‘Muckle punches above its weight in this sector handling a range of high-value and extremely complex commercial litigation disputes often involving an international element.’

‘Susan Howe provides excellent leadership and brings a wealth of commercial experience to this very strong team.’

‘This is a responsive, costs conscious and regionally focused team of very talented individuals who have a much wider breadth of commercial disputes experience and specialism than any others in the region.’

‘I have worked with Susan Howe for years now and not only is she technically excellent but she understands the commercial realities of business better than any litigation lawyer I have ever come across.’

‘The team are able to cut through the noise and provide sound commercial advice, without the need for legal jargon.’

‘Alex Spiers and George Festing are two key individuals that we deal with. We value their commercial judgment and practical advice.’

‘The team has all the technical and technological capabilities required in its sphere of work and as a client I have always felt fully supported on a technical and personal level.’

‘Rob Glassford I have always found to be a direct, straightforward and logical thinker who is an excellent source of advice. He is cool and clear minded. I believe the team is extremely capable in the highly pressurised arena of commercial litigation.’

‘Robert Glassford and Lucy Cleghorn have been very personable and professional at all times.’

‘Russell Ward – always willing to go the extra mile for his clients. Technically able but particularly adept at putting the client at ease and understanding their interests.

‘The commercial litigation team in Newcastle is extremely strong in every respect. They are excellent lawyers with a very practical and commercial outlook. They are very hardworking and always determined to achieve the best outcome for their clients. In so doing, they are imaginative, flexible and pragmatic. They are also charming people to work with. I cannot recommend them more highly’

‘Robert Glassford (partner) – very clever but also practical, always unflappable, good with clients, a first rate team leader who excels at framing both longer term strategy and short term tactics. Tim Toomey (partner) – very experienced, personable, very focused on the client’s interests, good at seeing the wood for the trees, a great sense of what is practicable. Russell Ward (partner) – very commercial, hardworking and an excellent communicator. Lucy Cleghorn (partner) – a very able lawyer who instils great confidence.’

‘Great technical knowledge while also commercially aware. Fantastic support for the counsel team and excellent client handling.’

‘Robert Glassford: an experienced and tactical litigator. Sound strategic approach backed up with robust legal analysis. Lucy Cleghorn: a robust litigator with a commercial approach to litigation.’

‘The people I worked with were diligent, hard working and analytical. They focused on identifying the important issues and addressing them in ways which most benefitted the client.’

‘The partner I worked with was Paul Stewart. Paul managed his team with skill – ensuring they were approaching issues correctly. He was also good with the client – managing their expectations and giving sound advice throughout.’

‘We found the team’s response to be well-pitched to the query we had raised and appreciated their attitude to the issue, in that they brought lots of energy and support for us whilst understanding our business and needs very well.’

‘Jonny Gribben – pragmatic and commercial advice, available when needed, no query was too big or too small.’

‘Richard Collins was excellent and is a proactive, commercially minded lawyer.’

‘The team has good expertise and understand technical concepts easily, which makes instructing them simple. The team also has an in-depth knowledge of the business and this means we receive advice that’s been thought through and has been tailored to our specific needs. This is invaluable for an in-house team and takes away a lot of the burden, which is key when outsourcing work. The team are friendly and work well with the business. The team has good depth and deals easily with a variety of matters – from complex litigation to financial services litigation.’

‘Jonny Gribben makes dealing with litigation extremely easy. He has a great knowledge of the business – as well as great expertise – and he does all of the heavy lifting on our matters. This is exactly what you want in an external lawyers and it makes outsourcing litigation much easier for a very busy in-house team. His advice is well thought through and extremely practical.’

‘Richard Collins is superb and provides a stellar service. Has helped work through a number of very complex matters with a great sense of pragmatism. Digests matters comprehensively, great use of external counsel and efficient advice given swiftly and sensibly.’

‘Toby Gibson has a level of skill and experience that is rare outside of London. He is a class act with a lovely manner and a “can do” attitude. He is also not afraid to deliver difficult messages, so his advice can be trusted.’

‘A great litigation service.’

‘Toby Gibson is a star individual, Jane Gibson is a powerhouse.’

‘I think what makes Gibson and Co unique is their ability to understand a clients business quickly. I think the team have exceptional skills in coming up with the right strategies to help you with any litigation. The case that was handled by the firm was very complexed with lots of moving parts. Gibson and Co have always gone above and beyond.’

‘Magic circle quality litigation services at North East prices. The best commercial litigators in the area by some distance.’

‘Toby Gibson and Jane Gibson are commercial litigators with vast experience of substantial litigation. They also have experience of the local market and industries. Associates Ashley Shickle works closely with the partners and delivers an excellent service to clients.’

‘They are always attentive and explain in a clear, easy to understand way. Refreshing. Cristina Falzon in particular stands out.’

‘Leading commercial litigators in the North one of whose USPs is the unusually high number of female solicitors. They are very regionally focused which gives them in-depth knowledge of the needs of the local market with an unusually broad range of expertise for its size – commercial property, warranties, IP, data protection, health care and construction.’

‘Hilary Waters has outstanding expertise in indirect tax.’

‘They take time to listen and to understand the issues.’

‘Angus Ashman and his team were very professional, managed our expectations and were able to deliver us a positive outcome.’

‘Angus Ashman was the consummate professional who was able to guide and advise us through our litigation. He was clear, concise and delivered news, whether good or bad, in an understandable way.’

‘Anthony Rance (partner)- superb on IT and employment disputes – including urgent injunction applications in these areas; very effective solicitor who always gets results for his clients; a hands-on partner; excellent knowledge of commercial court procedures.’

‘Jill Dalkin has been (and still is) exceptional in every possible way. Her professionalism and thoroughness to detail is outstanding. Always a warm welcome, always ‘on the ball’, fair and practical approach with modest yet very strong determination for the best results for her clients, not portraying any degree of overconfidence or giving one hope of the impossible yet explaining the options and making one comfortable with relevant factors.’

‘Their willingness to collaborate has been refreshing.’

‘Chris Graham – very experienced litigator with substantial experience and knowledge.’

‘Mark Reeves – impressive operator.’

‘I worked with Anthony Rance who helped us deliver an exceptional result. Anthony was creative, detail oriented, responsive and proactive throughout the process.’