22 legal focus
Beside the sea – Coffin Mew expands into Brighton
Brighton and Hove is one of the fastest growing cities in the South East of England – home to many exciting, dynamic businesses and a thriving cultural scene. With law firm Coffin Mew opening an office in Brighton‘s centre, the city now has a new pool of expertise to help fulfil its entrepreneurial spirit
Coffin Mew is a law firm with an ambitious vision. For the past 125 years it has been the first port of call for businesses and individuals in the Solent region, and it is now extending its award-winning service along the South Coast.
On May 5, the firm opened a new full-service office in Brighton. The new office, the firm‘s fifth, is a bold demonstration of Coffin Mew‘s commitment to one of the South Coast‘s fastest- growing and most diverse cities. It is also a commitment to supporting the fast-growing entrepreneurial businesses that thrive there.
The office is being led by Nick Leavey, partner and head of Coffin Mew‘s commercial property team. Leavey has been advising clients in the Brighton area for 15 years, having also lived and worked in the city. He is joined by a team of senior lawyers, all with strong Brighton connections, with further appointments shortly to follow.
Explaining the move into Brighton, Leavey said: ”Coffin Mew enjoys a strong reputation for being entrepreneurial and forward-thinking. With its rapidly-growing economy and high standard of living, it is a natural fit to the firm‘s already-strong client offering.”
Coffin Mew in Brighton will offer the full range of support to both businesses and individuals, including corporate/commercial, commercial property, litigation, insolvency, employment, residential conveyancing, wills, trusts and probate and family law.
Coffin Mew is already making a highly visible impact on the city, advising the Brighton West
www.businessmag.co.uk
Pier Trust on the £45 million i360 development, featuring a 138-metre high observation tower, restaurant, retail and exhibition space. The scheme is at the forefront of the regeneration of the historic seafront site. The firm is also supporting the Brighton and Hove Arts Council on its arts initiatives programme for 2015/16.
But there is much more to Brighton than its world-famous beach and piers. The city is home to some 1,500 start-ups and young digital and tech businesses in a cluster named ‘Silicon Beach‘.
”Brighton has a rapidly-expanding economy, with many fast-growing businesses in the creative, digital, IT, green-tech, financial services, health and life sciences, and the advanced engineering sectors,” says Leavey. ”There is also the strong year-round tourism sector. We believe these businesses will embrace a like-minded law firm that is on their doorstep. People in Brighton do business in Brighton.”
Long-term vision
Coffin Mew‘s vision does not, however, stop in Brighton. In the next 24 months the firm is on track to open further offices and to double its turnover. It is, as the firm‘s managing partner Miles Brown says, ”a firm to watch”.
Growth will come from acquisition, both merging with exceptional smaller firms and acquiring successful teams, and from organic growth. The firm plans to grow from its current £10m annual turnover to around £20m over the next three years.
THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – SOLENT & SOUTH CENTRAL – JUNE 2015
”Business owners and individuals want to work with successful advisers,” explains Brown. ”It is important that we as a business grow to continue to attract the best quality people and to meet the challenges our clients face. Some of that growth will come from the enormously talented staff we already have, and some will come from our expansion and acquisition programme.
”Our clients see our lawyers as very much part of their team, wanting full service support wherever they are based. It is important that we are there to support their growth.”
Photo (from left): John Parkinson, head of business development; Nick Leavey, partner, commercial property; Nick Gross, chairman and partner, corporate; Sally Pike, partner, family; James Russell, partner, dispute resolution; Mirren McGinley, solicitor, commercial property; Jonathan Sleep, partner, wills, trusts and probate; Amy Richardson, associate, employment; Miles Brown, managing partner; Elizabeth Gibbons, office manager
Details:
Coffin Mew Solicitors Brighton office 0333-000-0122
www.coffinmew.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40