Barlow Lyde & Gilbert
| Company type | Limited liability partnership |
|---|---|
| Industry | Legal services |
| Founded | 1841 |
| Fate | Merged with Clyde & Co in November 2011 |
| Headquarters | London , United Kingdom |
Area served | Global (offices in Hong Kong, London, Manchester, Oxford, São Paulo, Shanghai, Singapore) |
Number of employees | Approximately 290 lawyers and 80 partners (Before November 2011) |
Barlow Lyde & Gilbert LLP (BLG) was a global law firm based in London, focusing on commercial litigation, dispute resolution, as well as insurance and reinsurance sectors. The firm comprised approximately 290 lawyers and 80 partners distributed among offices located in Hong Kong, London, Manchester, Oxford, São Paulo, Shanghai, and Singapore. In November 2011, BLG merged with Clyde & Co, adopting the Clyde & Co brand name.
History
Established in 1841 within the City of London, BLG grew its international footprint by opening its first overseas branch in Hong Kong in 1986, then expanding to Singapore in 2004, Oxford in 2008, and Manchester in 2009. To support career development between associate and partner levels, BLG introduced the associate director position in 2007.
On 1 May 2007, the firm converted its London and Singapore offices into a limited liability partnership format, with Shanghai following suit after obtaining regulatory clearance; meanwhile, Hong Kong operated as an independent yet affiliated partnership. In September of the same year, a prominent commercial litigation group left BLG to join Mayer Brown. Simon Konsta took over from Richard Dedman as senior partner in May 2008. That year, BLG was appointed as lead solicitors for the notable Jean Charles de Menezes inquest.
In early 2009, BLG sought approval to establish an office in São Paulo, which was soon launched. The firm's insurance practice saw significant growth in July 2010 through the acquisition of Halliwells’ Manchester-based insurance team, incorporating 17 partners and more than 220 personnel.
By March 2011, BLG’s aviation department announced plans to transfer to Holman Fenwick Willan. Mid-2011 marked the start of merger negotiations with UK-based international law firm Clyde & Co, with both partnerships ratifying the agreement by July. The unified entity retained the Clyde & Co name, although around 15% of BLG partners exited during the integration process. The merger finalized on 1 November 2011.
Main practice areas
BLG specialised primarily in the following fields:
- Litigation and Dispute Resolution
- General Insurance
- Reinsurance & International Risk
- Professional Liability
- Aerospace
- Marine, Energy & Trade
- Corporate
- Commercial & IT
- Employment & Pensions