The Legal 500

Within Corporate and commercial: Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Stevens & Bolton LLP is a first tier firm,

Stevens & Bolton LLP has a ‘highly personable’ team with ‘exceptionally good’ response times. In 2011 it acted in transactions with an aggregate value of £1bn, including Berners AG’s acquisition of Barnes Distribution Europe. Keith Syson was appointed practice head following Ken Woffenden’s appointment as managing partner.

Within Corporate tax, Stevens & Bolton LLP is a second tier firm,

Stevens & Bolton LLP’s expertise encompasses share schemes, exit tax planning and advice to entrepeneurs. Practice head Kate Schmit advised the selling shareholders of VADition Ltd on their exit strategy.

Within EU and competition, Stevens & Bolton LLP is a second tier firm,

At Stevens & Bolton LLP, Gustaf Duhs advises UK and international companies on merger clearance matters and OFT investigations. Clients include Stemcor Holdings, Rentokil and Rackspace Managed Hosting. Duhs is a former legal adviser at the OFT.

Within Commercial litigation: Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Stevens & Bolton LLP is a first tier firm,

Stevens & Bolton LLP successfully defended Salute Finance LLP against a variety of claims brought by Kazakh bank Alliance Bank JSC, including for unjust enrichment and breach of fiduciary duty. It also assisted a Chinese client in relation to shipments of goods worth $7.5m. The ‘extremely pragmatic’ team is led by Michael Frisby, a ‘highly impressive individual’.

Within Debt recovery, tier 4

Stevens & Bolton LLP’s four-fee-earner team is headed by Michael Frisby. New clients include a major credit insurer.

Within Banking and finance, Stevens & Bolton LLP is a second tier firm,

Stevens & Bolton LLP demonstrates ‘excellent client service skills, and is extremely well connected’. The team recently advised Lloyds Banking Group on the £40m refinancing of self-storage company Lok’n Store. ‘Knowledgeable, commercial and approachable’ practice head Jonathan Porteous and the ‘comprehensive and diligent’ Joe Bedford are recommended.

Within Insolvency and corporate recovery Insolvency and corporate recovery

Within Employment: Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Stevens & Bolton LLP is a first tier firm,

In 2011, Stevens & Bolton LLP assisted the BOC Group in a discrimination and unfair dismissal case, and Kia Motors in relation to TUPE and advisory matters. Stephanie Dale leads the three-partner team.

Within Professional negligence Professional negligence

Within Regional review, Stevens & Bolton LLP is a first tier firm,

The Kent, Surrey, Sussex region maintains the highest number of regional heavyweight firms, including Clyde & Co, which ranks highly in shipping, insurance and employment; DMH Stallard LLP, which is renowned for its public sector experience; and Stevens & Bolton LLP, which has strength in corporate and commercial matters. asb law LLP wins plaudits for its aviation industry expertise, while Charles Russell LLP maintains a formidable reputation in family and construction.

Within Charities Charities

Within Family: Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Stevens & Bolton LLP is a third tier firm,

The ‘excellent’ team at Stevens & Bolton LLP is led by the ‘practical’ and ‘sympathetic’ Caroline Gordon-Smith. It boosted its ADR experience by adding a Resolution-trained mediator.

Within Personal tax, trusts and probate: Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Stevens & Bolton LLP is a first tier firm,

Stevens & Bolton LLP’s five-partner team acted in a complex multi-jurisdictional probate matter involving five offshore trust accounts with assets across the UK, Thailand and Portugal. The ‘very professional’ Nick Acomb advises on international tax and succession planning issues.

Within Education Education

Within Commercial property: Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Stevens & Bolton LLP is a second tier firm,

Stevens & Bolton LLP focuses on construction, property litigation, planning and environmental matters. Michael Laver heads the five-partner team, which includes the ‘very knowledgeable’ Garry Brett. The firm acted for Polofind Ltd on a £60m joint venture with Epping Forest Council to develop Debden Retail Park.

Within Construction, Stevens & Bolton LLP is a second tier firm,

Matthew Needham-Laing leads the two-partner construction team at Stevens & Bolton LLP. The practice handles litigation, arbitration, adjudication and expert determination matters for clients across the hospitality, banking, education and automotive sectors.

Within Environment, Stevens & Bolton LLP is a first tier firm,

Stevens & Bolton LLP’s environmental team is ‘particularly strong and very useful’ across a variety of environmental issues, including climate change, contamination, impact assessment, risk and insurance matters. Valerie Fogleman stands out for her ability to ‘resolve intractable regulatory problems’.

Within Planning, Stevens & Bolton LLP is a second tier firm,

Stevens & Bolton LLP’s planning team assisted the University of Surrey in its development of projects on and off campus. The well-respected Catherine Davey leads the group.

Within Property litigation Property litigation

Within Intellectual property, Stevens & Bolton LLP is a second tier firm,

Demonstrating a ‘thorough understanding of the law’, Stevens & Bolton LLP’s IP offering is ‘exceptional’. David Wilkinson leads the team and is hailed as a ‘shining light’. Tom Lingard was promoted to partner in May 2011.

Within IT and telecoms, Stevens & Bolton LLP is a second tier firm,

Beverley Whittaker’s team at Stevens & Bolton LLP handled a number of IT projects for Cineworld Cinemas in 2011, including advising on the supply of IMAX technology systems to its cinemas. The team is commended for its communication skills, responsiveness and industry knowledge.

Within Media and entertainment Media and entertainment