Pinsents eyes Manchester and relishes local battles

Pinsent Curtis Biddle is bucking the trend of recent years by expanding back into the provinces and opening an office in Manchester.The firm has recruited four corporate partners - three private equity and one banking - from niche Manchester firm Chaffe Street to begin work with three Pinsent Curtis partners, who will join from the Leeds office.Senior partner Julian Tonks said the Manchester office would focus on private equity and financial institutions, calling it a 'very targeted approach'.He said: 'From day one, we will have a strong, established team of quality lawyers in place in Manchester, which will add to our national strength in these sectors - and be more than capable of competing with the best locally.'Partners from other respected corporate firms in the city were more circumspect.One said the move was inevitable: 'Manchester was a hole in their national coverage and I'm surprised it has taken them so long.'He added: 'They will have an uphill struggle, as the market here is well served by the big firms.' Addleshaw Booth & Co, Eversheds, DLA and Halliwell Landau are seen as the corporate market leaders.Mr Tonks said: 'Rival firms are not entirely unbiased observers on that issue.'With offices in London, Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds, Pinsents can now claim national coverage.Last year, it formed an alliance with Swedish firm Magnusson Wahlin, and Mr Tonks said it would now focus on consolidating its European presence - it has a Brussels office, but is looking in France, Germany and Italy - and growing its London office.Jeremy Fleming