Manchester’s Barbirolli Square is home to many of the second city’s largest law firms. Set in the heart of the city, this new development has won the hearts of architects and Mancunians alike – it sits at the heart of the city’s new business district but has none of the sterility of London’s Canary Wharf. Manchester’s leading commercial law firms are, like their home, far from bland – indeed, many of the national firms’ rainmakers hail from Manchester, a sign of the quality of business being done in the city.
Manchester is currently the UK’s fastest-growing centre for financial, professional and legal services outside London, with the newly-opened Civil Justice Centre being the largest court building outside the capital. Nick Peel, partner and regional office head for Weightmans in Manchester, explains: “It is a serious commercial venue for lawyers at all levels and the opening of the new Civil Justice Centre is recognition of its status and the quality of people here.”
