Druces LLP

Founded in 1767, Druces is an ambitious City of London firm known for advising public and privately-owned businesses, financial institutions and wealthy individuals across a range of industries and sectors. With over 250 years of experience, we combine cutting-edge legal advice with a responsive, partner-led service and pride ourselves on the long-term relationships we build with our clients.

We provide high-value expertise in the areas of corporate and capital markets, dispute resolution, commercial and residential real estate and private wealth. A large part of our work has an international dimension and we were founder members of the Alliance of Business Lawyers. This worldwide network of law firms enables us to deliver an excellent cross-border service for our clients in the UK and overseas, regularly advising international clients on English law matters.

Through mergers with City law firms Ronaldsons and Sykes Anderson Perry, Druces has been able to strengthen its capital markets, private client and real estate teams. This has led, for example, to the firm developing the capacity to provide specialist tax, property and legal services for French clients and to our capital markets team becoming leaders in the natural resources sector.

The firm: Druces is a highly regarded firm which is both proud of its long heritage and, at the same time, keenly focused on delivering innovative and forward-thinking advice to its clients. Druces prides itself on its in-depth knowledge of clients’ circumstances and the industries and markets in which they operate. In today’s rapidly evolving world, our team has continued to focus on delivering effective solutions and identifying new ways to achieve clients’ goals.

Types of work undertaken: Druces has notable strengths in the natural resources, real estate finance, banking and finance (including Sharia’a finance), construction, family office and healthcare sectors. The firm is also highly regarded for its international and domestic private wealth work.

Corporate and commercial: Our corporate and commercial team is experienced in helping businesses thrive, whether it be a listing on the stock exchange, corporate finance and restructuring work or M&A and disposals. Our lawyers also have expertise in specialist areas such as the healthcare sector and Sharia’a finance. There is also a focus on advising on a range of regulated business transfers. These include transactions as diverse as insurance demutualisations, through to the sale of banks and stockbrokers. The firm’s banking and finance practice is particularly strong, covering asset finance, property finance, acquisition and trade finance, restructuring of debt and equity, project finance and also Sharia’a compliant finance. The banking and finance team is on the panel for a number of clearing banks as well as smaller and specialist entities, acting for other banks and lending institutions.

Private wealth and taxation: Druces’ private wealth team acts for high-net-worth individuals and families, helping clients with tax planning both in the UK and internationally, as well as finding ways to protect wealth for future generations through trust and estate planning. The team is also well equipped to assist clients with contentious and non-contentious probates, and to advise family offices. Internationally, our dual qualified lawyers are able to advise clients on French tax, properties and probate; we also work with clients based in Monaco, Switzerland and other French-speaking jurisdictions.

Real estate: Druces’ large team of real estate lawyers provides a complete commercial and residential property law service to a wide variety of corporate and individual clients. The firm’s commercial property lawyers act for a range of developers, investors, occupiers and financiers. Clients range in size from large corporates to smaller entrepreneurial concerns. The firm has particular expertise in acting for clients investing in property syndicates, Druces having pioneered the use of these structures some 30 years ago.

Dispute resolution: Druces has strengthened its dispute resolution offering considerably, growing the team’s expertise to offer services across commercial and contractual areas, construction, property and specialising in niche sectors such as classic car disputes. The team is instructed by business owners, landlords, tenants and families on a range of litigious matters and is praised for the clarity of its advice, its efficiency and cost-effectiveness.