Clarke Willmott will "play on strengths" to secure future
The chief executive of Birmingham-based Clarke Willmott, Stephen Rosser, has told Insider that despite being “challenged” by the recent economic downturn the law firm will be “playing to our strengths” over the coming months.
Clarke Willmott, which also has offices in Bristol, Manchester, Southampton and Taunton, said it was “typical of a law firm that has been challenged by the tough economic climate and is coming to terms with the new legal landscape”.
The introduction of The Legal Services Act, in October 2011, is set to increase competition between firms as supermarket chains and other outlets will be able to offer legal advice.
Rosser said: “We’ll be playing to our strengths when the new legislation comes in – we will continue to operate as we already do; specialising in complex areas and investing in the best people.
“The key to any successful law firm is the strategy behind it - we have identified several key areas which our expertise will be concentrated on. We have identified the Asian business market as one potential area, and will continue to strength our retail team.”
Despite several high profile departures from the firm, Rosser said he was confident of the firm’s potential.
“We have grown recently, with the acquisition of Turner HR (a Taunton-based human resources business), and selling the firm is not in our strategy. We will look into any opportunities as and when they arrive.
“The Birmingham office is part of a much larger entity,” he said. “It is a big part of our UK-wide operation, which means it is better positioned to focus on growth in specific areas, like the ones we have mentioned.”
