A decade of commercial growth at Barcan and Kirby
Not long after the merger that formed Barcan and Kirby, our Corporate + Commercial team was established. At the helm was Georgina Bryant, who joined us with several years’ experience at large international corporate firms and grew the team from the ground up.
A decade on from the merger, our Commercial Services division has seen rapid growth, both in terms of recruitment and expertise.
In this blog, we catch up with George to talk about how our commercial offering has grown and where we have seen ‘wins’ in an industry where other firms our size have been swallowed up by big corporates.
Talk us through the making of Barcan and Kirby’s Corporate + Commercial team
“The merger in 2015 saw the firm grow significantly, from what was historically very much a high street presence focused on personal legal services, to a medium-sized law firm with a growing number of clients with businesses. This growth presented an ideal opportunity to take advantage of a gap in the market for small to medium-sized businesses seeking access to quality but affordable legal advice.
The firm decided to take a calculated risk and invest in a new Corporate + Commercial department, and I was recruited to start that up with pretty much a blank sheet of paper to see where things led!”
How has Barcan and Kirby’s corporate and commercial offering grown in the last 10 years?
“The Corporate + Commercial team has grown from me on my lonesome at the outset, to a team that now comprises two Partners, three lawyers with varying seniority, a Trainee Solicitor, and a couple of Legal Secretaries. Whilst we continue to receive enquiries from local businesses who know us from our reputation on the high street, or clients who have used other areas of the firm previously, a large proportion of our work now comes from referrals from our growing network of professional contacts, including accountants, brokers and IFAs as well as repeat work from commercial clients.
As the number of business clients grew, we concentrated on shoring up the whole Commercial Services division, with lawyers in corporate, employment, disputes and property teams working closely alongside each other on transactions, providing a joined-up and comprehensive one-stop shop for clients.
One of the notable features of Barcan and Kirby’s Commercial Services division is the number of lawyers who have been attracted to us from larger corporate firms in recent years as a result of the growing reputation for good quality commercial work, but in a firm that is innovative and nimble in its approach and puts people (both clients and staff) first.”
What sets Barcan and Kirby apart in the commercial law space?
“A large proportion of our commercial lawyers have come from larger corporate firms, including top-tier London and regional firms. This means they bring the excellent training and experience received in that environment, with a strong culture of excellent client service and wide experience across all types of businesses and sectors.
We also have lawyers who have spent time in-house; we’ve been the client, and we know what clients want from a lawyer. But all these lawyers left the bigger firms and now thrive at Barcan and Kirby for similar reasons, which boils down to wanting to help people and feel like you’re doing something of worth, making a difference and bringing real value to the client.
We live and breathe our values of Excellence, People-centred, Integrity, Commerciality and Community, and find that clients with similar values are drawn to us as a result. A very simple thing we all do is strive to be approachable and contactable; answering the phone and returning messages, helping someone through what can often be an overwhelming process, particularly for larger corporate transactions, and providing pragmatic and solutions-focused advice.
Increasingly, we find that clients turn to us as firms they previously used focus on larger organisations. This might be simply because those firms are growing and seeking out a different type of client, or from other movements in the sector. Our neighbours on Queen Square over the years have included Gregg Latchams, Meade King and Metcalfes; all of whom have since been acquired by or merged with other firms and moved away from the square. While our move out of Queen Square to Prince House in 2024 was largely due to the need for a bigger office space with the expansion of our Commercial Services division, we are proud to have maintained our reputation as an independent Bristol law firm, just a stone’s throw away from our beloved old building on the square.”
How have the challenges businesses face changed in the last 10 years?
“Rising costs, increasing regulation and staff challenges have become a strong theme in recent years, particularly in the nursery sector where we have particular expertise as a firm.
One big change since I started at the firm is the use of technology, with the location of a firm and a client now mattering very little, particularly in the business world. Teams video calls make for quick and efficient meetings, and electronic platforms mean vast numbers of documents can be shared or signed in an instant.”
About our corporate and commercial legal services
Whether you’re a local start-up or an established business with locations across the UK, we offer a range of commercial legal services to support you as your organisation launches, grows and changes.
Whatever the stage of your business, our expert lawyers can help with:
- Starting a business (including incorporating companies, template documents, including employment contracts, terms and conditions and shareholders’ agreements, buying a freehold premises or taking on a new lease)
- Buying a business (including transaction structure, due diligence, transaction documents, funding, property purchases and assignment of leases)
- Running a business (including employment law, commercial contracts, commercial disputes, and lease renewals and negotiations)
- Exiting or selling a business (including deal structure, director or partner exits, buy backs, sales of assets or companies)
Further information
Whether you’re Bristol-based or further afield, our commercial lawyers provide straightforward, expert legal advice tailored to your business needs. Call us on 0117 325 2929 or fill out our online form.
