The Legal 500

Horsey Lightly is a well established and leading firm of solicitors based in central London, Newbury, Berkshire, and Wantage, Oxfordshire. The firm is strategically positioned to offer a wide range of legal services throughout the south of England and the M4 corridor. Horsey Lightly attracts a wide range of clients, not only from its core locations but also nationally and internationally.

The firm: The origins of the practice go back to 1891 in London. In 2000, the firm of Halsey Lightly merged with the Newbury firm of Horsey Bomer & Partners; further mergers followed in 2002 and 2007, including Landau and Landau in London and Janes & Co., in Newbury. The merged firm has 12 partners and serves a growing number of blue chip corporations, smaller commercial businesses and private clients, nationally and internationally. These include property companies, retailers, financial services companies and prominent media and entertainment figures.

Types of work undertaken: The team of lawyers cover all major aspects of law providing seamless legal advice for every area of the clients’ business and personal lives. The firm’s work is organised into five broad practice areas which allows for a more holistic approach towards clients, and a more fluid delivery of related disciplines within the practice.

Property services: The property team handles all aspects of both commercial and residential property. Commercial conveyancing includes acquisition and disposal of industrial, commercial and retail properties (either singly or as a portfolio), ownership issues, sale and lease back arrangements, and buying and selling at auction. The team advises developers in relation to project feasibility, site acquisition and assembly, options and conditional contracts, joint ventures and plot sales. In parallel, Horsey Lightly regularly becomes involved in negotiation of construction and professional contracts and warranties. There is a secured lending team, and the firm also advises on commercial leases in relation to negotiation and drafting of leases and licenses, renewals, security of tenure, and general property management issues. It has a dedicated team of conveyancing solicitors who deal with all aspects of residential property, whether freehold or leasehold. Work also includes property in France.

Individual and family services: The family and matrimonial team includes members of the Law Society’s Family Panel and Accredited Specialists within Resolution. Collaborative family law and mediation are also offered as alternatives to the traditional Court-led approach. The family solicitors cover everything from child custody to financial settlement, civil partnerships, cohabitation agreements and pre- and post-nuptial agreements together with divorce and separation. The wills, probate and taxation team provides advice on will writing, trusts, inheritance tax planning, capital gains tax, lasting powers of attorney, living wills, elderly care issues, care for the vulnerable, and estate administration for probate purposes. Horsey Lightly also gives advice on employment issues for individuals, dealing with the full spectrum of issues that arise in the workplace; whether reviewing service agreements and employment contracts at the start of employment, advising on work place rights in the course of employment, or dealing with disputes, grievances and termination of employment.

Business services: There is expertise in corporate law across all industry sectors. Business and commercial clients are diverse: ranging from SMEs to blue chip multi-national organisations. Advice is given to companies, partnerships and sole traders, including comprehensive advice about business employment law.

Litigation and dispute resolution: Horsey Lightly represents corporate and individual clients in everything from large commercial actions to smaller personal disputes. The focus is to resolve the range of legal disputes encountered by business clients and private individuals, whether through conventional court proceedings or in alternative dispute resolution.

Bankruptcy and insolvency: Horsey Lightly acts for and advises insolvency practitioners, company offices and creditors in a range of insolvency scenarios, including administration, administrative receivership, company voluntary arrangements, liquidations, LPA, and fixed-charge receiverships.

Horsey Lightly delivers a personal service to all its clients whether corporate or individuals, with a commonsense and sympathetic approach.

Other offices: London, Wantage

Breakdown of work %
Commercial property 28.5
Family 18
Company and commercial 6
Litigation and employment 20.5
Private Client 16.5
Residential conveyancing 10.5

Number of UK Partners 12

Number of other UK fee-earners 20