Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP

Our goals are to always exceed clients' expectations and to provide a more attractive place to work than our competitors.

The firm's clients are diverse and we work with a growing list of FTSE 100 companies. Other clients include blue-chip corporates, banks and financial institutions, major property companies and developers, public sector bodies and individuals. Clients are attracted by our focus on client service and, over the last five years, the firm has doubled in size.

We are widely recognised for our expertise in a number of industry sectors, including real estate, hotels, leisure and gaming, defence, energy, utilities and retail. This sector knowledge provides us with an in-depth understanding of the industries in which our clients operate so that we can provide them with the best advice within a commercial context.

Our open and friendly culture, combined with a strong commitment to career development, has made the firm a magnet for quality staff. In 2008, BLP was named as the UK's most up and coming firm in a Legal Week survey of leading City lawyers and it was named the UK Law Firm of the Year at the Chambers Europe Awards for Excellence 2008. A panel of independent experts named BLP as the UK's Best Legal Employer in both 2007 and 2008 for Sweet & Maxwell's directory and the firm was ranked, for the first time, in the Sunday Times Best Places to Work For 2008.

The firm's broad international strategy means that we can manage international, cross-border transactions by bringing together the finest legal minds from around the world in ways that are tailor-made to meet individual clients' needs. As well as our London office, we have an office in Brussels, incorporating our fast and expanding EU and competition practice, as well as offices in Paris and Singapore. We are opening an office in Abu Dhabi in early 2009.

Where local legal advice is required we carefully select from a panel of over a 100 preferred firms in more than 65 countries, who are chosen for the quality of their expertise and their commitment to client service. A programme of activity helps maintain very strong relationships with these firms at all levels, many of whom we have worked closely with over a number of years. These strong relationships, which are non-exclusive, help us to provide a seamless service, but clients have the flexibility to select which firms they use, the level of project management required and the most appropriate billing arrangements.