Corporate and commercial: Birmingham in West Midlands

‘A first rate team which is consistently good at delivering high quality service.’

‘Practical and easy to understand advice.’

‘Good technical team that is pragmatic and understands our business. They act local but with large firm behind them.’

‘Personable, hard-working, pragmatic and responsive team with an excellent knowledge of the UK food industry. We really enjoyed working with them and look forward to doing so again.’

‘Noel Haywood provides great knowledge and experience of UK food industry, personable and pragmatic approach, hands-on involvement, felt very much part of our team in delivering a successful outcome. ’

‘Truly exceptional quality senior associates who provides partner-quality client service and expertise at associate prices. The associates are supported by partners with detailed industry expertise and standing.

‘Simon Wright is an exception senior associate, delivering partner-quality client service and expertise. He is very commercially minded, and a problem solver; he has also demonstrated the depth of his understanding during intense negotiations.’

‘Jonathan Clarke is top-notch transactional and commercial lawyer, extremely responsive and smart. A real pleasure to work with.’

‘The corporate team is excellent; always respond quickly and with clarity. They understand when urgency is required.’

‘Sarah Riding has an excellent, in-depth knowledge of the automotive sector, together with the health & safety involved. She has a commercial and practical approach, and her advice is always clear and helpful. ’

‘Great engagement in getting to know the client, and good feedback on internal processes where law firm can identify improvements.’

‘David Lowe takes the time to understand the issues and give examples from previous projects with other clients.’

‘Very practical advise and high responsiveness’

‘David Vaughan is a very prudent negotiator.’

‘Down to earth with a hands-on approach, very pragmatic’

‘Thorough advice and guidance provided.’

‘Ryan Harrison provides sound advice, is always willing to help, gets things done when urgent.’

‘Browne Jacobson invested time in the relationship, even before we had a project to work on. Mike Jackson spent time with me discussion issues I had and how they could possibly be dealt with. This time commitment with myself and the new team was invaluable in all our our company wanting to work with Browne Jacobson.’

‘Mike Jackson is diligent, pragmatic and honest. I find working with him refreshing as he takes time to understand, investing time into any given issue regardless of the situation. Mike is very effective at then applying this knowledge to the issues, giving relevant guidance to resolving them. Mike is always contactable and quick to respond.’

‘Clare Hanna was essential in getting our deal across the line, without her it may not have happened. Where the process started to get lethargic, Clare pushed hard to get all parties across the line. Clare is approachable, quick to respond and knowledgeable and has been an excellent support to our business.’

‘Pragmatic, go the extra mile to help, patient, professional, thorough.’

‘Ryan Harrison is my go-to lawyer for commercial work due to his approach. Personable and pragmatic, really enjoy working with him.’

‘Freeths has a strong team with access to a broad range of skills. In the last year I have dealt with many different members of the team on a significant number of matters, and the quality of work and customer service has been consistently high. Billing has been excellent, well tracked and well presented.’

‘The individuals I deal with stand out because of the quality of their work and their levels of responsiveness. I have worked with many firms but the level of attention is really excellent.

‘Kirstin Roberts takes the lead on our account and she has been absolutely stand out. Always available when I need her, quick to respond, strong communicator, highly knowledgeable on a broad range of subjects.’

‘A very commercial law form that provides clear, pragmatic advice and does not get caught up on legal debates for the sake of it’

‘Excellent service with great knowledge.’

‘They have an exceptional ability to deliver results in a sensible manner, without delay and bespoke.’

‘Freeths team are very approachable, helpful and engaging. They take time to understand your needs and then act on your behalf as if it were theirs. We haven’t been using Freeths that long. They were introduced with others when we were going through a sale/MBO. We opted for Freeths for their skill, professionalism and personality. We have taken advice on on HR and commercial matters, which his been delivered swiftly and articulately. In terms of innovation, they are very collaborative and proactive.’

‘The team worked well and supported each other well when needed, if someone was not immediately available another team member made contact to keep us informed or answer questions, great teamwork.’

‘Results oriented, technically very good and able to anticipate issues and offer solutions.’

‘Julian Smith always gives us pragmatic advice promptly. Very helpful on corporate finance and commercial work generally.’

‘Junaid Haroon is extremely hands-on, gets involved in the matters – he is always available and business-oriented.’

‘The Shoosmiths team has deep experience in venture capital and private equity and benefits from wide resource and wide reference points from representing investor, company and management teams. They have a particular specialism in working with EIS companies.’

‘Alistair Hammerton and Daniel Shilvock are both happy to help shape terms pre-engagement, which is a key differentiator. They are also willing to consider the specifics of the company and transaction and rarely default to generic positions without good reason.’

‘We have come to know Ben Turner and Georgina Rennie as very competent and trustworthy advisors in the context of an M&A transactions. Their work is characterized by a very high degree of diligence, client orientation and speed. Due to their interdisciplinary competences, they are especially recommended for companies that want to become active in England from abroad. ’

‘Ben Turner is an exceptional M&A Lawyer. Ben is very commercial and is able to think outside the box and always displays high levels of integrity.’

‘I’ve worked a lot with Shoosmiths. They have provided a reliable high-standard across a range of transactions. The team are responsive and keen to advise and receive feedback. They appreciate our expectations on transactions and areas of sensitivity for us.’

‘Alistair Hammerton has gained a vast amount of knowledge in the venture capital space and is very approachable. He is keen to understand our business and our legal needs. He manages well the balance between offering their services without being pushy. He has been instrumental in helping us put together precedents and finessing the legal process with Shoosmiths so that it is smooth and Shoosmiths now are our regular counsel.’

‘The team understand our business well and provide pragmatic, commercial advice. They supported us well with decision making.’

‘Georgina Rennie really knows her area of law, and provides straight forward commercial advice.’

‘Down to earth, knowledgeable and approachable team.’

‘Geoff Perry is an expert in his field but practical and friendly, no arrogance, always willing to help out.’

‘Down to earth and pragmatic. Friendly and knowledgeable.’

‘Geoff Perry is a pleasure to work with. He is sensible and really knows his stuff and manages to put complex matters into easy to understand language.’

‘Ben McLeod runs a small but efficient team who have successfully got under the skin of some complex and strategically essential procurement projects this year.’

‘Ben McLeod is accessible, personable and pragmatic.’

‘Service is exceptional. We trust them 100% no matter what bumps in the road we come across. They are professional and expedient and more than happy to take on a heavy burden.’

‘John Campion is knowledgeable, patient and able to draw on a bottomless pit of dynamic, experienced and energetic team. First-class service, ahead of his London based peers and at a rates as a fraction of those adopted in the City. ’

‘Best in class service which is comparable to what you would get from a top tier London firm.’

‘John Campion understand our business, is extremely knowledgeable and is a very pragmatic lawyer. He is very good at explaining complicated issues in simple terms.’

‘They offer a personal attention to detail and make us aware of any issues quickly, whatever the time of day it is.’

‘Good commercial and practical advice, with a focus on private equity investment. Planned, developed and implemented a complex fund restructuring over several months which, despite encountering many complexities, went particularly smoothly and within time and budget.’

‘Strong understanding of their clients’ business, proactive approach and ability to solve legal issues with a commercial approach. Kavita Patel is recommended in terms of her knowledge, leadership and approach.’

‘Shakespeare Martineau has been committed to providing high quality service to the sector; their detailed understanding of the evolving rules and regulations is almost unparalleled.’

‘Kavita Patel has provided me and my firm with outstanding technical and advisory services for more than the past decade. She is one of the foremost technicians within the sector and provides a first call service to her clients. Her accessibility, response to questions and attention to detail is second to none. ’

‘Keith Spedding is an excellent communicator and his advice is sound, providing strong guidance to us as a company.’

‘The senior people are all top-notch technically, but beyond that they always bring valuable insights and practical, commercial advice to difficult deal situations based on their extensive experience. Outstanding at working collaboratively with other professionals to deliver the best outcomes for clients.’

‘Rick Smyth is technically excellent but also pragmatic and smart – invariably able to find a solution to any tricky situation (legal or non-legal) based on his extensive commercial experience. I am always totally confident introducing a new client to Rick and his team.’

‘Well established and experienced team, who offer good value compared to some larger firms. Easy to deal with during the pandemic, with a combination of calls, virtual and where rarely needed face to face meetings.’

‘Ready and easy access to all involved including partners who actively led the work. Friendly and knowledgeable people.’

‘The capabilities and level of knowledge is exceptional.’

‘True customer facing and dedication and always willing to offer solutions ’

‘Rick Smyth is the consummate professional and over the years has totally restored my faith in the legal profession, despite he obvious success he also finds time to work hard at various charity fund raising activities.’

‘Gareth O’Hara leads by example, is not afraid to get stuck in and help all sides work towards an agreement. Keeps it simple, gives his opinion and reasoning and works with all parties towards an agreement.’

‘Kate Hackett was person that stood out most and she ran the job like clockwork. Never once did I feel out of control or in the dark as all her communications were prompt, diligent and above all accurate. On a job with more than 20 professionals working on both sides, Kate’s version was the only one that mattered.’

‘They had a quick grasp of my concerns and a rapid understanding of my immediate situation.’

‘John Irving is recommended for his attention to detail with contracts and excellent advice.’

‘Professional, high skill and deep knowledge. We have asked Clarke Willmott to produce number of legal documents, and layout agreements which clearly states the activities and duties for our unique share-matching platform for the private companies. Clarke Willmott has produced outstanding work. ’

‘Highly professional team able to cover all matters necessary for a client operating in the UK.’

‘Knowledge and pragmatism, focused on solutions not conflict or hours. Act in best interests of client but also looking to find solutions for all those impacted in constructive, real world manner. Experts in their field and able to bring in others as required. John Irving encapsulates all of these attributes and has a good support team around him.’

‘A highly focused and dynamic firm who provide legal advice with full conviction, which allows clients to make sound commercial decisions with confidence. I particularly like the attitude of key partners who take a long-term view relative to client retention, knowing that ultimately they will be most likely to receive instructions relative to M&A activity. The strength and length of the relationship we have established means we view Fieldfisher as key stakeholders within our overall exit strategy and this has helped to steer some of the more run of the mill commercial activities they undertake for us.’

‘It is essential to have a law firm such as this that is capable of providing concise advice that we have total faith in.’

‘Historically we have used a number of specialist firms both in Birmingham, London and Manchester but in recent years have reached the conclusion that Fieldfisher’s breadth of service allows us to treat them as a sole supplier for all of our commercial requirements.’

‘Andrew Lawton-Smith has been a trusted advisor for many years after initially steering us through a complicated MBO. My fellow board members have come to view him more as a non-executive director than just a legal adviser as he is not afraid to tell us when we are wrong and steer down a more considered path.’

‘Irwin Mitchell have a very customer-centric ethos, making life as simple as possible for us, as a client. They manage the relationship very efficiently, and with clear direction to the client. The down-to-earth approach that is part of the their culture is very different to other law firms that we’ve dealt with, and this encourages true collaboration and idea-sharing between client and advisor.’

‘Nick Dawson and Matt Smith have a pragmatic, down to earth approach, and can remain focused on the big picture, whilst ensuring that none of the details are missed. Their personable approach and dedication to getting the deal over the line were a key aspect in the success of our most recent transaction.’

‘Good, unequivocal advice briskly delivered. I like the team for a number of reasons: they are always there and respond quickly; their advice is always sensible and commercial; they are always looking for a quick, legally sound and pragmatic way of getting to the finishing line as quickly as possible. If there is a difficult issue or one they are not quite sure about, they will always admit it immediately, go and take advice elsewhere, and revert quickly with the best answer.’

‘Nick Dawson runs a very good group. He is always very quick in coming back, very honest with his assessment of what can be achieved and when it can be achieved and what cannot be achieved. He is very experienced and has a good sense of what is normal or market and what is not.’

‘Matt Smith works very long and hard, never misses a detail and is always courteous and polite to his clients and to the other side. He is always very, very honest if he doesn’t know the answer and will revert quickly once he has consulted with a more experienced colleague. I appreciate this honesty.’

‘Very proactive approach and easy to work with. Standard of work is always very high.’

‘We feel very well looked after by Matt Smith and appreciate his tireless efforts to achieve the optimal outcome for us.’

‘The practice is a valued partner to us as clients. Our relationship has deepened over several years and they have advised and assisted us on over a dozen acquisitions in the last three years. As a practice they provide a robust commercial and corporate offering to rival any of the bigger firms with a friendly and down to earth feel. Always available when needed and providing a sound broad base of advice.’

‘Trowers & Hamlins has a very strong team and full service offering.’

‘Moad Giebaly is one of  the best corporate lawyers I have worked with. Self assured, confident, calm and commercial, he runs his client relationships and mandates as a seasoned and senior partner. Moad has a great knowledge of corporate real estate and Islamic finance transactions but has also advised on investments, corporate restructuring and general matters. He is responsible, responsive and committed to the best possible outcome for his clients. Simply put, Moad is a joy to deal with.’