Steele Raymond has again been recognised by the foremost legal industry guide, The Legal 500, as one of Dorset and the South West’s leading law firms; this latest milestone in the rankings is the 18th consecutive year the Bournemouth-based firm has received the Top Tier accolade.
The latest ‘Top Tier’ ranking comes after a strong year at the firm, which has seen Steele Raymond welcome several strategic partner appointments, strengthening its legal teams across the board whilst continuing to promote newly qualified solicitors from its highly regarded training programme.
Commenting on the latest rankings, Chairman of Steele Raymond, Tim Stone, said:
“Steele Raymond has once again excelled in the Legal 500 rankings after another challenging and somewhat unpredictable year for many businesses.
“It is a testament to the hard work, resilience and complete dedication of all our team to ensure the best possible outcomes for our valued clients.
“As a firm, we continue to evolve and grow in a turbulent economic environment. We pride ourselves on our ability to serve – that’s what we’re here to do – providing outstanding client service day in and day out.”
Steele Raymond is ranked in eight practice areas in this year’s Legal 500 guide, whilst 22 individual lawyers are recognised for their work across the Dorset, Devon and Cornwall regions.
Of those, the six lawyers recognised by the 2022 edition in the elite “Leading Individual” category have all maintained this status in the 2023 edition. ‘Leading Individuals’ include chairman Tim Stone and partner Paula Eckton for their work in Corporate & Commercial, partner and head of dispute resolution, Peter Rolph, and three partners in the firm’s leading Property Group, head of commercial property Chris Twaits, Managing Partner Jennifer Rogerson and head of residential development, Emma Stainwright.
The firm has also doubled the number of ‘Rising Star’ lawyers at the firm to six. ‘Rising Star’ is an accolade given to lawyers who frequently appear in significant matters and are widely cited by peers and clients as having made significant contributions to practices.
Lindsay Halliwell (Family) and Johanna Hammersley (Pension Property Investment), and Alexandra Clapp (Commercial) all maintained their ‘Rising Star’ status, whilst dispute resolution specialist Alice Toop, property litigation solicitor Laura Offer, and corporate and commercial solicitor Shaun Guppy also received the accolade.