United Kingdom > West Midlands > Private client
Agriculture and estates
Agriculture and estates
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1
- Knights solicitors llp Newcastle under Lyme
- Martineau Birmingham
- Wright Hassall LLP Leamington Spa
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2
- FBC Manby Bowdler LLP Bridgnorth
- Lodders Solicitors LLP Stratford upon Avon
- mfg Solicitors LLP Worcester
- Shakespeares Stratford upon Avon
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3
- Ansons LLP Lichfield
- Lanyon Bowdler Shrewsbury
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- Brethertons LLP Rugby
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- Talbot & Co Burton upon Trent
- Thursfields Kidderminster
Knights solicitors llp focuses on tax, property, and partnership/company issues for farming clients, and has a strong relationship with the Country Land and Business Association. Highlights included advising a large minerals client on agricultural tenancies. Kate Smith is recommended for inheritance tax and succession planning. Brona Simmonds, previously a property partner at the firm, has returned as a consultant.
Martineau covers the full spectrum of agriculture and estates work, and has specialist teams focusing on raising awareness of issues around plans for a new High Speed Rail network and equine matters, as well as energy and utilities issues. James Spreckley, who leads the practice, is highly recommended.
Wright Hassall LLP’s team ‘gives very pragmatic advice’, and acts for clients such as Warwickshire Rural Hub and Meadow Quality. Paul Rice is a ‘market leader in the region’, and has ‘in-depth knowledge and the tenacity to see the deal through despite complications that might derail lesser solicitors’.
FBC Manby Bowdler LLP recently advised on the option agreement for the £11m sale of a farm in the Home Counties, and represented the successful appellant in the case of Murrell v Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and Broadlands District Council. Steven Corfield ‘grasps situations quickly’.
Lodders Solicitors LLP is often ‘instructed over other local practices due to its specialist agricultural and commercial property expertise and being better value than larger outfits’. David Lodder is ‘professional and exceedingly knowledgeable’.
mfg Solicitors LLP’s team is ‘extremely quick on important matters, and is particularly good on estate tax planning and agricultural estate law’. Sarah Baugh has been active on refinancings, while Iain Morrison recently advised on the sale of a large landed estate.
Shakespeares, created by the merger of Shakespeare Putsman and Needham & James, is ‘consistently good – knowledgeable, market-oriented and expert in its business’. The team advised a major landed estate on the grant of a long-term farm business tenancy. Peter Snodgrass is ‘a very good operator’.
Ansons LLP provides a ‘professional, diligent and value-for-money service’ to clients in the farming community. The group advised on a number of diversification projects, including woodland acquisitions. Simon James is recommended.
Lanyon Bowdler is the appointed adviser to the NFU in Shropshire, Herefordshire and Straffordshire, and delivers ‘service and advice that is extremely good’. Andrew Evans leads the team.
Kate Austin, FILEX leads Brethertons LLP’s team, advising on sales, purchases, remortgages, deeds of easement, and land registry matters.
Charities
Charities
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1
- Anthony Collins Solicitors LLP Birmingham
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2
- Cobbetts LLP Birmingham
- Martineau Birmingham
- Mills & Reeve LLP Birmingham
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3
- Wright Hassall LLP Leamington Spa
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- Ansons LLP Lichfield, Cannock
- Band Hatton LLP Coventry
- FBC Manby Bowdler LLP Wolverhampton
- Knights solicitors llp Newcastle under Lyme
- Pinsent Masons LLP Birmingham
Anthony Collins Solicitors LLP’s clients receive ‘high-quality and specific advice from a team that understands the needs of charities’. The group advised the Children’s University Trust on a range of IP, contractual and constitutional issues. Romaine Thompson is recommended.
Cobbetts LLP’s ‘work is timely, accurate and well presented’. The group counts the Royal Agricultural Society of England and the MS Society as clients. Keith Mills heads the team.
Martineau’s David Allison advised the University of Gloucester Students’ Union on the requirements to register as a charity, and acted for Nurture Cumbria on establishing a trading subsidiary.
Mills & Reeve LLP acts for Sunfield Children’s Homes and Birmingham Children’s Hospital, which the group recently advised in relation to trustees’ responsibilities. Gary Barber leads the team.
Wright Hassall LLP’s team’s ‘attention to detail is always excellent and the advice always correct’. The group acts for Castel Froma and Warwickshire Wildlife Trust. Clients have ‘full confidence’ in Mark Lewis’ advice.
Ansons LLP advised St Giles Hospice Shops on lease renewals, relocations and shop openings. Simon James leads the team.
Haydn Jones’ team at Band Hatton LLP acts for charities in the education sector, and a number of local charities, on matters ranging from registration and formation to winding up.
FBC Manby Bowdler LLP acts for Vivat Trust and St Leonard’s Church, and advised The Edge Arts Charity on the formation of the charity. Stuart Rea is the key contact.
The service provided by Knights solicitors LLP is ‘highly satisfactory; advice is reliable and accurate’. The group advised North Staffs Heart Committee on a possible merger and collaborative working with an NHS charity. Solicitor Jenny Hampson leads the team.
Pinsent Masons LLP proves ‘a huge asset in all aspects of business’. Janet Hoskin’s team recently advised a China-based international school on setting up a business school as a charity in the UK.
Family: Birmingham
Family: Birmingham
Anthony Collins Solicitors LLP’s ‘practitioners have a sensible, sympathetic, supportive approach’ towards clients, who range from wealthy individuals to those dependent on state benefits. The group was strengthened by the hire of senior associate Elisabeth Howe from Challinors Solicitors, who, alongside Elizabeth Wyatt, is ‘very good for ancillary relief’.
Niche family law practice Benussi & Co largely focuses on ancillary relief work, and successfully represented Helen Kingdon in a case that established that where an order for ancillary relief is set aside because of nondisclosure by one of the parties, it does not require the entire award to be reassessed. Diane Benussi is recommended.
Blair Allison’s highly rated family practice is noted in particular for its stellar finance work. The firm acts for a number of celebrities in the entertainment and sports industries. Mari Meisel, Rayner Grice and Grant Bird are highly recommended.
At Challinors Solicitors, ‘the level of service exceeds expectations’. The ‘personable, prompt and efficient’ Fiona O’Sullivan is noted for her expertise in the pensions aspects of financial settlements. The group includes a strong children’s team in the firm’s West Bromwich office.
Divorce and Family Law Practice is ‘a very strong firm’, and ‘one of the true leaders in family law in Birmingham’. The firm handles cases under the Children Act, and is noted for its ancillary relief work. Beverley Morris and Joan Price are recommended.
Irwin Mitchell LLP’s team is ‘alive to the changing face of the ancillary relief landscape’. Nicola Walker is ‘a star – an experienced, calm, and safe practitioner, who has a good eye for the final outcome’. ‘The fees are high, but they tend to produce results that justify those fees.’
At Mills & Reeve LLP, ‘response times are immediate’ and ‘advice is targeted at the client’s needs’. The firm has six trained collaborative lawyers and a children’s law specialist in associate Helen Bowns. Marc Saunderson leaves clients ‘feeling they have the right person on their side’.
Harvey Ingram LLP established a family team in Birmingham with the hire of Andrew Breakwell and his team from Clarke Willmott LLP. The team largely handles £1m-plus cases.
Martineau’s ‘service is exemplary; advice is balanced, accurate, and appropriate’. Mary Kaye is ‘exceptional’, and has built an outstanding team with the recruitment of the ‘prompt, efficient, knowledgeable and informed’ Zahra Pabani and assistant solicitor Fiona Farrell, from Shakespeare Putsman.
Shakespeares ‘provides a prompt, methodical and economic service to clients’. Kevin Harris-James and assistant Emma Gibson are ‘highly competent, dedicated solicitors’, and Christine McVay, who joined from Barcan Woodward Solicitors, rates as an ‘efficient and careful lawyer who develops creative solutions’.
Family: Elsewhere in the West Midlands
Family: Elsewhere in the West Midlands
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1
- Harrison Clark LLP Worcester
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2
- Brethertons LLP Rugby
- FBC Manby Bowdler LLP Wolverhampton, Telford, Bridgnorth
- Mercy Messenger Solihull
- Thursfields Kidderminster
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3
- Band Hatton LLP Coventry
- Duncan Watts LLP Warwick
- Knights solicitors llp Newcastle under Lyme
- Lanyon Bowdler Shrewsbury
- mfg Solicitors LLP Kidderminster
- Wright Hassall LLP Leamington Spa
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- Alsters Kelley LLP Coventry
- Ansons LLP Lichfield
- George Green LLP Cradley Heath
- Higgs & Sons Brierley Hill
- Keelys LLP Lichfield
- Nowell Meller Solicitors Stafford
- Varley Hibbs LLP Coventry
- Wall James Chappell Stourbridge
Harrison Clark LLP ‘offers clients a Rolls-Royce service and delivers good value’. Jonathan Brew, Brenda Spain and Andrew Caldicott are ‘exceptional practitioners offering first-class client care, straightforward advice and a realistic, no nonsense approach to negotiation’. The group acts for members of the West Mercia Police Federation and NHS staff at local hospitals.
‘An ethos of efficiency permeates’ Brethertons LLP. The team ‘demonstrates a sound and thorough knowledge of the law, but advice is always tempered by an injection of practicality’. Linda Jones has ‘unsurpassed, encyclopaedic knowledge of family law’.
FBC Manby Bowdler LLP has notable expertise in ancillary relief and Children Act matters. Anne Thomson gives ‘sound, informed advice’, while Philip Cowell ‘develops creative strategies’. Clients have ‘absolute confidence in every member of the team’.
Mercy Messenger focuses on high-value, complex financial claims. The firm offers ‘detailed and clear advice’, and ‘impresses with the sensitivity and understanding’ of staff. Mercy Messenger is ‘a strong character that is determined to achieve the best results’, and is ‘extremely kind, positive and supportive’.
Thursfields’ ‘service is simultaneously professional and personal/friendly/supportive’. The practice covers everything from specialist childcare cases to high-value financial relief matters. Nigel Davies proves ‘central to having clients’ divorces carried through and settled as amicably as possible’.
Dawn Mobbs heads Band Hatton LLP’s practice. The team covers all manner of family law, but is noted in particular for financial relief work.
Duncan Watts LLP has a solid reputation for ancillary relief and child issues work. Martin Croom provides ‘pragmatic advice, delivered in a concise, clear and “on my level” manner’, while Joanne Connor proves ‘highly professional, unflappable, measured and particularly impressive’.
Jim Jones’ team at Knights solicitors LLP is advising on an increasing number of pre-nuptial agreements and has a history of dealing with children issues. Catherine Longshaw ‘forges a professional, yet personal, relationship that gives clients the support they need’.
Lanyon Bowdler’s Peter Flint is recommended for high-value ancillary relief work and private children’s law, while Colin Spanner is recommended for collaborative work.
Mercedes King-Jones heads the team at mfg Solicitors LLP, which has a strong track record of handling matrimonial finance cases and acting on cases involving rural assets.
Wright Hassall LLP’s Peter Lowe and Justin Creed provide impressive client care, and are noted for dealing with ancillary finance issues and children matters.
Personal tax, trusts and probate
Personal tax, trusts and probate
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1
- Higgs & Sons Brierly Hill
- Lodders Solicitors LLP Stratford upon Avon
- Martineau Birmingham
- Mills & Reeve LLP Birmingham
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2
- Cobbetts LLP Birmingham
- Knights solicitors llp Newcastle under Lyme
- Pinsent Masons LLP Birmingham
- Shakespeares Birmingham, Stratford upon Avon
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3
- Anthony Collins Solicitors LLP Birmingham
- Clarke Willmott LLP Birmingham
- FBC Manby Bowdler LLP Wolverhampton, Bridgnorth
- Gateley Birmingham
- Lanyon Bowdler Shrewsbury
- Wright Hassall LLP Leamington Spa
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- Alsters Kelley LLP Leamington Spa
- Ansons LLP Lichfield, Cannock
- Blakemores Birmingham
- Brethertons LLP Rugby
- Challinors Solicitors Birmingham
- George Green LLP Cradley Heath
- Harrison Clark LLP Worcester
- KJD Freeth LLP Stoke on Trent
- mfg Solicitors LLP Kidderminster
- Sydney Mitchell Birmingham
- Talbot & Co Burton upon Trent
- The Wilkes Partnership Birmingham
Higgs & Sons ‘compares well with established City firms on ability, but charges provincial rates’. Lucy Obrey and Robert Leek are ‘extremely good lawyers’: ‘sensitive, understanding, efficient, and most of all, knowledgeable’. Nick Moxon is ‘personable, hardworking and diligent’.
Lodders Solicitors LLP has been busy advising on the reorganisation of family trusts, particularly for property clients, and is currently advising on setting up a family investment company worth over £10m. Martin Green and Stephen Brignull ‘always put the client’s interests first’.
Martineau regularly advises clients worth tens of millions of pounds, and recently advised on the establishment of death-in-service trusts for several plc pension fund trustees. The team is ‘prompt, efficient and responsive’, and can ‘explain complex trust arrangements in plain English’. Keith Dudley and Lesley Davis are recommended.
Mills & Reeve LLP advised on the restructuring of a £60m family investment company/trust arrangement, and acted on the demerger of a private investment company worth £100m into two companies. Gary Barber leads the team.
Cobbetts LLP advised on setting up trusts to receive death-in-service benefits, and assisted a US lawyer with inheritance tax planning for UK and US based clients. Terry Cooper is ‘unflappable and very thorough’.
Knights solicitors LLP advised on a number of tailor-made tax planning schemes, and acted for a number of estates worth in excess of £20m. Lindsey Howland is ‘good, thoughtful and supportive’, while Charles Jones is an ‘outstandingly professional solicitor with a mix of good technical skill and human understanding’.
Pinsent Masons LLP largely acts for trust companies, and recently advised the trustees of a large offshore unit trust on issues arising from a proposal to refurbish the trust property. Janet Hoskin leads the team.
Shakespeares’ Clare Laird focuses on tax planning for high-net-worth individuals, while Anne Tromans has extensive experience in advising private clients on onshore and offshore matters in Bermuda. The team was strengthened by the firm’s merger with Needham & James, which brought Finula Allen on board.
Anthony Collins Solicitors LLP is best known for trust work related to personal injury/clinical negligence trusts. Consultant Jon Lloyd ‘responds promptly, is fully up to date, and gives appropriate advice’.
Against the background of the loss of the firm’s family practice in Birmingham, Robert Smeath’s team at Clarke Willmott LLP hired senior associate Gursharan Bunger from
FBC Manby Bowdler LLP’s Ian Fallon and Andrew Vernon ‘have wide knowledge and experience’, and ‘a high level of professional integrity’. Fallon is ‘very sensitive in his dealings with elderly clients’.
At Gateley, ‘very approachable and knowledgeable’ senior associate Adrian Mabe advised the beneficiaries of an £8m offshore trust.
Edward Rees’ team at Lanyon Bowdler successfully concluded the winding up of the CG Benstead Trust, and saw an increase in Court of Protection work and instructions relating to lasting powers of attorney.
Wright Hassall LLP’s team focuses on tax and estate planning for business owners, farmers and rural landowners. Charles McKenzie leads the team.