Berryman
No of Partners: 15
No of Assistant Solicitors: 35
www.berrymanshacklock.co.uk
The merger of Nottinghamshire firms Shacklocks and Berryman & Co in 2000 was intended to create a firm capable of breaking into the region’s top five, alongside Eversheds, Browne Jacobson, Freeth Cartwright, and Shoosmiths. Five years’ later, it is uncertain whether this goal has been achieved, but the combination of two of Nottingham’s stronger corporate and commercial teams has certainly created a firm which more than holds its own in a pretty competitive arena – and now sees its chance to move up the legal food chain.
Berryman is one of the phalanx of firms which sees an opportunity to win local market share as some of the East Midlands’ larger firms look towards the West Midlands for growth. 2004 saw the firm embark on a mini-hiring spree, taking Weightmans insurance partner Stephen Robb, and 2 lawyers from Edwards Geldard. Berryman is one of the middle-tier identified by local recruitment consultants as driving the recruitment market as the bigger firms continue to consolidate following the end of the corporate boom at the beginning of the century.
The merger has certainly aided the development of its insurance practice, which enjoys the patronage of Allianz Cornhill amongst others, while the Berryman’s other star performers are its commercial property practice and its private client department, which deals with both tax, trusts and estates and family law.
The 15 partner firm (which also has 35 assistants and 15 other fee-earners) describes itself as ‘ambitious, dynamic and progressive’, the latter claim backed up by its award of ‘Investors in People’ (IIP) status since 2002 and its achievement of the Lexcel Practice Management Standard in the same year.
Similar qualities are expected from its staff, who should also share the firm’s priorities of client service and providing commercially sound, no-nonsense advice. In return, the firm offers to make the working experience as pleasant as possible.
“Our firm’s culture is deliberately team-orientated and we endeavour to make Berryman a good place to do business and a good place to work,” says managing partner, Andy Matthews.
“Our aim is to cultivate a supportive working atmosphere and our IIP review in 2003 is one of our particular strengths. We are an innovative firm and support our fee-earners with online library resources and an attitude of knowledge-sharing.”
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