BLG adds to legal scene
LAW firm Barlow Lyde & Gilbert has entered the competitive Manchester legal market.
It has taken 7,800 sq ft at Chancery Place on Brown Street in the city centre.
BLG is a specialist in insurance and dispute resolution and has offices in London, Oxford, Hong Kong, São Paulo, Singapore and Shanghai.
The Northern office is being led by Robert Muttock and Mark Hemsted, who have joined from DLA Piper in Manchester. The focus of the team’s work will be defending employers’ liability, public liability and motor liability cases.
The pair have recruited a team of 10 associates and secretaries to support them.
The firm plans to set up a professional liability practice in Manchester too, and is promising “several significant new hires” soon.
Robert Muttock said: “This is a very exciting opportunity. Manchester is a vibrant city and BLG is a leader in insurance litigation across the board.
“Insurers want greater choice and flexibility, and the office in Manchester increases BLG’s national coverage, allowing us to better serve our clients.”
BLG has been working with Manchester’s investment agency MIDAS in the run up to the launch.
Sarah Darch, business development manager for the financial and professional services sector at MIDAS, said: “The arrival of BLG into Manchester bears testament to the increasing strength of the sector in the city.
“As the leading UK legal centre outside of London, we’re seeing more and more specialist firms like BLG look to Manchester as a viable base from which to serve their existing customers and tap into new client markets. We’re delighted that BLG is here and will continue to support them as they grow.”
