Major growth for law firm (From Oxford Mail)

Major growth for law firm

8:00am Thursday 15th December 2011 in News By Andrew Smith

A rapidly expanding law firm has moved into brand new offices in Oxford.

Clyde & Co, formerly known as Barlow Lyde and Gilbert has doubled the size of its presence on Oxford Business Park with the move into Rowan Place.

It is the latest in a series of major moves at the Park which include the construction of a building for more than 1,000 British Gas Retail staff while other major city firms such as Oxfam, accountants Grant Thornton and lawyers Henmans have all moved into the 88-acre site.

Barlow Lyde and Gilbert merged with Clyde & Co in November, creating a major international firm with 27 offices on five continents.

In Oxford, the company employs 35 staff including 23 lawyers, having expanded from four lawyers working when the firm moved to the city three years ago.

Managing partner Tony Nurse-Marsh said the firm’s expansion had partly been due to rising professional indemnity claims with the likes of lawyers and accountants having to defend a rising tide of claims from clients thanks to the ongoing economic crisis.

He added: “Oxford is an extremely central location for us and it is very good that we are surrounded by other professional firms on the Park.

“We are looking to double in size and we are constantly recruiting. We believe this move will provide a positive boost for the Oxford economy.”

Clyde and Co has taken a nine-year lease on 7,878 sq ft of the ground floor of Rowan Place which also houses Grant Thornton.

James Raven, development director at Goodman Business Parks which operates the site, said: “This long-term commitment from a leading professional services firm demonstrates that the right, well managed environment we provide here, with high quality office space in a strategic location is a significant draw for both new and existing occupiers.”

Oxford Business Park is now home to more than 40 companies employing in excess of 4,500 people.