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. 

How can we help?

To find out more about our services, please contact us on:

Related Services

Immigration

UK

Real Estate

News

Spring Budget 2024 – Tax Takeaways

Takeaway 1: Abolition of Multiple Dwellings Relief The government has announced that from 1 June 2024, stamp duty land tax Multiple Dwelling Relief (“MDR”) will be abolished. What is...