Our History

Eugene Judge joined with Horace Priestley in 1889 to form the practice, Judge & Priestley Solicitors, in offices in London. They carried on in partnership until Horace Priestley died in 1923. Eugene's nephew Justin Judge joined the firm and took over after Eugene passed away.

Although these founding fathers of the firm undertook a variety of legal services, right from the beginning they had a debt recovery department. Justin Judge lived in Bromley, and thus when, during World War II, his offices near Liverpool Street station were destroyed by enemy action, he opened an office in Bromley High Street, and the firm has had a presence in Bromley ever since.

Peter Taylor joined the firm after his naval service in the late 1940's and Justin's two sons Victor Judge, in 1954, and Michael Judge, in 1960, also became partners.

Whilst the firm has always had offices in Bromley since the 1940's, over the years it has also had offices in Beckenham, Forest Hill, West Norwood, West Wickham and Bloomsbury Square, London. When the present site of its offices in West Street, Bromley became available in 1980, it was fitting that they should be called Justin House, after Justin Judge.

Our current senior partner, Ralph Stanger, became a partner in 1976, and Peter Taylor`s son, Steven Taylor, acts as the firm's current day managing partner.

In August 2005, Judge & Priestley merged with property specialists Clarke Nurse and then in April 2008 merged with Bromley based practice Wallis & Co.

Now with 12 partners and 120 staff, from the firms relatively humble beginnings, Judge & Priestley LLP has flourished.