The Legal 500

Brethertons LLP is a progressive and fast-growing regional law firm with principle offices in Banbury and Rugby, and office facilities in London, Middlesbrough and Manchester.

The firm: Brethertons LLP is an established firm, able to trace its roots back over 200 years, and now employing over 160 people. Partners at Brethertons are well known for their approachable manner and personal attention, delivering a high-quality service to clients. Historically a private client firm, Brethertons has extended its offering in the past ten years to grow a successful corporate commercial and commercial property practice, and litigation clients of the firm include well-known listed companies, owner-managed businesses, SMEs and individuals, including directors, accountants, IFAs, managers, those of high-net-worth and landowners.

In 2009, Brethertons launched one of the first online legal services www.lawsense.co.uk, providing both consumers and business users with 24-hour access to legal documents and advice. The web-based service allows businesses and consumers a central role in the creation of their legal documents, and yet still offers a personalised service from specialist solicitors at Brethertons. Providing online services is in line with the firm’s commitment to continually meet clients’ needs and expectations.

Types of work undertaken: Civil and corporate litigation and commercial debt recovery: with litigation accounting for 46% of the firm’s turnover, Brethertons LLP promotes a formidable litigation team providing support and advice to clients facing contentious issues. Specialist areas are property management debt collection, property litigation, insolvency and commercial collections. These have gone from strength to strength winning a number of awards. The litigation team conduct a number of web-based seminars for clients and contacts.

The civil litigation team has a deep understanding of personal injury and negligence. With four qualified commercial and family mediators, the firm is also called upon by other solicitors to provide mediators to assist in resolving disputes. Brethertons PI offering has been further enhanced by Richard Dawson joining the team. Richard is the head of the new litigation team at Brethertons, which will provide legal advice to clients suffering spinal injury. This is a very niche area of law and only a handful of specialists in the UK have the depth of expertise that Richard brings to the firm.

Insolvency: the team has experience advising insolvency practitioners, directors and creditors on all aspects of personal and corporate insolvency. Led by Edward Bible, it won ‘Insolvency Litigation Team of the Year’ 2009 at the Rescue and Insolvency Awards and was shortlisted for the award again in 2010.

Corporate: The corporate team has clients right across England. Led by Brian Auld, it undertakes multiple transactional matters involving the sale and purchase of businesses, joint ventures, commercial contracts, employment issues, intellectual property, information technology, and director/shareholder/partner disputes, demonstrating the firm’s commitment and flair in sustaining quality client relationships. The firm’s specialist employment solicitors, led by David Hodge, advise on difficult employee issues from recruitment to references, grievances, disciplinaries, appeals, redundancies, TUPE, discrimination and all the issues in between. Mary Anderson and Tom Lawrence are the partners responsible for commercial property, part of a wider property management service providing landlord and tenant advice from sale and purchase of property, to leases, enfranchisement and debt recovery.

Agricultural: Felicity Wyatt and Kate Austin have expertise in this sector, particularly in relation to estate planning for families, land and property sales, grants, change of land use and diversification.

Conveyancing: Brethertons is a well-respected provider of conveyancing services, including advising on the Government’s Exceptional Hardship Scheme as a result of the High Speed Rail Link (HS2) and on sale and purchase of houses and flats ranging from the smallest apartment to country residences. Led by Michael Dibben, the team regularly receives exceptional client feedback for its quality of service.

Family: The firm has a high-calibre family team, many of whom operate at national and international levels in child abduction, divorce, childcare and collaborative law. Partner Simon Craddock is a member of the Department for Constitutional Affairs child abduction panel, one of only 35 from specialist law firms in England and Wales and is recognised for his expertise in international abduction work across many jurisdictions. Partner Linda Jones specialises in divorce, ancillary relief and pensions.

Wills, trusts and probate: The firm has a successful wills, trusts and probate team, with the breadth of expertise to advise clients on wealth and inheritance tax planning initiatives. The team advises on a spectrum of private client issues and in particular, complex probate and trust administration, bespoke will writing, succession advice for owner-managed businesses, and expert advice to the elderly and incapacitated.

Breakdown of work %
Litigation 46
Commercial 15
WTP (private client) 14
Family 15
Conveyancing 10

Number of UK partners 12
Total staff 167