Steeles eyes City as Wragges takes on employment sector

Norwich firm Steeles has unveiled plans for a major expansion in London, while Birmingham-based Wragge & Co is taking on the City employment law market by setting up a team in the capital.

Steeles has hired former Eversheds London managing partner Peter Scott to mastermind the growth of its London office.

He said the aim is to take it 'on a quantum leap into a different plane' with lateral hires, bolt-ons and mergers.

Mr Scott joins from accountancy firm Horwath Clark Whitehill, where he was a consultant.

In addition to being head of strategic development at Steeles in London, he is also running his own legal consultancy, Peter Scott Consulting.

Steeles wants to grow its commercial, employment, media and public service groups and to build a partnership law practice.

Mr Scott said: 'We can bring management skills to bear on firms that might not be having it so good at the moment.

There's a silver lining to every cloud and whenever there's gloom around [in the economy] that's a time of opportunity.'

Meanwhile, Wragges - which already has intellectual property, private equity and property teams in London - is sending five lawyers and a consultant to its City office, with lateral hires to beef the team up to 12.

It aims to compete with top-rated employment practices at Lewis Silkin, US firm McDermott Will & Emery and Fox Williams.

Senior partner Quentin Poole said: 'The London office is a strategic priority but only for teams that need that geographical advantage.'

He said that visibility in the capital has already attracted new clients, such as a brief to advise the Greater London Authority on property issues relating to London's bid to stage the 2012 Olympics.

However, he said that some of the London office's work had been carried out in Birmingham, and he added: 'This does not signal any plans to go full service in the City.

There are too many advantages to be gained for our clients by concentrating and strengthening our Birmingham resource.'

Jeremy Fleming