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Burges Salmon LLP has extensive experience in pre-marital, marital and divorce matters, and ‘cannot be faulted in any way’. It recently acted in a £30m-plus divorce involving significant overseas property, and a £25m divorce involving a landed estate. Team head Catherine Hallam is ‘calm and practical’; Sarah Woodsford has ‘great experience and real tenacity’, and Ashley Palminteri is also recommended.

Clarke Willmott LLP’s ‘truly exceptional’ team has experience in high-value ancillary relief cases, together with pre-marital trust planning and disputes involving unmarried households. Team head Gareth Schofield and Daniel Eames, who was promoted to partner in 2010, are ‘extremely professional’ and ‘undoubted experts’.

‘Premier’ firm Stephens Scown LLP recently acted in a family dispute involving companies worth £30m, which included complex tax considerations and inherited wealth issues, and also in several high-value divorces. Practice head Liz Allen is recommended, along with the ‘cool-headed, efficient’ Bill Wilkins and the ‘enthusiastic, sensible’ Mark Smith.

Ashfords LLP displays ‘efficiency and expertise, coupled with a high level of client care’. The team handles a range of divorce, financial settlements and childcare matters, with recent matters including a divorce and ancillary relief case involving four different companies and business assets exceeding £2m. Rachel Edwards heads the practice.

Foot Anstey’s team offers ‘excellent mediation and advocacy skills’, and acts on high-value matrimonial, childcare and family cases. Practice head Helen Bull is ‘Plymouth’s most respected and liked family lawyer’. Mark Chanter heads the high-value matrimonial practice.

Hartnell Chanot & Partners is a comprehensive and specialist divorce and family practice, with armed forces and police cases an area of niche expertise. Norman Hartnell is recommended.

Lester Aldridge LLP’s team provides advice that is ‘always reliable, considered and reassuring’. It has expertise in fertility matters, and cases with an international element. John Randle is ‘always extremely courteous and provides greatly trusted advice’, and team head Jane Porter is ‘first rate’.

Michelmores LLP’s ‘competent and prompt’ team offers the full range of services and is headed by Simon Thomas, who is ‘very good, sensible and resolute if necessary’. Vanessa Priddis is recommended for childcare matters. Zoe Porter made partner in 2010.

Rickerbys LLP acted in a number of complex matters, including a case involving a child with a limiting, long-term illness and a divorce case involving substantial business interests in the Caribbean. Carolyn Green heads the practice.

Stone King LLP’s practice fields four collaborative lawyers and three accredited mediators. The group’s workload includes substantial non-domicile cases, civil partnership financial orders, and many four-way and collaborative negotiations. Practice head John Brownrigg provides ‘calm and consistent advice’, and is ‘kind and considerate’.

Stones Solicitors LLP’s team is led by David Howell-Richardson, who is an expert in children matters. Graham Simm specialises in financial issues arising from divorce and separation.

TLT LLP’s team, which is now led by David Woodward, acted in a divorce with a financial settlement involving US and English companies and several overseas properties. David Wheeler, a ‘careful and pleasant practitioner’, has noteworthy expertise in foreign abduction matters. Former practice head Alison Hawes moved to Irwin Mitchell LLP.

Thrings LLP acted for a client with interests in various hedge funds and numerous other significant assets in the UK and overseas. Other cases involved armed forces personnel. Joint practice heads Fiona Kellow and Gwyn Randolph are recommended.

At Tozers LLP, team head Tracy Lambert and Tony Wood provide ‘excellent advice’, have ‘excellent advocacy and mediation skills’, and are ‘appropriate and professional’. Children matters are a key area for the firm.

Wilsons’ team is led by Christopher Nisbet, who is ‘very commercial and provides clients with realistic, robust advice’. Katharine Shaw acts in a ‘sensible, professional manner’, and is ‘not phased by aggression from the other side’. The practice is attracting increasingly high-value instructions.

Richard Ellis’ four-strong team at Withy King LLP acts on a range of family matters. Jon Toogood is ‘friendly, polite, discreet, but to the point’. Richard Everitt is ‘highly proficient and professional’.

Battens Solicitors Limited’s Leanne Weatherill is recommended.

Victoria Daniells at Gregg Latchams WRH is well regarded.

Michael Cook at Horsey Lightly Fynn is recommended.

Irwin Mitchell LLP’s new Bristol team is led by the ‘pre-eminent’ Alison Hawes.

Jonathan Talbot leads a ‘very efficient and kind’ team at Laceys.

Parker Bullen LLP’s team is ‘uniformly excellent, sound, timely and shrewd’, especially the ‘exceptionally good’ Tricia Gower.

At Porter Dodson, Julia Perrins provides ‘excellent advice, and a sympathetic and understanding approach’; and Richard Baker is also recommended.

David Stokes at The Stokes Partnership is recommended.

Trethowans LLP’s Andrew Mercer is ‘knowledgeable, experienced, empathetic’.

Oliver Early at Veale Wasbrough Vizards is recommended.

Willans LLP’s James Grigg is ‘commercial, robust and very professional’.

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