Irwin Mitchell will open an office in Southampton in April, the top 20 firm's tenth base nationally.

The office will initially focus on personal injury and court of protection services, but will expand into private client work, family and public law and private wealth.

Irwin Mitchell also expects its business legal services team to work in and refer work to the Southampton base, as it takes on corporate and commercial work for a number of local clients and larger companies with local presences in the region.

"We're making a sizeable investment in Southampton," said Andrew Tucker (pictured), Irwin Mitchell's chief executive of personal legal services. "As our Bristol office demonstrates, we've got a strong track record of going into significant provincial cities where we've already got intermediary contacts and service clients."

The Southampton office will be headed by Guy Darlaston, a City-based asbestos related disease partner who will relocate to the south coast city. He will be supported by around a dozen lawyers.

Tucker said the firm was in discussion with a number of potential lateral candidates, as well as Irwin Mitchell lawyers who may transfer to staff the office.

The firm first began discussions about a Southampton launch 12 months ago.

Commenting on the city's legal market, Tucker said: "It's got some good quality very able lawyers, and we do hope to recruit people who have been practicing in that region for some time, and who will fit in with Irwin Mitchell and build a successful career in a large national firm."

Other national firms based in Southampton include Bond Dickinson, Blake Lapthorn, Clarke Willmott and Thomas Eggar.