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Boutiques in bloom

22 September 2023 / Sinead O’Callaghan
Issue: 8041 / Categories: Features , Profession
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With the rise in smaller specialist law firms showing no signs of slowing down, Sinead O’Callaghan explains how the boutique firm can stand out in a crowded field
  • The continued success of boutique law firms shows that this model remains attractive for both lawyers and clients.
  • Boutique firms are top of the acquisition wish list for larger firms wishing to invest in specific practice areas.
  • The key to the survival of the boutique law firm is planning and diversifying to accommodate the ever-evolving disputes market.

While the 2008 financial crash and the consequent surge of conflicts work arguably instigated the emergence of the new wave of litigation boutiques, the changes in working practices brought about by the pandemic, among other things, have meant that the growth in numbers of specialist legal boutiques shows no signs of abating.

Increased competition

The legal landscape has undergone a significant transformation over the last decade, with many smaller, more specialised firms taking work away from established full-service domestic and international law firms. With the ongoing

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From oligarchs to cosmetic clinics, strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) target journalists, activists and ordinary citizens with intimidating legal tactics. Writing in NLJ this week, Sadie Whittam of Lancaster University explores the weaponisation of litigation to silence critics
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Writing in NLJ this week, Thomas Rothwell and Kavish Shah of Falcon Chambers unpack the surprise inclusion of a ban on upwards-only rent reviews in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill
Charles Pigott of Mills & Reeve charts the turbulent progress of the Employment Rights Bill through the House of Lords, in this week's NLJ
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