Paris Smith LLP
Paris Smith LLP is one of the largest regional full-service law firms in central southern England, serving businesses, individuals, and organisations across Hampshire and Dorset through offices in Southampton, Winchester, and Bournemouth with 43 partners and 213+ staff.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1820
- HeadquartersSouthampton, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Paris Smith LLP does
Paris Smith LLP is one of the largest regional full-service law firms in central southern England, operating as a limited liability partnership (registered in England as OC308962) under independent partner ownership, with no parent company or external investor involvement. Founded circa 1820 (over 205 years of continuous operation), the firm employs 43 partners and more than 213 staff across three offices in Southampton (headquarters, Number 1 London Road), Winchester (Parchment Street) and Bournemouth (Oxford Road). It is led by Managing Partner Huw Miles, with Stuart Allen and Peter Taylor identified as Senior Partners in source material. The firm generates revenue through traditional professional services fees across Business Services (corporate and commercial law, banking and finance, commercial property, employment, intellectual property, dispute resolution, immigration, planning and construction), Life Services (family law, residential property, wills/trusts/estates, succession planning, personal disputes, personal insolvency), and Sector Services (charity, education, in-house counsel, retail and leisure, and sports law), with a fixed-fee Employment Law Advice Meetings scheme as a packaged offering.
The firm serves three core client segments — businesses ranging from SMEs to large enterprises, individual/private clients, and organisational clients such as charities, educational institutions and sports bodies — and reports more than 500 clients retained for over 10 years. Notable named customers include Associated British Ports (ports and maritime), Barfoots (agriculture, 18-year relationship), Williams Shipping (shipping), Peter Cooper Motor Group (automotive), Encompass Surveys (surveying) and YMCA Fairthorne Group (charity). Distribution is entirely regional, delivered through direct office visits, telephone and email enquiries, and video conferencing; the go-to-market is relationship-led, with Senior Partner Peter Taylor serving as President of Hampshire Chamber of Commerce and Chairman of the Southampton Chamber leadership team, and partner Huw Miles chairing the Winchester BID board.
Paris Smith operates with no proprietary technology platform, no unified software offering and no AI/ML capability — its product is human-delivered legal advice. Marketing channels comprise content (blog, podcasts, downloadable guides), events and training programmes (Employment Law Autumn/Spring Conferences, corporate training, webinars), email newsletters, PR and earned media (The Times Best Law Firm rankings), and community platforms including the Charity Forum. The firm is independently owned by its partners and is currently recognised in The Times Best Law Firm 2026 rankings, won Best Place to Work at the Hampshire Business Awards 2024 and the Workplace Wellbeing Award at the Modern Law Awards 2024, and was named Employer of the Year at the Solent SME Growth 100 Awards (2026). Revenue is not publicly disclosed.
Paris Smith LLP firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Paris Smith LLP
- Legal name
- Paris Smith LLP
- Website
- https://parissmith.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1820
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Paris Smith LLP is one of the largest regional full-service law firms in central southern England, serving businesses, individuals, and organisations across Hampshire and Dorset through offices in Southampton, Winchester, and Bournemouth with 43 partners and 213+ staff.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Paris Smith LLP industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Legal Services
- NAICS
- Legal Services (5411), Other Legal Services (54119)
- SIC
- Services-Legal Services (8111)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Family & Private Client (Trusts & Estates) Law (BPAHAAAK)
Keywords
Where Paris Smith LLP is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Southampton
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Paris Smith LLP business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel
Revenue model
- Legal Services - Professional Fees: Traditional law firm revenue model based on professional fees for legal services including corporate/commercial law, property, employment, family law, disputes, wills/trusts/estates. Services are provided to businesses, organisations and individuals with long-standing client relationships.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Employment Law Advice Meetings - Fixed Fee Scheme |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Paris Smith LLP product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Paris Smith LLP is a full-service regional law firm providing partner-led legal advisory services to businesses, organisations and individuals across central southern England. Core offerings are organised into Business Services (corporate, commercial, employment, banking & finance, commercial property, IP, disputes, immigration, planning), Life Services (family law, residential property, wills/trusts/estates, succession planning, personal insolvency) and Sector Services (charity, education, retail & leisure, sports law, in-house counsel support). Services are delivered via three physical offices and direct client engagement, supplemented by training events and educational content.
Product overview
Paris Smith LLP is a full-service law firm offering a comprehensive portfolio of legal services across three main categories: Business Services, Life Services, and Sector Services. The firm's Business Services cover corporate and commercial matters including banking and finance, commercial property, corporate law, employment, intellectual property, and dispute resolution. Life Services encompass personal legal needs such as family law, residential property, wills and trusts, and succession planning. Sector Services provide specialized legal expertise for charity, education, retail, leisure, and sports sectors. The firm also offers training courses, events, podcasts, and downloadable guides as complementary educational resources. Services are delivered through three offices in Southampton, Winchester, and Bournemouth with no unified software platform—the offering consists of traditional legal advisory services rather than a technology product.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Corporate Law Legal services covering company secretarial, corporate governance, family business services, growth capital, mergers and acquisitions, employee ownership, private equity and serial acquirers for SMEs through to larger enterprises.
- Banking and Finance
- Commercial Law
- Commercial Property
- Employment Law
- Intellectual Property
- Commercial Disputes
- Corporate Restructuring & Insolvency
- Debt Recovery
- Commercial Mediation
- Construction Legal Services
- Planning Legal Services
- Business Immigration
- Agricultural Land, Farms & Estates
- Regulations & Compliance
- Notarial Services
- Family Law
- Residential Property
- Wills, Trusts & Estates
- Succession Planning
- Personal Insolvency
- Personal Disputes
- Personal Data
- Charity Law
- Education Law
- Sports Law
- Retail & Leisure Legal Services
- In-House Counsel Support
- Training Courses & Events
Quantifiable outcome
- 205+ years of legal excellence
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Paris Smith LLP
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Paris Smith LLP technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Paris Smith LLP partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Southampton ForwardcoreFounding Partner of Southampton Forward, which emerged from the 2025 UK City of Culture Bid led by the Southampton Culture Trust. Aim is to put culture at the heart of the city's growth.
- Hampshire Chamber of CommercecoreSenior Partner Peter Taylor appointed President of Hampshire Chamber of Commerce. Firm actively participates in chamber activities and business networking.
- Southampton Chamber of CommercecoreSenior Partner Peter Taylor serves as Chairman of the leadership team for Southampton branch of the Chamber of Commerce.
- Dorset Chamber of CommerceminorMember of Dorset Chamber of Commerce, participating in regional business community activities.
- Winchester Business Improvement District (BID)coreSupporting Winchester BID in promoting and positioning Winchester as a centre for creativity, culture and commerce. Partner Huw Miles serves as Chair of the Board.
- Solent University Business Advisory BoardminorSenior Partner Peter Taylor sits on Solent University Business Advisory Board, helping inform curriculum development, student success and business development.
- Winchester Business Excellence AwardsminorProud sponsor of the Large Business category in Winchester Business Excellence Awards, which recognise achievements of local businesses.
- Solent MindcoreCharity of the Year for 2026 (Southampton office). Local mental health charity supporting people across Hampshire as part of the wider Mind network.
- Sophie's LegacycoreCharity of the Year for 2026 (Winchester office). Hampshire-based charity dedicated to improving the experience of children and families in hospital.
- University Hospitals Dorset NHS CharitycoreCharity of the Year for 2026 (Bournemouth office). Supports Royal Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch hospitals by funding projects above NHS provision.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Paris Smith LLP competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Trethowans: Hampshire-based regional full-service law firm headquartered in Southampton, directly competing with Paris Smith across corporate, commercial property, family, and private client practices.
- Moore Barlow: South East England regional full-service law firm with comparable scale and Hampshire-area presence, offering corporate, commercial property, employment, and private client services similar to Paris Smith.
- Foot Anstey: South West England regional full-service law firm with a similar partner-led model and comparable practice breadth including corporate, employment, real estate, and dispute resolution.
- Blandy & Blandy: Berkshire-based regional full-service law firm of similar size and partnership structure, offering corporate, commercial property, employment, family, and dispute resolution services.
- Lester Aldridge: Regional full-service law firm with offices in Bournemouth and Southampton, directly overlapping with Paris Smith's geographic footprint and offering comparable corporate, commercial property, and private client services.
Broad incumbents
- Irwin Mitchell: Large national full-service UK law firm with regional offices including Southampton, offering a much wider practice and resource base that competes with Paris Smith for mid-market and enterprise clients in the region.
- Shakespeare Martineau: UK national law firm with regional offices providing corporate, commercial, and private client services comparable to Paris Smith's full-service model at broader geographic scale.
- Knights plc: UK-listed legal and professional services group with multiple regional offices offering full-service legal work, competing against Paris Smith for regional enterprise and SME clients.
- Bevan Brittan: National UK law firm with strong regional presence in the South, competing for corporate, commercial property, and employment work against Paris Smith's enterprise clients.
- Womble Bond Dickinson: Major UK national law firm with a Southampton office providing full-service corporate and commercial offerings that overlap with Paris Smith's business services portfolio at greater scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Paris Smith LLP social profiles
Digital presenceParis Smith LLP compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Paris Smith LLP financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Paris Smith LLP leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Paris Smith LLP funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Paris Smith LLP M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Paris Smith LLP
What does Paris Smith LLP do?
Paris Smith LLP is a full-service regional law firm providing partner-led legal advisory services to businesses, organisations and individuals across central southern England. Core offerings are organised into Business Services (corporate, commercial, employment, banking & finance, commercial property, IP, disputes, immigration, planning), Life Services (family law, residential property, wills/trusts/estates, succession planning, personal insolvency) and Sector Services (charity, education, retail & leisure, sports law, in-house counsel support). Services are delivered via three physical offices and direct client engagement, supplemented by training events and educational content.
Is Paris Smith LLP a public or private company?
Paris Smith LLP is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Paris Smith LLP founded?
Paris Smith LLP was founded in 1820. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Paris Smith LLP based?
Paris Smith LLP is headquartered in Southampton, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Paris Smith LLP make money?
One revenue line is on record: legal Services - Professional Fees.
Who are Paris Smith LLP's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Trethowans, Moore Barlow, Foot Anstey, Blandy & Blandy and Lester Aldridge. Broad incumbents are Irwin Mitchell, Shakespeare Martineau, Knights plc, Bevan Brittan and Womble Bond Dickinson.
Does Paris Smith LLP have an API?
No public API is recorded for Paris Smith LLP.
What industry is Paris Smith LLP in?
Paris Smith LLP's product category is Legal Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAAAK, Family & Private Client (Trusts & Estates) Law. Its NAICS code is 5411 and its SIC code is 8111.