THE LEGAL 500 UNITED KINGDOM SUBMISSION PROCESS
UK Regions deadline: Friday 7 February 2025
London and PATMA deadline: Friday 21 March 2025
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Guidelines
UK regions outside London
Law firms in London
Frequently asked questions
Referees explained
Practice area definitions
Researchers
To learn more about the team behind our research, please visit Meet The Legal 500 Team.
Practice areas
The UK Legal 500 Solicitors guide 2026 will publish in autumn 2025 – below is an explanation of all of the most significant changes for this year’s research, which are also highlighted in red in the practice list at the bottom of this page.
Changes – London
Family – this year we are splitting our family table into two sub-sectors – Divorce and Financial Remedy and Children – to better reflect the expertise of firms which focus more strongly on one area or the other.
EU and competition: trade, WTO anti-dumping, customs, and sanctions – we have retitled this section to emphasise the focus on trade remedies, customs, trade policy, investment protection, economic sanctions and compliance.
Changes – UK Regions and Offshore Britain
This year we are introducing an Energy and projects ranking in the Wales chapter to recognise the firms handling such work. This section is aimed at both energy projects and broader infrastructure and development projects, and the related work.
Regulatory and white-collar crime sections have also been added to the Jersey and Guernsey coverage, providing a standalone section for non-contentious and contentious regulatory and white-collar crime work.
The South East and South West Shipping sections have also been renamed to Transport, to accommodate a broader range of transport-related work. Shipping work should still be included here.
The North/Corporate tax ranking and also the Wales/Clinical negligence: defendant sections have been removed.
EAST ANGLIA PRACTICE AREAS
- Corporate and commercial
- Corporate and commercial: Cambridge
- Corporate and commercial: elsewhere in East Anglia
- Corporate and commercial: Norwich
- Corporate tax
- Crime, fraud and licensing
- General crime and fraud
- Licensing
- Dispute resolution
- Commercial litigation: Cambridge
- Commercial litigation: elsewhere in East Anglia
- Commercial litigation: Norwich
- Debt recovery
- Employment
- Employment
- Health and safety
- Immigration
- Pensions
- Finance
- Banking and finance
- Insolvency and corporate recovery
- Insurance
- Personal injury and clinical negligence: claimant
- Personal injury and clinical negligence: defendant
- Professional negligence
- Private client
- Agriculture and estates
- Charities and not-for-profit
- Contentious trusts and probate
- Family
- Personal tax, trusts and probate: Cambridge
- Personal tax, trusts and probate: elsewhere in East Anglia
- Personal tax, trusts and probate: Norwich
- Public sector
- Public sector
- Real estate
- Commercial property: Cambridge
- Commercial property: elsewhere in East Anglia
- Commercial property: Norwich
- Construction
- Planning and environment
- Property litigation
- Social housing
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms)
- Biotechnology
- Intellectual property
- IT and telecoms
- Media, entertainment and sport
- Transport
- Transport and shipping
EAST MIDLANDS PRACTICE AREAS
- Corporate and commercial
- Corporate and commercial: elsewhere in the East Midlands
- Corporate and commercial: Nottingham and Derby
- Crime, fraud and licensing
- General crime and fraud
- Licensing
- Dispute resolution
- Commercial litigation: elsewhere in the East Midlands
- Commercial litigation: Nottingham and Derby
- Debt recovery
- Employment
- Employment
- Immigration
- Finance
- Banking and finance
- Insolvency and corporate recovery
- Insurance
- Personal injury and clinical negligence: claimant
- Personal injury and clinical negligence: defendant
- Professional negligence
- Private client
- Agriculture and estates
- Charities and not-for-profit
- Contentious trusts and probate
- Family
- Personal tax, trusts and probate
- Projects, energy and natural resources
- Energy and projects
- Public sector
- Public sector
- Real estate
- Commercial property: elsewhere in the East Midlands
- Commercial property: Nottingham and Derby
- Construction
- Planning and environment
- Property litigation
- Social housing
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms)
- Intellectual property
- IT and telecoms
- Sport
NORTH PRACTICE AREAS
- Corporate and commercial
- Corporate and commercial: Newcastle
- Corporate and commercial: elsewhere in the North
- Crime, fraud and licensing
- General crime and fraud
- Licensing
- Dispute resolution
- Commercial litigation: elsewhere in the North
- Commercial litigation: Newcastle
- Debt recovery
- Employment
- Employment
- Pensions
- Finance
- Banking and finance
- Insolvency and corporate recovery
- Insurance
- Personal injury and clinical negligence: claimant
- Personal injury and clinical negligence: defendant
- Professional negligence
- Private client
- Agriculture and estates
- Charities and not-for-profit
- Contentious trusts and probate
- Family
- Personal tax, trusts and probate
- Projects, energy and natural resources
- Energy and projects
- Public sector
- Education
- Health
- Real estate
- Commercial property: elsewhere in the North
- Commercial property: Newcastle
- Construction
- Planning and environment
- Property litigation
- Social housing
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms)
- Intellectual property
- IT and telecoms
- Media and entertainment
NORTH WEST PRACTICE AREAS
- Corporate and commercial
- Corporate and commercial: elsewhere in the North West
- Corporate and commercial: Liverpool
- Corporate and commercial: Manchester
- Corporate tax
- EU and competition
- Crime, fraud and licensing
- General crime and fraud
- Licensing
- Dispute resolution
- Banking litigation
- Commercial litigation: elsewhere in the North West
- Commercial litigation: Liverpool
- Commercial litigation: Manchester
- Debt recovery
- Employment
- Employment
- Employment: employee/union firms
- Health and safety
- Immigration
- Pensions
- Finance
- Banking and finance
- Insolvency and corporate recovery
- Insurance
- Clinical negligence: claimant
- Clinical negligence: defendant
- Personal injury: claimant
- Personal injury: defendant
- Professional negligence
- Private client
- Agriculture and estates
- Charities and not-for-profit
- Contentious trusts and probate
- Family
- Personal tax, trusts and probate
- Projects, energy and natural resources
- Energy and projects
- Public sector
- Education
- Health
- Local government
- Real estate
- Commercial property: elsewhere in the North West
- Commercial property: Liverpool
- Commercial property: Manchester
- Construction
- Planning and environment
- Property litigation
- Social housing
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms)
- Intellectual property
- IT and telecoms
- Media and entertainment
- Sport
- Transport
NORTHERN IRELAND PRACTICE AREAS
- Corporate and commercial
- Corporate and M&A
- Dispute resolution
- Dispute resolution
- Employment
- Employment
- Finance
- Banking and finance
- Insolvency and corporate recovery
- Insurance
- Personal injury and clinical negligence: claimant
- Personal injury and clinical negligence: defendant
- Private client
- Personal tax, trusts and probate
- Projects, energy and natural resources
- Energy and projects
- Real estate
- Commercial property
- Construction
- Planning and environment
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms)
- Intellectual property
- IT and telecoms
OFFSHORE PRACTICE AREAS
- Guernsey
- Banking and finance
- Capital markets
- Commercial property
- Corporate and M&A
- Dispute resolution
- Employment
- Insurance
- Investment funds
- Private client, trusts and tax
- Regulatory and white-collar crime NEW
- Isle of Man
- Banking, finance and capital markets
- Commercial property
- Corporate and commercial
- Dispute resolution
- Employment
- Gambling
- Insurance and pensions
- Private client, trusts and tax
- Shipping and aviation
- Jersey
- Banking and finance
- Capital markets
- Commercial property
- Corporate and commercial
- Dispute resolution
- Employment
- Family
- Investment funds
- Private client, trusts and tax
- Regulatory and white-collar crime RENAMED
SCOTLAND PRACTICE AREAS
- Corporate and commercial
- Corporate and commercial: Edinburgh and Glasgow
- Corporate and commercial: elsewhere in Scotland
- Corporate tax
- EU and competition
- Crime, fraud and licensing
- Crime: fraud
- Crime: general
- Licensing
- Dispute resolution
- Commercial litigation
- Debt recovery
- Employment
- Employment
- Health and safety
- Immigration
- Pensions
- Finance
- Banking and finance
- Insolvency and corporate recovery
- Investment funds
- Insurance
- Medical negligence: defender
- Medical negligence: pursuer
- Personal injury: defender
- Personal injury: pursuer
- Professional negligence
- Private client
- Agriculture and estates
- Charities and not-for-profit
- Contentious trusts and probate
- Family
- Personal tax, trusts and executries
- Projects, energy and natural resources
- Energy (excluding oil and gas)
- Oil and gas
- Projects
- Public sector
- Education
- Health
- Local government
- Parliamentary and public affairs
- Real estate
- Commercial property: elsewhere in Scotland
- Commercial property: Edinburgh and Glasgow
- Construction
- Environment
- Planning
- Property litigation
- Social housing
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms)
- Intellectual property
- IT and telecoms
- Media and entertainment
- Sport
- Transport
SOUTH EAST PRACTICE AREAS
- Corporate and commercial
- Corporate and commercial: Beds, Bucks, Herts, Middx
- Corporate and commercial: Essex
- Corporate and commercial: Hampshire
- Corporate and commercial: Kent, Surrey, Sussex
- Corporate and commercial: Thames Valley, Berks, Oxon, M4/M40
- Corporate tax
- Crime, fraud and licensing
- General crime and fraud
- Licensing
- Dispute resolution
- Commercial litigation: Beds, Bucks, Herts, Middx
- Commercial litigation: Essex
- Commercial litigation: Hampshire
- Commercial litigation: Kent, Surrey, Sussex
- Commercial litigation: Thames Valley, Berks, Oxon, M4/M40
- Debt recovery
- Employment
- Employment: Beds, Bucks, Herts, Middx
- Employment: Essex
- Employment: Hampshire
- Employment: Kent, Surrey, Sussex
- Employment: Thames Valley, Berks, Oxon, M4/M40
- Health and safety
- Immigration
- Pensions
- Finance
- Banking and finance
- Insolvency and corporate recovery
- Insurance
- Clinical negligence: claimant
- Clinical negligence: defendant
- Personal injury: claimant
- Personal injury: defendant
- Professional negligence
- Private client
- Agriculture and estates
- Charities and not-for-profit
- Contentious trusts and probate
- Family: Beds, Bucks, Herts, Middx
- Family: Essex
- Family: Hampshire
- Family: Kent, Surrey, Sussex
- Family: Thames Valley, Berks, Oxon, M4/M40
- Personal tax, trusts and probate: Beds, Bucks, Herts, Middx
- Personal tax, trusts and probate: Essex
- Personal tax, trusts and probate: Hampshire
- Personal tax, trusts and probate: Kent, Surrey, Sussex
- Personal tax, trusts and probate: Thames Valley, Berks, Oxon, M4/M40
- Public sector
- Public sector
- Real estate
- Commercial property: Beds, Bucks, Herts, Middx
- Commercial property: Essex
- Commercial property: Hampshire
- Commercial property: Kent, Surrey, Sussex
- Commercial property: Thames Valley, Berks, Oxon, M4/M40
- Construction
- Environment and planning
- Property litigation
- Social housing
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms)
- Intellectual property
- IT and telecoms
- Media and entertainment
- Sport
- Transport
- Transport RENAMED
SOUTH WEST PRACTICE AREAS
- Corporate and commercial
- Corporate and commercial: Bristol
- Corporate and commercial: Dorset, Devon and Cornwall
- Corporate and commercial: Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire
- Corporate tax
- EU and competition
- Crime, fraud and licensing
- General crime and fraud
- Licensing
- Dispute resolution
- Commercial litigation: Bristol
- Commercial litigation: Dorset, Devon and Cornwall
- Commercial litigation: Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire
- Debt recovery
- Employment
- Employment: Bristol
- Employment: Dorset, Devon and Cornwall
- Employment: Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire
- Health and safety
- Immigration
- Pensions
- Finance
- Banking and finance
- Insolvency and corporate recovery
- Insurance
- Clinical negligence: claimant
- Clinical negligence: defendant
- Personal injury: claimant
- Personal injury: defendant
- Professional negligence
- Private client
- Agriculture and estates
- Charities and not-for-profit
- Contentious trusts and probate
- Family
- Personal tax, trusts and probate
- Projects, energy and natural resources
- Energy and projects
- Public sector
- Education
- Health
- Local government
- Real estate
- Commercial property: Bristol
- Commercial property: Dorset, Devon and Cornwall
- Commercial property: Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire
- Construction
- Environment
- Planning
- Property litigation
- Social housing
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms)
- Intellectual property
- IT and telecoms
- Media and entertainment
- Sport
- Transport
- Transport RENAMED
WALES PRACTICE AREAS
- Corporate and commercial
- Corporate and commercial
- Crime, fraud and licensing
- General crime and fraud
- Dispute resolution
- Commercial litigation
- Debt recovery
- Employment
- Employment
- Health and safety
- Immigration
- Pensions
- Finance
- Banking and finance
- Insolvency and corporate recovery
- Insurance
- Clinical negligence: claimant
- Clinical negligence: defendant
- Personal injury: claimant
- Personal injury: defendant
- Professional negligence
- Private client
- Agriculture and estates
- Charities and not-for-profit
- Contentious trusts and probate
- Family
- Personal tax, trusts and probate
- Projects, energy and natural resources
- Energy and projects NEW
- Public sector
- Public sector
- Real estate
- Commercial property
- Construction
- Planning and environment
- Property litigation
- Social housing
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms)
- Intellectual property
- IT and telecoms
- Media and entertainment
- Sport
WEST MIDLANDS PRACTICE AREAS
- Corporate and commercial
- Corporate and commercial: Birmingham
- Corporate and commercial: elsewhere in the West Midlands
- Corporate tax
- Crime, fraud and licensing
- Civil fraud
- General crime and fraud
- Dispute resolution
- Banking litigation
- Commercial litigation: Birmingham
- Commercial litigation: elsewhere in the West Midlands
- Debt recovery
- Employment
- Employment
- Health and safety
- Immigration
- Pensions
- Finance
- Banking and finance
- Insolvency and corporate recovery
- Insurance
- Clinical negligence: claimant
- Clinical negligence: defendant
- Personal injury: claimant
- Personal injury: defendant
- Professional negligence
- Private client
- Agriculture and estates
- Charities and not-for-profit
- Contentious trusts and probate
- Family: Birmingham
- Family: elsewhere in the West Midlands
- Personal tax, trusts and probate
- Projects, energy and natural resources
- Energy and projects
- Public sector
- Education
- Health
- Local government
- Real estate
- Commercial property: Birmingham
- Commercial property: elsewhere in the West Midlands
- Construction
- Environment
- Planning
- Property litigation
- Social housing
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms)
-
- Intellectual property
- IT and telecoms
-
- Transport
YORKSHIRE PRACTICE AREAS
- Corporate and commercial
- Corporate and commercial: Hull and East Yorkshire
- Corporate and commercial: Leeds, West Yorkshire, North Yorkshire
- Corporate and commercial: Sheffield, South Yorkshire
- Corporate tax
- EU and competition
- Crime, fraud and licensing
- General crime and fraud
- Dispute resolution
- Banking litigation
- Commercial litigation: Hull and East Yorkshire
- Commercial litigation: Leeds and West Yorkshire; North Yorkshire
- Commercial litigation: Sheffield, South Yorkshire
- Debt recovery
- Employment
- Employment: Hull and East Yorkshire
- Employment: Leeds and West Yorkshire; North Yorkshire
- Employment: Sheffield and South Yorkshire
- Health and safety
- Pensions
- Finance
- Banking and finance
- Insolvency and corporate recovery
- Insurance
- Clinical negligence: claimant
- Clinical negligence: defendant
- Personal injury: claimant
- Personal injury: defendant
- Professional negligence
- Private client
- Agriculture and estates
- Charities and not-for-profit
- Contentious trusts and probate
- Family: Leeds and West Yorkshire; North Yorkshire
- Family: Elsewhere in Yorkshire
- Personal tax, trusts and probate
- Projects, energy and natural resources
- Energy and projects
- Public sector
- Education
- Health
- Local government
- Real estate
- Commercial property: Hull and East Yorkshire
- Commercial property: Leeds and West Yorkshire; North Yorkshire
- Commercial property: Sheffield, South Yorkshire
- Construction
- Environment
- Planning
- Property litigation
- Social housing
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms)
- Intellectual property
- IT and telecoms
- Sport
- Transport
LONDON PRACTICE AREAS
-
- Corporate and commercial
- Commercial contracts
- Corporate tax
- Customs and excise
- Equity capital markets – small-mid cap
- Equity capital markets – mid-large cap
- EU and competition
- EU and competition: trade, WTO anti-dumping, customs, and sanctions RENAMED
- Financial services: contentious
- Financial services: non-contentious/regulatory
- International business reorganisations
- M&A: Smaller Deals, £10m-£100m
- M&A: Lower Mid-Market Deals, £100m-£750m
- M&A: Upper Mid-Market And Premium Deals, £750m+
- Partnership
- Private equity: transactions – high-value deals (£500m+)
- Private equity: transactions – mid-market deals (up to £500m)
- VAT and indirect tax
- Venture capital
- Crime, fraud and licensing
- Crime: general
- Fraud: civil
- Fraud: white-collar crime (advice to individuals)
- Gaming and betting
- Licensing
- Private prosecutions
- Dispute resolution
- Banking litigation: investment and retail
- Commercial litigation: mid-market
- Commercial litigation: premium
- Commodities disputes
- Competition litigation
- Costs lawyers
- Debt recovery
- Group litigation (claimant)
- International arbitration
- Mediators
- Professional discipline
- Public international law
- Tax litigation and investigations
- Employment
- Employee share schemes
- Employees/unions
- Employers
- Health and safety
- Immigration: business
- Immigration: human rights
- Immigration: personal
- Pensions: non-contentious
- Pensions: dispute resolution
- Senior executives
- Finance
- Acquisition finance
- Asset based lending
- Bank lending: investment grade debt and syndicated loans
- Corporate restructuring and insolvency
- Debt capital markets
- Derivatives and structured products
- High yield
- Islamic finance
- Securitisation
- Trade finance
- Transport finance and leasing
- Industry focus
- Emerging markets
- Hospitality and leisure
- Life sciences and healthcare
- Retail and consumer
- TMT
- Insurance
- Clinical negligence: claimant
- Clinical negligence: defendant
- Insurance and reinsurance litigation
- Insurance litigation: for policyholders
- Insurance: corporate and regulatory
- Personal injury: claimant
- Personal injury: defendant
- Product liability: claimant
- Product liability: defendant
- Professional negligence
- Investment fund formation and management
- Fund finance
- Hedge funds
- Listed funds
- Private funds
- Real estate funds
- Retail funds
- Irish firms in London
- Offshore firms in London
- Private client
- Agriculture and estates
- Art and cultural property
- Charities and not-for-profit
- Contentious trusts and probate
- Court of protection
- Family: Children NEW
- Family: Divorce and financial remedy NEW
- Family: mediation
- Personal tax, trusts and probate
- Projects, energy and natural resources
- Infrastructure: M&A and acquisition finance
- Infrastructure: Project finance and development
- Mining and minerals
- Oil and gas
- Power (including electricity, nuclear and)
- Renewables
- Water
- Public sector
-
- Administrative and public law
- Civil liberties and human rights
- Education: individuals
- Education: institutions
- Education: schools
- Electoral
- Healthcare
- Infrastructure (parliamentary)
- Local government
-
- Real estate
- Commercial property: corporate occupiers
- Commercial property: development
- Commercial property: investment
- Construction: contentious
- Construction: non-contentious
- Environment
- Planning
- Property finance
- Property litigation
- Residential property
- Social housing: finance
- Social housing: local authorities and registered providers
- Social housing: tenant
- Risk advisory
- Corporate governance
- Data protection, privacy and cybersecurity
- ESG
- Regulatory investigations and corporate crime (advice to corporates)
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms)
- Artificial intelligence
- Fintech: corporate and commercial
- Fintech: regulatory
- Franchising
- Intellectual property: patents (contentious and non-contentious)
- Intellectual property: trade marks, copyright and design
- IT and telecoms
- Media: Advertising & marketing
- Media: Digital content & social
- Media: Film & TV
- Media: Media finance
- Media: Music
- Media: Theatre, publishing and other media
- Media: Video games
- PATMA: Patent attorneys
- PATMA: Trade mark attorneys
- Reputation management
- Sport
- Transport
- Aviation
- Rail
- Shipping
- Travel: personal injury
- Travel: regulatory and commercial
- Corporate and commercial