International law firm Clyde & Co officially opened its Bristol office this week with the aim of making it a ‘platform for growth’ in the region.
The office, in the Orega Business Centre on Victoria St, opens with three new partners – two joining the firm’s UK professional and financial disputes (PFD) group and one in its global projects & construction team. 
Clyde & Co announced it would add a Bristol office last November to coincide with the appointment of partners Ian Peacock, pictured right, from the Bristol office of Womble Bond Dickinson and John Eastlake, who previously worked at Kennedys in London.
Womble Bond Dickinson Ian specialised in professional indemnity litigation for solicitors, accountants, brokers and financial advisers and set up the firm’s regional insurance practice in Bristol. He has particular experience in cases with a corporate, commercial and taxation background including some of the highest profile mis-selling scandals in recent years.
John, who was head of professional indemnity at Kennedys, advises on professional negligence claims for solicitors, accountants, surveyors and architects as well as ‘new professions’ such as IT and marketing. He also provides risk management and claims prevention advice to professions, and advises Directors and officers liability (D&O) insurers in relation to policy coverage.
In March Clyde & Co hired Peter O’Brien, pictured below, a partner in regional firm partner Clarke Willmott’ Bristol, as the third member of its Bristol team.
Peter, who joins its global projects & construction group team, is a leading lawyer in construction industry disputes and has more than 14 years’ experience.
He specialises in construction dispute resolution, representing clients in a range of dispute forums in the UK and overseas, including both contractors and sub-contractors operating in the energy and infrastructure sectors.
Before becoming a solicitor he was a quantity surveyor, having spent nearly a decade working on infrastructure projects in Asia.
Its new Bristol base takes Clyde & Co’s UK office network to 10, including London, Guildford and Oxford, as well as five in mainland Europe and 13 in North and South America. 
It employs a total staff of 3,600 including 390 partners, 1,500 lawyers and 2,000 legal professionals.
Senior partner Simon Konsta said: “We are focused on serving our clients when and where they need us, and this focus has driven our global and regional insurance growth strategy over the past decade.
“Bristol is a key centre for professional and financial disputes and infrastructure work, so having John, Ian and Peter on board gives us a great foundation, as well as a platform for further growth.”
Clyde & Co’s PFD group has more than 150 lawyers in the UK and its professional liability practice has a long-established reputation as a leading advisor on policy coverage, defending claims and regulatory proceedings, focusing on each of the major professions, as well as ‘emerging professions’ such as recruitment, management consultants and IT professionals.
The group operates across all Clyde & Co’s offices worldwide, with specialist professional liability teams in key jurisdictions.
PFD group partner Andrew Blair said: “Both Ian and John are hugely experienced and well known professional liability defence lawyers with strong track records of success, which have underpinned the building of two very successful practices and teams.
“Increasingly, clients want and need strong regional capability in addition to City capability. We already have an established PFD presence in Oxford, Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle and Scotland. Bristol adds another piece in the jigsaw.”
Its global projects & construction team has more than 150 infrastructure lawyers across six continents and delivers transactional and contentious legal services to the world’s most high-profile and complex infrastructure projects.
It has an established footprint across all infrastructure classes and particular skill in applying the developments in mature markets to assist both the private and public sectors in emerging territories.
Partner and head of the firm’s global projects & construction group John Morris described Peter O’Brien as a great addition to the team.
“With a number of major projects taking place in the South West, our clients increasingly need on-the-ground support in the region. Our new office in Bristol provides the perfect base for this.
“He will also be an asset for our clients across the UK and internationally as he is an extremely talented litigator and his previous experience as a quantity surveyor gives him a unique understanding of the construction industry.”
