. They also serve to highlight the immense talent we have in our teams, something of which we are very proud.”
Nationally, Clarke Willmott received Top Tier rankings in eight practice areas and recommendations in 54 practice areas. Three Clarke Willmott lawyers are named in the ‘Hall of Fame’, 22 are named as ‘Leading Partners’, 12 as ‘Leading Associates’ and a further ten as ‘Next Generation Partners’. A total of 168 lawyers are recommended in the guide.
The Legal 500 series is widely acknowledged as the world’s largest legal guide. It is an independent guide and firms and individuals are recommended purely on merit.
Clarke Willmott LLP is one of the UK’s leading law firms with offices in Bristol, Birmingham, Cardiff, London, Manchester, Southampton and Taunton. Clarke Willmott provides support on a broad range of legal services to individuals and businesses, with a focus on the most involved and complex matters.
For more information visit www.clarkewillmott.com.
