National law firm Birketts has officially opened its new Bristol office with five partners on board and an ambition to continue to grow in the city and across the South West.
The base, in the showpiece EQ building on Victoria Street, has a strong sector focus, including financial institutions, insurance, private wealth, renewables and clean energy, agribusiness, and shipping and international trade. 
Birketts, which has six other offices across the South of England, had operated a hub in Bristol since January 202, running it as a collaborative space for its South West-based partners and lawyers.
CEO Jonathan Agar said: “It is clear from the success of our Bristol hub that Birketts can play a vital role for clients in Bristol and South West.
“Offering a full range of legal services including deep sector and specialist expertise, Birketts is very well placed to play a prominent role in supporting those businesses and individuals that make Bristol and the South West such an interesting and varied region.”
Head of international private client team based in Bristol, Deborah Carrivick – who joined Birketts just over three years ago from the city office of South West law firm Foot Anstey – said the team had lived and worked in the city for many years. 
Deborah, pictured, rear row centre, with the Bristol team, added: “That understanding of the local area, combined with Birketts’ national and international track-record and expertise will be valuable to our clients and potential clients in Bristol.”
Birketts said the decision to base its Bristol practice in EQ reflected its commitment to sustainability.
The 200,000 sq ft development is powered by 100% renewable electricity is connected to Bristol’s district heat network, which Birketts also said echoed key commitments in its ESG framework, including the drive towards reducing its carbon emissions.
Other EQ occupiers include banking giant HSBC, international sustainable development and engineering consultancy Arup, accountancy and wealth management group Evelyn Partners, payments platform firm Dojo, investment firm Rathbones, property consultancy CBRE and specialist surveying and construction consultancy Rund.
Birketts, which employs more than 500 people across its offices in London, Sevenoaks, Cambridge, Chelmsford, Ipswich and Norwich, is the latest major law firm to move into the Bristol market.
National legal and professional services business Knights, which is also be based at EQ, arrived in the city last year through its acquisition of long-established independent law firm Meade King.
National firm Shakespeare Martineau expanded into the South West for the first time two years ago when it completed its merger with historic Bristol firm GL Law.
Self-styled ‘new-model law firm’ Excello made its first move into the Bristol legal market earlier this year when it recruited experienced property dispute resolution specialist Sarah Taylor from Burges Salmon, while Bath-headquartered regional law firm RWK Goodman now has a permanent base in Bristol five years after launching a satellite office in the city.
