Legal services sector in Cumbria ‘should be celebrated’ says leading lawyer

ONE of Cumbria’s leading lawyers has labelled the county’s presence in an influential industry index as ‘outstanding’.

Peter Stafford, the managing director of Cartmell Shepherd, said the verdict delivered this week by the Legal 500 underlines the quality of services across the county.

A number of Cumbria businesses were named in the annual report, underlining the degree to which law firms in the county can offer a comprehensive package of services.

Peter, named in the guide and described as ‘extremely experienced and approachable,’ said: “In a Cartmell Shepherd capacity, there is much to celebrate in the Legal 500 when it comes to recognition of the services we deliver for our valued clients.

“But there is a bigger picture here and I believe the focus should be on the county as a whole. Cumbria has a vibrant, professional and high-achieving legal sector which across many sectors, equals the services offered by big city firms. Companies including Cartmells and some of our peers, Burnetts and Baines Wilson to name a couple, help achieve that.

“As a collective professional services industry, we should be celebrating what we have achieved in the Legal 500, and what that means for the clients we advise and represent every day.”

A number of legal firms across the county were named in the index. Cartmel Shepherd gained recognition across nine areas of law, with 16 individual members of the legal team noted for mention, including Mark Jackson, who was singled out as a next-generation lawyer, an accolade reserved for individuals thought to be future leaders in their field.

Mark’s mention was one of two reasons to celebrate for the agricultural law team, as they also achieved coveted Tier One status – the only firm in Cumbria to do so and one of only two in the north.

Elsewhere, Cartmells received high recognition for its performance in the area of personal injury. Carol Fish is a director of the business and the head of its personal injury team.

She was described as ‘knowledgeable, friendly and easy to work with’, and was praised for ‘working very hard for her clients’.

Said Carol: “Receiving such positive feedback and national recognition for the work that I do in the field of serious or catastrophic injury means that my clients can rest assured that they are receiving the best possible advice on their doorstep in Cumbria.”

Cartmell Shepherd was recognised across the following areas: company commercial, commercial litigation, HR employment, personal injury claimant, private client agriculture, private client, contentious trust and probates, family law, personal tax, trusts and probate along with real estate commercial property.

James Higgins 32 West