Commercial property: Kent, Surrey, Sussex in South East

‘They have an established relationship with our company and understand the somewhat unique challenges of our industry. The skill set and experience of team members is well matched to our needs.’

‘Working with both the restructuring and property teams, it was evident to see the high level of collaboration between these teams to deliver an efficient and seamless client experience. The team were also highly adaptable and placed a strong emphasis on client service, producing bespoke reports to present completion progress and highlight issues so that they could be dealt with in real time.’

‘Efficient and approachable with a proactive and personal response to problem solving.’

‘No-nonsense and considered, straight forward and practical advice.’

‘The CRS commercial property team comprises a superb range of highly competent individuals operating as an efficient, client focused team. Diligent and professional, I have found all members of the team to be highly responsive and friendly.’

‘Ingrid Saffin was incredibly diligent in ensuring matters were progressed efficiently. She also made sure that she was available to discuss general project matters, such as staffing levels, in good time to ensure the project was being delivered effectively. Claire Timmings demonstrated excellent, in-depth legal knowledge and was very happy to explain the more complicated legal principles / procedures to myself and other team members, which were always set out clearly. This, together with her affable and friendly personality, meant that Claire was quickly regarded with trust, and as someone who could be easily approached with any queries.’

‘Charlotte Major is very commercial, takes practical approach and provides practical solutions. Very knowledgeable and happy to provide direction when needed.’

‘Ingrid Saffin is a stand-out lawyer, a client focused commercial property specialist with an eye for detail and a personal touch. Ingrid has proven herself to be an invaluable resource to our business. She is diligent and client focused. Clare Timmings is technically excellent; an astute solicitor with a ‘can do” approach.’

‘Very thorough, competent and professional team – they have always had our firm’s best interests in mind. The quality of legal advice provided is exceptional. Matters are project managed, partner-led and supervised. Alongside the legal advice the firm provides clear, pragmatic advice and empowers us to make the right decisions. The firm also plays an important role in the local community which we value.’

‘Personal, committed, hardworking and the ability to communicate well throughout all legal matters.’

‘Sarah Ferguson is easy to deal with, responsive and commercial.’

‘Lisa Steer was a pleasure to work with, never missed a scheduled meeting and always took my calls. What I especially liked about Lisa was the time she took to get to know our group, her knowledge of commercial property matters and her understanding of our sector. ’

‘Having worked with Lisa Steer on several property and land related projects, I can confidently state that Lisa’s communication skills are excellent as is her depth of experience in dealing with complex legal matters.’

‘A great team spirit is clearly evident within this department. Communication and knowledge across colleagues are seamless and they strike a great balance of delivering the highest standards for their clients with a very personable approach.’

‘A friendly and laid-back firm, always diligent in their responses and work.’

‘Penningtons Manches Cooper have a widely respected property team covering all aspects of the law. Regionally the team have become market leaders and are head and shoulders above the competition in terms of response times, quality of advice, communication etc.’

‘Mike Busby’s legal knowledge and expertise is second to none. What makes Mike different to other solicitors is his commercial awareness which ensures that his clients’ best interests are always primary.’

‘Graham Dixon has excelled himself in his advice and assistance working for us, most recently on a complex estate purchase.’

‘During this past year I have once again had good reason to be extremely grateful to Mike Busby and Jamie Lynch. Both have been absolutely excellent and consistently so. Mike Busby particularly is clearly hugely experienced, commercially aware and despite, no doubt, being exceptionally busy, he is always abreast of matters. His timely advice and proactive interventions have been vital on several occasions. Likewise, Jamie Lynch is highly competent and an excellent communicator. Both are extremely hard-working and have provided a superb service, seemingly unaffected by the pandemic.’

‘Tony Burns is hard working, reliable, responsive and easy to deal with and friendly.’

‘Stevens & Bolton give a fantastic all-round legal service, due to their multi specialist departments, and have helped us cover everything from commercial property legals to commercial business legals when required. Their seamless delivery of these services is commendable.’

‘The Stevens & Bolton team have strength in depth and have been well placed to give high quality advice across a wide range of issues. The quarterly free webinars are informative, concise, interesting, and relevant. Billing is accurate, timely and provides sufficient information.’

‘A central London service from an out-of-town firm. Excellent client liaison with individual attention from well qualified partners, whether it be with property acquisitions/disposals or in compiling and completing complicated JV agreements. They never lose sight of the client’s objectives and are able to advise and transact in a very professional manner. They also have a team that is strong in depth.’

‘Andrew Steele provides very good partner-level contact and is fully briefed and aware on how a transaction is progressing and what issues there may be. Very good at phoning the client and providing an update on progress.’ 

‘Alex Watt is exceptional in all areas in supporting our business. Especially when it comes to advice, execution, communication and the friendly approach that makes working together feel easier and smoother.’

‘I have worked closely with Sarah Kirwan on all of our property projects; she is undoubtedly one of the most competent professionals I have encountered. Sarah stands out because she is very knowledgeable and technically astute and is able to guide us through complex legal matters by providing tailored, commercial and relevant guidance. Sarah consistently demonstrates a clear awareness of our business objectives and always provides solutions that are congruent with our goals. I value Sarah’s approach to solving problems that we have encountered – she always adopts a pragmatic, creative approach and manages to deliver solutions where others would undoubtedly struggle. I greatly appreciate Sarah’s care for and commitment to our business and the manner in which she strives to overcome obstacles – it’s very clear that she is absolutely dedicated to supporting her clients. Sarah consistently demonstrates real strength in negotiating on our behalf to protect our objectives; this makes her an invaluable member of our team. When working on a project, Sarah is very much part of our team – she is completely aligned to us and there is no end to the commitment she devotes to achieving our objectives. She’s always available, consistently professional and a pleasure to work alongside.’

‘Daryl Rivero is not only highly responsive to me but when dealing with other solicitors responds with immediate turnaround following working and advising me on details of leases. Excellent legal knowledge, easy to work with and always available.’

‘Howard Lupton takes the time and makes the effort to get to know their clients and their businesses which results in a more responsive and pragmatic approach to advice.’

‘What makes the service unique is it is very flexible, each team member specialises in specific aspects of law. The advantage is that each specialist is immediately available and responsive.’

‘They communicate effectively with us having learned how our business works and what our priorities are and have adapted to fit in with our expectations.’

‘Well-balanced range and depth of legal disciplines. Ability to collaborate across teams and offices. Individual team members have developed a very good understanding of our business model and consequently are able to instinctively prioritise and resource services to assist us to meet our aims.’

‘First rate legal minds. Highly efficient and organised in their dealings. Immensely personable.’

‘Jonathan Crook is an excellent technical lawyer who delivers an outstanding service. City law firm quality at less than half the price.’

‘The team at Herrington Carmichael are responsive and reliable and provide an exceptional service to us. There is a strong level of ownership from the team and they go the extra mile to ensure that there is a thorough examination of each transaction and our interests are always protected.’

‘The team works well together as well as interacting well with our in-house team. Everyone in the team is knowledgeable but if a situation arises that requires more senior involvement, escalation is quick and efficient to enable satisfactory solutions for all parties, to be found as quickly as possible.’

‘The whole team is friendly and knowledgeable and provides a relaxed, professional service. ’

‘Herrington Carmichael have the experience and in-depth knowledge of property law with the ability of individual solicitors to refer specific problems to specialist teams like the dispute resolution team.’

‘Wide coverage by very knowledgeable people.’

‘A competent, professional organisation that we are grateful to have on our side. The Moore Barlow team have proved patient, and highly flexible, supporting us as we develop our acquisition strategy, and dealing efficiently with the many landlords’ solicitors that are not normally comfortable with our market. For us, the biggest plus is that we can be confident that, where matters are dragging on, it is the landlord that we need to be chasing, not Moore Barlow. They work very well with us to ensure that they/we are never holding up a transaction, and so together we demonstrate absolute professionalism.’

‘From our numerous dealings with the firm there is clear evidence of a team spirit. Each member of the team works to a high standard and you have confidence with whoever you are dealing with that the task will get done. They are always helpful and will go out of their way to answer any queries we may have.’

‘The practice is fantastic at hosting networking events and encouraging collaborations between other consultants they work with. The people are great to work with and the staff are all very professional but also approachable and easy to deal with.’

‘The individuals I have worked with are all efficient and responsive. Jo Farr was commended for her efficiency by a landlord when she was acting for the tenant in agreeing their lease.’

‘Jo Farr, has a depth of experience that is applied sensibly and also utilises trainees well, with good oversight involved which enables transactions to progress..’

‘I have full faith in Jo Farr’s abilities and would recommend her highly and will always use her in the future.’

‘I have worked with PDT Solicitors for over 18 years and found them to be a highly competent, reliable and friendly firm who always put the needs of the client first. They have an excellent team of knowledgeable individuals who have consistently demonstrated a high level of understanding of any given project. They fully understand the importance of working to a deadline and treat everything with the same level of professionalism, whether it be a multi-million-pound land deal or something relatively trivial. I thoroughly recommend them.’

‘PDT have developed a great approach to networking, relationship building and communicating with clients which has continued throughout the Covid lockdowns. Their strength is their personal contact with clients and applying their legal knowledge to the specific situation, not just general legal babble. Great range of legal services within the firm and from personal experience, I have noted personnel in the different legal departments clearly collaborate well together, and they have a great attitude to diverse employment and employment practices (part-time for mothers etc).’

‘The team are rooted in the regional residential market and bring a wealth of experience of comparable transactions to the table. The team’s strengths are the building of relationships with the parties to the transaction, resulting in high levels of confidence in the delivery of the conveyance. The scale of the business is such that the senior management team are closely involved in the team’s work and performance is maintained to high standards.’

‘Jane Bowden is very sharp and extremely detail-conscious. We know we can rely on her to be rigorous as well as being realistic.’

‘We have worked with James Clewlow, Jane Bowden, and Craig Burton on numerous projects over the space of a 10-year period. They conduct themselves with a high level of honesty and integrity and their communication and availability through any given project is at the highest level we have seen in our dealings with solicitors within our industry.’

‘Craig Burton particularly stands out beyond any other solicitor I have dealt with in the past. Craig is very pragmatic and can be trusted to simply get on with the job and get a property transaction concluded, but you can be rest assured with Craig that he would let you know if he encountered any problems.’

‘Always a pleasure dealing with PDT because you know they will get the job done. Craig Burton combines all the main attributes which in my view a good commercial property lawyer should including, having an excellent depth of knowledge, an ability to unravel complex issues and convey advice in a straightforward understandable way, being commercial in approach and dealing with matters in a timely manner, using modern media.’

‘James Clewlow has an exceptional understanding of all legal aspects associated with land and planning, with a high level of pragmatism and ability to identify the key issues. His communication skills are excellent, and I have found his personal availability and ability to both understand complicated situations and resolve legal problems to be second to none within the industry.’

‘Theteam are both knowledgeable and approachable. All members of the team are welcoming and they get the job done in a timely and professional manner. I have no hesitation in recommending the team to my clients.’

‘We are a small property company. TWM provided an excellent service in relation to a secured property financing. They were thorough but pragmatic and focused on solutions.’

‘The team have always provided an excellent service and advice and go out of their way to be helpful and informative . ’

‘Our Business has worked with TWM solicitors LLP for over 50 years. Over that time we have had long-term relationships with a number of partners, principally in commercial letting but when needed they have always had someone to help in other areas. Consistency of who we are dealing with is valuable to us.’

‘They always take a professional approach and clearly summarise possible outcomes at the start and throughout any project. Pleasant, available and efficient to deal with.’

‘Adrian Price has always been very proactive with his advice; something that I have not always experienced with other solicitors. He is not just transactional.’

‘The majority of my dealings have been with Claire Campbell who is competent and a pleasure to work with.’

‘Adams &Remers have a dedicated healthcare Tteam who know the industry really well. They are well connected and offer advice on anything relating to the sector from transactional through to HR. This unique specialism sets them apart from other firms.’

‘Joanna Clark is an excellent communicator and has been a great source of advice, particularly around transactions. She is very knowledgeable in the sector and this comes across well with clients with excellent feedback.’

‘I have dealt with the commercial property team at Coole Bevis for over 10 years and for good reason. Year on year they work tirelessly to provide an extremely efficient and sound service that in turn helps my business succeed. A vast array of extremely knowledgeable individuals within the practice means that whatever the situation, a member of the team is able to resolve any issues or conflicts we may have.’

‘Competency which is married with a structured approach to dealing with complex transactions. However, running through this is a sense of humility and understanding of the pressures we as a client were under.’

‘I have known the key people at Coole Bevis for a number of years as a client. I have always had excellent service. The firm is responsive and professional. At times they will even go above and beyond what is expected if there is a situation which requires urgent attention. In my view Coole Bevis is one of the best legal practices in the South East.’

‘The basis of a good legal practice is for the client to have strong relationships with key team members. I have confidence that there will always be a prompt response, and that any work that I put their way will be dealt with speedily and professionally. Much of our work goes to Nicola Hunt, who in my view is an outstanding lawyer in her field. She has never let me down, and I have complete confidence that, it at all possible, she will do all in her power to get the work done to the highest standard.’

‘There is a good level of support and it is clear that there is good camaraderie amongst the team which makes it easier when working on multiple projects with multiple team members. There is a very good understanding of the immediacy of certain issues, and responses time are extremely good.’

‘Oliver Maxwell-Jones has helped navigate us through a range of situations and his experience and ability to negotiate with differing personalities is worth its weight in gold. I highly recommend Oliver as an exceptional individual in his field. We choose to return time and time again for good reason.’

‘Jeff Streater is very hard working and does an excellent job. All work has been carried out in a timely fashion and all legal details have been explained to us in an excellent manner. We would recommend him to other businesses and associates.’

‘We find the lawyers at Downs very friendly and cohesive between teams, always approachable and swift to reply and update. As commercial property agents and surveyors we enjoy working with them and are always reassured when one of the Downs team are acting on transactions, whether for clients or applicants – we recommend their services to clients as our first choice.’

‘They are knowledgeable, pragmatic, friendly, very approachable and respond swiftly. It is refreshing to work alongside legal teams that communicate so well and swiftly – in turn this enables us to guide our clients with up-to-date information. Downs have maintained an excellent service throughout lockdown and remote working measures.’

‘Madeleine James and Andy Peach are always available to give advice and to respond rapidly to new instructions.’

‘Andrew Peach is a friendly, down to earth adviser who is always ready to look for solutions and who makes himself available.’

‘Furley Page were prompt adopters of new technology, with virtual meetings and efficient home-working by partners. We continued to work closely and well together.’

‘They take a practical and collaborative approach, with sound advice covering a wide range of issues – clear communication and cost-effective.’

‘Jeremy Licence has a great wealth of experience. Ethan Desai’s very considerable experience is flowering. Both are extremely capable and have proper attention to detail, while clearly discerning the important from the trivial.’

‘We worked with David Ashton and his team – all demonstrated technical knowledge and commitment to client service. Correspondence was dealt with efficiently, and the frustrations arising from a third party’s slow progress were dealt with professionally.’

‘My experience with Rix & Kay was very positive. The team that I dealt with worked hard to support me. They were always responsive in a very timely manner and took the time to explain the process in non legal jargon ’

‘A great team with excellent knowledge -very approachable.’

‘Throughout our dealings with Rix & Kay we found them responsive and professional to deal with. Strong teamworking meant that we were always able to get a response, even if the main contact was unavailable.’

‘Oliver Bussell has provided clear and precise advise, sometimes at very short notice, allowing us to surmount various property related issues. His ability to present his advise in a fashion that we can understand, and his pragmatic approach to resolving issues has proved invaluable ’

‘I have worked closely with David Ashton on several matters. He is a very safe pair of hands and works efficiently to get deals done. Also very friendly and excellent mannerisms with clients. Would recommend without hesitation.’

‘Stewart Gregory and Oliver Bussell are both very competent and efficient, offering timely, expert, co-ordinated advice.’