Druces’ Capital Markets team has advised Essentially Group PLC (“Essentially”) on its subscription and admission to the AQSE Growth Market. Upon admission Essentially has become the first UAE based...
About Us
Our History
About Us
Our History
Druces LLP is the modern successor of a legal business that has its roots in the City of London in the eighteenth century.
Druces’ story begins in 1767:
1767
Robert Parnther is admitted as a Solicitor in Chancery
1783
Charles Druce is admitted a Solicitor and practices in partnership with Robert Parnther under the style ‘Parnther & Druce’ at 12 London Street, EC.
1785
Charles Druce is appointed Clerk to a City Livery Company – a position that would be held by successive partners in the firm for over 200 years
By 1800
The firm practices as ‘Parnther Druce & Parnther’ then as ‘Druce & Co.’ from Billiter Square in the City of London
1823
Charles Druce’s sons, Charles the younger and John, join the firm, which practices as ‘Charles Druce & Sons’
1845
Charles Claridge Druce, grandson of our founder, becomes a partner
1866
Arthur Jackson becomes a partner and the firm practices as ‘Druce, Sons & Jackson’
1869
Billiter Square has been rebuilt
1874
Henry Attlee, who had been with the firm since 1858, becomes a partner
1881
Charles Claridge Druce is elected as President of the Law Society
1883
The firm’s name changes to Druces & Attlee
1895
Arthur Savill (whose father established the surveyors’ practice, Savills) becomes a partner
1902
Henry Attlee’s son, Robert, becomes a partner
1907
Henry Attlee is elected President of the Law Society
1923
John Christopher Druce joins the firm
1938
John Hardy Bentley, whose father Alfred had been a partner since 1909, becomes a partner
1940
The firm’s premises in Billiter Square – occupied for almost 140 years – are destroyed in the Blitz. Most of the office had been evacuated to Woking before the City office reopens on King William Street
1958
John Christopher Druce – the last Druce partner – retires
1978
The firm moves to Salisbury House and takes over practice of E.B.V. Christian & Co.
1983
Charles Attlee, great-grandson of Henry, who had been at the firm since 1977, becomes a partner
1988
The partners and staff of Hickmans, itself more than 100 years old, join Druces & Attlee
1990
Druces is among the first pioneers of property investment through syndication and continues to be a leading firm in this field
2000
Druces advises on the construction and finance aspects of two of the most successful and high-profile Millennium Projects: the Eden Project in Cornwall; and The Deep in Hull, East Yorkshire (the world’s only submarium)
2005
The firm advises on the first ever direct admission to AIM by a Hong Kong registered company
2008
Druces acts on the first ever REIT conversion to be listed on the Channel Islands Stock Exchange. 2008 is also a year which sees the firm convert to Druces LLP from Druces & Attlee
2015
Druces acts in a landmark Formula 1 case for driver Giedo van der Garde, successfully challenging his team, which had more drivers than seats for the 2015 season
2016
Druces closes a multi-million pound financing for its client OxStem Limited, an Oxford University spin-out, in what is believed to be the largest funding in the UK for a new university spin-out. The firm also hosts ‘The Colombian Business Mission to the UK’ as part of the first ever state visit by a Colombian President to the UK.
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