Macfarlanes LLP > London, England > Firm Profile

‘The entire tax team at Macfarlanes is brilliant to work with. They know their files in detail and their expertise extend well beyond the pure tax matters.’

‘Jeremy Moncrieff: extremely knowledgeable and sharp – very good at condensing difficult technical concepts into readily digestible and pragmatic advice. Very reassuring.’

‘The Macfarlanes tax team is where we bring complex problems to have them exchanged for straightforward solutions. They are very strong across the breadth of issues relevant to investment funds and asset managers.’

‘It is the clarity and concision of Jeremy Moncrieff’s advice that really stands out for us when working with Macfarlanes. He conveys his advice really well across multiple channels – in writing, in person, and via videoconference – essential skills today.’

‘Sophie Donnithorne-Tait is the best tax lawyer I have ever met, and working with her simply gives me the utmost confidence that everything will be fine.’

‘The team provides good and practical advice with good understanding of the commercial rationale for the various matters considered.’

‘The individuals are experts in their respective field and are able to apply the legislation to the specific context.’

‘Lora Froud is extremely responsive, and always delivers sound practical advice through her team. She cares about the client relationship, anticipating needs and keeping us up to date with regulatory developments in the retail funds space. She works very well with the regulatory team, often teaming up with Alexandra Green to ensure that our wealth management business is kept abreast of all applicable regulatory developments.’

‘This is a team with great breadth and depth of knowledge. Everyone is responsive and proactive, from paralegals to partners.’

‘Lora Froud and Alexandra Green are my go-to lawyers in this area. They always give clear, commercial advice that is on point.’

‘Sandeesh Shah is excellent. She is very knowledgeable and a great communicator. We find her really easy to work with and a great asset to the team.’

‘We have worked extensively with Lora Froud, Alexandra Cochrane and Harry Middleton. All are very responsive, work well to tight timeframes and use their wealth of experience to very good effect.’

‘Lora Froud is a rock star for UK open-ended funds, always available and very knowledgeable. Lora is very professional, and she always comes with creative ideas and solutions. Emma Garnham is a rising star!’

‘Lora Froud and Alexandra Cochrane continue to deliver a good service for us. Lora’s knowledge in particular is always valuable, and her proactive outlook has often been very helpful to us.’

‘Tiffany Cox is an up-and-coming star. She is very knowledgeable and authoritative in the subjects she covers, and works hard to meet client deadlines. Also, very flexible in making herself available for meetings, even at short notice.’

‘Charles Lloyd has been very sharp on picking up on the nuances and has been able to develop alongside Jacob Ward a roadmap for what our strategy should be. Jacob has been very in-tune with the gamesmanship of the other side, and yet while staying professional has made sure we maintain our ground. He has been sharp, and responsive.’

‘Elizabeth Doherty is a standout trust litigator. Charming, brilliant and an asset to any team. Jonathan Arr is a leading light in the international trust litigation world. Goes the extra mile with his clients whilst retaining his passion for any case under the most challenging of circumstances.’

‘Macfarlanes’ private client team is second to none in London in my opinion. Their expertise is deep, and they are consummately skilled at assisting in solving very thorny issues of fiduciary and tax law.’

‘Macfarlanes is one of very few City law firms with a dedicated team of litigators who specialise in the contentious trusts and probate work. They also have several of the leading individuals in that type of work. For me they are unquestionably one of the leaders in this area.’

‘Charles Lloyd remains the doyen of contentious trusts and probate work. He is outstanding in every respect. He is someone you want to work with as a client or a barrister, and someone you worry about having as an opponent because he is tactically astute.’

‘Jonathan Arr has developed a very strong practice in this area which differs in also specialising in company and fraud elements affecting trusts and estates. He is on a par with an English silk in terms of legal knowledge, but he is also extremely personable.’

‘Elizabeth Doherty is particularly strong on estates matters, especially with elements in the Court of Protection. Her practice complements what Charles and Jonathan do, so they have every angle in this area covered. Emma Cohen has exceptional communication skills and is very well organised.’

‘Elizabeth Doherty – irrepressible intellect, totally committed and determined and a joy to work with. She will be a leader in the field before too long. Charles Lloyd – at the top of his game. A true gent, but also an excellent strategist and litigator.’

‘Good at matching the needs of a project with the right individual(s) as have resources at all levels from the more senior partners (Piers Barclay and Nicholas Harries particularly strong), younger partners (Richard Giangrande and Mark Hunter) and associates who function at a far higher level than other firms (Paul Hardwick stands out)’.

‘Edward Reed stands out as an all-round advisor, capable of grasping clients’ needs, including international ones, and translating them into wealth management structures tailored to the client’.

‘Piers Barclay and Nicholas Harries have a wonderful talent for connecting with clients understanding their needs and presenting often complex legal matters in a simple fashion. They are leaders in their field. Paul Hardwick is an exceptional associate with a fantastic legal brain’.

‘Charles Gothard: I am glad I have always been on the same side. Rigorous, thorough and gets things done. Jenny Smithson: Brilliant technical adviser with a can-do mindset. In particular in US related matters‘.

‘Knowledge, experience, toughness with the revenue authorities, resolution, calmness under pressure. The key platers in this team are Sebastian Prichard Jones and Richard Giangrande. But everyone is excellent’.

‘Piers Barclay – one of the friendliest solicitors I have ever worked with. Clients are always at ease. The best all around lawyer I’ve ever worked with. Piers has led engagement delivering complex matters for clients of our firm. I trust him completely’. 

‘I have worked quite closely with Paul Hardwick on a number of clients. Paul is a very likable individual who is easily trusted and very dependable. His attention to detail means that the advice he offers clients is always top quality’. 

‘Special mention of new partner Alex Jones – outstanding technical expertise with strong communication and people skills, ability to explain complex UK tax topics with great clarity. Charlie Maydon Grace – Amazing lawyer, always ‘on’ and thinking about client matters’.

‘The Macfarlanes team consistently provides excellent advice in a timely manner.’

‘I frequently recommend Macfarlanes to my clients, as the Macfarlanes team knows perfectly how to handle complex and international cases as well as investigations.’

‘A good all-round team which is able to take a holistic view of commercial problems.’

‘Dan Lavender is a very effective and wise operator.’

‘Dan Lavender strikes me as someone who knows his stuff, is calm and measured, is easy to deal with and who is likely to provide a good service to his clients.’

‘The team is fantastic – hard-working, thoughtful, diligent. My go-to firm in the UK.’

‘They work hard, are careful, attentive and really smart. And the results have been outstanding.’

‘Able to navigate high-intensity contentious situations in a calm and extremely pragmatic way. Dan Lavender and Laura Bridgewater are stand-outs.’

‘Their team is very experienced in managing cross-border issues for clients. Based on my experience, they are very good at understanding the clients’ commercial needs and help shape strategies to achieve the objective.’

‘A combination of really excellent partners and diligent and enthusiastic associates gives confidence that the case is in safe hands.’

‘Fraud-related matter is definitely their field and they are the first choice when we have a matter of such type, especially on a global scale. The team is extremely good and possess deep understanding on how to apply the available instruments in a client’s case. What is even more valuable, they look into the matters from commercial standpoint and provide a fair assessment whether a case is worth the efforts.’

‘We worked with Nikolas Ireland – his promotion to the partner is very well deserved. One of the top commercial litigators we have encountered.’

‘Macfarlanes have always produced quality advice across all levels. I’ve continued to work with Nik Ireland and he continues to provide excellent advice’

‘Nikolas Ireland is a superstar with a commercial and pragmatic approach and the ability to explain issues succinctly and clearly. A well deserved elevation to partner.’

‘James Popperwell is a knowledgeable and strategic fraud practitioner who has consistently been involved in some of the biggest cases in the market.’

‘A leading civil fraud firm. Extremely knowledgeable, able to handle the most complex of matters, driven to deliver excellent results.’

‘James Popperwell: knows everything and everyone and how to get results.’

‘This is a competition litigation team which combines seasoned competition lawyers with hard-headed commercial litigators, which is a winning combination. The senior partners are particularly strong.’

‘Simon Day is exceptional and has the rare talent of keeping a calm head while fiercely advocating for his client’s interests.’

‘A hard-working, cohesive, and friendly team of talented individuals who are able to deal adeptly with complex competition litigation.’

‘Simon Day and Emma Radcliffe have excellent judgement. They are efficient, helpful, and always sensible and realistic in their appraisal of merits and strategy.’

‘An excellent team which is well-versed in competition litigation and regulation. Very knowledgeable, user-friendly and pragmatic.’

‘Cameron is immensely knowledgeable and has great client skills.’

‘The team has a deep knowledge of tax matters and a tactical approach to case management. They are very approachable and help us to manage matters in a way which is focused on results.’

‘Ben Webster and Gideon Sanitt have been excellent. Their depth of experience has served us well. I trust their judgement implicitly and feel that they are working with us at all times to get the best result for us.’

‘Their output is high quality and comprehensive. Unlike other advisers, their first draft advice needs little input: They’ve clearly grasped the factual position and fully applied the law to the facts to produce a note that is full and clear.’

‘Gideon Sanitt has an impressive ability to create a clear picture from a complex factual and technical position. He comes across as very knowledgeable, with a wealth of relevant experience of disputes with HMRC to draw on.’

‘Macfarlanes has one of the most professional and respected tax litigation teams in the market. They are involved in a substantial amount of high-end work in both corporate and private client markets.’

‘Gideon Sanitt has a depth of real experience in litigation. Sophie Rhind recently arrived from HMRC and has a very good sense of what a tribunal will make of the client’s case.’

‘Very responsive and hands-on, realistic and well-measured advice, highly experienced in all manner of litigation. A pleasure to work with.’

‘Stellar knowledge. Superb tacticians. A real class act. Safe pair of hands. Exactly who you want in your corner in a crisis. Cool under pressure.’

‘Ras Berglund is a consummate professional and very knowledgeable about UK employee share schemes.’

‘Macfarlanes has a calm, reassuring approach with the right balance of professionalism and approachability without being old school legal.’

‘Rob Collard is able to combine business experience with tax knowledge in advising on management incentives.’

‘The team provide client-centric, pragmatic and commercial advice.’

‘Friendly and supportive approach. Very responsive to queries with quick turnaround times without compromising on quality of response.’

‘Macfarlanes has only of the best fund finance team in UK. The practice has exceptional knowledge of the market, and their fund finance expertise is impressive.’

‘Richard Fletcher and Andrew Perkins are top-notch partners focusing on fund finance deals.’

‘They are highly knowledgeable and experienced. The team provide creative solutions to problems and very high quality work.’

‘Super responsive and helpful in the fund financing work. The team have good depth and knowledge in areas that were of importance to our funds. The partner knowledge is very strong and this is a well managed and good team that is performing well.’

‘The team are driven to get deals over the line, have strong industry knowledge and bring in specialists from the rest of the firm as needed.’

‘One of the best law firms I have worked with. Their standout quality is that they are extremely flexible to client requirements and very commercial in their approach.’

‘Excellent quality of work overall and very good negotiators. They work extremely hard to get the best results for their clients.’

‘It is a genuine partner-led team that works in small groups, so you are always dealing with someone knowledgeable on a deal. They work quickly and efficiently and deal with legal minutiae behind the scenes, ensuring our time is focussed on the key commercial issues.’

‘They are personable with us and our counter-parties and make dealing with complex legal issues seem as straightforward as possible.’

‘Dan Marriott is a hands-on partner and has a strong supporting associate/senior associate team.’

‘Dan Marriott gives excellent advice, and I would be extremely happy to recommend to any client.’

‘Nick Barnes is very thorough and keeps on top of all the potential issues facing complex multi-faceted developments.’

‘They have strong senior associates and associates coming up through the ranks.’

‘They are particularly strong in supporting UK REITS, understanding sale and leaseback transactions, as well as property and corporate acquisitions.’

‘They are very strong in terms of speed of delivery, detail/quality of work, commercial awareness/understanding.’

‘Clare Breeze is a great choice.’

‘With their broad commercial and private client base they are very well based to provide advice to corporates under investigation from an early stage. Adept at internal investigations as well as fighting of prosecutions. Well-resourced and reasonable on fees. A diverse staff for years.’

‘Neil Blundell, charming but tough as nails under the charm. An effective negotiator but a tough and seasoned defender. Helen Harvey, a real star in the making, no stone left unturned and a great lawyer.’

‘Macfarlanes are undoubtedly one of the leading sanctions teams in the country and are especially good at work in involving interacting with regulators. Very strong at an associate level & know their way around the relevant regulations.’

‘Neill Blundell – a very smooth operator, reassuring with clients and knows everyone who matters. Not a sanctions specialist himself but has a good team under him & can delegate effectively. Francis Bond comes from a policy background & has an in depth understanding of sanctions regulations. Commercially astute & with a good eye for what will wash with the regulators.’

‘Neill Blundell: a Tier One lawyer and Tier One human being.’

‘Lorna Emson: straddles the crossover between civil, criminal and regulatory investigations seamlessly.’

‘Francis Bond: one of the up and coming sanctions lawyers of the moment.’

‘Neil Blundell heads the team and has brought a combination of effortless charm and ruthless tactical execution to the MacFarlanes brand. Max Hobbs is a skilled practitioner. Neil’s background means he can effortlessly move between advising corporates and individuals and understands what motivates each stakeholder in an investigation or prosecution.’

‘Tom Usher is exceptional.’

‘The team has superb technical skills. Their lawyers have the ability to produce succinct summaries of complex documentation. The team is highly responsive and personable.’

‘Tom Rose in particular stands out. He has superb breadth and depth of knowledge and technical skill.’

‘A special mention is deserved by Howard Corney. He distinguished himself for being extremely accurate, always very available to find solutions through the ups and downs of the deal’s negotiation. Howard is a very knowledgeable and experienced M&A lawyer with strong negotiation skills.’

‘Very knowledgeable and coordinated approach to get all the relevant expertise to ensure one stop shop service.’

‘They give very practical and commercial, thoughtful and considered advice. The lawyers are always helpful and available.’

‘The Macfarlanes team brings a practical approach to their engagements, offering direct advice that is easily understandable to those less familiar with UK practices.’

‘The individuals that I’ve worked with at Macfarlanes are particularly dedicated to their practice. It’s not just a job, it’s something that they are deeply committed to, and they bring energy and focus to their work that is palpable. The tremendous client focus and strong teamwork is what sets them apart. Tom Rose should be called out individually as a stand-out among the younger partners. Harry Coghill is also an exceptional lawyer.’

‘Macfarlanes has an excellent specialist VAT practice which has deep experience across a range of different sectors.’

‘Chris Mortimer and Jack Slater are the two standout VAT practitioners at Macfarlanes. Chris has a great depth of expertise and he lives and breathes VAT. Jack is technically very sound and extremely responsive and concise in his advice.’

‘The tax team at Macfarlanes are very strong and are always partner led. The team works well as part of the wider legal offering.’

‘Macfarlanes are an important resource across all financial services VAT matters due to an effective mix of technical knowledge and the ability to apply this knowledge to new commercial issues.’

‘Chris Mortimer is properly recognised as an expert on all financial services VAT matters and is a key resource. Chris has excellent technical knowledge and an unparalleled ability to apply this knowledge creatively to new commercial issues.’

‘Extremely competent VAT specialists and always available to help when you have an urgent request. Very thorough in the analysis to ensure the advice is correct and relevant.’

‘The Macfarlanes LLP VAT practice has always provided excellent advice, guidance, and rounded responses to tricky VAT issues. They respond quickly and deal with all matters with an urgency that allows clients to have complete faith in their ability to deal with the problems that they are posed.’

‘Chris Mortimer and Charishma Bhujohory have proved to be excellent VAT problem solvers who deal with clients in a down to earth manner, even when faced with some very complex VAT matters. They are both extremely knowledgeable, unfailingly polite, and always helpful.’

‘Very helpful friendly and knowledgeable team and a very personal service.’

‘In this area judgement is key. Technical expertise is essential but when to be firm and when to hold fire is critical. The team integrates well, which makes them easy to work with.’

‘Neill Blundell has a friendly, open approach which is helpful since often individuals in this area are going through a once in a lifetime nightmare experience. His advice is clear, considered and inspires confidence. Lorna Emson  is technically high-grade and her written style is persuasive and impressive. Helen Harvey is developing into an outstanding adviser in this field. Her grasp of the detail and ability to cut to the important stuff is extraordinary.’

‘A tight knit and experienced team with enormous passion for their job, and a diverse young support staff. Adept at dealing with investigators and experienced in multi-jurisdictional investigations with prosecutors and regulators across the EU and globally.’

‘Neil Blundell still retains a boyish enthusiasm for his cases even though he is approaching the status of an elder statesman. Great judgement. Helen Harvey is shrewd and clever; an up-and-coming star.’

‘The team is insightful, experienced, and effective. The partners are all over the detail and are highly diligent and responsive.’

‘Helen Harvey is a superstar – calm in a crisis, and highly diligent in her approach. Neill Blundell is an excellent practice head with deep experience.’

‘The team is sharp, hands on, fast and with commercial sensitivity which is rare to find.’

‘Matt McCahearty is extremely reliable and commercial. Clients appreciate his ability to spot their needs and provide clear and simple answer also in context of sophisticated strategies.’

‘Lauren Roberts is precise and scrupulous.’

‘Ian Mackie is always a calm, measured, head and on top of his brief.’

‘First rate commercial team, capable of handling the full range of disputes. A particular feature is the level of partner involvement; you get a deep knowledge of the case and issues, leadership and strategic and tactical decision making, whereas at some other firms the case is effectively run by associates with the partner merely a figurehead.’

‘Lois Horne is a star. She is the complete package: ferociously bright, commercial, hands-on and tactically astute, looking two moves ahead. She has a superb feel for the points that will and won’t fly with a tribunal, and the route through to the best commercial outcome for her clients.’

‘Lorna Emson is another excellent partner. She is a real fighter, who you want on your side.’

‘Matt McCahearty is a brilliant department leader: very bright, totally on top of his cases and with a very sound instinct for what will best promote his clients’ interests. Fred Snowball is an exceptional associate.Very clever, knows his cases inside out, and is tenacious in fighting his clients’ corner. Lois Horne is a stellar partner who is incredibly diligent and on top of all the detail.’

‘Chris Charlton is a truly great young Partner. He can deal with the most demanding clients and the most challenging cases, and he does so with the calm authority of a man with a much greyer beard. A future superstar in the litigation world who I expect to be among the heavyweights for years to come.’

‘Matt McCahearty, Chris Charlton and Fred Snowball have been exceptional, offering pragmatic, real-world workable advice in an extremely challenging time for our business.’

‘Macfarlanes is an outstanding practice, with consistency across the partnership, and immaculate associates supporting. The standout quality is the measured legal and commercial judgment and discipline which the litigators bring to bear in all types of dispute.’

‘The Macfarlanes team are testament to the view that a large team is not necessary if you have the right individuals. From a pension de-risking perspective they provide a full service and are willing and able to tackle any problem we throw at them.’

‘Their depth of industry knowledge and keen sense of the commercial as well as legal elements of any transaction sets them apart from their competitors.’

‘Andrew and Madison are real experts in their field. They are able to anticipate areas where we might have concerns in advance of our raising them, which makes the drafting process much more streamlined, as they ask the right questions before we have even thought of them.’

‘Their attention-to-detail is second-to-none and we always value their ability to simplify drafting to tackle any problem. Working with them is a pleasure every time.’

‘Macfarlanes are a smaller practice than others but one with a huge level of industry knowledge in the UK pension de-risking market. They deliver a personalised and very human service based on their wealth of experience.’

‘Andrew and Madison present a great team from a client perspective. Andrew has a huge level of knowledge of the industry and any problems encountered he has often seen – and indeed solved – before.’

‘Madison has an incredible eye for detail and picks up on errors or dangers in proposed wording that has often eluded others during review. A real standout is how well they both work as a team- better than any others I’ve worked with.’

‘They understand each other’s strengths and contribute accordingly to deliver a perfect level of client service.’

‘Their in-depth knowledge of the law on financial services is exceptional. They are client-oriented and pragmatic.’

‘Very strong people – the team is good at cross collaboration and bringing in the expertise you need from different parts of the firm as and when needed.’

‘Malcolm Hitching is a legal legend and a leader by example. He has an eye for detail, superb legal knowledge and experience.’

‘Malcolm Hitching is extremely responsive and an excellent adviser; helping you work out how to best shape and frame a deal from the start. He has the ability to think creatively and commercially.’

‘Strong technical expertise and provide commercially pragmatic advice. Great value for money.’

‘We have worked with Macfarlanes on a number of different projects over the years and they are consistently excellent.’

‘A deep bench of talented associates led by a very hands-on and experienced partner in Will Sykes.’

‘Will Sykes has a deep and unparalleled understanding of prime brokerage and financing documentation, developed and refined over a number of years of close work with key clients. He is able to leverage this experience to provide clients with up to date insights on trends and “market standard” practices’

‘Macfarlanes has a very experienced team on all legal fields of expertise relevant for an institutional investor. The team’s approach is consistently a good balance of knowledge with practicality in getting to a close.’

‘The team is unique in having so much experience in working with hedge funds and trading firms on their derivative work.’

‘Chris Acton is exceptional. He is able to cut through the technical rules to give pragmatic and commercial advice.’

‘Alex Coyne is extremely knowledgeable, responsive and we place total confidence in his abilities. He employs a robust commercial approach to all matters on which he’s engaged and that suits us very well.’

‘Good reliable and knowledgeable people.’

‘Thoughtful and don’t panic easily. There is always a solution and the team have helped me find it.’

‘MacFarlanes team occupies a superb niche position. They have proved to retained and developed a lot of clients even without their own US offering. They are a class act, both associates and partners.’

‘We use Macfarlanes as our legal advisor across multiple funds – the approach and values of the team that we work with match our own and we find working with the team to be straightforward, with prompt advice.’

‘Harriet Miller is our go to partner for all fund related matters and she generally operates as our gateway into other work streams as we find her to be highly professional, responsive and thoughtful as well as approachable.’

‘We have worked with Harriet Miller and Stephen Robinson for a number of years on a number of fundraisings and ancillary matters. Their work is consistently of an extremely high quality and delivered efficiently. The advice we receive is thorough and commercially focused.’

‘A very commercial team that has strong, in-depth knowledge of the UK and European markets.’

‘Harriet Miller is excellent at advising clients in a commercial and flexible manner.’

‘Stephen Robinson’s experience in the Venture Capital industry is second to none.’

‘We appreciate their friendly, client-centric approach to all matters.’

‘The team is thorough, responsive and able to deal with items in a commercial manner.’

‘Excellent client service at all levels. Partner engagement and supervision of teams. Outstanding commitment.’

‘Blue chip, high-quality service for disputes which are business critical.’

‘Doug Wass and Mark Lawrence in particular are standouts. They are balanced, pragmatic, calm and supportive as well as incredibly knowledgeable about the industry.’

‘Very approachable and down to earth.’

‘Very hands-on with their clients. Mark Lawrence and Doug Wass are exceptional with technical and complex matters. They understand the issues very quickly and are able to advise their clients of the correct, appropriate legal strategy early on.’

‘Partners Mark Lawrence, Doug Wass and Andy Mather are exceptional talents within construction and engineering disputes. The team has a good source of senior associates and associates such as Philip Parrot and Philip Kershaw. They are very astute with managing clients’ budgets and good in high-pressure situations such as the hearing.’

‘Their knowledge about construction contracts and litigation is second to none.’

‘The team has particular expertise in and a very strong reputation with developer clients and in the PFI and infrastructure sectors. They are known for acting in technically and legally complex construction disputes. The team has a real depth of talent.’

‘Mark Lawrence, Andy Mather, and Philip Kershaw all stand out as strategic thinkers who deliver practical, effective advice and have a real understanding of this area of law and its intricacies.’

‘Angus Dawson and Louisa Hudson are stand-out performers and provide excellent service.’

‘Radhika Shah is very details driven.’

‘Laura Bretherton is very capable and has significant experience across a range of real estate financing matters. She clearly has excellent technical knowledge and can apply this in a practical manner to deliver pragmatic and commercial advice.’

‘The team is well-balanced. Macfarlanes demonstrates that the firm has invested in building up a strong property finance practice that has enough resources in terms of lawyers, and, above all, sophistication and excellent technical ability, to handle top-notch mandates. They argue their positions beyond mere “market standard” arguments, always supporting their position in strong legal arguments based in recent case law, precedents, and their knowledge of the market. ’

‘Colin Morgan has led advice in most of the matters that I have entrusted to Macfarlanes. I would highlight the practicality of his advice, which is always supported by strong legal arguments. His thoughtful contributions are brilliant and reveal his tenacity and depth of inquiry.’

‘Jat Bains is solutions driven, authoritative and a great mentor to his team.’

‘The Macfarlanes real estate finance team is a market-leading, well-organised, engaged and pleasant team to work with. They work efficiently and diligently and make themselves available to assist even on challenging timelines. Their advice is commercial, taking all aspects of the legal and factual matrix into account.’

‘Colin Morgan is a very experienced, level-headed adviser who knows the market very well. He manages his team excellently to ensure a high level of client care and goes above and beyond to guide his clients through even the most challenging of transactions.

‘Laura Bretherton was central to assisting us through a very challenging transaction last year. Throughout, she demonstrated strong technical legal skills coupled with sensible commercial views to assist us in finding an acceptable solution to each issue which arose.’

‘Responsive communications. Solution givers and creative anticipation of questions and their answers’.

‘I have found them to be a proactive, upbeat team with very good communication that offer an all round service with putting their clients at the forefront’.

‘I’ve worked with Helen Simmons on a number of transactions, and she has always been efficient, commercial, approachable and a pleasure to work with’.

‘The team draws on a strong cross-section of internal expertise within residential property and delivers on demanding client requirements, well outside the norm and therefore requiring a premium bespoke service’.

‘Helen Sculthorpe has been very helpful. She demonstrated patience and a focus on detail when faced with highly demanding and evolving client instructions over a prolonged period’.

‘Great team’.

‘Penny Cox has been highly effective. Given the nature of the transactions we deal with in the Ultra High Net Worth category, clients expect a prompt and efficient service, and I can rely on Macfarlanes to offer this service, always on hand to speak to a client immediately’.

‘Use plain, easy to understand English, grasp and simplify issues quickly, fast turnaround, no fuss and easy to work with’.

‘Alexandra Green provides clear and informed advice.’

‘A very responsive team with excellent partners and associates.’

‘Alexandra Green is knowledgeable, approachable, and gives timely, practical advice. I would not go to anyone else.’

‘Great people and commercial advice provided.’

‘Macfarlanes are able to offer expertise across a range of areas, often diverse in nature, and as such can support on complex, often unique, scenarios. They are very client-focused, and take time to understand the business in detail in order to offer tailored, commercial solutions to the matter in hand.’

‘Michael Sholem provides excellent advice.’

‘Tiffany Cox is an outstanding regulatory lawyer providing practical advice and is very prompt in responses. She is forging ahead in the ESG practice at Macfarlanes.’

‘Alexandra Green gives very practical, proportionate advice. Understands the client very well.’

‘Very much a safe pair of hands for employment litigation. The partners and associates I have worked with all have demonstrated excellent knowledge and judgment. Their cases are always extremely well-prepared.’

‘I have recently worked closely with Hayley Robinson and also Associates Tabitha Al-Mahdawie and Jagwinder Kaur. They keep me closely involved with tactical and strategic decisions on our cases which is crucial with complex cases.’

‘Macfarlanes’ employment practice excels in financial services, funds and private equity work. Their collaboration with the firm’s excellent tax and financial services teams means there is nothing they don’t know about these areas.’

‘Hayley Robinson is an intellectual heavyweight, but nonetheless manages to operate and deal with clients and opponents, with a very light touch. She’s a real pleasure to deal with and you can absolutely rely on her to give the best commercial, practical and appropriate advice.’

‘Kirstie Hutchinson remains a tour de force in this sector.’

‘Very personable, able to provide advice tailored to real circumstances and backed by the technical detail.’

‘Jat Bains has a wealth of experience and is a fountain of knowledge across a range of restructuring matters.’

‘Paul Keddie has very impressive technical knowledge and is able to use that to suggest practical solutions to complex legal problems.’

‘Amy Walker is one to watch.’

‘The team at Macfarlanes are very strong. We lean on them heavily to advise us on market conditions / terms and to shape our agreements. We trust the team explicitly to raise any large issues quickly and efficiently and leave them to sort out the smaller points, which is extremely valuable for us as we have no in-house dedicated fund finance team. We believe the team has excellent market knowledge and has worked with all the counterparties previously so can advise us if something looks off market or a counterparty has accepted a different approach on points.’

‘We have excellent access to the partner Richard Fletcher and we trust him to advise on all our fund finance matters. He is always available to offer sound practical advice and seems to be well respected by counterparts.’

‘Richard Fletcher, unflappable and extremely experienced. Kelly Wilson, very able and always on top of the detail.’

‘The team marries extensive legal knowledge with a thorough understanding of the operational considerations that inform this very technical area. It is both refreshing and very reassuring to be advised by a partner who is as at ease speaking to our Ops team as he is speaking to our Legal and Investment teams.’

‘The team has broad securitisation experience, including synthetics, which few firms specialise in. Richard Fletcher, the partner is not only available, but very involved in the structuring and documentation.’

‘Well balanced and integrated team.’

‘The individuals are attentive, available and very experienced.’

‘Very efficient team. Can work to challenging timetables and always keep us updated on progress.’

‘I was impressed by the ability of Macfarlanes to dedicate a senior lawyer to follow the entire deal.’

‘A specific mention for Howard Corney, who assisted us throughout the deal. Howard is an extremely experienced M&A lawyer, with very strong negotiation skills. He managed to efficiently solve issues arising during the different deal phases.’

‘The Macfarlanes team is well co-ordinated and can advise across multiple areas including M&A, asset management, loans and securitisation. They respond very promptly and can keep to a tight and fast-moving timetable. They have a real depth of expertise and are agile and responsive.’

‘Mark Cusack and Kathryn Jarvis are both highly intelligent and valuable members of the team. Mark is super responsive, very accessible and easy to work with and turns work round very quickly. Kathryn is also a joy to work with. She grasps complex issues very quickly and is able to produce high-quality work within a very tight timetable.’

‘Excellent strength in depth and great quality advice throughout private equity transactions.’

‘Stephen Drewitt is an oracle in the sector.’

‘Jessica Adam, Adam Campbell, and Stephen Pike are all excellent.’

‘The team is extremely savvy from both a technical and commercial perspective. They never leave you with the impression that they are outgunned relative to any other firms they work across, be they from the Magic Circle or large US names.’

‘Alex Edmondson is a real stand out who is technically very proficient and commercially minded. He also provides you with real and well considered advice rather than just blindly implementing instructions – he questions your approach and rightfully challenges it where appropriate to ensure you get the best outcomes.’

‘This team brings great technical expertise and the client-care skills of one of the country’s foremost private client teams into the non-profit and charity sphere. They have charm and skill with dedication to their clients. A very impressive offering’.

‘Nicholas Harries – an outstanding private client partner with all the necessary skills. Charm in bucket loads. He has experience as a barrister behind him as well as being a highly experienced partner’.

‘Charlotte Howard – a very clear thinker and hard working counsel. Emma Cox – a relaxed style combined with clarity of purpose and technical expertise‘.

‘I value the services provided by Macfarlanes personnel because they are clearly extremely competent in their knowledge of the laws relating to the Charity sector and are able to convey their import to our charity in a clear and understandable manner. Their services are delivered promptly and in the most helpful manner’.

‘Emma Cox has brilliant rapport with clients, really getting to know them and therefore being able to advise them in the best way. Her advice was very clear and immediately actionable, and she was able to relate very complex issues in ways that balanced the needs of the charity with the regulations’. 

‘Very strong understanding of the market and commercial challenges currently facing property owners. Very strong matter management, shrewd guidance and advice to clients, robust negotiations with other side’.

‘Strong client base with strength and depth in their charity practice. Nicholas Harries – highly experienced and unfailingly calm and unflappable’.

‘The team’s work is always detailed, efficient and of high-quality. I have experienced a high-level of interaction with the wider Macfarlanes teams, making for a smooth and informed process.’

‘Nigel Price is always extremely approachable and knowledgeable. I wouldn’t hesitate to pick up the phone to him to discuss all aspects of a project or proposal.’

‘The Macfarlanes team have a great understanding of the key issues in matters – they are responsive and client friendly.’

‘Nigel Price is a key individual in this practice. He is very knowledgeable and approachable and I would have no hesitation in recommending him.’

‘I cannot rate them highly enough. We are an incredible fast moving business and Macfarlanes are consistently responsive, more than helpful and highly knowledgeable. They don’t take the approach of ‘computer says no’ but instead take a very personalised view of a client’s queries and needs and help them understand what is acceptable but also general practice.’

‘I have not had the good fortune of working with anyone as knowledgeable as Tom Marsom. He is responsive, keeps himself totally abreast of what is going on in the market and genuinely listens to us as a client. I regularly feel he goes above and beyond with services provided to us, and would happily recommend him as an individual to any client looking for immigration and sponsorship advice.’

‘The immigration team has excellent expertise in its field.’

‘The team is extremely responsive, particularly Tom Marsom, Senior Associate, who is our main point of contact.’

‘ I have 100% trust in Macfarlanes. I know if I’m unsure or have a strange question they will listen, understand and help me find a solution.’

‘Excellent service from all team members.’

‘Tom knows our business and people extremely well. He is commercial, always available to speak to and knows his stuff.’