Around 30 high-flying City lawyers recently gathered at a Bristol Law Society marketing push in London, aimed at luring them away from the bright lights and long hours of the Capital to the southwest.

A few years ago, City lawyers of pedigree pondering a move to the vibrant and historical city of Bristol were likely to have their sights set on only two firms: Burges Salmon and Osborne Clarke (OC). While the likes of TLT and Veale Wasbrough had capable practices, with Clarke Willmott known principally as a property specialist, the consensus was that Burges Salmon and OC led the way in corporate and commercial work, with larger practices and a greater flow of work coming from outside the region.

It is a mark of how the legal landscape in Bristol is changing that partners at both Burges Salmon and OC concede their smaller rivals have become serious challengers in the Bristol market. As Burges Salmon managing partner Guy Stobart insists: "There is a vibrant chasing pack, and to describe Bristol as a two-horse town would be wrong."