MSB secures two Tier 1 rankings and 24 lawyers recognised in Legal 500 2027.

Our Crime and Family teams are top-ranked in the North West as our expansion continues

We're delighted to share that MSB has achieved two Tier 1 practice rankings in the 2027 edition of the Legal 500, with 24 of our lawyers recognised across five practice areas.

Our Crime and Family teams are both ranked Tier 1 in the North West. Our Social Housing team is ranked Tier 2, Commercial Litigation in Liverpool Tier 3 and Commercial Property in Liverpool Tier 4.

Our growing General Crime & Fraud practice in the West Midlands has also been named a Firm to Watch. This reflects our continued expansion in the region following the opening of our Birmingham office.

Individual recognition

Three of our lawyers are recognised as Leading Partners:

• Paul Gallagher
• Dr Emma Palmer, Partner and Head of Family and Children Law
• Kirsty Varley

Five more are recognised as Next Generation Partners: Katie Camozzi, Amy Tagoe, Louise Murphy, Andrew Fairman and Thomas Stockton.

Recognition by team

General Crime & Fraud: Paul Gallagher, Andrew Pearson and Mahan Manu feature in the Legal 500's editorial commentary. Paul is also named a Leading Partner.

Family (Tier 1): Dr Emma Palmer, John Owens, Pippa Tudor, Nicola Harris, Katie Camozzi, Simon Craddock and Hayley Catherall are recognised. Dr Palmer is also a Leading Partner, and Katie Camozzi is a Next Generation Partner.

Social Housing (Tier 2): Louise Murphy, Andy Moore, Andrew Fairman, Amy Tagoe, Thomas Stockton, Mark Forman, Bradley Armstrong, Kirsty Varley and Beth Hyams are recognised. Kirsty Varley is a Leading Partner, while Amy Tagoe, Louise Murphy, Andrew Fairman and Thomas Stockton are Next Generation Partners.

Commercial Litigation (Tier 3, Liverpool): Mark Forman, John McCreanney, David Tarttelin and Thomas O'Reilly are recognised.

Commercial Property (Tier 4, Liverpool): Bradley Armstrong, Neil Kelly and Tom Mealand are recognised.

A period of growth

These results come at a time of continued expansion for us. We've recently opened offices in Chester and Birmingham, and our Manchester team has relocated to the historic Blackfriars House.

Emma Carey, our Managing Partner, said:

"To have two of our teams achieve Tier 1 status and so many of our lawyers recognised by the Legal 500 is a fantastic achievement. It reflects the expertise, commitment and hard work we see across MSB every day.

"What makes this recognition particularly meaningful is that it reflects the work our teams are doing to make high-quality legal support accessible to people from all backgrounds.

"That commitment runs throughout the firm, from providing free initial pro bono advice to transgender and LGBTQ+ people to our free multilingual family law clinic for refugees.

"As MSB continues to grow across the North West and Midlands, we remain focused on combining legal excellence with a genuine commitment to the communities we serve."