Shoosmiths celebrates 30 years on the South Coast

Published by

Sam Pither

The Hampshire office of law firm Shoosmiths is celebrating its 30^th year in business on the South Coast.

Since its establishment in 1992, Shoosmiths’ Solent office has grown to employ 120 people, achieving a 50/50 gender split of male and female partners. On top of this, 78 per cent of its overall team-members are female.

The office continues to achieve big numbers, with the corporate team advising on transactions with a cumulative deal value of more than £275 million in the first half of 2022 alone. The size of each transaction is also increasing, with the office advising on more deals valued at above £100 million than ever before.

Led by Solent-based partner Stephen Porter, the corporate team ranked in the top five UK law firms by corporate deal volume in the Experian MarketIQ M&A Review 2020.

In the same office, Shoosmiths’ real estate team has recently won two awards. Led by Solent-based partner Kirsten Hewson, it was named Legal/Professional Team of the Year at the Property Awards 2022, while also being crowned Planning Law Firm of the Year at the Planning Awards 2022.

The Solent office is also home to business-to-business debt recovery, domestic conveyancing, employment, pensions, general commercial, commercial litigation, tax, banking, and finance. It also houses one of only a few specialist marine and aviation finance practices in the South East.

Along with leading Shoosmiths’ Solent office, partner Paula Swain manages the firm’s national business to business (B2B) debt recovery team, which last year recovered more than £10 million for clients across the UK. This year, Paula was named as a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Credit Management (CICM).

Paula is recognised as a leading legal proponent on freeports in the South East. In 2018 she was elected as a director of the Solent Local Economic Partnership (LEP) a locally owned partnership between businesses and local authorities which plays a major role in deciding local economic priorities and undertaking activities to drive economic growth and employment positions.

Paula was appointed as the LEP representative on the Solent Freeport Consortium Board in 2021 and has been instrumental in its successful bid for freeport status.

Partner Jonathan Smart, who heads up Solent’s disputes and litigations team, is now also the head of Shoosmiths’ mobility sector and oversees growth across automotive, rail, aviation, marine, logistics and the future of transport. Shoosmiths’ client list includes global brands such as Volkswagen Group, Mercedes-Benz, Porterbrook and Hitachi Rail.

Shoosmiths’ Solent office is well-rooted in the local community. Paula Swain and Julia Ishak, legal director and head of commercial, are regular visitors to Solent Law School, where Paula is a visiting fellow. The pair have taken part in various career development events and hosted workshops for the aspiring lawyers of tomorrow.

Meanwhile, banking and finance legal director Sarah Fairweather has mentored law undergraduates at the University of Southampton for the past three years.

The office also continues to support its nominated charity Acts of Kindness, which helps people facing an immediate crisis and helps fund vital community projects. Shoosmiths’ staff have supported the charity by providing legal advice, food collections and raising money through ongoing charity events.

Paula Swain said: “Shoosmiths’ Solent is proud to be one of the most long-established law firms in the area and has a range of experts and advisors at the very top of their game.

“We have one of the best corporate teams in the country, an award-winning real estate team as well as a well-established marine law practice. With the Solent region finally having its time in the spotlight as the freeport is developed, we are in an excellent position to grow alongside our clients in the market.”

Paula puts the success of the office firmly down to its people, which she hopes will increase over the coming years. While there are currently 120 within the team, Paula hopes this will rise to 150.

Paula added: “There is a diverse range of talent in Solent, experienced lawyers and young paralegals. “There is a wonderful mix of senior partners who have been here for several years and those who are just starting out on their journey in law.

“However, they all have one thing in common – an energy and passion that is unrivalled. We have celebrated many successes over the years, and we know there is a lot more to come.”

Partners from the Solent office invited their clients to join them earlier this month as they marked the unique celebration at sea.

As they sailed The Solent in an exclusive party on the Princess Caroline, attendees enjoyed speeches from Paula Swain and Shoosmiths’ CEO David Jackson.

Sam Pither

Sam is the Regional Editor of Biz News, responsible for both Hampshire and Dorset. A new recruit to journalism, Sam started writing for the Business Magazine as a freelancer in May of 2022 after completing his degree in English at University College London. His passion for local businesses and ability to tell a story soon caught the attention of the publication’s management team and have led to his meteoric rise. Sam, who lives in central Reading, takes a particular interest in technology, gaming and food and drink, having been a chef before starting his degree.