The Legal 500 > United Kingdom - Solicitors > London > Pensions (non-contentious)

‘Market-leading. Frequently bring direct first-hand knowledge to help solve thorny problems. Thorough‘.

‘Exceptionally practical and accessible and helpful team, with a deep understanding of the issues‘.

‘Strong combination of technical excellence and commercial acumen‘.

‘The team has unrivalled strength in depth, not simply in relation to core pensions issues but also with respect to all key ancillary issues such as investment, banking, collateral and contingent structures, administration and so on. The team combines this knowledge and experience with a sensible and pragmatic style, supported by excellent communication skills. Communicating complex topics and concepts in accessible terms is a core strength of all team members. They are a delight to work with, at all levels of the firm‘.

‘Neil Bowden, who leads the team, has probably unrivalled experience across a wide range of schemes and circumstances. He wears this experience lightly, being down to earth and pragmatic, whilst never losing focus on the interests of members. Jane Higgins has a remarkable breadth of experience; she is incredibly hard working, with unrivalled attention to detail, completely focused on delivering for clients‘.

‘Jane Higgins and Neil Bowden are both excellent and a real pleasure to work with. They understand what is required, and produce no more and no less‘.

‘Neil Bowden has a deep knowledge of pensions law and our trustees followed him from his previous firm‘.

‘Andy Cork is authoritative and very commercial, good at explaining complex aspects of pensions law‘.

‘The team has extensive sector knowledge and is able to position complex and often sensitive issues in a way that allows the business to achieve its commercial objectives. The practice always delivers technically excellent advice, at a transparent/reasonable cost, and within the business’s expected timetable. The team’s strategic outlook places them streets ‘ahead of the competition‘.

‘We value the pro-active and can do approach of our team who are thinking about us when we might not have asked for input. Pensions can be a very complex topic, but they manage the issues so that they are both topical and relevant and don’t waste our time. They would be very difficult to replace or better‘.

‘Eversheds have a very experienced and dedicated team, with a wealth of UK pensions experience, practical advice and market knowledge. They have access to wider resources which can be helpful when projects ramp up quickly‘.

‘The Eversheds Sutherland team are beginning to stand out in the UK pensions market as not just great practitioners but also thought leaders. The partners at Eversheds Sutherland are innovative, pragmatic and work closely with our team to ensure that the strategic agenda can be delivered‘.

‘Francois Barker stands out as one of the ‘big beasts’ of the UK pensions industry. He is a strategic thinker on pensions. He is also innovative and pragmatic when problem solving‘.

‘Jeremy Goodwin is a highly experienced, pragmatic, charismatic and engaged senior partner to deal with. He is able to navigate difficult issues and tricky personalities, which is an invaluable and underrated asset‘.

‘Mark Latimour leads an exceptionally strong pensions team. They work seamlessly, able to resource intensive projects with no compromise to client service or the overall quality of advice‘.

‘Sarah Swift has built up strong relationships across the stakeholders and her depth of understanding and listening to any concerns have enabled her and the team to have a balanced and effective approach to resolving issues. The team work seamlessly together to cover the work required. I always know they will deliver what they promise‘.

‘The firm are incredible in every way. In particular, their ability to listen and ask the right questions means that the advice is always on point. They are pragmatic and courageous. Their advice is modern and it challenges traditional thinking. They have the ability to draw conclusions even if things are unclear and have not been tested. Whilst there are some other good solicitors elsewhere, no other firm even comes close‘.

‘Very strong team with different and complementary skills and styles. Always available and consistently high quality and implementable advice‘.

‘Hogan Lovells’ pension team have a unique combination of in-depth knowledge, practical application and approachability. The wide range of their services outside pensions means that if ever there is an ancillary issue, they have the ability to advise on it without having to go outside the firm‘.

‘Katie Banks has a bias towards action. Katie is a natural collaborator, with a skill for co-creating solutions. Katie demonstrates passion, courage and integrity. Katie is a leader of leaders, kind, thoughtful and intelligent on every level‘.

‘Claire Southern is the leader in the pensions field. Her experience advising trustees, regulators and companies is second to none‘.

‘Katie Banks is brilliant communicator, adored by my trustee board for her depth of knowledge and her ability to explain complex issues in straightforward terms‘.

‘Faye Jarvis is an extremely knowledgeable partner on pensions law and has a knack of getting trustees on side. This is an admirable quality in this age of needing lawyers more often than one would want.‘

‘Experts in their field, always available, clear and pragmatic advice‘.

‘First-rate client service – comprehensive knowledge, backed by excellent trustee engagement‘.

‘I have been using Linklaters for pensions advice for decades and have found that whilst they provide quality advice they are also excellent in finding practical solutions to problems. The stability of the team stands out too. Over many years of working with the pension lawyers at Linklaters I have only dealt with a small number of people there‘.

‘Linklaters provide quality advice. They are solution driven and work as part of the in-house team to provide support and assistance. They are pragmatic and commercial in their approach‘.

‘Strong front line team with clear, concise advice‘.

‘Very pragmatic and user friendly‘.

‘Claire Petheram is driven to find solutions to issues which arise but also to work closely with us in projects to ensure all legal aspects which need to be addressed are addressed before they become an issue. She is clear and pragmatic with her advice and knows our pension arrangements in depth so is able to anticipate hurdles and overcome them. She is calm but authoritative and a real ally to have on board in any negotiations‘.

‘Claire Petheram provides straightforward, pragmatic and plain English advice‘.

‘The ultimate pensions practice. There is nothing they cannot do and everything is done to an exceptional standard. A standout firm in every way with some excellent lawyers and a superb client focused ethic. They go more than the extra mile‘.

‘An unparalleled depth of knowledge in pensions law and all ancillary areas of law relating to the operation of pension schemes (finance law expertise for parent company guarantees, data privacy expertise, etc). A pragmatic approach at all times‘.

‘A large team of specialist pensions lawyers across all facets of pensions and adjacent services. Sackers invest their time in the pensions industry, leading on issues that affect trustees and employers – ESG, legislative change, IGCs, Mastertrusts and DB developments. A very strong and diverse team‘.

‘Highly professional team. All members of the team are engaging and supportive. Always delivers on time with professional expertise both legal and pension wise‘.

‘David Saunders is nice, humorous and was sharp in identifying strategic barriers to achieving our goals‘.

‘David Saunders is respected by all the fund trustees for his sector knowledge, sound business advice and common sense approach. It is the last quality that makes him different from others in the sector in my experience‘.

‘Fuat Sami is our main point of contact. His expertise his highly valued within our company and we not hesitate to go to him personally or to recommend him or Sackers to others‘.

‘Janet Brown is pragmatic and down to earth‘.

‘We needed experts in the field of UK pensions law, its pitfalls and traps. We had retained counsel with regard to other fields and believed that an alternative view would be appropriate. Arc provided all that and more in terms of input, response to the regulator and keeping the other side honest. Could not have wished for better and a pleasure to deal with‘.

‘Arc Pensions Law is a specialist boutique pensions firm that is able to provide the full range of UK pensions legal advice. We particularly like their commercial approach and responsiveness on transactional matters, but they are equally adept at giving advice on day-to-day pensions issues for corporates and other clients. Their commercial approach stems from a genuinely deep understanding of the law and the market‘.

‘We ‘found’ Arc by way of recommendation – from day one the relationship has been superb. The relationship between partner and associates delivers a seamless service to us as client such that communication is fluid and effective. Whilst I can only compare Arc with legal firms that have a more general brief than just pensions, even so, Arc stands out in its capacity both to communicate the issues, draft the necessary papers and, most relevant, ensure client understanding of the law and the options‘.

‘Our working relationship is fundamentally with Anne-Marie Winton and Abigail Cohen; it is the synergy of that relationship which stands out and makes our relationship with Arc so effective – there is no scope for message advice confusion. Ensuring clarity is their mantra allied to prompt effective communication. The outcome is a client that feels entirely comfortable confident with the service provided – no anxiety on our part about asking the stupid question.‘

‘Anne-Marie Winton is always on hand to give commercial and pragmatic advice. She doesn’t sit on the fence and really helps to steer client conversations towards deliverable solutions‘.

‘Anna Copestake and Abigail Cohen make an outstanding team – professional, easy to work with and clear in their advice, especially in a fast-moving situation. Advice provides what you need to know – no fluff – but balanced with raising important risk considerations at the right moment‘.

‘I have two mutual master trust clients with Anna Copestake. I would place her comfortably in the top decile of the industry. Her knowledge of pensions legislation is unrivalled. Anna is also an excellent communicator, explaining complex issues with ease, but also in a way which is empathetic to challenges legislation might present, and without the ego or stuffiness lawyers can sometimes bring. Where answers aren’t obvious or clear cut, Anna works collaboratively to come up with solutions that both meet the client’s needs and of course fit within the law. I value these collaborations, and Anna’s pragmatism and general demeanour which make her a pleasure to work with. I also find Anna’s work on D&I to be inspirational – particularly her work around the promotion of young trustees‘.

‘Rosalind Connor is an outstanding pensions lawyer. She provides knowledgeable and practical advice in a range of challenging issues‘.

‘A great team of lawyers with experience across the field. Able to identify the client’s key needs and to focus resources appropriately‘.

‘Strong team, giving value for money, puts client and members first, pragmatic and realistic‘.

‘The members of the team are always available to answer queries, no matter how trivial. They know which topics require an instant answer. They make us aware of any topic that needs our attention even without asking. The team is very friendly. We are very confident in the advice that they offer us‘.

‘There is great strength across the team comprising detailed technical knowledge of regulations and a wider trust law and commercial perspective. This is a winning combination‘.

‘Justin Briggs is an excellent lawyer who will focus on getting the job done with the available resources. A good tactician.;

‘Suzanne Padmore is an excellent lawyer who will identify the key points. Able to drive a project with great efficiency. A pleasure to work with.’

‘Richard Pettit will manage the most intricate matters with care and efficiency‘.

‘Clive Pugh is the star of the team, he understands clients, in his presentations makes pensions fun. He is pragmatic, understands business and fees, has excellent knowledge and is a problem solver‘.

‘Clive Pugh is simply excellent. He has great commercial good sense and can see practical solutions to problems‘.

‘My positive experience of Clifford Chance is based on access to high quality advice that is focused well beyond legal and regulatory requirements, addresses the commercial aspects of issues, is pragmatic and delivered (if necessary) to very tight deadlines. Clifford Chance deliver excellent value for money; particularly in difficult and challenging situations. I have not encountered a similar quality of service from other firms‘.

‘The team is extremely knowledgeable on pensions matters and have a long history with our scheme, so can translate that knowledge into scheme-specific advice. They are highly responsive and give clear advice. Further, they make considerable efforts and take time to ensure that as clients, we fully understand any legal issues. It is very reassuring to have access to such high calibre lawyers; particularly when they are happy to take time to answer some fairly basic questions.‘

‘Very responsive. Wide-ranging expertise. Get up to speed far quicker than other firms we have worked with‘.

‘Strong technical capabilities combined with good attention to detail‘.

‘I consider it a huge asset to have Hywel Robinson on my team rather than on the other side of the table‘.

‘Clare Hoxey is incredibly knowledgeable in her field, but has a wider knowledge of other areas of the law (general employment, corporate and banking) as well as a broader skillset of understanding commercial issues and challenges that businesses face‘.

‘Clare Hoxey is a truly standout partner. In the work we have completed together she has shown the ability to create innovative commercial solutions to complex problems. Without her unique qualities I doubt we would have been able to reach this stage‘.

‘Clare Hoxey and Rebecca Trapp have provided excellent service over the past year. I have greatly valued their clear, reasoned advice. Both are highly responsive and it has been a pleasure working with them.’

‘A wide and diversified client base. Covers all aspects of the pensions market‘.

‘The service feels very personal. Very good understanding of client and softer aspects required to get things done‘.

‘The team works well together to cover peaks and troughs of workload as well as cover key person risk. All team members are professional, with a willingness to help and resolve any issues in a balanced way‘.

‘Jay Doraisamy has provided brilliant and thoughtful pensions advice, exactly meeting our requirements and constantly goes beyond the request providing a wise and commercial overview‘.

‘Ian Wright has an outstanding ability to distil and convey complexity in a succinct manner. He understands the dynamics of our Trustee Board very well, and is a trusted adviser‘.

‘The pensions investment team lead by Edward Jewitt and supported by Duncan Watson deliver a high service level of detailed advice over a wide spectrum of asset classes and investment vehicles‘.

‘Duncan Watson has been key in dealing with more challenging issues on mandates as they arise. He has established good working relationships across the supplier/client base we have, which I believe are improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the work undertaken‘.

‘Squire Patton Boggs understand not only the law, but our culture and are prepared to stand up for our interests, even when we had to deal with pressure from central government.‘

‘Long personal involvement with the trustees. Deep understanding of the issues faced by the scheme. Very good collaboration with other advisers. Easy to deal with. Thorough and professional‘.

‘What stands out for me is SPB’s ability and willingness to use their undoubted technical legal knowledge to provide practical advice of use in the real world; they are not ‘ivory tower’ lawyers. Their written and verbal advice is always clear, to the point and provided on time, even when dealing with challenging timescales‘.

‘High level of integrity and specialist knowledge. They are honest and friendly. If they don’t know the answer they find a specialist in the wider team that does. Very able to think and debate on their feet. Wendy Hunter is outstanding in her knowledge and delivery. Very helpful in meetings to bring the group back to the core issue.‘.

‘Wendy Hunter is on a par with the best non-contentious pensions lawyers: she has the perfect analytical mind for the intricacies of pensions legislation and documentation, and provides a superb client service. Anyone who does not use her is missing out. Kirsty Bartlett is a rather different personality and the perfect foil to Wendy: she is instinctively lighter-touch and more overtly client friendly, but couples those qualities with a comprehensive knowledge of the subject and is a first rate practitioner.’

‘Clifford Sims is vastly experienced and has a very sure touch‘.

‘Kirsty Bartlett’s approach is eminently pragmatic which is really helpful from an efficiency perspective‘.

‘The SPB team has real strength and depth and is a pleasure to work with. Stand out for me is Wendy Hunter, who has a huge understanding of pensions issues particularly relevant to regulated utilities and whose advice is valued by trustees and sponsors in that environment accordingly‘.

‘Clifford Sims is an experienced and knowledgeable partner, friendly, relaxed and approachable but determined to achieve a balanced and pragmatic solution for his clients. Inside his velvet glove there is a hand of steel‘.

‘They have an excellent, strong team with in-depth knowledge of the pensions sector and a commercial approach to finding solutions to issues. The pensions team dovetail exceptionally well with other teams within Travers Smith and also with the trustees’ investment advisers, actuary etc to provide trustees with a full and clear picture of all the factors to consider to facilitate effective decision taking‘.

‘Excellent technical expertise. Smart partners. Responsive and great client service‘.

‘The key strength of this team is their dedication to clear and concise advice. There is no waste of excess presentation in their legal knowledge‘.

‘Travers Smith provide an excellent service, managing expectations well around turnaround times and scope/fees, and having depth and quality of resource to ensure delivery at busy times‘.

‘Good, down to earth team. Generally very responsive and always on things that matter‘.

‘Daniel Gerring is a standout lawyer: he is an expert in his field whilst importantly being incredibly sensible, pragmatic, commercial and overall strategic. Just what a Trustee Board needs in a legal adviser‘.

‘Very solid and dependable advice from Eleanor Hart and Elmer Doonan‘.

‘Eleanor Hart is very conscientious and hard-working.’

‘Elmer Doonan is now one of the elder statesmen amongst pensions solicitors and is able to bring an excellent mix of contentious and non-contentious experience‘.

‘Eleanor Hart is particularly strong. She is able to anticipate our needs and respond quickly. She provides significant value by quickly identifying and addressing problems‘.

‘The specialist bulk annuity team has a wide range of experience on both insurer and trustee side, which shines through in their advice. They are proactive, pragmatic and detailed in their approach‘.

‘Amrit Mclean is fantastic to work with. She is very personable and collaborative, and also practical in her advice. She focuses on the key commercial points without losing sight of the detail. Her collaborative approach with all stakeholders is a breath of fresh air‘.

‘They think robustly about the challenges and the optimal way to address them in the interests of all stakeholders‘.

‘Tamara Calvert is friendly, approachable and always seems to be on call. She also has a knack of getting trustees on side‘.

‘Matthew Swynnerton is knowledgeable and clear in his approach, and easy to work with‘.

‘Fieldfisher’s pensions team is top-notch. The partners are available and flexible, and deliver concise, thoughtful, and pragmatic advice. The team addresses issues with an emphasis on meaningful results. Fieldfisher was one of several firms we worked with on a complex multinational restructuring, and we felt well advised in their hands. They are hard working and a real pleasure to work with‘.

‘They are excellent lawyers, providing great advice, in a speedy manner, and excellent client support. They are particularly good at working as a team in support to each other, us and our common clients – to an extent that demonstrates a clear gap when compared to their peers. They are a pleasure to work with, an excellent team, providing clear, constructive and commercially aware advice – we have no hesitation in recommending them‘.

‘Andrew Patten is exceptional. He has a deep knowledge of pensions policy and case law, is sensible, straightforward, and responsive‘.

‘Andrew Patten is excellent – commercially aware, clear and firm in his advice and provides fantastic support to his clients.’

‘Michael Calvert is technically very impressive‘.

‘Norton Rose Fulbright has one of the strongest pensions teams in the country, but quietly goes about delivering excellence. It has vast experience across all sectors and industries, its strengths and key capabilities being its people; in particular Peter Ford and Lesley Browning‘.

‘Responsive, commercial and user-friendly. I have found most other firms’ pension teams are not commercial and often raise issues which are not commercial and waste a lot of time of the clients on points which are not worth raising. This is really not the case with Norton Rose, who have helped cut through some of those points in a pragmatic way‘.

‘Peter Ford is one of the most experienced pensions lawyers in the country. There is almost no transaction, no restructuring, no investment product that he won’t have seen and know how to handle. He knows why the pensions legislation and so many current deeds and rules are drafted the way they are. That sort of insight and experience is invaluable in the management of the biggest, longest-lived pension schemes.’

‘Lesley Browning has extensive experience and knowledge. She has skilfully steered some of the biggest industry-wide schemes through all of the legislative and other changes of the last decade‘.

‘Lesley Browning stands out for us‘.

‘The huge range of work that the PwC empire brings to its pensions team makes it stand out from the crowd‘.

‘The ability within the firm to access actuarial and benefit design expertise is a real strength, which sets them apart from solicitor firms‘.

‘Their team thinks about issues and problems from the client’s perspective, considering understanding the broader environment rather than simply the narrow legal issue‘.

‘Oliver Reece manages with aplomb an enormous workload and numerous competing claims on his time; he is tireless, energetic and a great creative blue-sky thinker. Fraser Sparks is more low key than Oliver, and they form an excellent double act; careful, perceptive and persistent, he is always looking for novel solutions to his cases. David Farmer is forceful, commercial and a considerable presence both personally and intellectually‘.

‘David Farmer has extensive pensions experience in specialist pensions departments in solicitors firms. He has a very practical approach, even when dealing with rather impractical clients. He is someone whom clients clearly respect and have confidence in‘.

‘David Farmer is especially client-friendly. He gets inside their business and helps to address issues that really matter to them‘.

‘They are very approachable and very knowledgeable.’

‘Very high commitment from the team, with a can-do attitude. Great expertise evident in the complex subject matters. Proactive versus competitors‘.

‘Prompt service and capable team‘.

‘As a full service law firm, SH are able to provide support for all aspects of advice required by pensions clients. SH are highly transparent and provide very good value for money‘.

‘They really know the client and all the issues that may affect them‘.

‘Graham Wrightson is approachable with excellent all-round knowledge and expertise. He quickly appreciates the client’s issues and communicates the technical details to them comprehensively but in an easily accessible way. One of the best‘.

‘Graham Wrightson is a very sound lawyer with great judgement, and is able to handle challenging clients by giving realistic and pragmatic advice. Clients like him due to his approachability. He is able to handle tricky, complex situations.

Stephen Richards is a very charismatic and able lawyer. He seems to be a real rainmaker – since joining the firm they have picked up some very big clients.’

‘Philip Goodchild is very knowledgeable, easy to talk to, collegiate and confident. He is very accessible and provides the trustees with confidence that they are acting properly and in accordance with their duties‘.

‘There is close integration between Ashurst’s pensions team and its commercial litigation group. This means Ashurst’s pensions team has valuable experience in heavyweight commercial litigation‘.

‘Good sound advice, very thorough‘.

‘John Gordon is excellent. Technically, he is a highly accomplished pensions lawyer. Commercially, he is excellent at understanding clients’ business needs‘.

‘John Gordon is extremely flexible, highly knowledgeable and able to translate difficult concepts for laymen and counsel teams whilst not losing sight of the important detail‘.

‘We deal mainly with John Gordon who is very thorough and provides sound advice. He will always go the extra mile‘.

‘I would recommend their depth of knowledge, response times as well as the proactive nature of the advice‘.

‘Michael Jones is an exceptional lawyer. He is extremely knowledgeable and his advice is always practical‘.

‘This is a leading pension team offering practical and sensible advice for pension trustees. As a charity, we are particularly pleased with the service we get from the team and the availability of our contact individuals in the pensions team‘.

‘Claire Rankin provides sensible and practical advice to a range of trustees with a variety of backgrounds. Claire helps all the trustees understand the issues and the decisions we have to take‘.

‘The team are approachable and readily available. The resources seem to mirror our needs and despite very little face-to-face contact there is little confusion in our communications‘.

‘Our usual contact is well-established and give a timely service to us whenever needed‘.

‘A small but growing pensions team. My schemes are relatively small but they give a large-scheme service. Have a broad range of pension skills and able to draw on the wider firm for non-pension related business.‘

‘The practice is very approachable and have a good understanding of our requirements. They pitch their advice at a suitable level and provide clear explanations on the more technical issues. They interact well with us and liaise with other legal firms on our behalf in a very professional manner. Their team has been able to support us on a variety of issues in a seamless manner‘.

‘Chris Netiatis advises us on a very wide variety of issues and is extremely approachable and good humoured. Chris manages his team very well, meets deadlines and is always accessible. Chris explains technical issues in an understandable manner‘.

‘Chris Netiatis is knowledgeable, personable, able to explain complex issues to lay trustees and approachable‘.

‘Clyde & Co have consistently met and exceeded our expectations as pension scheme lawyers. Their advice is grounded not only in a deep understanding of the law, but also by reference to how that law should be applied to our specific circumstances and trust obligations. This approach enables clear decisions to be made by the Trustee Board, having regard to all relevant factors, and, equally importantly, disregarding factors that are not relevant to the decision‘.

‘The members of the team are very knowledgeable in the specialist areas of pensions and employee benefits such as group life assurance arrangements. As an in-house legal team these are not areas where we had the necessary experience and expertise to advise the business and really appreciated their advice and guidance‘.

‘Very knowledgeable on all pension matters and quick to respond‘.

‘Terry Saeedi and Matthew Ambler have consistently provided exceptional service. They are always responsive, thoughtful and analytical in the advice provided, and understand that the Trustee Board needs a clear position to be articulated in order for decision to be made. What has made both Terry and Matthew stand out is the effort that they have made to fully understand our Trust Deed and rules, and to ensure that the advice given is aligned to all specific Trustee obligations across several scheme sections with different benefit promises‘.

‘I have found the team both technically very knowledgeable and very responsive to the requirements of the particular client. They are constructive and tactful in dealing with difficult situations‘.

‘Penny Cogher was very readily available when necessary as a result of tight deadlines‘.

‘A great law firm that treats us like we are their number one client – always available and quick turnaround time when providing advice‘.

‘The team are reliable and provide very detailed advice on highly complex issues. They are approachable and always available‘.

‘Small team of expert pension lawyers. Quick, fast, comprehensive advice. Brilliant team approach working together with other advisers‘.

‘Very collaborative. The right specialist breath of lawyers are available to support. They understand the aims of the desired outcome of my company and understand the advice/guidance being sought, even if not always understood by us the client.’

‘Mark Smith is very responsive and provides timely accurate advice. He is excellent at managing expectations when it is a very complex matter‘.

‘Hadassah Shulman is exceptional in her support, advice, recommendations and overall approach to the complex project we are working on. Her professionalism is outstanding and is a valued member of my companies extended family‘.

‘The team is pragmatic, has a depth of knowledge and is transparent and competitive’.

‘Sasha Butterworth is straight-talking, clear and concise’.

‘Trowers is excellent at explaining technical legal options in a clear and coherent manner that a lay person can relate to – this has made for an excellent working relationship between legal, consultants and trustees‘.

‘The ever-shifting landscape of our work requires timely and pragmatic solutions – the Trowers team always delivers on such requirements‘.

‘They understand the problem, they are there to find solutions for you and they know their stuff. You want this team on your side.‘

‘Straightforward and easy to deal with. Simplifies complex issues and adopts the client’s position in recommending courses of action (with appropriate risks identified). And then delivers to the agreed plan and timescale‘.

‘They put themselves in the client’s shoes and see the problem from your point of view. They will devise a strategy to deal with the issue as you expect them to. You want Deborah Shumante, Martin McFall and Michael Rhode on your side‘.

‘Deborah Shumate instils confidence based on her subject matter expertise, knowledge of the sector and client. Flexible and supports/challenges in a constructive manner. And has a good sense of humour‘.

‘This is a small team which is strong on knowledge and researching new issues. You know who will be dealing with your matter – this is important to me as the issues I instruct on are usually pretty strange‘.

‘Justin McGilloway is effective in building the firm’s presence. He has a warm and engaging personality and is very client responsive.’

‘Clive Weber is one of the most enduring practitioners in this area and it shows with the depth of knowledge and experience he brings to his cases; you cannot buy the wisdom that Clive has acquired as a result of his many years of work in the field. He has a low key but determined and effective approach. A very safe pair of hands.

‘Alison Hills provides excellent support‘.

‘Alison Hills stands out – lively minded and pragmatic as well as detailed and sees the whole picture‘.