Burges Salmon

Burges Salmon is a mid-sized UK law firm based in Bristol.

The firm was founded in 1841 by Edward Burges, grandson of Daniel Burges, who established the Bristol Law Society (which is in fact the UK’s oldest law society). It assumed its current name after a merger with Salmon, Cumberland and Evans in 1947.

Today, the firm employs over 1,000 staff, including more than 550 lawyers and 110 partners.

Unlike many of its peers, Burges Salmon has resisted the urge to go on a global office spree, instead opting for a strategy that keeps its roots firmly planted in the UK - anchored around its nearly 200-year-old Bristol HQ - while still securing its fair share of high-end City work.

The firm relies on a network of international partner firms to tackle multi-jurisdictional matters - a strategy also adopted by firms like Slaughter and May and Macfarlanes.

Despite its limited international footprint, Burges Salmon has not shied away from growth.

In 2020, it opened a Dublin office to better support EU clients with IP matters following Brexit. A year earlier, the firm launched an Edinburgh office to strengthen its presence in Scotland, particularly in renewable energy, real estate, life sciences and financial services.

The firm’s primary regional competitors include Osborne Clarke, TLT and Womble Bond Dickinson, all of which have a strong presence in the South West.

Burges Salmon is a go-to firm for nearly every sector in which it operates in the South West and holds its own against national heavyweights in many areas, particularly specialist areas such as public procurement, infrastructure and renewable energy.