Leading national law firm celebrates 20th anniversary of Birmingham office

Since opening its doors in 2005, the Birmingham office has played a vital role in the firm’s growth and continues to provide high quality legal advice to clients across the Midlands and beyond.

Over the past two decades, Clarke Willmott’s Birmingham team has grown significantly, expanding its practice areas and embedding itself in the community by supporting numerous charitable organisations, including Social Mobility Foundation and Jericho.

The office, located at 9 Colmore Row in the city centre, is now home to more than 50 staff and 14 partners and covers key practice areas including commercial and private client litigation and services; real estate; serious injury and medical negligence.

"This 20-year milestone is a testament to the exceptional team we’ve built in Birmingham and the trust our clients continue to place in us," said Rayner Grice, head of Clarke Willmott’s Birmingham office. 

"We are continuing to attract the highest calibre lawyers to work with our excellent clients and we’re building strong relationships in the community.

“The firm continues to see Birmingham and the Midlands as an important and vibrant growth region and we want to play our part."

The office reached a major milestone in 2021 when it relocated from Edmund Street to its current Colmore Row location to support its business growth plans and to better accommodate flexible working. 

Now thriving, the experienced team continues to grow and the office’s most recent appointments include Holly Smith, commercial property; Michaela Walker, family; Jonathan Forester, partner in employment and Neelam Sharma, partner in social housing.

Throughout its 20-year history, the Birmingham office has remained committed to community engagement and its ESG commitments.

The office has partnered with the Colmore Collective, a committee that organises inclusive and open events in the heart of Birmingham to help young professionals in the legal and finance sectors.

The office also takes part in the firm’s week-long paid vacation scheme which provides young people considering a career in law with hands-on experience, mentoring and career training. The highly sought-after vacation scheme has led to the recruitment of several participants including Nida Ahmed, who joined the Birmingham office’s corporate team.

Lawyers have also supported students at Aston University and University of Birmingham in various programmes aimed at supporting their graduate career development.

To mark the anniversary, Clarke Willmott hosted a celebration event at the offices bringing together clients, colleagues, suppliers and community partners to reflect on the past two decades and look ahead to the future.

Rayner Grice said: “We’re incredibly proud of our legacy here and look forward to continuing to provide the client service and legal excellence we have become known for."

Clarke Willmott  has offices in Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, London, Manchester, Southampton and Taunton.