Pinsents' client base to shrink with rejig

Pinsent Curtis is shaking up its client base as part of a national strategy review.

The decision is part of a programme intended to shift the firm from a regional to national position. The election of a national management board last year was one of the first changes.

But the firm is now in a position where it is expecting to lose a raft of clients.

Senior partner Julian Tonks says that the firm does not want to deliberately drop clients.

But he says: "We are not going to say 'you have got to go' but they may decide we are not the right firm for them anymore.

"If you are talking about a company that makes only a few million a year in traditional areas, they may conclude that we are not the firm for them."

Tonks says that Pinsents will instead focus on companies which have high legal spend.

Other factors in the client shake-up will include profitability of individual businesses and the growth rates of their sectors.

Tonks says: "You cannot expect to succeed across the whole spectrum, you have to focus."

The implementation of the year-long review will see the firm redefine its focus and concentrate on eight principal markets.

They are financial institutions, foreign controlled companies, insurance, major projects, private equity, property, public companies and technology.

Within the chosen markets, public companies and financial institutions will be broken down even further.

They will focus on automotive, food, manufacturing &engineering, retail &leisure and transport &distribution.

Other parts of the firm's strategy review include bolstering the London office, improving client care and developing a European practice through merger.