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Acting on some of the UK’s most high-profile casework propelled Brabners, a firm anchored in the north but with national reach, to post its sixth consecutive year of growth, with revenue up by more than 50 per cent since 2017.
Continuing to grow its stable of celebrity clients, Brabners acted for the former England cricket captain Michael Vaughan, who was cleared by the Cricket Discipline Commission of using racist language to his former Yorkshire team-mate Azeem Rafiq and three other Asian players.
Vaughan, who was represented by the litigation partner Paul Lunt, was accused of directing the phrase “there’s too many of you lot, we need to do something about that” towards the Asian players. Vaughan, who was one of seven individuals charged by the ECB, has always strongly denied using racist or discriminatory language.
Brabners was the official legal partner of the Manchester 2023 Para Swimming World Championships, which took place at the Manchester Aquatics Centre in the summer.
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Its sports law team advises international federations, national governing bodies, county associations, clubs, owners, rights holders, intermediaries and athletes.
The firm has previously acted for Coleen Rooney, wife of the former Manchester United and England footballer Wayne, in the now infamous “Wagatha Christie” libel case, against Rebekah Vardy; the England cricket captain Ben Stokes in the settlement of his claim for breach of privacy against The Sun; and the grime artist Bugzy Malone, who was found not guilty of grievous bodily harm.
Other key, but perhaps less glamorous, client activity over the past 12 months involved supporting several infrastructure projects in keeping with the national focus on levelling up. This included Everton Football Club’s new 53,000-seater stadium, which is under construction. The club will move from its historic home at Goodison Park, where it has played since 1892, to the new site at Bramley-Moore Dock.
The firm continues to advise Lancaster city council on the construction of the government-backed Eden Project Morecambe. The landmark eco-tourism attraction being built at Morecambe seafront will include a mix of entertainment and educational facilities in four shell-like superstructures.
New instructions or panel appointments include the supermarket chain Morrisons and Peabody, one of the UK’s oldest not-for-profit housing associations.
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Established in 1815, the firm has made a series of investments to extend its geographical footprint. This includes entering the Yorkshire market with the opening of its Leeds office, a 20,000 sq ft office in Manchester and accommodation on the outskirts of Preston.
This year Brabners secured B Corp certification, making it the largest UK law firm to do so and the first outside London. This followed on from 2020 when it secured carbon-neutral status.
As part of its work to encourage greater diversity in the legal profession, Brabners launched insight days to enable candidates from diverse backgrounds to explore a career in law at any one of its four offices. It has also launched a student vacation scheme, paying the real living wage to applicants.
In memory of a former partner, the firm set up the Maurice Watkins bursary, in conjunction with the charity We Love MCR, to help disadvantaged young Mancunians to begin a career in law.
★ Commended for commercial dispute resolution; entertainment & sport
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To browse the Best Law Firms 2024, go to thetimes.co.uk/bestlawfirms