‘Pragmatic advice which is always grounded in the commercial reality of the situation.’

‘Exceptional knowledge of market practice.’

‘Great team. Always at the end of the phone and collaborate well with us to work cohesively as an extension of our firm.’

‘Kate Astley is user friendly, efficient and always helpful.’

‘The lawyers speak like normal people and give a helpful steer which is precise and does not prevaricate. They stand behind their reasoning and work with you as a team rather than acting as your policeman or teacher. They clearly have good experience with listed companies.’

‘Kate Astley is friendly and effective. She is responsive and pragmatic so you can plan and engage with her in discussion on governance topics and explain your approach to reach a settled position.’

‘A terrific, responsive, pragmatic team approach. Capable of handling much complexity (whether technical or navigating complex client dynamics) with alacrity. They inspire much confidence and were able to finally help us get a deal over the line where we had been unsuccessful with a number of their peer firms.’

‘The team give total reassurance that all bases are covered – they have experience over many years and are a safe pair of hands.’

‘Calm, analytical, focused and totally supportive.’

‘As a client, you quickly recognise that the firm’s deep consideration of governance in a business setting means that you are gaining access to commercial and practical advice borne out of market-leading expertise which has helped to shape the very development of governance in a business setting.’

‘David Pudge continues to be outstanding in his governance expertise and responsiveness in the delivery of practical advice.’

‘The team is exceptionally strong on governance and corporate advice for listed companies like ours. Steven Fox leads our relationship with Clifford Chance in this area. Steven is approachable and very responsive. He has invested a great deal of time over the past few years in getting to know our business intimately and the dynamics of our board. The team provides pragmatic advice and is sensitive to our needs. They are a pleasure to deal with.’

‘Very knowledgeable, commercial and pragmatic.’

‘Alanna Hunter and Kate Norgett are both approachable and provided spot-on advice whenever needed. It was clear, concise and contextualised against current market practice.’

‘David Pudge is outstanding – the best I have come across. His approach and advice have a sophistication and thoughtfulness that make him stand out. But above all he always demonstrates great care for his clients and a desire to help the client get to a workable, commercial solution. Without fail, he goes the extra mile.’

‘Attentive, practical advisory.’

‘The team is very knowledgeable on corporate governance-related matters. They are specialists in corporate governance matters (as opposed to corporate lawyers dabbling in this specialist area). The team’s client updates and seminars are very well regarded.’

‘Gareth Sykes has a fantastic reputation in the market as a specialist in corporate governance. He is very well informed and provides prompt and pragmatic advice. He always has a solution to challenging queries and problems.’

‘Gareth Sykes and Bob Moore are both strong and always available.’

‘I always find the team super reliable and responsive. They are there when we need them, no matter what time, and they manage expectations well as to response times but always go the extra mile when necessary.’

‘We work with Gareth Sykes, whose knowledge is excellent. He is always willing to bring in other department specialists to provide the company with more specialised advice that is outside his specific area of expertise. Gareth is a trusted advisor to our team.’

‘The team are responsive, clear and pragmatic and are always a pleasure to deal with. I have appreciated the new corporate governance update that they have recently launched, and roundtable discussions with peers and the FRC. I have confidence that they are fully on top of their brief.’

‘Gareth Sykes has been very helpful in providing proactive suggestions and improvements rather than just correcting the initial draft of our documents.’

‘The team at Travers Smith is highly responsive, knowledgeable and professional. The most obscure of queries is dealt with quickly and efficiently, and it is clear that the team have a huge breadth of knowledge and experience. I like the fact that the advice is practical, giving examples of other companies’ disclosures, best practice, common themes and market intelligence.’

‘Aisling Arthur and Klem Zastawniak are approachable, hugely knowledgeable and always respond within timescales, despite sometimes being extremely tight. Their advice is well researched and practical and within scope. I have complete confidence in them and their ability to deal with whatever query or matter I send their way.’

‘The team have outstanding technical knowledge in this area and a great sense of what current market practice is. They proactively update us on relevant developments and have supported us with bespoke training throughout the year. The team are always responsive and a real pleasure to work with.’

‘Aisling Arthur is outstanding. She has a real understanding of our business and always provides highly commercial advice.’

‘A highly respected team with exceptional depth and experience. By acting for a range of enterprises and not just “mega-corporations”, Travers remains accessible to mid- and small-cap companies without compromising on the quality of advice.’

‘Extremely knowledgeable on the nuances of our sector with a depth of team that means that there is always someone willing and able to discuss and deal with any issues promptly.’

‘Ben Koehne’s depth of knowledge and professionalism is second to none. His wise counsel has been invaluable to us on many occasions.’

‘The corporate governance webinars that AG put on are great for an overview of the regulatory framework and best practice guidance. Especially for in-house lawyers who are generally short on time, they’re straight to the point, commercial and topical.’

‘Richard Preston stands out – he makes complicated regulation/laws (and jargon) simple and he’s a breeze to work with!’

‘Knowledgeable and quick to respond. ’

‘Personable and trustworthy.’

‘The team has spent time building its relationship with our business and how we operate, e.g. getting to know our corporate strategy and priorities. Team members are knowledgeable about our sector and its unique features. They are also knowledgeable about the broader corporate sector so can draw useful and helpful comparisons, for example, when dealing with the regulator.’

‘I value the industry knowledge of Ben Koehne and Richard Preston. They have deep knowledge of their corporate governance practice which they use effectively when providing advice. Their advice is comprehensive and well thought through and pragmatic.’

‘A top-class team with a wealth of knowledge at all levels.’

‘Will Chalk is excellent at his job – hardworking, professional, approachable and knowledgeable in his area. The work performed was high class and timely.’

‘Collectively, they have a wealth of knowledge and expertise, and are always focused on telling you what you need to know, not what they may think you want to know. Their advice is always well based and highly considered.’

‘I value their absolute honesty and integrity, aside from their professional expertise. They’re also generous with their time.’

‘Ashurst’s uniqueness stems from its being a full-service City firm with expertise across a broad range of areas whilst remaining down to earth, approachable and accessible to a diverse client base.’

‘Lorraine Johnston is standout – wise, knowledgeable, practical, calm, sincere and a great sense of humour.’

‘Ashurst’s team are the only firm I have worked with who actually listen to clients, provide thoughtful and creative responses, and use their network knowledge to share what they are seeing and hearing. They are equally close to the regulatory bodies and get first-hand insight on timing and the shape of law and regulation.’

‘Will Chalk is a champion in the corporate governance/law field and partners with clients to share knowledge and experience for the benefit of all parties.’

‘Customised advice from the perspective of an adviser who is familiar with the client and takes into consideration the unique/unusual aspects of the client. Excellent international coverage.’

‘Going the extra mile to get things right for the client.’

‘Service- and business-oriented mindset.’

‘James Thompson is an incomparable professional with true business acumen.’

‘The team regularly advise us and understand our business and the individuals extremely well, and continue to make efforts to do so as we evolve. They then tailor their advice appropriately so that it is practical and sensitive to the important issues. Happy to recommend them.’

‘James Thompson has excellent knowledge of our company, and is practical and creative with solutions. Responsive, engaging and thoughtful. Very happy to have him as our lead partner. Tom Quincey has a close understanding of our business and individuals. Clear, practical advice which includes benchmarking against peers and other listed companies’ published materials, and which gets to the heart of the matter. Applies his excellent knowledge of our business to tailor advice appropriately.’

‘What stands out is the sheer breadth of knowledge – with the reassurance and confidence which that brings that you are in very safe hands – and their global network.’

‘James Thompson and Tom Quincey are outstanding in terms of knowledge and grasp of complex issues.’

‘Dentons is a reliable firm and has the knowledge. They have always made us feel confident about our corporate governance.’

‘Always there when we need them, provide helpful advice, and maintain an excellent relationship with the team.’

‘Dentons’ global reach means that they have good expertise in the international corporate governance environment. They are capable across a wide range of jurisdictions, which is important for us – they understand the way in which companies like ours operate across different jurisdictions and the risks for investors in making any such investments. In particular, Richard Barham delivers advice on complex legal issues in a clear and understandable way.’

‘Smart, efficient, relatable and extremely helpful.’

‘Richard Barham was a superstar on our project.’

‘I think the Dentons team have a streamline process which allows for quick and effective progression with complex issues. We always knew who to speak to, what the roles were, and how and when the work would be delivered. They also took time to get to know our business and our shareholders so could anticipate issues and needs before they arose.’

‘The folks we worked with were articulate and clear in defining complex issues in a way all could understand. We had a complex transaction across borders with large multinationals, and the team at Dentons were able to distill key issues into strong actionable terms. I felt their communication skills were outstanding. Richard Barham stands out.’

‘A very responsive and user-friendly team that works well together to provide seamless and high-quality legal advice. It has the added benefit of being able to draw upon an in-house risk consultancy team comprising subject matter experts.’

‘Katie Stephens is worth a particular mention. She is extremely responsive, personable and able to focus in on the critical issues of a matter. She helps guide clients calmly through high-stakes contentious regulatory matters.’

‘They stand out for their ability to link in their sanctions work with the rest of their regulatory practice.’

‘David Harris is a very responsive and knowledgeable partner.’

‘NRF brings together knowledge and experience that is both deep and very current. Being able to call upon this knowledge and experience has helped the board reach balanced and informed judgements throughout some difficult and complex challenges. The team collaborates very well, and has ensured all of the input the board received was joined up with other work – this was a huge help.’

‘Jonathan Herbst has been outstanding support to our board and firm. His approach is personable and highly effective. He of course brings enormous experience and knowledge, but also has the required integrity, authority and credibility to make that advice count at the board.’

‘Client care is second to none. This is a young, enthusiastic and really client-focused team. They are driven to succeed for their clients and are good at what they do.’

‘Sam Tate is very commercially aware of what clients need and want. He makes the law make sense.’

‘Thoughtful, pragmatic and commercial advice, with a desire to find the most sensible solution always at the forefront.’

‘Sam Tate is knowledgeable and calm in a crisis. Lucy Kerr can handle complex cases with aplomb.’

‘Solutions focused. Pragmatic. Integration of non-legal professionals into the team.’

‘Sam Tate is a fixer and first-class client relationship manager.’

‘William Hogarth is my main point of contact. I’ve worked with him for a number of years and know I can rely on him to advise on complex insurance regulatory issues in a way which shows clear understanding of the commercial context within which we operate. His responsiveness, breadth of knowledge, and can-do attitude are impressive.’

‘Deliver both prompt and commercially focused advice on UK issues.’