Insolvency and corporate recovery in South East

‘A genuine specialist department within a multi-disciplinary regional powerhouse. Quick to react and always with pinpoint accurate advice. Experts in their field led by Phil Smith and Oliver Fitzpatrick.’

‘For me they are the unparalleled best insolvency specialist; often punching above their weight and outwitting far larger organisations.’

‘Oliver Fitzpatrick is always responsive and equally comfortable providing highly technical analysis or commercial advice. Always my ‘go to’ solicitor. Highly personable and very easy to work with.’

‘Phil Smith is an incredibly experienced head of insolvency; again equally adept at being commercial or highly technical.’

‘Strong team with good strength in depth.’

‘Phil Smith is a very experienced and commercial lawyer.’

‘Oliver Fitzpatrick is a very good young lawyer. Proactive and commercial.’

‘Suzanne Brooker, Stacey Jones and the team are easy to talk to and offer great advice on all matters.’

‘The team at BDP Pitmans constantly demonstrate a genuine desire to impress their clients. Whether it is their first engagement or 10th engagement they strive to improve the work they deliver to clients across all divisions of the business.’

‘Stacey Jones is, without a doubt, the best insolvency lawyer I have had the privilege of working with. Her work ethic and desire to complete any assignment when she says and with the best possible outcome for all stakeholders sets a precedent from which others should be judged. Her relentless pursuit for personal development is refreshing to experience first hand.’

‘Agile team with a broad skillset that achieves an excellent balance of technical knowledge and commerciality in challenging situations. Work with their clients in a collaborative and flexible way, but equally as effective in delivering defined scope advice on request in a focused manner.’

‘Stacey Jones has a strong personality and is clear in her advice. Provides the clients with confidence in her and her team.’

‘Very good strength in depth, wide range of experience.’

‘Stacey Jones is an exceptional young lawyer. Amazing work ethic and very practical advice.’

‘The restructuring and corporate insolvency team at BDB Pitmans are elite. They are super responsive and always go the extra mile.’

‘The partners and associates are very hands-on. They always have the interests of their clients in their minds and are not afraid to give good direct advice. They are also one of the more diverse groups in the restructuring and insolvency world.’

‘Roger Elford is extremely competent and really good with clients. Really clever but never big headed. Always listens carefully to more junior members of the team and gives them a lot of responsibility so that they learn although he is always there supervising.’

‘Mel Constable is a really brilliant senior associate. A real team player. ’

‘James Hyne is one of the brightest and sharpest insolvency lawyers in the market. Quick, extremely commercial and able to grasp the nub of the problem quickly. And has buckets of charm!’

‘James Hyne – commercially excellent. Roger Elford – combines excellent technical knowledge with a practical approach.’

‘They get the job done with talented lawyers, who are genuinely nice to work with. Commercial and pragmatic, they think about and put the client’s needs front and centre. Very good communicators and always responsive out of hours. They seem to work hard on developing teams and it’s good to see strong evidence of diversity within the teams.’

‘James Hyne is a no-nonsense but nonetheless thoughtful insolvency lawyer, with a sharp eye for the right answer. Always keeps an eye on the big picture and frames his advice and legal strategy accordingly. Good fun to work with.’

‘Roger Elford has extensive and wide-ranging technical expertise in all aspects of restructuring and insolvency. Commercially astute and pragmatic in advice. Good fun to work with.’

‘A diverse team, very knowledgeable.’

‘Hannah Proctor is very competent leading claims/defences relating to directors duties disputes and claims arising post-insolvency. She understands the key issues and proactively deals with issues that arise. She is someone you want on your team. ’

‘Jo Ford thinks clearly, works hard for her clients and gets the right result.’

‘The people in this team are empathetic, professional, personable, thorough and dedicated with superb specialist knowledge and make everything seem so effortless given the unprecedented year we have been through.’

‘So personable and kind without losing their edge for a moment. Joanna Ford has been a guide and a rock throughout some very challenging times.’

‘The commercial advice was very positive and practical and not lost in legalese wording. Cripps positive responses to the two matters they dealt with for me were efficient, timely and effective in demonstrating that the claims was of no substance. For one of the claims, other national law firms were involved but Cripps was not overshadowed by them and took the lead in our response. The other major matter is that their fees were extremely reasonable and significantly lower than if I had used a London firm.’

‘The partner I dealt with was Joanna Ford. I found her accessibility outstanding compared to my experience of other firms.She was always available to discuss matters as they arose and to give practical advice – a pleasure to deal with.’

‘Excellent staff with good communication and flexibility. The partners are happy to integrate with our team to work together and achieve the best results.’

‘Heather Dobson and Rebecca Chaplin always find time to give us and our cases the appropriate attention despite how busy they are.’

‘High level of technical knowledge about a complex area of law, very strong work ethic.’

‘Heather Dobson is a specialist insolvency lawyer; very experienced, very sound, very reliable. Rebecca Chaplin is also very good, and adds useful litigation experience to balance the team.’

‘Great team – all partners are excellent and professional, extremely competent and available. They have good delivery and contact is relevant and maintained throughout.’

‘Heather Dobson – very competent, friendly and approachable, understanding, commercial and reliable.’

‘Very responsive and grasp issues swiftly. Appropriate cutting edge advice. Go the extra mile when required to do so. Get the job done.’

‘Heather Dobson and Rebecca Chaplain for superb advice, highlighting potential pitfalls and ensuring that such pitfalls are avoided. Both really know their stuff.’

‘The practice has the benefit of sufficient size and resource, to enable it to compete, whilst being small enough to remain approachable and caring.’

‘I have worked with Tim Carter on a specific matter for a number of years. Not once has he failed to return my calls, or emails, promptly and has always behaved in a courteous and professional manner. He is clever, articulate and applies innovation and practicality to his proposals. He has shown immense stamina and commitment to our case, from the outset. A good man to have in your corner.’

‘Pragmatic advice from a knowledgeable partner, Tim Carter. He has given us an appropriate amount of time and it has been easy to maintain contact with him. Lawyers can so often talk down to clients – Tim Carter does not do so. His advice and input has given the directors a good level of comfort during a difficult period.’

‘ They provide magic circle advice and service at regional law firm prices.’

‘ David Steinberg – professional, practical, easy to work with and very responsive. ’

‘A regional powerhouse in insolvency. Quality team and a highly effective approach.’

‘Local team providing expert insolvency advice at good value.’

‘The team combines an understanding of legal problems arising in foreign jurisdictions involved in cross-border insolvency cases with business awareness.’

‘William Arran is analytical, attentive to detail and a clear communicator. He tackles problems quickly while bearing in mind client objectives. ’

‘A highly experienced and impressively connected firm, does not hesitate to pull in support from other sector specialisms as necessary to get the job done.’

‘Irwin Mitchell have an excellent nationwide team of partners and staff. They are perfectly placed to provide quality advice across a range of sectors.’

‘Andrew Walker is one of the standout partners in bringing knowledge and advice in the areas of business recovery and insolvency. Andrew provides concise advice on matters that are often particularly challenging. ’

‘Well rounded team, offering a good level of expertise and value for money.’

‘Andrew Walker – very knowledgeable with a good commercial attitude.’

‘Nick Oliver demonstrates an extraordinary grasp of the law in complex matters, is diligent, hugely able, and compassionate. He has always made himself available to advise me and I cannot speak highly enough about the service he provides. His supporting team reflect his concern for a friendly, professional approach. I have no reservations in my satisfaction with his work.’

‘An original South Coast powerhouse. Very experienced at acting for insolvency practitioners and directors, covering all aspects of insolvency law.’

‘Nick Oliver is incredibly hard working and commercially focused with a huge knowledge of insolvency law.’

‘I have been, and remain, extremely impressed with Isadore Goldman. They are one of the few insolvency boutiques and are experts in both corporate and personal insolvency matters. In the insolvency sector, a lot of firms have small insolvency teams where the specialist knowledge is based. Isadore Goldman is strong across the board as they specialise in this area of law.’

‘Nick Oliver is an extremely experienced insolvency lawyer with an excellent technical understanding of insolvency law. He would be my first port of call on an insolvency matter.’

‘Isadore Goldman punches above its weight in terms of the type and value of insolvency matters that it deals with. It offers a small but talented team of lawyers at every level of qualification.’

‘Nick Oliver – fantastically knowledgeable, personable, and a pleasure to deal with.’

‘I have worked with Nick Oliver for a number of years. He is a high calibre insolvency specialist, with excellent client skills and his ability to think out of the box is second to none. If I was asked to summarise him in one word it would be ‘outstanding’.’ 

‘Nick Keitley is a quality solicitor. His knowledge is second to none and he is hugely approachable. We have also been pleased with the quality of work from Melia Hirst, who is an excellent lawyer, approachable and friendly.’

‘The team clearly have a wealth of experience in dealing with companies and organisations in distress. This experience covers a number of business sectors and also insight from their work with other professionals such as IPs and accountancy firms.’

‘Having worked with Melia Hirst on a number of matters including the provision of in house training, we found Melia to be highy knowledgeable with lots of experience. Melia provides sound commercially focused solutions that we could take forward.’

‘Working with Melia Hirst feels more like a collaboration rather than an engement of external legal resource. Her no nonsense and plain talking style is very much appreciated by the legal and senior leadership team.’

‘Nick Keitley and Melia Hirst offer a one stop insolvency law service, particularly on the transactional side of things.’

‘Nick is probably the most experienced transactional insolvency lawyer, takes things calmly and works out the best way to achieve what they want.

‘Melia Hirst’s attention to detail is second to none, she misses nothing whilst delivering outstanding service to clients. She is also experienced in insolvency litigation.’

‘Melia Hirst is an absolute delight to work with. She is extremely personable, but also very knowledgeable.’

‘I always know and take comfort that when I engage the team I will get solid legal advice. It so important these days and often key when looking to achieve a recovery for the benefit of creditors.’

‘Headed by the hugely experienced Mike Pavitt, the team covers all aspects of insolvency law, both contentious and non-contentious. Now also act for litigation funders.’

‘Mike Pavitt has worked in insolvency for years and should be treated as a leading insolvency lawyer and not just in the south. He is, without doubt, one of the best insolvency lawyers in the south. His practice covers personal and individual insolvency. He puts his heart and should into a case, without losing sight of the commercial needs of a client. He goes the extra mile.’

‘The insolvency team are accessible and down to earth; providing timely, relevant and sound advice. They explain in plain terms the consequences of any courses of action and provide realistic solutions and clear advice.’

‘Mike Pavitt provides detailed knowledge and foresight of potential consequences of actions. Always confirms own instructions, provides fullest information and clear recommendations.’

‘The team has a strong technical knowledge for both contentious and non contentious matters. It is well supported by a wider practice.’

‘The team at Paris Smith, ably led by Mike Pavitt, provides a responsive, value for money service. Instead of just saying they are client-focused, they demonstrate this in all they do.’

‘Mike Pavitt’s knowledge of the both the law and of the way in which the insolvency profession operates is second to none. He is an able practitioner who is nevertheless willing to listen to alternative views.’

‘The partner in the insolvency practice was exceptional. Responsive, with clear and sensible advice which he was able to action immediately.’

‘DMH has a great reputation and strength and depth of team that means it is capable of dealing with SME and large businesses in equal ability and experience. the team at DMH is no nonsense, very practical and approachable and a first class, hands-on solicitors firm.’

‘James Colvin is an expert in the insolvency field with many years of experience and capable of providing clever solutions to complex problems.’

‘Oliver Jackson is friendly, bright and experienced and provides innovative solutions to seemingly unsolvable problems. his calm manner makes him ideal for dealing with clients facing a crisis.’

‘DMH Stallard have an extremely capable team of partners and staff. They have the ability to deal with complex situations and bring the relevant skills to the table to deal effectively and efficiently with the assignments. ’

‘I have worked with a number of individuals, all of whom have been able to call on the firm’s experts in different areas to deal with complex cases. James Colvin has been particularly key in driving forward some very complex and challenging business recovery and insolvency matters.’

‘Ben Ashworth is a personable lawyer who is very experienced and knowledgeable of bankruptcy matters.’

‘A team which punches well above its weight. Very commercial and a high partner involvement.’

‘Noel Ruddy is arguably the leader in his field. Bright and highly personable. His technical knowledge is second to none.’

‘All members of the team are always quick to help, and if any staff member is unavailable the matter is still handed by another member of staff/ the matter handed over. They are friendly and approachable and have become our ‘go to’ firm.’

‘Ian Lindley is always happy to help with obscure questions and offer ad hoc advice pre-engagement, which is something we value when deciding on an adviser, rather than being provided with a quote straight from the start and not providing any initial guidance.’

‘PDT are a responsive and knowledgeable practice. Their restructuring team are always on hand to respond swiftly to issues that may arise, quickly grasping the issue and providing strong and appropriate guidance. PDT compares favourably to other practices in the industry and as a firm, we always feel confident of receiving a quality service. The prices are also extremely competitive and the service represents value for money, which is particularly important in insolvency scenarios.’

‘Ian Lindley is an excellent lawyer. Calm and clear in his approach, Ian is an effective communicator and he has exceptional legal knowledge. Ian is also commercial too and will always provide useful commentary around issues.’

‘Dawn Shadwell is a fantastic lawyer and will be on hand to assist whenever needed.’

‘Rebecca Andrews-Walker is very charismatic. Incredible work ethic. Very good knowledge of the law – she is also a qualified insolvency practitioner. I would certainly recommend her to anyone who I knew who faced an insolvency issue.’

‘The team is very experienced, and those individuals I work with are effective at advising their clients in a pragmatic and realistic way, always with their commercial interests in mind.’

‘Rebecca Andrews-Walker has just been made partner, which is thoroughly deserved. She is not intimidated by the macho attitude prevalent at some other larger firms. She stayed really focused and we obtained an amazing result. Nothing is too much for her – she just gets on with it.’

‘Really client-friendly and constantly ensuring the client knows what is going on and the risks. Also real thinkers out of the box providing a great service. Heavy promotion of minorities.’

‘Rebecca Andrews-Walker acted for us in respect of one particular matter, which needed to be dealt with quickly and was very important to us. Rebecca did a fabulous job at ultimately getting us an even better result than we had expected. The matter was high pressure but Rebecca always remained calm and professional.’

‘The team were sympathetic and very supportive. This type of team is handling businesses in distress and therefore it’s important to have the right bedside manner! They were great.’

‘Rebecca Andrews-Walker is friendly, communicative and easy to work with – giving commercial and focused advice.’

‘Rebecca Andrews-Walker’s depth of knowledge and experience in this area is excellent – she knows insolvency law inside and out and is very effective at delivering results for her clients. She is very personable and an excellent collaborator.’

‘Chris Millar incisively gets to and understands the point, then pragmatically provides ways forward without wedging himself on a fence.’

‘A friendly, local practice but with the depth of team to cover more complex situations.’

‘We have been working mostly with Martin Steer who is an extremely dependable litigator.’

‘Chris Millar is a very clever lawyer whose advice has been invaluable to me over the years.’

‘Responsive, realistic and commercial. Quick at understanding the commercial objectives and constraints and respond accordingly.’

‘Despite being based across a number of offices in Surrey, the team is hugely responsive. They have garnered a strong following amongst local businessmen, insolvency practitioners, and real estate professionals. This has enabled them to attract a calibre of work which is perhaps more regularly found at the kind of City firms that Downs routinely find themselves against.’

‘Martin Steer is an experienced litigator who seems to attract an enviable range of commercial, insolvency, and real-estate related work. He is good on the law and hard-working. However, he really excels at understanding the bigger tactical picture and explaining that bigger picture to lay clients in a digestible, reassuring way.’

‘Chris Millar is very experienced and a solid lawyer. He has a nose for the commercial answer to a problem. He gets through a huge amount of work, even leaving aside the admin and management that must comes with his role.’

‘Impressive technical insolvency knowledge for the size of firm.’

‘Petra Van Dijk combines technical knowledge of insolvency with commercial common sense.’

‘I am impressed with the knowledge and experience of the partner I have been dealing with.’

‘The partner always responds in a timely manner, often outside of normal working hours. I am made to feel confident and supported.’

‘David Perry is the standout partner for commercial litigation. He can can be counted on for realistic, commercially savvy and almost encyclopaedic knowledge of insolvency law.’