About Barcan+Kirby

Leading law firm in Bristol

At Barcan+Kirby we pride ourselves on being friendly and approachable. We’re passionate about providing you with legal solutions that are intelligent, efficient and clear.

With offices across Bristol and South Gloucestershire, we provide individuals and businesses with high quality, professional legal advice.

Providing a high standard of client care is the cornerstone of our success. We understand that you don’t just want a legal expert; you also want someone who listens and understands what you’re trying to achieve.

Our core values drive our culture and are at the heart of everything we do. We believe in finding practical, common-sense solutions to your issues whilst maintaining the highest standards of client care.

Why choose Barcan+Kirby?

Naturally, we’re proud of our professional reputation. As well as winning multiple awards as a firm, many of our lawyers are leading practitioners in their field, and we are consistently recommended in legal directories, Chambers and Partners UK and The Legal 500.

Barcan+Kirby was formed in 2015 after the merger of Barcan Woodward, established in 1992, and Kirby Sheppard, which launched in the 1960s.

We are far from being a stuffy, rigid law firm. Instead, we’ve combined a fresh, modern approach with our traditional values to ensure that we’re still as relevant today as we were 30 years ago.

Read more about our history here.

Our values

At Barcan+Kirby, our values are central to the way we interact with each other and our clients.

Our five values are:

  • Excellence: you have our best – every time
  • People centred: relationships are based on mutual respect where every individual matters
  • Integrity: always striving to do the right thing whilst being honest and fair
  • Community: being socially responsible in the work we do for our clients, each other and our local networks
  • Commercial: ensuring our business is stable, secure and profitable for our employees and our clients

Charity and community

We also recognise the impact of our business and adhere to a Corporate Social Responsibility Policy. We’re committed to behaving responsibly, minimising our environmental impact and developing links with our local community. At Barcan+Kirby, we are proud of the work we do with charities and that over 200 staff members have trained as Dementia Friends.

As part of our community focus, in 2019, we launched The Barcan+Kirby Community Fund. This initiative aims to provide local organisations with funding for community projects based in the postcodes around our offices.

Mental health and wellbeing

We have trained Wellbeing and Mental Health First Aiders in each of our offices, who are on hand to listen to and signpost colleagues so that they can get the help and support they need. All First Aiders receive professional training from My White Dog, whose instructors are trained by Mental Health First Aid England.

Our employees also have access to EmployeeCare, the firm’s Employee Assistance Programme, provided by Canada Life.

Women in Law Pledge

We are proud signatories to the Women in Law Pledge created by The Law Society, the Bar Council of England and Wales and the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx). Our organisation is committed to the progress of gender equality, the elimination of gender discrimination and pledge to make positive change in the legal profession.

Bristol Women in Business Charter

In 2023, we became a member of the Bristol Women in Business Charter, reinforcing our dedication to gender diversity and the sharing of best practices among Bristol firms.

We firmly believe that collaboration on diversity issues benefits everyone.

West of England Good Employment Charter

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We are supporters of the West of England Good Employment Charter, a voluntary member and accreditation scheme working to improve employment standards across the West of England.

The Employers’ Initiative on Domestic Abuse (EIDA) membership

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Barcan+Kirby is proud to be a member of The Employers’ Initiative on Domestic Abuse (EIDA), a growing business network that raises awareness and provides resources for employers to help tackle domestic abuse.

We believe that it is vital for employers to take action and support their staff when it comes to domestic abuse. Through our EIDA membership and our work as domestic abuse lawyers, we can provide awareness and signpost to relevant organisations, as well as make a positive social impact.

Muslim Employment Charter


We are one of the first law firms in the South West to partner with the Muslim Employment Charter. This charter aims to help employers better accommodate the needs of Muslim professionals in the modern workplace, and we have taken various steps towards creating a more inclusive and welcoming environment for our Muslim colleagues, including:

  • Installing a WuduMate which provides colleagues with a safe, comfortable position for wudu; the practice of ritual washing before daily prayer
  • Putting lota jugs in staff toilets for cleansing
  • Providing prayer mats and a dedicated space for prayer (with signage)
  • Being mindful of asking Muslim colleagues to attend alcohol-centric networking events
  • Avoiding events that involve gambling
  • Ensuring all firm-wide events include Halal food options
  • Not organising firm events that are focused on alcohol, e.g. cocktail making
  • Encouraging staff to attend training events that aim to improve their understanding of how we can support Muslim colleagues

We are committed to being a Menopause Friendly Employer


We are proud to be working towards achieving the Menopause Friendly Accreditation; a recognised standard of achievement that shows we care about the wellbeing of our colleagues and understand how menopause can affect our workforce.

To achieve this accreditation, we need to meet a set of criteria assessed by an independent panel. As part of this, we are committed to:

  • Changing attitudes towards menopause
  • Providing the opportunity for our colleagues to understand what menopause is and feel confident to talk about it openly
  • Raising awareness that menopause isn’t just an issue for women; everyone needs to know about it so they can support their colleagues and loved ones
  • Ensuring managers understand menopause and know how to help
  • Providing a secure and open environment where those experiencing menopause symptoms feel able to discuss it and ask for support if they need it

Contact our solicitors in Bristol

Whether you are a first-time buyer looking for a conveyancing solicitor, or a business owner seeking commercial law advice, we are here to help. You can view our expertise here.

To get in touch, call us on 0117 325 2929 or fill out our online enquiry form and a member of our team will get back to you.

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