Regional law firm Napthens has been praised by the legal industry ‘bible’ – the Legal 500.

A number of the firm’s departments have been selected for praise both for the teams and for individual experts.

The Corporate team was selected as a Top Tier department locally, with consultant Gareth McIntegart, and Keith Melling, partner and head of the team, singled out as ‘leading individuals.’ David Carr, who joined the team in 2016, was highlighted as a ‘next generation’ lawyer.

Also picked for the Top Tier were the Rural, and Litigation teams. The Litigation team was described as ‘excellent’ with property litigation partner David Bailey highlighted as‘experienced and knowledgeable.’

The Wills & Estate Planning team was described as ‘very strong’ and Kathryn Harwood, head of the department, singled out for her ‘vast amount of experience and technical ability.’

The firm’s Commercial Property team was praised for its ‘depth of expertise’ and ‘first-class service.’ The work of team members including partners Martin Long, James Allison and Marc Appleton was singled out for praise.

Meanwhile, the Employment & HR team was also ranked in the guide, as was the Licensing team headed by the ‘extremely capable, commercial and responsive’ partner Malcolm Ireland.

Shru Morris, CEO of Napthens, said: “The Legal 500 is an important guide for law firms as it is produced following feedback from clients, not just other professionals.

“It is great to see so many of our teams and lawyers highlighted for the quality of their work and it supports our belief that we can compete on a strong footing against larger, city-based firms.”