Pinney Talfourd LLP > Upminster, England > Firm Profile

Pinney Talfourd LLP
54 STATION ROAD
UPMINSTER, ESSEX
RM14 2TU
England

Private client > Family: Essex Tier 1

Offering ‘real depth of expertise’, Pinney Talfourd LLP’s family department exclusively undertakes privately funded work and is praised for its ‘strength in high-net-worth finances and children cases‘. With five offices, the firm is present all over Essex and has recently further strengthened its offering with the hire of three additional solicitors, including Surjit Verdi from Palmers in May 2023. Group head Catherine Polli and Catherine Loadman are experts for complex financial remedies, while Michael Sheville is recommended for financial provision matters and private children law, and Louise Eady is involved in the firm’s surrogacy and fertility offering.

Practice head(s):

Catherine Polli

Testimonials

‘Louise Eady is very impressive and is 100% committed to achieving the best outcome for her clients.’

‘Pinney Talfourd are an excellent firm, providing a top-quality service both in terms of legal advice and client care.’

‘I have worked with Catherine Loadman on several cases now and would not hesitate to recommend her. Catherine goes above and beyond for her clients and is a pleasure to work with.’

‘Pinney Talfourd are a forward thinking and modern law firm that stand out from competitors.’

‘I always enjoy working with lawyers such as Michael Sheville, who always gives me clear and concise instructions.’

‘Catherine Polli oversaw my case and was consistently excellent. She has extremely good in-depth knowledge of her topics, and provided solid, qualified advice.’

‘They have a real depth of experience in their family department, from recently qualified solicitors to those with over 25 years’ experience.’

‘The firm is very professional whilst keeping the personal touch that is important in family work. A large team covering all aspects, with strength in high-net-worth finance and children cases.’

Work highlights

  • Advising a high-net-worth individual in relation to a significant financial remedy claim with assets in excess of £15m.
  • Advising a client in relation to financial remedy claims where school fees, properties and tax were issues.

Employment > Employment: Essex Tier 2

With offices in Essex and Canary Wharf, Pinney Talfourd LLP has a strong presence in the South East, and the ability to collaborate with the firm's different teams, especially the commercial litigation unit, strengthens the employment department’s offering to both employer and employee clients. Group head and employment litigation expert Alexander Pearce in Hornchurch is known for his ‘extensive knowledge’, and has a track record in handling complex workplace disputes; his wide practice also includes matters related to unfair dismissal, equal pay, discrimination and unlawful deductions of wages.

Practice head(s):

Alexander Pearce

Testimonials

‘Pinney Talfourd regularly represents employees and employers in big-ticket employment litigation, and isn’t afraid to fight the cases that need fighting.’

‘Alex Pearce brings a relaxed, assured, and commercially focused approach to all of his cases. He is incredibly easy to work with, and inspires confidence in his clients.’

‘Very efficient, respond to queries quickly, keep you updated on progress.’

‘The people are a pleasure to work with. There’s an extensive depth of knowledge and they are both personal but clear in the delivery of practical solutions.’

‘Professionalism, pragmatism and clarity.’

‘I’ve dealt with Pinney Talfourd for years, my main point of contact has always been Alex Pearce, who specialises in employment law. His knowledge is extensive and he is always able to offer solutions to whatever problem he is presented with.’

‘Alex Pearce – this gentleman is outstanding, an asset to the company and his colleagues. His knowledge is excellent, and his approach and solutions are professional and ensures as his client we understand every step of any process and are without doubt supported throughout. I cannot recommend him enough.’

‘They have the ability to get to grips with the case quickly and provide straightforward and practical advice.’

Key clients

Millennium Minis Limited

Cycling Score Limited

NTS Premier Services Limited

Vision Personnel Ltd

A. Whalebone Building Supplies Limited

Howe Chartered Surveyors

Newton Equipment Limited

Active Travel Partners Ltd

EBM Managed Services Limited

Active Products Limited

Havering Signing for the Brain 2020

Quality Care Resourcing

Concept Interiors Limited

Work highlights

  • Defending a client against complaints for constructive dismissal, unlawful deduction of wages and breach of contract.
  • Obtaining a highly favourable deposit orders for a respondent client in long-running employment dispute.

Insurance > Clinical negligence: claimant Tier 2

Pinney Talfourd LLP maintains a robust, well-regarded medical negligence offering, handling multi-track, complex and sensitive matters including oncology cases against local hospital trusts. Hornchurch-based Stephen Eccles is the key name in the team for all things medical negligence, with his recent cases concerning negligent stillbirths and negligent breast surgery claims.

Practice head(s):

Stephen Green; Stephen Eccles

Testimonials

‘I have worked on behalf of this firm for many years. It is always clear what is expected. Also their clients know what to expect. My opinion is that this is a firm that operates very efficiently. There has never been a problem in dealing with this firm.’

‘My opinion is that the success of the firm comes from the top in the way in which the lawyers manage the firm.’

‘Very knowledgeable and good with clients’

‘Good mix of work – a small team but handling numerous cases.’

‘This law firm has a very good reputation. They were willing to listen to my situation and offered sound advice as to whether it was justifiable to pursue a particular claim. They always returned my calls, gave me realistic advice and were happy to discuss any matters that concerned me.’

‘The qualities that I valued were making sure that I understood proceedings and being most willing to clarify anything that I didn’t understand. Giving me choices, but always making clear what the best course of action would be.’

‘A firm who know what they are good at and are determined to maintain their position at the top. Keen to adopt useful new technologies by understanding what options benefit their clients the most.’

‘Stephen Eccles excels in high value and complex litigation, particularly in clinical negligence work. Extremely efficient.’

Work highlights

  • Advising client in connection with a life changing foot injury caused as a result of a workplace accident. The claim settled for £400,000.
  • Advising client in connection with the tragic death of his wife as a result of the negligence of an Ambulance NHS Trust. Securing an admission of liability from the Trust.
  • Advising client in connection with the tragic death of her husband as a result of a fatal road traffic accident. Securing an admission of liability from the Driver’s Insurer.

Insurance > Personal injury: claimant Tier 2

Pinney Talfourd LLP is well known for its work within the personal injury space, and places particular emphasis on two-wheel accidents, including motorcycle and bicycle accidents, alongside industrial disease claims. Stephen Green leads the personal injury team and is  praised as 'a very experienced, tactically astute litigator who uses his skills to progress cases efficiently to achieve great outcomes'. Stephen Eccles is a fellow key contact at partner level.

Practice head(s):

Stephen Green

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘Stephen Green is a dedicated catastrophic injury solicitor with a keen interest in motorcycle claims and asbestos related matters. Exceptional knowledge of the area with a determination to present the very best case possible. Compassionate understanding of the personal issues suffered by seriously injured people and their families.’

‘Stephen Eccles excels in high value and complex litigation, particularly in clinical negligence work and also has decades of experience in property disputes of all kind. Extremely efficient.’

‘Very strong, partner led service, so clients can be assured of being in safe, experienced hands at all times.’

‘Stephen Green is excellent. A very experienced, tactically astute litigator who uses his skills to progress cases efficiently to achieve great outcomes. Particularly strong in cases involving vulnerable road users such as motorcyclists and pedestrians. Not afraid to take on challenging cases other solicitors would turn down.’

Corporate and commercial > Corporate and commercial: Essex Tier 3

Julian Royle handles Pinney Talfourd LLP’s corporate and commercial offering in Brentwood, and is reputed for being ‘very professional, knowledgeable and very thorough with clients’. Royle is supported by employment expert Alexander Pearce, and commercial property lawyer Julien Pritchard. The team is particular experienced in advising small and medium enterprise businesses on matters including founder exits, succession transactions, and group reorganisations.

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘Julian Royle is very professional, knowledgeable and very thorough with clients. I happily refer my clients and contacts to him for commercial agreements and other commercial matters.’

‘I enjoyed a first-class service from Julian Royle, both professionally and on a personal level. I would highly recommend him, and would not hesitate to use his services again in similar circumstances.’ 

‘Part of a bigger firm with diverse access to resources.’

‘Good experience and good knowledge.’

‘Julian Royle is a pleasure to work with.’

Key clients

Neon Healthcare Limited

Dispute resolution > Commercial litigation: Essex Tier 3

Pinney Talfourd LLP‘s areas of expertise include contract disputes, professional negligence claims, insolvency issues, director and shareholder disputes, and financial services litigation and construction disputes. Known for his ‘wealth of experience’, Nick Hatchett leads the commercial litigation department from the firm’s Brentwood office, and has advised several European banks over the last decade, most notably the Bank of Cyprus.

Practice head(s):

Nick Hatchett

Other key lawyers:

Stephen Eccles

Testimonials

‘Local firm with City expertise. Excellent service and quick to respond to all enquiries without delays. All team members are geared to both commercial and contentious litigation.’

‘Nick Hatchett is a seasoned litigator with a wealth of experience in the industry. Pleasure to work with and commercially minded.’

‘Hands on approach, and direct access to partner involved with a good response time.’

‘Nick Hatchett; forever practical advice.’

‘The variety of colleagues that take a specific and special subject to advise upon, which are referred to if other aspects require such specialist opinions. The member that dealt with my case was very informative at every appropriate stage to keep me aware.’

‘Cost-effective and attentive to detail.’

‘Nick Hatchett – excellent client management.’

Key clients

AstroBank Public Company Ltd

Bank of Cyprus Public Company Ltd

Begbies Traynor

Fairclough Building Ltd

FRP Advisory Group Ltd

H&M Property Holdings Ltd

Lagdens Seafood Ltd

Mark Riley & Co

Quantuma Advisory

Qquant Cyprus Ltd

Randle Siddeley Ltd

Seemore Glass Ltd

Work highlights

  • Advised Quantuma on the sale of a leasehold asset which had not been declared by the bankrupt in existing bankruptcy proceedings.
  • Advised Cypriot bank AstroBank in relation to the enforcement of foreign judgements in England & Wales, together with proceedings to recover assets.
  • Advised H&M Property Holdings, and successfully concluded a professional negligence claim against solicitors.

Dispute resolution > Debt recovery Tier 3

With five offices in Essex and additional facilities in London and Leigh-on-Sea, the varied workload of Pinney Talfourd LLP‘s debt recovery team includes debt collection in the banking and finance, construction, credit control, insolvency and retail sectors. Brentwood-based team head Nick Hatchett is praised for his ability to ‘achieve business-oriented results’, and has been sought out by a number of European banks, such as Bank of Cyprus and Astro Bank.

Practice head(s):

Nick Hatchett

Testimonials

‘Nick Hatchett provides expert legal advice, whilst maintaining a friendly and professional level of service. He always maintains a deep understanding of all legal issues presented and has assisted with his advice on projects involving foreclosures, partnering with other legal disciplines from within the firm in order to achieve timely and concise legal advice, and business-oriented results.’

‘Our cooperation mainly is directed towards Nick Hatchett for various legal services relating to the sphere of recovery of non-performing bank portfolios. The firm however comprises of many branches working together offering a holistic experience of providing accurate and multidisciplinary legal advice on different areas of law relating to recoveries.’

‘Nick Hatchett is a knowledgeable and committed adviser, always available to assist and handle cases, achieving our legal goals in the most effective way. He has established himself as one trusted overseas collaborator, to whom we reach every time when we need legal assistance abroad and most specifically the UK.’

Key clients

Atlas Global Logistics Limited

AstroBank Public Co Ltd

Bank of Cyprus

Fairclough Building Ltd

FRP Advisory

Haines Watts

Mark Riley & Co

Quantuma Advisory

Work highlights

  • Advised a Cypriot bank regarding the enforcement of judgment debts obtained through the Cypriot courts in England & Wales.
  • Advised Fairclough Building Ltd on a claim made against it for a debt by Cadent Gas, and successfully having the claim discontinued by the claimant.

Private client > Personal tax, trusts and probate: Essex Tier 3

Working from all of the firm’s five Essex offices, Pinney Talfourd LLP‘s private client department has further grown in strength with several new in hires in 2022, including the addition of Andrew Grant in Upminster. The team covers the entire scope of private client work, including wills and estate planning issues, asset protection mandates, and trust creation and management matters, and is led by Matthew Edwards in Brentwood, who acts as a deputy, attorney, executor and trustee on numerous complex matters.

Practice head(s):

Matthew Edwards

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘I liked the professional advice that they gave me. They seemed to go the extra mile and I’m grateful for that.’

‘Totally professional whilst maintaining a friendly attitude, I would have no hesitation in recommending them for personal or corporate advice and help.’

‘Matthew Edward’s advice has been invaluable to both me and my wife in estate planning. Not only does he possess superb legal knowledge but is able to communicate clearly and concisely facts and information thus pointing the way ahead.’

‘Matthew Edwards dealt with my questions in an extremely knowledgeable and efficient manner, he is a most valuable asset to the firm.’

‘I have used Pinney Talfourd for various legal needs over many years and have always found their staff very knowledgeable, friendly and helpful.’

‘A very hands-on team, who walk clients through the whole legal process. Everything is seamless and their approach makes understanding complicated rules easy.’

‘Their services have been outstanding.’

‘Their commitment to offer great customer service is to be commended.’

Work highlights

  • Handling the administration of an estate where an Inheritance Tax liability arose as a result of the structure of the deceased’s will, and the unavailability of spouse exemption.
  • Remedying defective trustee deed of retirement and appointment.
  • Acting as Property and Finance Deputy for a client worth £3.7m, with investigations of serious financial abuse and restoration of client’s estate.

Real estate > Commercial property: Essex Tier 3

With significant experience in handling issues relating to properties held in pension funds, as well as complex land transactions, Pinney Talfourd LLP‘s commercial property team is also well versed in advising on offshore transactions with jurisdictional requirements. The department is led by Julien Pritchard in Brentwood, who regularly acts for landowners who are approached by developers to sell their land.

Practice head(s):

Julien Pritchard

Testimonials

‘Pinney Talfourd has an excellent balance of size and efficiency. Staff and partners collaborate well across service lines, and provide the service I am looking for.’

‘Julien Pritchard is excellent in both the quality, and speed of his work. He offers practical and considered advice, but is not afraid to point out the difficulties, issues and risks associated with situations and decisions that need to be made. Overall, a pleasure to deal with.’

‘The outstanding service is underpinned by the responsive service provided by the team.’

‘All members of the team provided excellent communications and advice.’

‘Julien Pritchard is always approachable, innovative and practical in his approach to our appointments.’

‘They have a multi-faceted team that covers all aspects of our requirements for commercial property law.’

‘They are a multi-disciplinary practice which offers a one-stop shop for all of my requirements, with a specialist in each field providing clear and effective advice.’

Key clients

Keech Hospice Care

Textile Reuse & International Development Limited

Berwen Limited

Connells Group

Work highlights

  • Advising on the grant of a new lease and reversionary leases over commercial office space in central London with a rent exceeding £800,000 per annum.
  • Concluding a long running development deal which saw a client completing on a sale which grossed in excess of £6m for the seller.
  • Making an application to register land on the basis of ancient possession, the land having been vested in the client by the Enclosure Act 1859.

Real estate > Property litigation Tier 3

Operating out of Hornchurch, Pinney Talfourd LLP’s property litigation group provides a ‘diversity of services’, ranging from representation in TOLATA claims to lease extension matters. The team assists HNWIs, landlords, and estates, with ‘outstanding’ practice head Stephen Eccles contributing over 30 years’ experience in handling all aspects of property litigation, including cases in the Court of Appeal. Senior associate Lisa Eastwood is ‘articulate and compassionate’, specialising in landlord and tenant disputes, while associate Oliver-James Topping is a ‘hard worker’, focusing on forfeiture and dilapidation claims.

Practice head(s):

Stephen Eccles

Other key lawyers:

Lisa Eastwood; Oliver-James Topping

Testimonials

‘The firm has been well established in the locality for a number of years and continues to grow. Its strength comes from its diversity of services with each team expertly run.’

‘Particular merit must be given to Stephen Eccles. His attention to detail and ability to deliver it is exceptional. He gives a constant service and a trusted level of advice which suits business needs.’

‘Certain individuals stand out by virtue of their quality of advice, attention to detail and providing a swift response. They are also very good at confirming any issues arising which receive prompt attention. At the present time, Oliver-James Topping stands out for practicing these qualities.’

‘Stephen Eccles has been outstanding in all aspects of my case. He has very pleasant manners and is honest in his approach. I had every faith in him and in his abilities.’

‘The team are diligent, collaborative and dedicated. There are clear lines of communication between team members and they are unafraid to step in to support one another to ensure the clients’ needs are met.’

‘Lisa Eastwood is an articulate and compassionate expert.’

‘Lisa Eastwood – her experience and guidance upon lots of face-to-face meetings helped deliver a personal touch that makes matters far more easy to understand.’

‘Oliver-James Topping is a hard worker. He is relentlessly upbeat and deals well with the obstacles that clients can present. He deals with matters sensitively and with consideration. He has a good telephone manner and is a very likeable individual. The clients always speak very highly of him.’

Key clients

Connells

Sequence (UK) Limited

Abbey Developments Limited

A.M.O.S Properties

Kiani Group

Sevring Limited

Sevring One Limited

Textile Recycling and Aid International Limited

UK Aggregates Limited

New Homes Group

Countrywide Estate Agents

Trudy Evans

Work highlights

  • Successfully defended a claim for property misdescription.

Private client > Contentious trusts and probate Tier 4

Pinney Talfourd LLP assists attorneys, beneficiaries, executors, and trustees with breaches of fiduciary duties in addition to Inheritance Act claims. Head of the team, Catherine Loadman , has a broad contentious probate practice and is supported by the ‘excellent’  Kerry Hull. All of the individuals that have been mentioned are located in Brentwood.

Practice head(s):

Catherine Loadman

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘Pinney Talfourd operate in a straightforward and open way, laying out the processes at each stage in a polite understandable manner, thus making the process of the case a lot easier.’

‘The solicitors that I have worked with within the firm are dedicated, conscientious and focused. Their client care is second to none, with the firm ensuring that clients are kept consistently updated on any developments.’

‘The team are very user-friendly, approachable, and easy to deal with. Their instructions are always received well in advance and are prepared to a very high standard.’

‘Kerry Hull was extremely professional but robust in her approach and managed the whole process really efficiently and achieved a satisfactory outcome for us just in time.’

‘Ms Hull is professional, diligent, knowledgeable, and amiable. I have also recommended Ms Hull to others in the past, she is excellent.’

‘Kerry Hull understands the practical realities and gives good pragmatic advice after a thorough analysis of the client’s position.’

‘Catherine Loadman is very approachable with any questions that I have and is always polite and courteous in answering them in a professional manner.’

‘I have worked with Catherine Loadman on several cases now and would not hesitate to recommend her. We worked together on a very difficult case which was ongoing for some time, and it was clear that the clients felt supported and at ease throughout.’

Key clients

Matthew Edwards

Work highlights

Pinney Talfourd LLP is a full service law firm acting for private and business clients throughout Essex and London.

The firm: We can trace our history back to the opening of our first office in 1899. Since then the firm has grown to become one of the largest law firms in Essex and is listed in The Legal 500 UK as a leading firm.

We differentiate ourselves from other firms by always remaining focused on why we exist: to make our clients happier, wealthier, and more successful. We provide truly excellent legal advice and service and put the needs of our clients first in everything we do.

90% of the private and business clients surveyed last year rated the service they received from Pinney Talfourd as ‘excellent’ or ‘good’ and we find that existing and past clients are our greatest advocates. The vast majority of work we undertake is for existing clients and individuals and businesses recommended by clients and contacts.

The firm aims to build long lasting relationships with clients based not only on expert legal advice and exceptional client service but also on the more traditional values of trust, integrity, understanding and mutual respect. Put simply, we aim to make our clients ‘clients for life’ so that once they have used us for one service, they will continue to return to us for all other legal needs.

The firm has some of the highest quality lawyers and support staff who have an absolute commitment to client service and the quality of our advice and expertise. Many of the firm’s lawyers have expert accreditations in addition to their professional qualifications and the firm is known for delivering its services and communicating advice to clients at a time and place that suits them. Our offices are open 8am-6pm Monday to Thursday, 8am-5pm Friday and Saturday mornings 9am-12 noon.

The firm has recruited a number of additional lawyers across its departments over the last 12 months and has seen particularly strong growth in the private client, Court of Protection and family teams. We have offices in Upminster, Hornchurch and Brentwood along with office facilities in Chelmsford and Canary Wharf, London.

Pinney Talfourd has maintained Lexcel accreditation since the award’s inception in 2000. This is the Law Society’s Standard of Excellence in practice management and client care. The firm has been shortlisted in the Law Society’s Legal Excellence Awards for ‘Excellence in Private Client Practice’ and previously won ‘Most Highly-Commended Business’ at the Havering Business Awards. The firm has a 10-year plan in place which outlines clear plans to grow in size and revenue by 2030. The plan outlines our commitment to quality, expertise and service in everything we do.

Types of work undertaken: We offer the following services to private and business clients:

Private: accidents and personal injury; alternative dispute resolution; clinical/medical negligence; contested wills and probate; employment for individuals; family and relationships; residential property, property litigation, wealth management services, wills, trusts, tax and lasting powers of attorney, probate, court of protection.

Business: alternative dispute resolution; commercial litigation; commercial property; commercial property litigation; company and commercial; debt recovery; employment for businesses; franchise; land development and regulatory work.

Other offices: Hornchurch, Brentwood, Chelmsford, Canary Wharf London

Department Name Email Telephone
Managing Partner Philip Cockram
Private Client Matthew Edwards
Family Catherine Polli
Litigation Stephen Eccles
Commercial Julien Pritchard
Property Paul Berry
Commercial Litigation Nick Hatchett
Personal Injury Stephen Green
Contentious Probate Catherine Loadman
Photo Name Position Profile
Philip Cockram photo Mr Philip Cockram Philip is our Managing Partner and responsible for the strategic development of…
Kareem Cole photo Kareem Cole Associate
Kiren Dhillon photo Kiren Dhillon Senior Associate
Matthew Edwards photo Matthew Edwards Partner and Head of Private Client
Cansu Hussein photo Cansu Hussein Associate
Danielle Lees photo Danielle Lees Associate
Kim Mansfield photo Kim Mansfield Associate
Jessica Newton photo Jessica Newton Associate
Catherine Polli photo Catherine Polli Partner and Head of Family Department
Photo Name Position Profile
Albiola Memia photo Albiola Memia Solicitor
Lucy Nicholson photo Lucy Nicholson Solicitor
Number of UK partners : 12
Number of other UK fee-earners : 44
:
STEP
Resolution
Spinal Injuries Association (SIA)
Association of Contentious Trust and Probate Solicitors
Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL)
ELA (Employment Lawyers Association)
Headway
The Association of Lifetime Lawyers

CLIENT: Private Client
COMPANY/FIRM:
TESTIMONIAL: “Thank you for your help in dealing with Power of Attorney for myself and sorting out my will. You explained everything in such a clear and precise way. It is the first time I have ever understood what a solicitor was talking about. Thank you again for a very efficient job.”


CLIENT: Family Client
COMPANY/FIRM:
TESTIMONIAL: “I just wanted to say how pleased I have been with you over the handling of a very stressful period in my life. You have all acted so professionally and with empathy whilst maintaining patience in dealing with my queries in an area in which I have no previous experience and felt rather bewildered before I met you. I’m so pleased that I chose you to represent me and you all do a fantastic job. Thank you so much.”


CLIENT: Nigel Denny, CEO
COMPANY/FIRM: Ashberry Healthcare
TESTIMONIAL: “I would like to thank Pinney Talfourd and their commercial property team for their work in dealing with the transfer of the portfolio.”


CLIENT: Residential Client
COMPANY/FIRM:
TESTIMONIAL: “Experienced and excellent service. We were kept informed at all times. Any questions we had were answered quickly and clearly.”


CLIENT: Employment Client (Employee)
COMPANY/FIRM:
TESTIMONIAL: “The service provided by you helped me through a very difficult time. Your communication skills and efficiency can only be described as excellent and I will not hesitate to recommend you to others in the future.”


CLIENT: Colin Herman, Director
COMPANY/FIRM: Kemsley LLP Property Consultants
TESTIMONIAL: “Having worked together on a number of projects, both for mutual clients and on opposing sides, Julien and his team at Pinney Talfourd have always provided clear, no nonsense advice, helping to de-mystify the legal process.”