Crime leads the way as Williamsons highly ranked in 2012’s Legal 500

Legal 500 has confirmed Williamsons Solicitors’ position as one of the major firms in Hull and East Yorkshire.

The practice, which has offices in Hull, Bridlington and Driffield, is ranked prominently in three key areas in the 2012 edition of the leading national law guide: clinical negligence, family and crime, where it is picked out as the leading law firm in the region.

Director Bill Waddington said: “The Legal 500 is an important benchmark for us to measure ourselves against other firms not just across Yorkshire, but across the entire UK. It is not straightforward or easy to maintain the level of prominence we have achieved against our peers, and has required immense hard work and dedication from everyone at the firm.

“This is an important time for us as we go from strength to strength, not just in Hull, but also in Driffeld and Bridlington, where our offices are proving increasingly successful.”

Williamsons’ defence advocacy department was ranked in tier 2 of firms in Yorkshire, the best showing of firms in Hull and the East Riding. Headed up by Mr Waddington, the department employs a team of 20, including six solicitors, four police station representatives, one paralegal and nine support staff.

It regularly receives instructions relating to major criminal cases, road traffic and regulatory defence work and also featured prominently in last year’s Chambers guide.

The firm’s clinical negligence department is again ranked as one of the main departments in the region, in tier 3. The expert team of Tim Slow, Nick Gray and Natalie Hider is the only one based in the Hull and the surrounding area with solicitors approved by Actions against Medical Accidents (AvMA) and the Law Society’s Clinical Negligence Accreditation Scheme.

The firm’s family department, ranked in tier 3, is one of the largest in the region. Its seven solicitors are led by director Sarah Clubley, and it has representatives on the Law Society’s Children Panel and members in Resolution, the national organisation that promotes the constructive resolution of family disputes.