Pinsent Masons is set to close its Bristol base, with all lawyers to be relocated to the firm's other offices.

The move, first reported on RollOnFriday today (9 September), will see the firm close its southwest office by the end of February 2012, after taking the view that it can handle work for its clients in the region from its other bases.

The decision will see Pinsents' 11 Bristol-based lawyers offered the chance to relocate, while the firm has said that it will be "working closely" with the four support staff in the office to find alternative options.

The closure will leave Pinsents with six offices across the UK in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Pinsents managing partner David Ryan said: "The majority of clients that we work with from our Bristol office are nationwide/international. We do not anticipate this will negatively impact our ability to continue to service those of our clients who operate in the southwest because we anticipate all of our Bristol-based lawyers will remain in the business."

A number of UK firms have offices in Bristol, including Irwin Mitchell, which launched a base in the region in February last year in a bid to target more personal injury and clinical negligence work. The office is headed up by regional managing partner John Peacock.