Stevens & Bolton LLP > Guildford, England > Firm Profile

‘Charlie Maurice is a first rate commercial lawyer with excellent communication skills. Builds great relationships, doesn’t overcomplicate legal problems and provides resolutions in simple and easy to understand language.’

‘Beverley Flynn is unrivalled in her ability to translate key complex issues into clear advice and to find solutions which my clients and my business can rely on. Her business insights are superb. She makes all the difference and I know the matter will proceed as planned.’

‘Beverley Flynn – consistently impressive; personable, yet always asks the key questions needed to get to the thorniest issues. She has an excellent breadth of experience which we have found extremely useful.’

‘I have been regularly working with Gustaf Duhs and I would always involve him for future projects.’

‘Joe Bedford- calm, wise, strategic and razor focused. a delight to work with and a hugely impressive lawyer.’

Jenny Robertson – smart, hardworking, diligent, resilient, creative – I will always want Jenny on my team.’

‘Joe Bedford is an excellent partner – he provides superb, commercial advice and is extremely responsive to feedback. He is able to tailor his negotiating style as required and is enjoyable to work with.’

‘Keith Syson is a titan of corporate law.’

‘The knowledge of the Stevens & Bolton was both broad in variety and deep in its detail. We were able to access all the expert knowledge we needed for the sale of our business; both our businesses legal requirements and additionally our personal needs.’

‘They are experts in their field, with a-can do attitude and capable of finding solutions to tricky issues during a deal.’

‘Katie Schmit is knowledgeable , efficient and a super clear communicator.’

‘Sarah Murray – a brilliant lawyer who is not afraid to get stuck in as part of the team.’

‘Catherine Penny – a joy to work with. Thorough and engaging.’

‘Katie Philipson – a hard-working associate with a brilliant eye for detail.’

‘Sarah Murray heads up the team.  She is very responsive and has excellent client handling skills.’

‘Catherine Penny: ability to understand and resolve complex issues always paying attention to details.’

‘Andrew Quick – Sage and experienced adviser, quick to identify the commercial and legal point of even the largest litigation.  Suitably firm and energetic with the opponent, when needed.’

‘James Evison – thoughtful and thorough team player.  Starting to emerge as a force.

‘Andrew Quick – a real force in this field.  Very commercial in his approach but very talented as a commercial lawyer.’

‘Pragmatic and clear advice is delivered by the proactive and engaging lawyers at the firm. Their employment team are very easy to work with and understand our priorities well. Hannah Ford leads by example. She is very responsive, knowledgeable, and a lot of fun to work with too!’

‘Stevens & Bolton are an excellent non-London firm delivering sound advice. The specialism in immigration has been of particular value post-Brexit.’

‘Kerry Garcia in the immigration team is superb. An excellent black letter lawyer but also a sound communicator. She can distil difficult issues into practical advice. Hannah Ford is a sound lawyer and a friendly face. She knows our business and our style well.’

‘The employment team are very professional, knowledgeable and friendly. They provide practical advice and always respond promptly to requests for advice. Hannah Ford is very bright, engaging and articulate. She gets to the heart of a problem quickly and always responds with appropriate advice.’

‘Stevens & Bolton are a trusted partner to us and having worked with them on a number of complex issues over the past years I find them to be very attentive, helpful, diverse and their response rate is next to none.’

‘The specific individuals I have worked with who stand out are Kerry Garcia and Rebecca Berry. These individuals are not only very knowledgeable but professional in their approach. I trust the work delivered by them. I find they always have a solution and have worked to not only protect our brand but ensure we are best set up to succeed.’

‘As a collective Stevens & Bolton are very responsive, pragmatic and easy to work with. As a result we have developed a strong client relationship. There is strong collaboration across the team, with each member who we have been referred to providing sound and thoughtful advice. They cover the full spectrum of employment law.’

‘Lloyd Davey is thorough, quick at responding and personable. He understands our business, commercial challenges and the wider industry and accordingly provides tailored, high quality and pragmatic legal advice. He also understands our style of working.’

‘The team is extremely helpful and very knowledgeable. They go out of their way to make the immigration process go smoothly without complications.’

‘Very quick to respond with applicable advice and extremly proactive.’

‘Kerry Garcia is superb. An excellent black letter lawyer but also a sound communicator – she can distil difficult issues into practical advice.’

‘The team has become very accustomed to our business and understands what our objectives are and have tailored their advice and approach accordingly. Always available and accessible which is very useful, and pragmatic in their application and approach.’

‘Matthew Padian is competent and provides sound advice.’

‘Genuine client interest from Andrew Dodds… we didn’t feel like just another client.’

‘Matthew Padian – smart, super-conscientious and very user-friendly.’

‘For finance matters, they provide a City-type service and more tailored to the client.’

‘S & B are a solid and effective firm. They are prompt, courteous and well-resourced.’

‘Tim Carter can be totally relied upon to respond in an effective and creative manner. He is never fazed and when things get difficult, he is like a dog with a bone. He never gives up and always gives 100%.’

‘The team are both technically proficient and commercially aware. They provide clear, unambiguous advice and a clear way forward. They are robust in their litigation and have provided innovative solutions to recent problems, which yields favourable results. Definitely a firm that punches above its weight!’

‘Tim Carter is a joy to work with, he always provides a rounded opinion on the matter at hand. He is methodical in getting to grips with the problem and diligent in considering the various options available. He is technically up to speed and strong on seizing the commercial reality.’

‘A good mix of technical skills, commercial approach, and client service.’

‘Tim Carter is personable, experienced, knowledgeable and commercial.’

‘Very responsive. The firm has all bases covered and in-house sector experts brought in to advise effectively in specialist areas.’

‘Tim Carter is excellent with clear, good value advice and strong negotiation skills. Helen Martin also stands out with quality delivery.’

‘James Lister is reliable, personable and technically excellent.’

‘James Lister has now firmly arrived at the top of the profession. He is technically exceptional,  able to distill the most complex points down for clients, and a delight to work with. A rare combination of brains and personality.’

‘James Lister is an extremely able litigator who has built up and heads a fantastic team.’

‘James Lister always offers his clients a fantastic service. He inspires confidence with his profound understanding of trust and estates law and his vast experience of complex family disputes.’

‘Jack Bailey is one to watch. He is well-liked by clients and is a calming presence in hard-fought litigation.’

‘Jack Bailey has been doing partner level work for some time. He has good judgement, technical knowledge and a calm measured approach.’

James Lister is savvy and sharp – the go to out of London solicitor in this area.’

‘Jack Bailey is an up and coming superstar.’

‘The family team are, to my mind, the best firm outside of London. They are much better than most the London firms too, but their USP should be that they can ably compete with the capital’s best family law solicitors whilst charging only a fraction of the price. They are a full-service law firm and so are able to offer cross-departmental advice on the same case. If my friends ask for a recommendation, I tell them to see Stevens & Bolton.’

‘Sean Hilton is an amazing lawyer with extensive knowledge and great insights in terms of how to handle cases and the people involved. When acting on their behalf. Sean stands out from the competition as he’s calm and composed uses those qualities to achieve the best result for his clients. I would recommend Sean to anyone needing a family lawyer at any level or complexity.’

‘The team is spearheaded by Nicola Harries, whom I have had the benefit of working with for years. She is highly astute and a very strategic lawyer. She predominantly works with HNW/ultra HNW clients, all of whom feel very comfortable in her hands. In short, she is ‘untrickable’ and has excellent judgement.’

‘Grace Parker-White and Sean Hilton – both of these stars could run firms in their own right.’

‘The family team is extremely professional, very knowledgeable and a pleasure to deal with. They are always helpful and available to address any questions and go about their business in the most professional and pleasant way.’

‘Sean Hilton and Victoria Batstone advise clients correctly from the very start of the matter. Their communications with the other side are always well drafted, concise and contain the appropriate level of detail and argument.’

Sean Hilton is very popular with clients, and clear and concise with this advice which is always accurate and correct on the law.’

‘Grace Parker-White was amazing during a very difficult divorce. She listened to my suggestions, talked me down when I was worried, and gave sane and very sound advice throughout.’

‘James Hardaker – fabulous solicitor. Very knowledgeable indeed. Excellent knowledge and good collaborative approach.’

‘Rosie Todd – I’ve recommended her to clients for years now, and when I needed advice myself, I went straight to her. And she’s been absolutely superb. Calm, knowledgeable and very easy to deal with.’

‘Excellent quality of advice, delivered thoughtfully and with a real feel for what is important. Absolutely top drawer.’

‘James Hardaker – exceptional communication and client management with a drive to put the client at the centre of his thinking and advise and then execute the best plan with buy in from all parties. I have recommended James on multiple occasions.’

‘James Hardaker – technically excellent and a calm and reassuring presence.’

‘The Stevens & Bolton private client team provide extremely high levels of service.’

‘Rosie Todd gives excellent guidance and leadership.’

‘Matthew Peto was extremely knowledgeable, clear thinking, and dealt with the complex restrictions already in place around the family business.’

‘Significant contact with the partner. We have also received frank and clear advice, which was particularly useful on subjective matters.’

‘The partner is very hands on and fought our corner exceptionally well on a recent lease negotiation and provided clear advice and guidance. For more straightforward work, this was delegated to the associate who was also very knowledgeable. This made us feel we are getting appropriate staffing with the partner stepping in where his additional knowledge and experience was vital.’

‘I’ve found S&B to be a very capable company to use in my land transactions but the reason I use them instead of other firms is because they take ownership of each individual deal and treat it as if they have a personal interest in getting the best terms and getting it exchanged in as short a time as possible. They are personable and flexible.’

‘Joanne Purnell is especially hardworking and creative. Andrew Steele is also very personable and capable.’

‘We have worked with Ben Willis since 2021 and he is always available to spend the time to discuss any issues and to explain the various options so that we can make an informed decision. He has provided excellent advice.’

‘Helen Wheddon is a stand out partner for us and delivers excellent service.’

‘An easy going firm with excellent expertise.  We have utilised Stevens & Bolton on various matters from property to technical trust matters and their advice has been excellent and at competitive prices.’

‘Helen Wheddon made us feel super supported during a highly stressful time for the company. ‘

‘Helen Wheddon has a brilliant understanding of complex litigation proceedings and the ability to form a logical plan to handle client expectations.’

‘Caroline DeLaney stands out in her knowledge, experience, demeanour – her advice is always spot on.’

‘Markus Klempa has provided excellent litigation advice.’

‘Stevens and Bolton provide a high quality, professional and personal service.’

‘Markus Klempa – excellent professional advice and top class management of the case.’

‘They worked effectively and closely with us, offering good client service – they were very responsive and had good knowledge.’

‘The team feel like old friends. Always happy to work with them. Professional, responsive and they understand us.

‘They are unusual in that they have particular expertise in relation to not only trade mark infringement but also patent infringement.’

‘Stevens & Bolton provide a high quality, professional and personal service. They listen to their brief and build a professional project plan to achieve their client’s aim. ‘

‘Tom Lingard stood out with understanding the needs of our start-up business to be agile and efficient with funds.  He worked directly with us on most client facing matters and involved juniors where cost efficient.  Would highly recommend.

‘Elaine O’Hare has exceptional knowledge, a brilliant professional approach to problem solving and negotiations.’

‘Tom Lingard – brilliant knowledge and the ability to process information and build a plan to solve very technical problems.’

‘The team has provided great legal support to our business across constitutional, public and commercial law.’

‘They are responsive lawyers who deliver a service that is attuned to our business needs.’

‘They deliver on the brief every time. I believe this is because they anticipate what we want and if there is any uncertainty they check before completing the work.’

‘Stevens & Bolton have been a delight to work with. The team have been diligent, reliable, responsive, concise, and friendly. The team excels ahead of competitors at explaining tricky concepts clearly and objectively so that as a client, you never feel lost or confused.’

‘Charles Maurice stood out as key individual in Steven’s & Bolton. Charles helped us sort out our commercial agreements.’

‘Very approachable, professional and have the full suite of services for a regional firm.’

‘Keith Syson – a titan of corporate law.’

‘Practical and hands-on team, outstanding availability and partner involvement.’

‘Jenny is an outstanding corporate lawyer, quick on her feet and really knowledgeable.’

‘Solid and dependable team, excellent client engagement and very responsive. Proactive at finding billing and creative solutions to ensure a range of deal sizes and structures can be efficiently resourced and catered for.’

‘Joe Bedford is an excellent partner. He provides superb, commercial advice and is extremely responsive to feedback. He is able to tailor his negotiating style as required and is enjoyable to work with.’

‘Krishna Patel is an excellent senior associate who moves the transaction along.’

‘Tom Collins knows a huge amount about the industry, is very commercial, and is always available.’

‘Very knowledgeable (partners and associates), fast and efficient, good billing rates, friendly and approachable.’

‘The partners and associates are very knowledgeable, fast and efficient, as well as approachable.’

‘Tom Collins knows a huge amount about the industry, he is very commercial and is always available.’

‘Charlie Maurice is outstanding. He is a valuable asset to Stevens and Bolton.’

‘They are very personal and take time to understand the business to customize the services needed. They will bring in experts that are necessary with the vast network they have.’

‘Very personable, dedicated and timely in their delivery of work. Nicola Broadhurst is amazing.’

‘A talented young team with good client care skills. Jack Bailey has been doing partner level work for some time. He has good judgment, technical knowledge and a calm measured approach. James Lister is very well respected in the market.’

‘A strong personable team who are all excellent lawyers and get results for their clients. Jack Bailey is able to empathise but still stand back and provide solid advice to his clients. James Lister likewise is charming but determined to fight his clients’ corner. They are both proactive and a pleasure to deal with.’

‘Excellent team headed up by James Lister, with strength in depth. James Lister is savvy and sharp – the go to out of London solicitor in this area. Jack Bailey is an up-and-coming superstar.’

‘James Lister always offers his clients a fantastic service. He inspires confidence with his profound understanding of trust and estates law and his vast experience of complex family disputes.’

‘James Lister is a very hands-on partner which has allowed him to build a big and accomplished team from basically nothing.’

‘The team at Steven & Bolton is very strong and competes with the very best firms in this sector. James Lister, despite being a relatively junior partner, is now established as one of the leading partners in this field.’

‘Jack Bailey is one to watch. He is well-liked by clients and is a calming presence in hard-fought litigation.’

‘James Lister is an outstandingly good lawyer, with great client skills and rock-solid judgment. A pleasure to work with.’

‘The dispute resolution team comprises City-quality lawyers, operating at out-of-town prices.’

‘Sarah Murray is a brilliant lawyer, who is not afraid to get stuck in as part of the team; and Catherine Penny’s advice is on point and pragmatic.’

‘Very efficient and organised, and able to deal with major litigation. They have a very happy band of clients.’

‘Andrew Quick is a sage and experienced adviser, who is quick to identify the commercial and legal aspects of even the largest litigation. Suitably firm and energetic with the opponent, when needed.’

‘Andrew Quick has a great grasp of the detail of a case and clear commercial nous.’

‘James Evison – a thoughtful and thorough team player. Starting to emerge as a force.’

‘A really professional outfit that understands the detail of a case and proactively manages it. They keep across all the issues and work efficiently, not wasting barrister time unnecessarily or duplicating work streams.’

‘A brilliant team of litigators with vast experience in the field.’

‘S&B are always available and on hand when we need support. Requests are dealt with quickly and all members of the team offer great guidance and feedback. It feels like S&B are an integral part of our business, akin to having in-house lawyers.’

‘Catherine Penny is a standout leader who is great to bounce ideas off, gives solid feedback and is balanced and fair when it comes to disputes management.’

‘This is a friendly and commercially-minded team.’

‘Nick Atkins and Andrew Dodds are standout lawyers in their respective fields, and good at explaining their rationale for things.’

‘The team has a high level of expertise and seeks to identify issues to head them off. The team provides a high level of client service, succinct and detailed advice in a timely manner. One of Stevens and Bolton’s real strengths is that all staff are based in one central office and therefore collaborate with colleagues from other teams to ensure the best possible advice is offered.’

‘Alex Watt and Aidan Welton present clear and concise advice. They are both prepared to tailor their service and advice to suit our needs. They work in a flexible way, and nothing is too much trouble.’

‘Very professional team that always seeks to identify main problems of the client and suggest the most practical solution.’

‘One of the biggest strengths of the team is very down to earth and easy communication. Gustaf Duhs is definitely the go-to person. You always feel comfortable to refer any question to Gustaf and could be certain that the advice will be very friendly, clear and on point.’

‘They are full service in the Life Sciences sector. Very knowledgeable team.’

‘Charlotte Tillet is excellent. Very bright.’

‘Good team of lawyers building a nice niche for assisting insurers.’

‘Heidi Sawtell is a real star and great talent, as with Gary Parnell.’

‘Matthew Peto was extremely personable and helped us to deal with the matter in hand quickly and efficiently’.

‘Matthew Peto was extremely knowledgeable, clear thinking, and dealt with the complex restrictions already in place around the family business (company shares). He was very personable and provided us with reassurance and clear forward thinking’.

‘Very good all round team to work with. Communicative and inquisitive with client centric problem solving a key tenet of their service. Value for money, with tier 1 London advice at Guildford prices’.

‘James Hardaker – Exceptional communication and client management with a drive to put the client at the centre of his thinking and advise and then execute the best plan with buy in from all parties. I have recommended James on multiple occasions.’

‘The Stevens & Bolton private client team provide extremely high levels of service.’

‘James Hardaker is technically excellent and a calm and reassuring presence.’

‘Excellent quality of advice, delivered thoughtfully and with a real feel for what is important. Absolutely top drawer.’

‘I’ve recommended Rosie Todd  to clients for years now, and when I needed advice myself, I went straight to her.’

‘The team has provided great legal support to our business across constitutional, public and commercial law.’

‘They are responsive lawyers who deliver a service that is attuned to our business needs.’

‘They deliver on the brief every time. I believe this is because they anticipate what we want and if there is any uncertainty they check before completing the work.’

‘Stevens & Bolton have been a delight to work with. The team have been diligent, reliable, responsive, concise, and friendly. The team excels ahead of competitors at explaining tricky concepts clearly and objectively so that as a client, you never feel lost or confused.’

‘Charles Maurice stood out as a key individual – he helped us sort out our commercial agreements.’

‘Very clever, approachable team, responsive and full of easy-to-deal-with people. We really rate them.’

‘Standout operators, top lawyers and personable and unstuffy to deal with. Beverley is razor sharp, quick and friendly, with deep subject matter knowledge.’

‘Beverley Flynn – exceptional knowledge and application. Goes beyond the role requirements to support and mentor.’

‘The team is very professional, but also great to work with and able to explain complex issues in plain language. They are also very pragmatic.’

‘Charles Maurice is a skilled data protection expert, always providing hands-on and to-the-point advice. He is also very responsive.’

‘Their unrivalled know-how is reflected in being able to advise the ABPI as well as pharma businesses.’

‘Beverley Flynn has expanded her incomparable know-how. Her combination of technical knowledge & commercial & communication skills are unsurpassed in my experience. Beverley finds solutions that no other lawyers have identified.’

‘S&B’s family team are, to my mind, the best firm outside of London. Their USP should be that they can ably compete with the capital’s best family law solicitors.’

‘The team is spearheaded by Nicola Harries. She is highly astute and a very strategic lawyer. She predominantly works with high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients, all of whom feel very comfortable in her hands. In short, she is untrickable and has excellent judgement.’

‘Grace Parker-Smith and Sean Hilton are both great and could run firms in their own right but, sensibly, see the benefit in working with, and learning from, Nicola Harries.’

‘Grace Parker-White was amazing during a very difficult divorce. She listened to my suggestions, talked me down when I was worried, and gave sane and very sound advice throughout.’

‘Sean Hilton and Victoria Batstone advise clients correctly from the very start of the matter. Their communications with the other side are always well drafted, concise and contain the appropriate level of detail and argument.’

‘Sean Hilton is very popular with clients, and clear and concise with this advice, which is always accurate and correct.’

‘The family team, and in fact, the entire firm, is extremely professional, very knowledgeable and a pleasure to deal with. They are always helpful and available to address any questions and go about their business in the most professional and pleasant way. I have recommended the firm many times for various areas, including the family team who I have known for a very long time now.’

‘Sean Hilton is an amazing lawyer with extensive knowledge and great insights in terms of how to handle cases and the people involved. I have known him for years, and we have an excellent working relationship. He takes time to know his clients, their drivers, their goals and take those all into consideration when acting on their behalf.’

‘Always happy to work with them. Professional, responsive and they understand us.’

‘S&B worked effectively and closely with our patent attorneys offering good client service, very responsive and good area knowledge. Billing was fair.’

‘Tom Lingard stood out with understanding the needs of our start-up business to be agile and efficient with funds. He worked directly with us on most client facing matters and involved juniors where cost efficient. Would highly recommend.’

‘Stevens & Bolton provide a high quality, professional and personal service. They listen to their brief and build a professional project plan to achieve their clients aim.’

‘Elaine O’Hare has exceptional knowledge and a brilliant professional approach to problem solving and negotiations.’

‘Tom Lingard has brilliant knowledge and an ability to process information and build a plan to solve very technical problems.’

‘We have been working with Stevens & Bolton on merger control and FDI projects. The team is very responsive, very knowledgeable and easy to work with.’

‘I have been regularly working with Gustaf Duhs and I would always involve him for future projects.’