Charles Russell Speechlys LLP > Cheltenham, England > Firm Profile

‘Our engagement is with the corporate department for M&A transactions; in an economic environment where “costs matter”, the team delivers sound legal advice provided by ex-City partners.’

‘Jonathan Morley is a knowledgeable individual, who delivers complex legal advice in a clear manner, and whom makes himself available where in other circumstances one might be passed off to a non-partner. Edward Robinson also stands out in terms of corporate/M&A advice.’

‘Commerciality and willingness to get stuck in. Definitely one of the friendliest firms I’ve worked with.’

‘Manoj Vaghela is commercially astute, particularly in the field of pensions, and has a great sense of the commercial realities of a dispute.’

‘CRS is a smart, dynamic team. Great knowledge of the law, and master tacticians. I am always struck by their ability to work as an effective and efficient team, with clearly defined roles.’

‘Claudine Morgan is unflappable, spots the big picture quickly, responsive and extremely good at putting clients and everyone in the team at ease.’

‘The team stands above others due to their commercially focused approach.’

‘Ben Moore is indefatigable, able to get on top of masses of documents and detail, and calm and collected at all times.’

‘Meticulous attention to detail and their desire to provide a first-class service.’

‘They are exceptional in their service and their ability to swiftly understand the key areas, and then make intelligent, swift and commercial decisions.’

‘Sara Wilson is excellent. Sara inspires total confidence and has an ability to be totally professional whilst also maintaining a friendly touch. Whilst they are a multinational company, when dealing with Sara, she maintains the feel of a local/family company in terms of relationship building and injecting some humour here and there.’

‘You are provided with bespoke advice and direction with an understandable strategy to meet your end goal. Sara Wilson provided support through a difficult time, as well as giving the right advice.’

‘The diverse team has a wide range of skills and experience, and collaborate well to provide effective and pragmatic support whatever the problem.’

‘I have worked with Sara Wilson on a number of occasions involving complex negotiations when changing employers. She is knowledgeable, pragmatic and worked hard to bring potentially confrontational situations to a measured conclusion. Sara was always available at critical moments and provided wise counsel.’

‘The team is diverse and very client focused.’

‘Sara Wilson stands out. She is always available at short notice, provides good advice and is very clear in her written opinions. Sara is an asset to the firm.’

‘The support we receive was second to none. I have absolute confidence in the team and in particular the quality of the advice and timeliness is very good.’

‘High-quality advice on landed estates both in terms of technical excellence and ability to communicate this in an understandable way.’

‘Katie Talbot is excellent; combines legal and tax knowledge to an exceptional standard.’

‘Experts in rural property and transactions. Focussed on getting the deal through and listen to clients needs and advise accordingly.’

‘Tristram Van Lawick is exceedingly knowledgeable and diligent.’

‘Kate Eckley has a refreshing approach – really listening to clients needs and advising accordingly.’

‘The quality of work and innovation for clients can be described as London quality with Cheltenham value for money. There is real depth in the team and a collegiate approach both within the firms departments and outside.’

‘Julia Cox is the go to private client lawyer in Cheltenham, and beyond. Julia has brought on an excellent team to support her and grow the business, about which she cares deeply. Julia also really cares about her clients and can empathise with their situations and is always available to find a solution and deliver with care and competence.’

‘Professional, approachable, dependable, and knowledgeable – the CRS personal trust team are a cut above the rest in my experience.’

‘Julia Cox continues to be extremely professional and runs a fantastic team, along with Henry Fea. In the last year, I have been particularly impressed by Tom Denny, who is extremely bright and easy to get on with.’

‘The combination of excellent technical knowledge and the ability to truly understand what a client is trying to achieve.’

‘Julia Cox delivers outstanding technical advice in a very warm and compassionate way that clients instantly feel comfortable with.’

‘Clear, succinct and commercial advice.’

‘Reliable, responsive and experienced land and planning team, well versed in the current issues prevailing in residential development and house building.’

‘Ian Brothwood and Phil Webb are a great team to have on side when dealing with complex issues, and they make themselves available to deal with problems as they arise.’

‘The team provide full dedication to a transaction and are able to commercially close within tight timeframes.’

‘Engagement at partner level is very strong, and they are heavily involved in all aspects of the deals.’

‘The practice has a uniquely personal approach where they aim to understand not just the dry commercial objectives, but the motivations that drive the parties involved.’

‘Ian Brothwood and Phil Webb are both excellent. Easy to work with, friendly and approachable. Always looking for the best solution and offering solid intellectual debate of the issues, where required.’

‘Oliver Auld and Graeme Kleiner are both very able litigators. Graeme is highly experienced. Both are very able lawyers and tacticians. Superb client handling always with a view to getting the best outcome for the client. The team is big and strong across the board.’

‘Graeme Kleiner – clients love him and he has very good instincts as to where a case might go. Duncan Elson is equally excellent and really fights his client’s corner while knowing when to make a good deal.’

‘Tamasin Perkins is an excellent lawyer and very good with clients. Robert Avis, a new partner, is a phenomenal lawyer and very calm. There are some excellent associates.’

‘Very strong in contentious trusts and probate. Clear practical advice and litigation preparation. Availability of specialist advice in other areas of the law to complement the litigation team.’

‘Graeme Kleiner. Absolute standout. The solicitor you would want to act for you. Very knowledgeable, quick thinking and practical. Will ask the difficult questions early on, so that where there are risks and difficulties the client is fully aware of them before getting too far involved in litigation. Has his finger on the pulse of the latest developments in the law and practice.’

‘Graeme Kleiner is a first-rate litigator who relishes hard-fought litigation. Ziva Robertson is a great strategist who can come up with solutions to the most difficult problems.’

‘Simply one of the best in London – strength and depth in the team which is studded with stars of trust and probate litigation. Graeme Kleiner – one of the most experienced, bright and sensible trust litigators in London. Tamasin Perkins has a firm handle on trust litigation.’

‘Duncan Elson – combines experience, knowledge, intellect and robustness in litigation with sensitivity for the human element. A difficult combination to find. And a total delight to work with.’

‘James Freeman heads the team with a seeming lightness of touch that belies his rock solid core. As a family lawyer, if I were getting divorced, he would be my go-to.’

‘William Longrigg is a classy fellow and always a pleasure to deal with. He wears his experience lightly, is always respectful to those he may come across at every level of experience and reassuring to clients.’

‘Charlotte Posnansky has bundles of common sense, is a delight to work with, and is extremely bright. Jamie Kennaugh is tough when she needs to go into battle for her clients and doesn’t shrink from a fight, but will also be pragmatic and collaborative wherever she can. Keen to roll up her sleeves.’

‘One of the best family teams in London. An all-round excellent service.’

‘As a firm, they are at the top of their game and are as good as you will find. Miranda Fisher, William Longrigg, Jamie Kennaugh and David Carver are particularly impressive.’

‘They have one of the best crops of young partners who look set to lead the profession in years to come. Jamie Kennaugh’s care for clients and utter dedication to obtaining the right answer for them is hard to surpass with a warm humanity that verges on the inspiring. James Riby is a hugely knowledgeable technical and commercially minded lawyer.’

‘Sarah Jane Boon is an extremely able new partner and always goes the extra mile. Joshua Green is a charming, thoughtful lawyer with excellent client handling skills.’

‘Sizeable and impressive team with great calibre throughout. James Freeman is a perfect team leader and excellent lawyer; pragmatic rather than political, determined in his progression of cases, and ever commercial.’

‘CRS is a firm that combines a local and UK focus on private clients with larger offshore trust work. They have good litigation support too’.

‘Bart Peerless  is well-respected, full of common sense, excellent at dealing with private clients, a thoroughly easy person to work with. Robert Blower is an intelligent and thoughtful tax and trust lawyer with strong clients in the offshore sector, who is always a pleasure to work with’.

‘Technical leaders in their field of expertise. Technically proficient advice delivered in a highly personable manner’.

‘Dominic Lawrence is the pre-eminent advisor in London on the taxation of non-UK domiciled individuals and offshore trusts. Highly respected by his clients, colleagues and peers’.

‘Sangna Chauhan – technically strong, practical and diligent. Would have no hesitation at referring Sangna to any client’.

‘High quality, strength in depth, value for money. Bart Peerless, Robert Blower and Piers Master are all outstanding; know their stuff, and have ability to convey in simple terms’.

‘Very responsive and a few real stars in the areas of both technical excellence and client service. Bart Peerless-very experienced partner with outstanding client service skills and technical strength’.

‘Piers Master is a highly intelligent and excellent technician with understated but effective style’.

‘A strong team with a solid understanding of the pharmacy sector from both a corporate and regulatory viewpoint.’

‘A good commercial team that has a good understanding of sectors and is responsive to the market.’

‘Howard White deals with matters with an extremely sensible head and ensures that the problem is understood with practical solutions offered. Very technical and extremely knowledgeable.’

‘A very good team technically that is pragmatic, easy to work with and has detailed knowledge of the pharmacy sector.’

‘Mark Howard is excellent personally and does well at bringing in the wider team when required. Just a really good person to deal with.’

‘They are very strong on client relationship management. There is good engagement at all levels of the team and the lead partner is always very accessible.’

‘Tim Jenkins is a very technically skilled lawyer.’

‘Stephen Burns and his team are exceptional litigators. They are well resourced, hardworking, and have the capability to draw on other specialists across the firm for specific matters.’

‘Stephen Burns is clever, with terrifically good judgment. He offers the right balance of aggression and common sense, and always pushes hard to meet the client’s commercial objectives. Katie Bewick is an excellent and hardworking associate, who is a joy to work with.’

‘The team is extremely practical. On each of the cases I’ve seen, they have found a creative solution to force an outcome in their client’s favour.’

‘Stephen Burns is very calm and collected. Charlotte Healy is detail driven and impressive. Jamie Cartwright combines a thorough grasp of the detail together with the ability to advise strategically and tactically. He’s also a shrewd, experienced negotiator.’

‘I work with CRS on cases with multi-jurisdictional and international elements. I find the team to be great to work with, able to work seamlessly across offices in different jurisdictions, and extremely experienced in advising clients on complex enforcement issues. The team are very user friendly, and punch well above their weight.’

‘Rachel Warren is excellent on financial services regulation and disciplinary matters. Gareth Mills is highly commercial and insightful in all interactions.’

‘The team has a very personable approach and takes time not only to provide excellent insight and service, but to do so in an approachable, reassuring, professional and amicable manner.’

‘The team at CRS is great, very friendly and a pleasure to work with. I have had many cases with them by now and I get excited each time I work with them, which shows how great it is. They are all very sensible as to demands and as to what arguments work and which do not. They are a law firm of great calibre with excellent people who know their stuff.’

‘A stellar employment team with exceptional judgment and hard-hitting cases. They are hard-working, strategic, and highly commercial. They understand the needs of their clients well. The employment team is approachable with bags of common sense and loads of energy.’

‘Ben Smith is a go-to partner and knows everything there is to know in this area. He is amazing with people and the law and takes sensible and pragmatic decisions. It is not about show boating, it is always about the client, front and centre. Emily Chalkley is a rising star and hard working with terrific judgment.’

‘I have mainly used the team for employment matters and usually the more complex ones. I have found the team very responsive with excellent communication throughout engagements including urgent enquiries. This is much better than a number of other firms that I have used in the past. The team all work closely together and this is also a reason that matters are dealt with efficiently and effectively. In summary, the differential I find to other legal firms is the quality of the people, who are good communicators and go the extra mile for their clients. I would also note that it didn’t matter if I was requiring support as the CEO of the business or someone from admin. The response and service was the same exemplary standard.’

‘Ben Smith is extremely responsive and understanding of the position of the client. Ben is very quick in providing a summary of the company’s position, possible remedies and potential outcomes. This is so helpful in planning the approach. Rachel Hearn is possibly one of the most approachable lawyers I have come across in my career. She understands the demands of the business and is able to respond accordingly. Rachel has taken time to understand the business, some of the leaders, and dealt with all matters very efficiently and with extremely good grace despite significant pressures.’

‘They deliver quality work with a personal touch and are attentive and professional.’

‘Ben Smith is a hugely impressive partner, who frets for his clients, leaving no stone unturned to deliver results.’

‘The employment team has a great combination of technical expertise in statutory law and strategic nous which, coupled with excellent client handling skills, makes it an obvious choice for a lot of companies and organisations. They are also attractive to claimants with high value claims for the same reasons.’

‘Emily Chalkley is calm, knows her case load really well, provides careful and considerate instructions to counsel, and wins trust of her clients. She is always very attentive and pragmatic with her advice.’

‘Highly commercial and very user friendly team. A combination that produces great results.’

‘James Hyne continues to be able to dance through all aspects of the insolvency world whilst retaining hard core principles…and a degree of charm!’

‘Peter Worrall is pragmatic, approachable, and client focused. He will provide you with the options in a clear and concise way, and give you straight forward advice. I would not hesitate to recommend Peter and look forward to working with him again soon.’

‘The team’s technical ability is excellent, we received high quality legal advice which is practical.’

‘Duncan Elson is everything you would want in dealing with estates held in settlements. He is practical whilst being technically excellent.’

‘This is one of the leading firms in this sector. They have excellent people in the team who have so much experience and expertise in this area.’

‘Practical and expert partners and senior associates at the top of the industry, supported by a deep bench of junior lawyers and trainees. They put together excellent and effective teams.’

‘The team has considerable strength in depth. It has a first-rate reputation in the industry; it attracts top quality clients and they have enviable relationships with all professional sectors.’

‘Duncan Elson has years of experience. He fights very hard for his client and knows this area of law backwards. Rebecca Piper is a talented lawyer, very good with clients and an excellent litigator.’

‘Duncan Elson has a justly deserved reputation for calm and sensible leadership on the most complex cases.’

‘Duncan Elson deals with heavyweight cases and leads the team with aplomb. A reassuring presence on the other side of cases.’

‘Edward Birrell is extremely knowledgeable, experienced and a pleasure to work with.’

‘Edward Birrell is an outstanding senior associate: user-friendly and commercial, he can really grasp the detail while still seeing the wood for the trees. A real delight to work with.’

‘One of the best regional family law departments in the country.’

‘Shona Alexander is a very impressive lawyer and leader. She has an incisive legal mind and her clients, rightly, adore her. Rebecca Arnold is also a superb associate who is a rising star.’

‘Karen Wilsher is a class act, an unflappable and great technical lawyer but also pragmatic. Claire Devine has a great manner with clients, an eye for detail and excellent judgement. Nick Bass is outstanding and a future star. He offers mastery of the facts and figures in a case and tactical and sound instinct.’

‘An extremely well-known firm that is a leader in the field of matrimonial finance. The Surrey and Sussex practice delivers top level representation but provided locally and without charging central London prices.’

‘Felicity Chapman is excellent, unflappable and pragmatic. She is sensible, measured but also friendly and approachable.’

‘Shona Alexander is a fantastic lawyer. She is commercially astute and will go the extra mile for her clients. She is incredibly collaborative which means her clients get results. She is proactive and will always try and resolve matters before resorting to litigation. She is also an excellent mediator.’

‘They have great family team who are well known for dealing with high net worth and complex financial matters. The team stand out against competitors for their expertise with high value matrimonial work whilst offering an excellent service.’

‘Karen Wilsher is utterly dedicated to her job. She has excellent client care skills and is always keen to ensure that the client has an opportunity to voice their concerns about their case. She has an innate sense of anticipating the other side’s next move so is always one step ahead. Claire Devine is very much a partner in the making. She is always clear in highlighting what the client’s objectives are in a case. Nick Bass is definitely one to watch. He has great care to detail and is very responsive to client’s needs.’

‘We have found the team to be extremely empathetic, enabling them to understand and advise us in a sensible and pragmatic way that suits our needs. They are also unerringly professional and we have complete confidence in their knowledge and ability. Nothing is too much trouble for them, from chatting over our concerns to producing the necessary documents. The practice appears well managed, documents are clear and everything is done in a timely fashion.’

‘Natalie Butler is incredibly helpful and seems to understand exactly what we need. She explains processes clearly and succinctly. It is Natalie’s innate friendliness, patience and understanding that make her so very easy to deal with. Richard Honey provides responsive and practical support.’

‘Discussing wealth and estate planning requires mutual trust, discretion, and a personable approach. The team that Sally Ashford has built around her are highly skilled, professional, dynamic and have the capacity to tailor your personal wishes and translate them into legal constructs. This is a multidisciplinary team and related matters can be dealt with in-house. Multiple generations of a family can be advised with mutually beneficial structures, trusts and inheritance planning woven in. This team at CRS will cater to individual needs and wishes, expertly.’

‘Sally Ashford was warm, highly intuitive, generous, friendly and incredibly dynamic. She clearly understands the law, the implications of the various legal structures and constructs and can deliver solutions with elegance and professionalism. Sally navigated us through a mountain of information within the space of a few meetings. Sally understood our needs, our risk appetite and what we wished to achieve with our estate planning and for our family. All our matters were resolved and paperwork completed efficiently and to our satisfaction. Our wider family have also had the benefit of Sally’s advice.’

‘The Guildford Private Client team at Charles Russell Speechlys has considerable knowledge and is able to advise clients with simpler needs and those with complex affairs with equal diligence and care. Practitioners are proactive with their advice, considering individual scenarios and delivering bespoke, high-quality advice.’

‘Sally Ashford and Richard Honey in particular go above and beyond no matter the client size. The personal approach is so valuable and necessary to really understand the clients needs. They are organised and proactive rather than reactive.’

‘What makes the team different is the balance of professionalism, warmth and reliability, which seems to be pitched at just the right level. Consequently, it is clear that the team really do care about their clients, and are able to deliver appropriate solutions. They are great people to deal with and they get the job done without unnecessary fuss or drama. The team is compassionate and understands their clients’ situations.’

‘It is clear to me that Sally Ashford has carefully put together her private client team, and that she is an excellent leader who is respected and liked by them. It is also clear that she is a trusted adviser to her clients and genuinely cares about them. I have witnessed her skilfully overseeing complex situations with multiple stakeholders with varying degrees of financial experience and acumen and can see that she makes her clients feel confident with her ability and at ease with her warm manner. Lauren Clarke is equally delightful to work with. Her reassuring and competent style, which one would normally associate with those of more advanced years, is highly effective at putting clients at ease whilst inspiring confidence. Natalie Butler is another highly valued member of the team for us. Charlotte Voller and Tom Denham Smith have also been excellent to work with and are clearly popular with clients.’

‘Sydney Forster was a great contact to work with at CRS. I had many questions and she never hesitated to help, providing over and above responses.’

‘I have enjoyed their knowledge and their willingness to help. I also appreciate their transparency.’

‘Sydney Forster in their conveyancing department is a great asset to CRS. She is consistently reliable, knowledgeable and is able to provide comprehensive advice on complex matters which includes in-depth detail of possible risks and options available to us.’

‘The team are dedicated, skilled and comprehensive in their approach. Working with them, I do not have to worry about things being missed or spend my own time double checking what is happening as they always have everything completely covered. Not only do we have a long-standing relationship with the residential conveyancing team, we have had occasion to use the construction, litigation and tax teams, all of whom have displayed a similar very high level of competence.’

‘The team of lawyers we work with are highly professional and experienced. They are extremely knowledgeable and always willing to help. They identify issues and give succinct and clear advice and guidance on practical solutions. The team provide extremely good client service and we would not hesitate in recommending them.’

‘We have worked with David McClenaghan for many years which is testament to his abilities and level of understanding of what makes a successful residential development. David stands out from his peers for his experience, gained over many years in practice, together with his ability to remain calm in a storm.’

‘Historic relationship that have grown over time with both partners and senior associates that have time to provide expert advice in all property related matters.’

‘‘Good range of experience within the team.’

‘They have demonstrated remarkable adaptability and appreciation for the specifics of our dispute.’

‘David Savage has a keen sense for dispute analysis, strategy, and solid legal acumen in both oral and written delivery. His service response has been impressive.’

‘A strong team with depth and considerable knowledge.’

‘Individuals are polite and professional, advice provided is considered and sound.’

‘The team at CRS has a great energy and sense of cohesion. They are all top lawyers, who gel into an impressive and efficient squad.’

‘They are efficient and meet deadlines, but they are also really fun to work with.’

‘David Haines is always able to separate the wheat from the chaff, knows a good point when he sees it, has a sound commercial head so knows when and where to spend money on a case, and when not to.’

‘Natalie Deuchar is a flying senior associate, punching well above her weight, being as happy with commercial matters as with complex leasehold enfranchisement claims.’

‘Richard Flenley is an impressive commercial property litigator who is ahead of the curve on Building Safety Act 2022 matters. Always thinks through the case properly at an early stage.’

‘Fee earners at all levels are impressive. The excellent quality of their trainees bodes well for the future of the firm.’

‘David Haines has been exceptional; provided a comprehensive budget for costs, managing costs within budget without exception and provided a consistently excellent cost-effective service. David makes himself available at short notice and was quick to identify/understand and was invested in achieving the client’s objectives.’

‘Attentive, friendly, astute, practical advice received from an experienced team where the objective is to ensure the client receives the most appropriate advice for the situation from the outset when dealing with litigation.’

‘Charles Russell Speechlys have acted for us in several different situations. They have a diverse team that offer individual specific services. All our dealings have been quick and smooth with constant support throughout.’

‘Penelope Byatt has been super helpful, very knowledgeable and incredibly efficient when we have been dealing with charitable law, the Charity Commission and Companies House.’

‘Whenever we have dealt with at Charles Russell Speechlys over the years, they have always been super efficient, ready to help, and quick to advise and respond to emails and queries. I have been very impressed with all our contact with them. They are all very professional.’

‘Penny Byatt is exceptional. She is organised, diligent, extremely bright, and has the law at her fingertips.’

‘Responsive to the client’s needs, practical and commercial approach to issues and challenges. Provide good technical advice.’

‘Very easy to work with. Responsive, practical and thorough.’

‘They truly operate as an extension of our in-house team, and they are so incredibly nimble.’

‘Caroline Young gives us sterling support. She goes above and beyond and nothing is too much trouble. She really takes problems and makes them go away.’

‘A good team with strong experience in civil fraud and broader commercial litigation.’

‘Rhys Novak is excellent. He is very commercial and gets right to the heart of what the client cares about. Abigail Rushton is an associate who operates at a very high level – she is capable of running files by herself to great success.’

‘I really like working with the CRS team. On top of their undoubted technical abilities they bring a warmth and strong sense of enjoyment to the client-solicitor collaboration. They are also highly commercial.’

‘Stewart Hey, Charlotte Pender and Caroline Greenwell are the partners I have worked most closely with. They are all steely individuals when a firm approach is required; yet commercial and receptive when a non-contentious resolution is the more appropriate way forward. They all display the good characteristics I describe under the Team heading above.’

All absolutely superb, incredibly well-connected and are a real pleasure to deal with at all times. A very classy firm.’

‘A well-established commercial litigation team, which deals with a wide range of very good work for a range of clients.’

‘Charlotte Pender gets on top of the legal and factual issues rapidly and organises work streams, enabling the whole team to be fleet of foot in fast-paced commercial litigation.

‘Edward Craig – great with clients and gets results.’

‘Rhys Novak is excellent. A pleasure to work with and extremely competent.’

‘Rhys Novak is very engaged, very hands-on and very intelligent.’

‘A firm that really knows the market.’

‘Clients really like working with the CRS team. On top of its undoubted technical abilities, the lawyers bring a warmth and strong sense of enjoyment to the client-solicitor collaboration. They are also highly commercial.’

‘Stewart Hey, Charlotte Pender and Caroline Greenwell are all steely individuals when a firm approach is required, yet commercial and receptive when a non-contentious resolution is the more appropriate way forward.’

‘The immigration practice provides high level and comprehensive advice. All members of the practice are very responsive and take the time to understand the client’s specific needs.‘

‘Kelvin Tanner was always very thorough in assessing our needs and provided us with excellent legal advice. He was very responsive in regard to any query. His advice was comprehensive, and he kept us up to date on future legislative developments with potential impact on our case.’

‘CRS are very responsive, knowledgeable and proactive, with proven experience in handling all types of cases whether it’s simple or very complex. The team works with their various complementary departments, such as tax planning, to provide a comprehensive package to the client before they immigrate to the UK. The team also maintains a good relationship with the Home Office to keep abreast with their new and updated immigration rules and regulations, and to advise clients of any changes that may affect their visa status.‘

‘CRS have proven to be extremely knowledgeable in this area, with the ability to provide proactive advice where needed.‘

‘Kelvin Tanner provides a personal service on a commercial turnaround.’

‘Rose Carey is excellent and an outstanding leader, as she has the in-depth technical and industry knowledge and can react very quickly to the continually changing visa landscape and requirements.’

‘A very smart outfit which delivers brilliant service, rapidly and without compromise.’

‘Rose Carey is a legend. Organised, informed, influential and supremely well-connected.’

‘Excellent technical knowledge delivered with strong commercial awareness‘.

‘Very approachable and make themselves available when they obviously have other demands on their time. Bart Peerless is very practical and commercial. Terence Bennett is great at assimilating the facts of a case and providing relevant advice’.

‘They are first class in my experience‘.

‘The taxation issues affecting art and cultural property are varied and complex. The CRS team are, in my experience, excellent in producing pragmatic solutions for clients. Each of the members of the practice are highly qualified, technically excellent, well grounded and diligent. Their stand-out quality is their enormous strength in depth’.

‘Robert Blower (huge experience, technically expert, charming and unostentatious) – consistently very high quality’.

‘Suzanne Marriott and Robert Blower are both extremely well known and highly respected in the Art and Cultural Property Law world. They are supported by an extensive team’.

‘Extremely knowledgeable, trustworthy and professional and very well respected in this area of the law’.

‘Robert Blower: extremely knowledgeable in heritage tax matters. Suzanne Marriott: excellent in all things she does’.

‘Having used multiple firms specialising in charity law, I have no hesitation in recommending Charles Russell Speechleys to any charity. They are efficient, hugely knowledgeable and very enjoyable to work with. I actively enjoy consulting them’.

‘Sarah Rowley is an exemplary partner: accessible, smart, quick and highly informed. Her advice is always clear, high quality and timely. The whole team are very impressive in their grasp of sector issues and ability to cut through to the key issues’.

‘Proactive, approachable and outstandingly professional. They put their clients first and they are so approachable – this latter point makes them almost unique’.

‘Approachable, friendly and personable but with a deep sense of trust in all that they do. Stand-out partner is Sarah Rowley who goes above and beyond every time’.

‘I work with Penelope Byatt who provides outstanding client service and has a deep knowledge of charity law’.

‘This firm is highly experienced in this area. There are few individuals with more expertise in COP work than Suzanne Marriott’.

‘The team really know their way around the practice area. They have a lot of experience in the area and this allows them to act with great calmness and efficiency, with a strategic eye at all times’.

‘Suzanne Marriott is without peer in Court of Protection work. She is the first port of call both for HNW litigants seeking representation and parties seeking an independent professional deputy in such cases’.

‘Oliver Auld, having learnt from the likes of Suzanne Marriott, has already carved out his own reputation as a leading practitioner in this area.’

‘The Court of Protection practice at CRS LLP are a pleasure to work alongside. What makes this team unique is the huge depth of knowledge that they bring to each client’s matter, because the firm covers such a range of legal sectors’.

‘In addition to their excellent work for high net worth clients, their team has a truly impressive commitment to meaningful pro-bono work and it has been a pleasure to partner with them to deliver legal training to the charitable sector’.

‘Sally Ashford and her colleague Robyn Hack stand out for their dedication, enthusiasm and skilled approach to resolving the many tricky aspects of their vulnerable clients’ cases. They are a pleasure to work with – extremely organised and always pertinent’.

‘Sally Ashford’s approach not only demonstrates her skill and experience, but also her human nature. She goes “above and beyond”’.

‘Charles Russell is known for its constructive approach to family law which makes the team ideally placed to offer mediation’.

‘The family team at charles russell are excellent and their expertise is superb’.

‘Sarah Anticoni is one of the best mediators in family law. Her wealth of experience enables her to be firm but fair, and to manage even the most challenging of separating couples’.

‘Sarah Anticoni stands out in the mediation world and is one of, if not, the top family mediator around. She oozes experience, gravitas and excellence so couples (and their lawyers) feel she is completely in command of the mediation’.

’Sarah Anticoni is outstanding as a mediator. She is robust and kind in her approach and will go the extra mile to achieve the best outcome for her clients’.

’ Sarah Anticoni- THE mediator in London. Incredibly talented- bright, firm and an exceptional listener. Is able to get people to focus on the next chapter and be solution orientated’.

‘Sarah Anticoni is a superb mediator and one of the best in London. She has such a talent for getting through the most difficult cases and finding a way forward’.

‘Sarah Anticoni and Sarah Higgins’ decades of experience means a sensible clear and calm approach to the matters’.

‘A very strong and well-resourced team across different regions who work well collectively.’

‘James Souter is commercially savvy and on top of recent trends.’

‘Georgina Muskett is hardworking, diligent and extremely committed, with a keen eye for detail.’

‘Emma Humphreys makes the practice unique. She is an outstanding lawyer. The team is well organised with matters resourced effectively across the London and Cheltenham offices. Always well appraised of developments and trends within the market.’

‘Emma Humphreys is an outstanding lawyer. She is commercial in her approach, with an excellent understanding of our business and the issues we face.’

‘Georgina Muskett is extremely able. She single-handedly dragged a case that we were working on together back from oblivion – when our expert witness could no longer give evidence. Her management was very, very impressive, and we subsequently won the case. I could not speak more highly of her.’

‘Absolutely top expertise in rights to light. They combine hard work and imagination.’

‘James Souter knows more about rights to light than anyone – a superbly gifted practitioner with enormous flair and imagination.’

‘The team are able to advise private clients on a wide range of specialisms, so that advice can be provided in a joined up and convenient format. The advice is always clearly communicated and relevant’.

‘Thomas Moran’s methodical, calm approach, focused on solving problems, rather than finding them, is refreshing and reassuring. He is always responsive, understanding the value of communication’.

‘Collaborative and take a sensible approach. When we see CRS on the other side we breathe a sigh of relief!’.

‘Tom Moran is so wise and always calm and great to deal with’.

‘The team are excellent. Knowledgeable, slick, reliable and very user-friendly. They can react to a situation very quickly and their advice is always top class’.

‘Tom Moran. He is an extremely wise lawyer and there is nothing that he hasn’t experienced. He can navigate a tricky situation with complete dexterity. He is also a great deal of fun to deal with – something that isn’t always the case!’.

‘Responsive to the client’s needs, practical and commercial approach to issues and challenges. Provide good technical advice.’

‘Megan Paul is through and technically good.’

‘They truly operate as an extension of our in-house team. They are incredibly nimble and know our requirements so well.’

‘Caroline Young gives us sterling support. She is always available and responsive. Nothing is too much trouble. She takes problems and makes them go away.’

‘Good understanding of our risk appetite, operate as an extension of our team rather than an arms length organisation providing theoretical advice. The advice is always adapted to the context that we operate in.’

‘Caroline Young is a particularly strong member of this team. She is pragmatic and clear when advising clients and tailors her legal advice to the operational or commercial context.’

‘The team are very much experts in their field. They understand the needs of the client and ensure the wider organisational matters are considered. CRS meet deadlines and work well with the in-house team, ensuring that others learn and are not side-lined during the process.’

‘Danielle Sharkey remains our go-to lawyer when we need external advice. She is incredibly knowledgeable, diligent and produces work which is exactly what is asked for, in a way that can be quickly and easily applied in the industry. She makes herself available when we need assistance and anticipates problems.’

‘Edward Craig is an exceptional leader of the dispute resolution team. He is approachable, knowledgeable and delivers work which is exactly what the client requires. As an organisation, we cannot recommend him enough.’

‘Responsive, pragmatic and knowledgeable. Burgeoning sports practice with experience across a range of disciplines.’

‘The team has a tremendous relationships with their clients.’

‘Rachel Warren has great judgment and acuity.’

‘The team works well together. Whatever the seniority, the service is always first class with the client central to all they do.’

‘Breadth and depth of expertise in handling complex cases worldwide.’

‘Richard Norton is a stand-out partner; he takes the time to understand what is required to deliver a solution.’

‘Richard Norton and team offer an outstanding service. Legally excellent of course, but business savvy, practical, result-oriented, and tenacious; all qualities for successful business engagement.’

‘Strong ability to close transactions within a short period and provide full dedication amongst the team.’

‘Ability to take commercial approach on transactions and be at the end of the phone whenever is required.’

‘The insolvency team at Charles Russell Speechlys are a match for any top City law firm in this area. They punch way above their weight. The partners and associates are all first-rate.’

‘Dan Moore has unparalleled knowledge of cross-border insolvency and financial markets, as well as a solid grounding in general commercial law.’

‘Recent associates of note are Joseph Evans and Carris Peacey. Both write extremely well, are always up on the issues, and are future partners in the making.’

‘Personable, pragmatic and commercially astute. Very experienced team.’

‘Careful, professional people with the judgement and depth of experience to deliver good commercial advice.’

‘Andrew Collins. A good listener, careful, thorough and wise.’

‘Mark Howard provides practical corporate advice.’

‘Paul Arathoon’s responsiveness and availability are excellent.’

‘The practice is very focused upon obtaining justice for ex-employees and is sympathetic to the pressures faced by individuals when facing multinational firms in employment disputes.’

‘Nick Hurley has a pragmatic and practical approach, which combined with his extensive experience makes him a very good judge of the best course of action to take.’

‘I was very impressed by their flexibility.’

‘I have worked with Nick Hawkins, who was brilliant. He’s the ideal senior associate and no doubt one to watch for the future. He’s got a really strong legal understanding, excellent manner with clients, and is acutely aware of the particular sensitivities of senior executive work.’

‘The CRS Caribbean practice is of the highest standing and in many ways unique. The team that is led by John Almeida acts for Governments and has, among London law firms, an unparalleled Privy Council practice. This has led to involvement in some of the most important Commonwealth cases.’

‘John Almeida enjoys incredible respect in the region, and not least among key Government officials.’

‘Charles Russell Speechlys is capable of managing matters across multiple jurisdictions in a professional and user-friendly manner with great respect to time and realistic approach to time required for fulfilment.’

‘Friendly and very helpful. Quality of service with realistic approach to the local environment.’

‘A very decent choice for competent, effective representation in corporate and commercial including private equity and real estate, under Adrian Mayer, and disputes matters with a well-established emerging markets track record and extensive expertise. CRS excels in various legal areas, including corporate, commercial, real estate, and dispute resolution. Their team of skilled lawyers exhibits a client-focused approach, ensuring tailored solutions to complex challenges.’

‘Adrian Mayer is an experienced and clever corporate lawyer who stands out due to his versatile expertise, client-centric approach, creative and pragmatic problem-solving skills and familiarity with cross-border aspects of doing business in Nigeria, He is pragmatic and great fun to work with, transparent in his communication, and ethics. A greatly competent, effective and impressive lawyer and a pleasure to partner with to advise clients on Nigeria and Africa facing cross-border deal.’

‘No matter how large or small the ticket price is, Adrian Mayer is always just a call away, willing to dedicate his time to resolving any issue. Client management is excellent – the team do a great job of it and also help the client manage other advisors across various countries.’

‘Adrian Mayer – great knowledge of the subject area, very hands on in managing the matter while at the same time allowing his team take enough responsibility to demonstrate their own competence, he keeps in touch, keeps the relationship warm, very responsive and flexible on pricing, committed to cross-border work in Africa, no airs about him. He is a great guy!’

‘Personable, pragmatic and commercially astute.’

‘Very experienced team.’

‘Victoria Younghusband is very commercially aware and has longstanding experience in respect of dealing with cross-border issues and listings/capital markets.’

‘Victoria Younghusband possesses extensive expertise in UK listed closed-ended funds and remains up-to-date with emerging issues.’

‘Victoria Younghusband consistently meets our needs in a timely and thorough manner.’

‘The CRS commercial property team are highly competent, quick to respond and personable.’

‘Knowledge delivered clearly and with understanding of the client’s business.’

‘Personable and knowledgeable.’

‘The team are responsive and commercial.’

‘Very dedicated to the client.’

‘The firm is big enough to have people with good knowledge in a lot of areas and use their team to good effect, while maintaining personal contact.’

‘The staff are open and friendly. They listen and take notice of what is said but are not afraid to push back at the client where they think it is right to do so.’

‘Kevin Forsyth, through high understanding of the issues at hand, brought comfort to senior management with clear education and a willingness to listen.’

‘Their knowledge of construction law is excellent.’

‘They always respond promptly, quickly understand our products and applications and sort through large amounts of historic project detail. Discussion and explanation of potential strategies are also very useful.’

‘The have in-depth knowledge of construction law. The experience of the team is very broad and this is extremely useful in resolving disputes.’

‘Steven Carey is exceptionally knowledgeable in construction law and able to give commercially sound advice based on the breath of his knowledge and experience. Christopher Hadnutt, likewise, is quick on his feet and able to assimilate large complicated issues in a very short amount of time. His advice and solutions are pragmatic and cost-saving to the client.’

‘The team at CRS works like clockwork. Everyone is on the same page and their commitment is always 100%.’

‘Their understanding of the matter is clear. Compared to other firms, CRS stand out beyond others.’

‘My main contact is one of the best, if not the best. Claire Fallows’ service level is outstanding.’

‘The distinguishing characteristic of the team is their understanding of the client and the knowledge of the subject. Town planning is always moving, and Claire Fallow is always sharp on these matters.’

‘Very strong planning and compulsory purchase practice, led by Claire Fallows, with a strong supporting team. Experience and strong judgement in terms of strategy and good outcomes. Pragmatic and practical in its outlook.’

‘Claire Fallows has extremely good judgement and is not afraid to take difficult calls on the basis of her knowledge and experience. She doesn’t just execute (although she does that very well); she contributes invaluable opinion and recommendation. She is supported by a very capable team, in particular Sophie Willis.’

‘The planning practice team at CRS is highly professional and works at a very efficient level providing valued professional advice.’

‘The planning practice team works to make its client queries its priority and ensures that we feel we are a much-valued client with every query we send their way. Claire Fallows works very hard to lead her team on a professional level providing an outstanding level of service.’

‘Nick White and Charlotte Duly are responsive and helpful. They add value in the advice they provide and are top-notch communicators.’

‘The Charles Russell Speechlys LLP IP team in the UK is well-resourced, nimble, provides timely and insightful advice, and is very practical in assisting clients with responding to IP infringement claims.’

‘Charles Russell Speechlys LLP has an international reach, but mid-tier rates, which we appreciate.’

‘They have provided our company with responsive and exceptional IP representation in the UK.’

‘The spirit of team work is outstanding.’

‘From having worked closely with Duncan Lamont, Hannah Gornall and Stephanie Bonnello, I have great respect for their individual and collective attention to detail. I trust their advice and appreciate that they keep me updated at all times.’

‘The team is incredibly quick to get back to us, and their responses are accurate and reliable.’

‘Duncan Lamont gives speedy and sensible advice over the liability of any news story or feature I feel slightly nervous about.’

‘Emma Preece is bright, attentive and calm under pressure. She has good client management skills and presents the merits and risks in a straightforward and accessible fashion.’

‘A very strong property team across both its London and Cheltenham offices and is a very safe pair of hands.’

Emma Preece is a thoughtful and friendly practitioner who provides realistic and commercial advice to clients.’

‘The prop lit department at CRS is second to none. They have fantastically experienced and knowledgeable solicitors at both partner and associate level.’

‘Emma Humphreys is superb litigator and a market leader. She is also always at the forefront of new law (both case law and statutory); she writes articles and participates in podcasts that analyses new law and explains it to the market.’

‘Emma Preece is a fast-rising star of the property litigation scene. She has particular prowess in rights of way and boundary dispute matters and she is another who likes to get to grips with new law.’

‘Emma Humphreys is a real superstar. She is committed to the cause, clever, determined. Superb at identifying and addressing the issues that really matter. Exactly the sort of lawyer that you want on your side. The clients absolutely adore her.’

‘CRS is very well known in the market and this is one of their strongest teams.’

‘Hugh Gunson – technically great, but also tactically astute. And very nice to work with.’

‘The CRS team have a long history within our sector which remains relevant, deeply respected and just as importantly, up to date. Their knowledge of the issues we face encourages us to think differently in addition to simply being there for the law. Our business is stronger as a result of their partnership.’

‘Mike Powner and Jason Saiban are exceptional partners. In addition to their legal knowledge they are thoroughly decent people to do business with and fun to boot.’

‘Outstanding range of financial institutions form part of CRS’s client base, which has given the FS practice a huge depth of expertise.’

‘William Garner is a rainmaker par excellence.’

‘I was very impressed by Charlie Ring’s depth of knowledge and experience, which came across very clearly. He was able to distil everything down to the key issues, explaining concisely where the other side was coming from and what actually mattered.’

‘The team are always available with expert, commercial and practical knowledge which encourages you to look at things in a different way.’

‘Mike Powner is an exceptional lawyer. He has a deep understanding of the law and how this applies to our sector. He is always available, a unique skill for such a busy man and is an vital partner to our business.’

‘Expert knowledge is second to none. Willingness to solve problems in a straightforward way. Always collaborative.’

‘Well known and respected in the field.’

‘A reliable, knowledgeable and responsive team.’

‘Charles Russell Speechlys have kept us well-informed about the state of cases.’

‘As a firm, they are pragmatic, reliable and are quick to respond to queries, providing accurate and concise information.’

‘Caroline Young has helped us with client referrals and has made collaborating easier than we would otherwise have expected. We look forward to continuing working with her due to her responsiveness and ease of communication.’

‘Having worked with the team on EU and competition matters for nearly 15 years, the strength is derived from the understanding that long relationship provides.’

‘Paul Stone remains a “go-to” adviser, not least because of his 100% track record for us.’

‘The team has sage seniors, and clever juniors who can be relied upon to do the work properly.’

‘They are efficient, client friendly, and commercial.’

‘They are clear thinking, strategic, and consistently thinking of creative solutions which might afford a practical way forward.’ 

‘Roger Elford is experienced and accordingly cool headed, with his eyes on the big picture.’

‘Hanh Nguyen and Joseph Evans are very much on top of the legal principles but also look  for a commercial way forward in a constructive way.’

‘Jamie Tilling is superb: he is clever, writes well, and always understands the issues.’