The strength and depth of Cumbria’s legal sector was underlined by the publication of the Legal 500 this week.

The volume lists the country’s top 500 law firms and is used by businesses to choose a solicitor with an expertise in a particular field.

Carlisle-based law firms Baines Wilson, Burnetts, Butterworths and Cartmell Shepherd all appear in the annual directory, endorsed by the Law Society and famed for its accuracy and no-nonsense advice.

We’ve taken a look through the rankings at who the publication picked out as the county’s best lawyers:

Corporate and commercial 

Andrew Hill - Baines Wilson 

John Wilson - Baines Wilson 

John Noctor - Burnetts 

Vaughan Jones - Burnetts 

Michael Walby - Burnetts 

Nick Hodgson - Cartmell Shepherd

Commercial litigation 

Isobel Mulburn - Baines Wilson 

Patricia Hall - Burnetts 

James Johnston - Burnetts 

Sian Spencer - Burnetts 

Peter Stafford - Cartmell Shepherd

Employment 

Kuba Strycharczyk - Burnetts 

John Morris - Burnetts 

Joanne Stronach - Burnetts 

Natalie Ruane - Burnetts 

Joanne Holborne - Baines Wilson 

Tom Scaife - Baines Wilson

Clinical negligence: claimant 

Vicki Jagger - Burnetts 

Victoria Watson - Burnetts

Personal injury: claimant 

Andrew Kirkpatrick - Butterworths 

Jonathan Ditchburn - Butterworths 

Carol Fish - Cartmell Shepherd 

Deborah Helen Flynn - Cartmell Shepherd

Agriculture

Jonathan Carroll - Cartmell Shepherd

Personal Tax, Trusts and Probate

Joanna Jeeves - Cartmell Shepherd

Family

Julian Nelson - Cartmell Shepherd