SOUTH Coast law firm Coffin Mew is looking to take advantage of young creative business with a new office in Brighton and Hove.

The firm will target fast-growing entrepreneurial businesses as well as individuals and families living in “vibrant and diverse” city.

The Brighton office which opened on Tuesday, May 5 is being led by partner and head of the commercial property team Nick Leavey, who joined Coffin Mew in 2014 from DMH Stallard.

He is joined by employment associate Amy Richardson, who joined Coffin Mew in May 2015 from Adams & Remers, and Mirren McGinley, a solicitor specialising in commercial and residential property who joined the firm in January 2015.

Elizabeth Gibbons also joins the team as its office manager. Mirren and Elizabeth join Coffin Mew from DMH Stallard.

Mark O’Halloran will join the firm in June from Stevensdrake working across Coffin Mew’s South Coast offices. Further people are also being recruited for the Brighton office.

The five-strong office is supported by 140 lawyers along the South Coast specialising in corporate/commercial, commercial property, litigation, insolvency, employment, residential conveyancing, wills, trust and probate and family law.

Nick Leavey said: “Coffin Mew has a strong reputation for being entrepreneurial and forward thinking. “Brighton, with its rapidly growing economy and high standard of living is a natural fit to the firm’s already strong client offering.

“Brighton is home to some 1,500 young entrepreneurial businesses in the creative, digital, IT, green tech, financial services and life sciences sectors, being named ‘silicon beach’. “These businesses are looking for a like-minded law firm on their doorstep.”

Coffin Mew is already advising the West Pier Trust in relation to the i360 viewing tower.

It has advised the trust on historic statutes, charity law, harbour revisions and 16 separate legal agreements on land transactions, site development and funding.

The firm is looking to open further offices and to plans to double its current turnover to £20 million over the next 24 months.

Coffin Mew was established 125 years ago and also has offices in Portsmouth, Southampton, Gosport and London. It grew by 18% in 2014 and completed some 850 separate commercial property transaction.