Guildford: Penningtons Manches consolidates Surrey presence

Three years after opening a second Surrey office in Guildford in 2012, Penningtons Manches LLP has sold its Godalming office and is bringing the staff of both offices together into larger premises within the recently-completed Grade A office redevelopment at Beaufort House, 31 Chertsey Street.

Under its new Guildford roof, the Surrey team of more than 100 partners and staff will offer a full range of services for businesses and individuals. These include corporate and commercial, employment, real estate, private client and tax, family, clinical negligence and personal injury, residential property and travel law.

The move is being carried out in two phases – partners and staff from Bishops Wharf (Guildford) relocated on June 22 while those moving from Highfield (Godalming) will be in situ from July 6.

Since Penningtons Manches’ first foray into Guildford, the firm has increasingly been recognised as a “South East regional heavyweight”. The addition of four new corporate, family and clinical negligence partners at the end of 2014 strengthened the directory-ranked corporate team led by Simon Bickerdike and the top-tier clinical negligence team led by Philippa Luscombe, as well as establishing a family law practice led by ex-Mundays partner Veronica Gilmour.

In 2015, real estate lawyer Tony Burns joined the Guildford office from a City firm to further strengthen the commercial property team led by Tim Davies.

Commenting on the opening of the new office, David Raine, Penningtons Manches' chief executive, said: “Bringing our Guildford and Godalming staff together in Beaufort House will create a Surrey legal powerhouse for our clients with access to some of the region’s leading lawyers under one roof.

“Moving into Beaufort House is a strong signal of our long-term commitment to provide a first-class legal service to businesses and private individuals in Guildford and throughout Surrey.”