A HOST of Dorset practices feature in the Legal 500 guide to recommended law firms.

Every practice mentioned in the annual survey can consider itself recommended.

Bournemouth’s Steele Raymond is celebrating top tier rankings for company and commercial law, commercial property and dispute resolution.

Chairman Tim Stone said: “Achieving a ‘top tier’ ranking for the 12th consecutive year in our three core practice areas, and achieving better results than ever for our many other areas of expertise including family and property litigation is something I am immensely proud of.

“The rankings are the result of a great team effort across the firm and reflect the huge effort everyone puts in, day after day. That said, we are only ever as good as our last set of results so the drive and determination to be even better continues apace.”

It was top-rated for corporate and commercial; commercial litigation; and commercial property; in the second tier for employment and third in contentious trusts and probate; family; personal tax, trusts and probate; education and property litigation.

Mr Stone is a top-tier individual in corporate law and Chris Twaits for commercial property.

Also mentioned by name were Craig Hardman, Peter Rolph, John Andrews, Julie-Ann Harris, Lindsay Halliwell, Sue Middleton and Simone Ritchie.

Laceys Solicitors in Bournemouth, which recently merged with Horsey Lightly Fynn, added two practice areas to the six for which it was recommended.

It in the second tier for corporate and commercial; commercial litigation; and commercial property. It was in the third tier for licensing and family; the fourth for personal tax, trusts and probate and property litigation, and the sixth for intellectual property.

Grant Esterhuizen was a top-tier individual for corporate and commercial and Suki Samra for commercial property.

Mentioned were Philip Day, Brendan Herbert, Sam Freeman, Edwina Young, Luke English, John Munro, Johnathan Talbot, Mark Timberlake, and Kate Mansfield.

Lester Aldridge won top-tier placings for corporate and commercial law; commercial litigation; employment; and commercial property. It earned second tier rankings for health and safety, personal injury (claimant), family, contentious trusts and probate; and health. It won third tier listings in debt recovery; charities and not-for-profit; property litigation; and personal tax, trusts and probate; and a fourth tier listing for professional negligence.

Individuals mentioned were Grant Esterhuizen, David Ashplant, Susan Cowan, Michael Giddins, Ann Lloyd, Michael Veal, Sue Evans, Catharine Geddes, Tim Blackwell, Mark Benham, Geoff Trobridge, Victoria Jones, Geoff Thomas, Jane Porter, Kurt Lee, Oliver Phipps, Paula Shea, Peter Grose, Guy Morgan and Jenny Hermer.

Ellis Jones in Bournemouth was rated second tier in employment and family law and third in corporate and commercial and contentious trusts and probate.

Recommended were Kate Brooks, Lauren Day, Deborah Leask, Neil Cook and Sean McNally.

Frettens in Christchurch was second tier for commercial litigation and employment, third in commercial property and fourth in personal tax, trusts and probate. Michelle Hayter, Lee Young, Kate Fretten and Oonagh McKinney were singled out.

Blanchards Bailey of Blandford was third tier in commercial litigation and agriculture and estates and fourth in personal trusts and probate. Paul Dunlop, Merlin Lewis and Jerome Dodge were recommended.

Trethowans in Poole and Salisbury was first tier for commercial property and third in commercial litigation. Garry Treagust, Gareth Yeoman and Andrew Carswell were recommended.

Kemp Jones of Christchurch was in the second tier for employment, with Rayner Jones recommended. Coles Miller of Dorset was named third-tier for personal injury (claimant), with David Sampson and Lydia Barnett mentioned.

Farnfields of Gillingham, Shaftesbury, Sturminster Newton and Warminster was third tier for agricultural and estates. Susan Lacey was recommended.

Mogers Drewett of Sherborne and Somerset was in the third tier for agricultural and estates and commercial property, with Justin Hopkins, Jonathan Cheal and Frank Collins mentioned.

Woolley & Co of Bournemouth and the west country was third tier for family. Susan Harwood and Lisa Macdonald were recommended. Battens of Yeovil, Dorchester, Sherborne and Weymouth was fourth tier for family, with mentions for Louise Gidley and Cherise Luke-Bennett.