United Kingdom > East Anglia > Dispute resolution
Commercial litigation: Cambridge
Commercial litigation: Cambridge
Robert McLellan, Simon Biggin and the newly promoted Lucinda Brown are among five highly recommended partners at Hewitsons LLP. Recent work includes representing a quarry owner in a claim for damages against a local authority.
Graeme Menzies and Jamie Wheatley are the core of a ‘capable and competent, pragmatic’ team at Mills & Reeve LLP that advises Aveva and The Environment Agency, among others.
Taylor Vinters’ team is ‘client focused and commercially orientated’, and acts for easyJet and KPMG. It includes new team head Laurence Weeks, Edward Perrott (‘succinct, effective and professional’), and Christopher Falvey
‘One of the most down-to-earth groups of lawyers’, Birketts LLP’s team is led by Sara Sayer, who has been busy on a number of partnership disputes.
Eversheds LLP has expertise in disputes across financial services, transport, and technology, media and telecoms, with Transport for London among its clients. Ian Gascoigne leads the team from London following the departure of David Saunders and associate Marion Colombani.
Kester Cunningham John’s Michael Frape is ‘a safe pair of hands’ for shareholder and partnership disputes. He advised Taiwan’s Sunplus in a £450,000 claim against a Cambridge technology company.
Walker Wallis Solicitors provides ‘outstanding legal service: astute and realistic’, with Huw Wallis attracting national and international clients. Recent work includes defending a £4m breach of warranty claim.
Commercial litigation: Ipswich
Commercial litigation: Ipswich
Birketts LLP’s team, led by Matthew Atkins, is ‘excellent, responds very promptly and takes a very commercial approach’. It has notable experience in mediation, and also in shareholder disputes and warranty claims.
Jonathan Ripman (‘a true professional’) and experienced advocate Howard Catherall at Gotelee Solicitors are ‘totally accessible, very capable negotiators’. Recent high-value cases include two large shareholder disputes and a breach of contract claim for an international recruitment agency.
At Kerseys Solicitors, the ‘quality and soundness of advice are excellent’. Anthony Wooding is assisted by John Hutchinson and Ross Burkitt, and they are ‘all technically outstanding’. Recent work includes a lengthy building dispute mediation.
Respected litigator Roland Sharp and mediator Peter Blake at Prettys deliver ‘commercially astute’ advice to local and European clients on matters including defamation, shareholder, breach of contract and construction disputes.
Ashton Graham ‘provides good, value-for-money service’. Polly Stephenson advised a European client on a disclosure order against a major bank.
‘Friendly and approachable’, Graham Mead at Blocks has an extensive litigation practice advising the SME community in Ipswich.
Commercial litigation: Norwich
Commercial litigation: Norwich
Birketts LLP ‘gets the job done in an efficient and personal manner’; Paul Matthews is praised for his ‘clarity and speed’, and Max Roessler is ‘responsive, and has a strong commercial backbone’. The team’s experience includes major partnership disputes.
Howes Percival LLP’s clients include a government department and large corporates such as Ford Retail Ltd. The team includes experienced managing partner Andrew Barnes and Alison Kirby.
‘Alive to the difficulties of any case and how best to get around them’, Mills & Reeve LLP’s Rachel Higgs handled a £90m breach of warranty and fraud claim for SPC (Norwich) Ltd; a £50m claim against an accountancy firm; and a £2.3m breach of contract dispute. The University of East Anglia and Archant Ltd are prominent clients.
Leathes Prior’s team is now led by Mike Barlow, with Martin Plowman focusing exclusively on ‘mediation-1st’ (‘the most prominent mediation practice in the region’). Barlow and newly promoted partner Darren Bowen, whose reputation is growing, advise clients including Countrywide Signs and AgChem Access.
Rogers and Norton’s team includes John Cadywould; ‘immense talent’ Peter Hastings; and ‘strong commercial lawyer and litigator’ Philip Kerridge. They have ‘invaluable experience and expertise, and excellent tactical awareness, and are helpful and quick with advice’. Anglian Windows and a national home improvement chain are among the firm’s clients.
Steeles Law LLP has ‘the best response times, business acumen, industry knowledge and strength in depth in Norfolk’. Associate and head of disputes Katy Levy joined from Eversheds LLP, and has ‘fine professional judgement and sound common sense’. Marcus Chapman’s experience is also vital to the team, which acts for Cosworth Ltd and the London Borough of Lambeth.
Adrian Newborough’s growing practice at Fosters joins the ranking this year. It successfully defended a £60,000 breach of trust claim, and handles a growing flow of matters for local and international clients.
Nick Sutherland, Timothy Eagle and deputy district judge Nick Butcher at Hansells are popular among local businesses.
Hatch Brenner LLP has ‘commercial aptitude, and communication with clients is excellent’; ‘their relaxed but professional approach shows you are getting some bang for your buck’. Litigator and mediator Mark Fitch is ‘an excellent lawyer with a “no-nonsense” approach to sticking his neck on the line’.
At Kester Cunningham John, solicitor Matthew Bowden has been advising on matters including a high-value shareholder dispute. Chris Gilbert is no longer at the firm.
Commercial litigation: Elsewhere in East Anglia
Commercial litigation: Elsewhere in East Anglia
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- Ashton Graham Bury St Edmunds
- Buckles Solicitors LLP Peterborough
- Greene & Greene Bury St Edmunds
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- Greenwoods Solicitors LLP Peterborough
- HC Solicitors Peterborough
- Hegarty LLP Peterborough
- Kester Cunningham John Bury St Edmunds
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- Leeds Day Huntingdon
- Ward Gethin King’s Lynn
Ashton Graham’s Rob Adam and Mark Merriam are among the region’s best-known litigators. Breach of warranty and fiduciary duty claims feature in a diverse caseload.
Buckles Solicitors LLP’s James Maxey is ‘very knowledgeable’, and ‘provides practical solutions’; and Paul Branch and Gail Sykes are also much sought after. The mediation skills of Maxey, Branch and Peter Corrigan underpin the firm’s ‘Mediation Solutions’ service.
Greene & Greene provides a ‘remarkable service, rarely seen in business today’. Michael Batty is ‘confident and realistic, and works methodically’; and Andrew Kinnison is ‘thorough and imaginative’.
Greenwoods Solicitors LLP’s five-partner team, under Darren Morgan, is ‘fantastic; advice is in-depth, relevant and good value’. Clients include an international manufacturer of domestic goods.
David Heming’s team at HC Solicitors is ‘professional, reasonable, and a pleasure to work with’. Its Spanish law capability, stemming from Alejandro Verdu de Haro’s knowledge of European law, has created a niche in European Enforcement Orders in the UK. ‘Their knowledge in many fields is greater than many larger firms’.
Hegarty LLP’s Matthew Sidebottom and Kally Singh are worthy opponents for any firm in Peterborough.
At Kester Cunningham John, Luke Hibbert (‘knowledgeable, effective, a safe pair of hands’) and Don Sheahan advise regional and national corporates.
Leeds Day’s Ron Metcalfe and Mohammed Hafiaz are the backbone of Huntingdon’s only standout litigation team.
Ward Gethin is prominent in King’s Lynn for both mediation and litigation.
Debt recovery
Debt recovery
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- Birketts LLP Ipswich
- Fosters Norwich
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- Ashton Graham Bury St Edmunds, Ipswich
- Gotelee Solicitors Ipswich
- Greenwoods Solicitors LLP Peterborough
- Hegarty LLP Peterborough
- Leathes Prior Norwich
- Steeles Law LLP Diss, Norwich
- Taylor Vinters Cambridge
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- Blocks Ipswich
- HC Solicitors Peterborough
- Leeds Day Huntingdon
- Overburys & Raymond Thompson Norwich
- Prettys Ipswich
- Rogers and Norton Norwich
Birketts LLP ‘offers superb advice’. Robert Howard’s ‘knowledge of the legal system is endless’, and Matthew Atkins is also recommended. Clients include Archant and Haven Power.
Gillian Scott at Fosters is ‘excellent in all areas’, and makes a formidable team with litigator Adrian Newborough. New clients include German and Dutch companies.
Ashton Graham attracts high praise from clients. Sarah Lock runs the firm’s bespoke computerised system.
‘More proactive than other firms’, Gotelee Solicitors’ team includes rising star Joshua Ripman. It has been assisting a large waste management company and haulage contractors with cross-border claims.
Greenwoods Solicitors LLP’s Jayne Nutt leads an ‘efficient and effective’ team that includes Adele Whaley. It assists local and national clients.
At Hegarty LLP, versatile litigator Kally Singh advises clients such as Persimmon Homes.
‘Always helpful, friendly and available’, Darren Bowen’s team at Leathes Prior includes David Richards and ‘the brilliant, personable’ Eleanor Russell. Its ‘debtcollector’ service, for claims under £5,000, stands out.
Steeles Law LLP’s Denise Cushine advises commercial and public sector clients. The firm receives around 400 service charge claims annually from Newham Homes.
Under Laurence Weeks, Taylor Vinters provides ‘a fantastic service, especially for debts outside the UK’. Clients include Bidwells and Cambridge University Students Union. Rising star Sharon Mead is ‘consistent and persistent’.
A local favourite, Blocks handles debt recovery as part of its litigation practice, led by the popular Graham Mead.
HC Solicitors acts for Banco de Sabadell in recovering mortgage arrears, and local clients including The Corporation School of Oundle.
Huntingdon’s leading practice Leeds Day has Ron Metcalfe and Mohammed Hafiaz, who often represent liquidators.
Overburys & Raymond Thompson’s Roslyn Leeds advises individuals and businesses across the UK.
Prettys advises insolvency practitioners, transport companies and insurers. Its NETchaser online service is popular for handling overdue invoices.
Rogers and Norton’s team, which receives bulk instructions from a national finance company, features debt recovery specialist Jenna Phillips.