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Overview
An ace insurance litigation firm faced with tough conditions in its core markets, Barlow Lyde & Gilbert has struggled in recent years to establish itself as a serious player in transactional law - with very mixed results.
The firm dropped six places in the 2007 Legal Week Top 50 after a modest 1.3% rise in turnover to £76.2m, while profits inched up by 5% to £399,000.
The first poster on Barlows' entry flags up the strategic conflict that seems to have plagued the firm since the slump in litigation and the insurance market as a whole - stick to what you know best or bet the farm on a move into the commercial stuff?
"Recent press releases have suggested the faction that wants a narrow focus on high-end litigation work has nosed ahead in the debate over where the firm should be headed," notes 'Nemesis'. "[Senior partner Richard] Dedman is trumpeting the appointment of the non-contentious bods, but there was [another] release recently which indicated that Barlows would no longer be investing in their non-contentious capability, so they won't be there long! Very odd. I wonder who is in charge there."
In late 2007 the firm moved to streamline its decision-making processes, giving Dedman and chief executive Clint Evans more power. However, six months later Dedman announced that he was stepping down mid-term, paving the way for a leadership contest that could go some way towards determining the very future of the firm.
History
Culture
Key departments
With around three-quarters of the firm's lawyers in litigation and dispute resolution, including some 50-odd partners, it is no surprise that this area remains the cornerstone of Barlows' practice. Indeed, litigation has counted for at least 80% of Barlows' total revenue in recent years - which explains why it's struggled to keep pace with City counterparts focused on transactional work.
Insurance and reinsurance is a key sector for the firm and one in which Barlows remains among the City's finest.
National/international coverage
Outside its London base, Barlows has limited its international expansion to the Asia-Pacific region. The firm boasts offices in Hong Kong (which opened in 1986), Shanghai (2000) and Singapore (2004) - and, a touch unusually, nothing in continental Europe.
Key clients
Leading partners
High-profile department head Sarah Clover leads a star-studded professional negligence team that also includes the outgoing senior partner, Richard Dedman.
The loss to Mayer Brown of commercial litigation chief Clare Canning - whose already-fearsome reputation was further enhanced by a convincing win in the mammoth Equitable Life case - was hard to read as anything other than a blow for the firm, despite the strength in depth of its contentious practice.
Career prospects
A bumper round of promotions in 2008 saw Barlows make up a record eight new partners, including seven at the firm's City base and one in Hong Kong. That came after the firm promoted seven new partners the year before, indicating that the firm at least has confidence that its home-grown talent can replace some of those senior leavers.
Salaries
Recruitment
For graduate recruitment at Barlows, which takes on around 16 trainees a year, the person to contact is Caroline Walsh. For legal recruitment, you want Kate Ferguson.
For more information on careers at Barlows, click here.
Work-life balance
Diversity
