Barrett & Thomson > Slough, England > Firm Profile
Barrett & Thomson Offices
ONE PEGASUS COURT
25 HERSCHEL ST.
SLOUGH
SL1 1TQ
England
Barrett & Thomson > The Legal 500 Rankings
Private client > Family: Thames Valley, Berks, Oxon, M4/M40 Tier 1
Barrett & Thomson is well known throughout the Thames Valley as one of the longest-standing regional firms, notable for its ability to handle highly sensitive and urgent instructions from both domestic and international clients. Complex matrimonial, family and high-net-worth divorce work are among the ‘very professional’ team’s core strengths in this space. Child law and domestic abuse expert Claire Fitzgerald heads the practice group, and is supported by ‘outstanding solicitor’ Tracey Haynes who excels on public law child cases. Sue Scott comes highly recommended by clients for the full suite of family issues.Practice head(s):
Claire Fitzgerald
Other key lawyers:
Tracey Haynes; Sue Scott; Rizwana Khan
Testimonials
‘Claire Fitzgerald supported and represented our family in a serious family matter. She was a professional, objective and strategic sounding board who showed genuine care for facilitating positive outcomes for our family.’
‘Highly professional staff led by a superb partner Claire Fitzgerald. Her advice is solid and professional. She never makes you feel you are rushed. She acknowledges your problems and provides practical solutions.’
‘Sue Scott and her team helped me to pick up the pieces of my life and rebuild what I thought would never be achievable. Sue and her team work closely together, using each others knowledge and expertise to achieve an end goal. They are a glowing example of what teams ought to be. I cannot recommend Sue and her team enough. Sue is a senior solicitor of exceptional quality.’
‘Rizwana Khan has an unrivalled tenacity and commitment to her clients. Family Law as a whole is fortunate to have such a high caliber, dedicated professional representing clients within this area of law.’
‘Sue Scott is an outstanding solicitor. She is extremely knowledgable, understanding, compassionate and did all that she could to ensure that the best outcomes were achieved. She always went above and beyond. Sue is straight talking, with a no nonsense and realistic approach. She did all that she could to help me through extremely difficult litigation.’
‘Riz Khan is extremely experienced. She has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the law and processes and it shines through in her case preparation. She is highly organised and always put in the work. She never shies away from the fight.’
‘Tracey Haynes is very efficient and can put her finger on what is needed for the management of a case and relay it clients effectively. She communicates ably with other professionals and with counsel to ensure hearings are effective on behalf of her clients – she goes the extra mile for them.’
‘Tracey Haynes is an outstanding solicitor with very high standards of client care. Tracey is meticulous, well organised, good at communicating with external parties and her clients and provides them with an excellent service.’
Work highlights
Barrett & Thomson > Firm Profile
A professional, ethical, multicultural, respected and friendly firm, Barrett & Thomson works largely for a client base of families.
The firm: In about 1824, Charles P Barrett formed a practice in Eton, which was continued by his sons when Richard H Barrett opened a branch in Slough in 1865. The Eton office closed in 1889. The firm continued to grow and evolve over the years, with the last of the Barrett’s retiring in 1984. The firm continues to practice in Slough at Pegasus Court in Herschel Street, and now has two partners: Claire Fitzgerald, who joined in 1982 as an articled clerk and became partner in 1997 and Kate Matharoo, who joined in 1994 and also became partner in 1997.
Barrett & Thomson focuses on wills and probate, conveyancing, all aspects of family law (both private and public law) and general civil litigation.
The firm’s respect for traditional professional values is combined with a business-like approach to clients’ instructions. Its advice aims to be prompt, reliable and effective. Personal service is the hallmark of the practice, and Barrett & Thomson attach a high degree of importance to all instructions received and develop a genuine interest in clients’ activities. This enables the firm to provide a service which is not only technically accurate, but is also practical and helpful.
This approachable and ethical method is appreciated by clients, who often return on a regular basis, or, in the case of families, the firm continues to act across a number of generations. Its client base is in the local community and surrounding areas of Slough, Windsor and Maidenhead, as well as Berkshire generally.
Types of work undertaken
Wills and probate: Barrett and Thomson has a well-respected team in this department. The firm retains instructions for generations of families in Slough and the surrounding areas and offers advice and assistance in relation to wills, probate, powers of attorney, deputyships and trusts.
Family: this is the largest department in the area, with nine fee-earners headed by Claire Fitzgerald. Claire has been with the firm for over 38 years and is a Legal 500 Leading Lawyer as well as being a member of the Law Society Children panel and Resolution Accredited Specialist in Private Child Law and Domestic Abuse. In the rest of the team, three lawyers are also Law Society Children Panel members and a large volume of public law children work is undertaken for Children’s Guardians and parents, together with grandparents. The firm has undertaken a considerable number of cases involving serious allegations of non-accidental injury (including the death of previous children in unusual circumstances) and sexual abuse. The team also includes accredited specialists of both Resolution and the Law Society panels, as well as two trained collaborative lawyers. It undertakes private family work for all members of a diverse ethnic community with complex issues of culture and religion, child residence and contact, child abduction and relocation, foreign and inherited assets, interveners, high and low worth cases. The firm has a contract to undertake publicly funded family work.
Conveyancing: the department is headed by Kate Matharoo, the managing partner, who continues the firm’s tradition of providing good quality advice and work to a high standard repeatedly for the same clients and families. The department also specialises in relocation work for relocation companies.
Litigation: the department undertakes general civil litigation including debt recovery, breach of contract, landlord and tenant and employment issues. The firm has a LAA contract to undertake publicly funded housing and debt work.
Main Contacts
Department | Name | Telephone | |
---|---|---|---|
Managing partner/COFA | Kate Matharoo | kate.matharoo@barrettandthomson.com | 01753 777550 |
Senior partner/COLP | Claire Fitzgerald | caf@barrettandthomson.com | 01753 777553 |
Family | Claire Fitzgerald | caf@barrettandthomson.com | 01753 777553 |
Conveyancing | Kate Matharoo | kate.matharoo@barrettandthomson.com | 01753 777550 |
Wills and probate | Sunita Suman | sunita@barrettandthomson.com | 01753 777534 |
Litigation | Gurdeep Prit | gurdeep@barrettandthomson.com | 01753 777555 |
Office Manager | Saran Goyle | saran@barrettandthomson.com | 01753 777522 |
Lawyer Profiles
Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
---|---|---|---|
Mr Alan Collard | Consultant | View Profile | |
Mrs Charan Juttla | Solicitor | View Profile | |
Prairna Kanwar | Assistant Solicitor | View Profile | |
Miss Rizwana Khan | Supervisor | View Profile | |
Ms Herpreet Kharay | Solicitor | View Profile | |
Mrs Kate Matharoo | Managing Partner; Head of Conveyancing | View Profile | |
Ms Gurdeep Prit | Supervisor | View Profile | |
Ms Sue Scott | Solicitor/Supervisor | View Profile | |
Ms Sunita Suman | Solicitor | View Profile |
Solicitor Profiles
Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
---|---|---|---|
Miss Claire Fitzgerald | Senior Partner; Head of Family & Litigation Departments | View Profile |
Staff Figures
Number of UK partners : 2 Number of other UK fee-earners : 13Languages
all regional Indian languages Polish German Bulgarian SwedishMemberships
Association of Lawyers for Children Resolution Law Society Children Panel Resolution Accredited with particular specialisms in Children Law and Private Society of Trust & Estate Practitioners (STEP) Law Society of England and Wales Family Law Advanced Panel British Chamber of Commerce Children Law Accreditation Children Law Scheme Children’s Representative The Law Society Domestic Abuse Solicitors Regulation Authority Solicitors for the Elderly Legal 500- Private client > Family: Thames Valley, Berks, Oxon, M4/M40