Guy Bastable > Burges Salmon LLP > Bristol, England > Lawyer Profile

Singled out by clients as ‘the very best business crime group outside of London, by a considerable margin‘, Burges Salmon LLP‘s stellar track record of successes spans cases concerning proceeds of crime, money laundering, bribery and corruption, as well as complex fraud-related work. ‘Strategic mastermind‘ Guy Bastable heads up the corporate crime department, while David Hall oversees the broader disputes offering. The arrival of Andrew Matheson from Baker McKenzie in February 2022 further strengthened the team at senior associate level. Cross-border disputes make up a regular part of the firm’s workload, with recent highlights covering issues in India and Nigeria.

Praised for their expertise across ‘a wide range of environmental sectors’, Burges Salmon LLP covers environmental litigation, plant decommissioning, regulatory work and ESG, among others. Practice head Michael Barlow‘s water expertise is a key driver behind the firm’s strong offering in the sector, where the team represents a number of major water companies. Ross Fairley is a key contact for carbon credit work, while Ian Salter is well known for his nuclear waste expertise. Guy Bastable bolsters the office’s capabilities in criminal matters, while contaminated land and environmental waste issues are key focuses for Ian Truman. Sarah Sackville Hamilton‘s wide-ranging practice spans advisory, transactional and litigious work.

The ‘formidable’ Bristol-based practice at Burges Salmon LLP, noted for its ‘immense experience’, is led by rail specialist Ann Metherall who also leads the team’s 24-hour major incidents response service. The team is well-equipped to handle the full array of matters across industry sectors and its workload often involves major disasters, multiple fatalities and corporate manslaughter investigations; areas which Guy Bastable has ample experience handling. Notable changes to the team include the promotion of the ‘ruthlessly efficient’ Charlotte Whitaker to partner in May 2023, and the departure of Sian Edmunds to a food and beverage manufacturing company in January 2023. ‘Incredibly bright’ senior associate Sam Aldous is a key name within the practice, and Ben Davies is praised by clients for being ‘a wise head on young shoulders’.

The Bristol-based environment team at Burges Salmon LLP is experienced in handling matters spanning various sector. Its particular areas of expertise are water, wherein it represents many well-known UK clients on high-profile investigatory matters, and nuclear-related work which frequently involves the team advising on the decommissioning of power stations; nuclear work is Ian Salter‘s area of specialism. Corporate crime specialist Guy Bastable provides contentious capabilities to the team. The ‘excellent’ Michael Barlow, who leads the team, is noted as being ‘a really good, all-round environmental litigator’. Renewables and net-zero-related matters are the focus of Ross Fairley; other key names include senior associate Sarah Sackville Hamilton.