Bindmans LLP > London, England > Firm Profile

‘The firm is a byword for excellence and fighting for rights.‘

‘Tayab Ali – utterly fearless and focused upon achieving the best results for his clients. His polymath nature adds a unique benefit to his advice, strategy and tactics. Working with him really feels like you’re starring in a legal film!’

‘Kate Goold is an exceptional solicitor. She is insightful, committed, and a pleasure to deal with.’

‘This is a superb firm with a wonderfully talented all-round team.’

‘Passionate cause-led firm that leave no stone unturned for a client.’

‘Kate Goold is excellent and who I would suggest any friend of mine should go to. She is tireless, thinks of every possible point that can be raised, and does not rest until she has done all she can.’

‘One of the UK’s most feared criminal teams. A leader in the market for decades.’

‘This practice inspires confidence in the way in which a case is being handled. They leave nothing to chance.’

‘Top notch “A” Team. Gets the job done to the highest conceivable standards.’

‘This practice is very competent and being a client with them I experienced expertise and total diversity, collaboration with me as a client which is something I’ve not experienced before and I think this makes them unique. I will refer them to anyone because they’re very open to clients and gave the capabilities of taking up complex cases, which of course I’m an example.’

‘Bindmans is a well-respected and experienced firm in the UK’s legal industry and they have all these attributes for a reason. Its partners and senior lawyers have years of experience among them which I consider absolutely vital when finding a legal team for representation. I value professionalism, transparency, legal expertise, fair billing, and clear and honest communication as important attributes in a law firm and Bindmans LLP absolutely has all these attributes.’

‘The standout feature is how quickly they respond and the quality of the response. I have found both Liz Barratt and Alison Stanley to be willing to discuss complex matters before referral. Their advice is always comprehensive and well thought out and exhibits a deep knowledge of the law and practical aspects of it. I have been impressed by their ability to explain complex issues with clarity. You get a real sense that they are responding to your needs and providing a professional service of exceptional quality.’

‘I have worked with Liz Barratt on multiple occasions.  I personally rate Liz among the 5 best senior immigration lawyers in the whole of the UK. Her in-depth knowledge of immigration and human rights law, professionalism, transparency, empathy, and attention to detail stands her out among her peers.’

‘Liz Barratt permanently shines and is a superstar practitioner. Powerful intellect matched only by her personability and charm. She conducts the most difficult cases, including national security and closed material procedure cases. There really is no one like her. ‘

‘Roberta Haslam is one of few lawyers whom I met in my life with such vision and outstanding level of professionalism. Roberta was always positive and open in making sure that we put a very strong case to submit to the Home Office and she was constantly in contact with Home Office chasing the outcome and providing the feedback. She will always give the feedback even before I have asked. We have her name written in our hearts.’

‘Emma Cohen was our solicitor. Throughout the case, she was outstanding due to thorough understanding of our case, extensive knowledge in her area and empathy with us as her client. Her communication skills with clients and other relevant parties are very impressive. She always goes an extra mile to fulfil the demands of the case.’

‘They’re pretty unique, to be honest. Bindmans are activist lawyers, and proud of it. They do difficult cases, on legal aid rates, because it is the right thing to do, and they are pretty irreplaceable.’

‘Shirin Marker was incredibly knowledgable, while also being straight forward and clear in a way that gave me total confidence in her ability.’

‘Bindmans is the number one firm for claimant public law cases. Their public law solicitors are top quality throughout, and are guided with skill and technical excellence by Jamie Potter and John Halford.’

‘Jamie Potter is a real star for claimant judicial review work. Exceptionally bright, capable and also very pleasant to work with.’

‘Karen May embodies all you’d want in a solicitor: she will fight your corner with compassion, intelligence and tenacity. As an instructing solicitor she is excellent – she prepares the case thoroughly and asks all the right questions… and never forgets a deadline.’

‘The team at Bindmans are outstanding across all levels of seniority. All members are highly committed, capable and colloboative in achieving positive outcomes even in the most complex of cases. The team retains a very strong client focus combined with an eye for strategy.’

‘These guys are really excellent. I have repeatedly recommended them. They work well as a team and have a huge amount of institutional knowledge. They are strategically very good and have a really consistently high quality level throughout. Really top-quality public law team in my view.’

‘Salima Budhani – really outstanding individual, among the best in the field in my view.’

‘The civil liberties and human rights practice at Bindmans is really first rate. They combine really strong lawyers with first rate client care and highly efficient case handling. With frequently high profile cases handled by them, they really work well together as a team and turn out top notch legal work.’

‘Salima Budhani – fiercly intelligent, but compellingly practical: she really thinks creatively and pushes you to come up with new solutions you hadn’t even contemplated. Routinely handles very big and legally significant, or high profile cases.’

‘Shirin Marker is a real one to watch – bright, efficient, excellent client rapport and can get to grips with the most complex of cases, quickly. Particular expertise with vulnerable female clients, and cases involving closed material/ secret evidence.’

‘Bindmans have a long-standing and wholly justified reputation as a firm that operates at the cutting edge of civil liberties and human rights work. They combine market-leading subject matter expertise with exceptional client care. The firm benefits from the breadth of its practice, with a strong cross-disciplinary approach.’

‘Salima Budhani is an outstanding practitioner with a broad public law practice. She combines exceptional insight and technical ability with wonderful client care.’

‘John Halford – knows everything. Salima Budhani – really excellent partner, best in class. Theodora Middleton – very very good lawyer, on the way up. Rachel Harger – very good civil actions specialist.’

‘I do really appreciate their outstanding communication. They went the extra mile to clarify legal procedures and various, probable outcomes. Their approach has always been professional and, at the same time, warm and empathetic, which is not that common.’

‘They are very dedicated. From their behaviour and endevaour, I can see they regard their job as their mission.’

‘Good range of expertise across the welfare field (community care, housing, benefits, general human rights).’

‘Christian Hansen – extensive housing experience, bright and committed.’

‘They are amazingly broad – from working for the Grenfell survivors through to Rent Act 1977 work and via all manner of public law housing work (e.g. allocations judicial review work) there is nothing they can’t do.’

‘Paul Ridge and Christian Hansen are excellent. They’ve seen it all.’

‘Bindmans are a great team with a really strong social housing practice which complements an exceptional, broader, public law practice. They use this expertise to great effect for vulnerable clients in other areas, like Court of Protection and community care law. This means collaboration is always creative and clients are at a good tactical advantage.’

‘Christian Hansen: really efficient in managing huge case loads and never misses anything. Christian is fearless in fighting for his client and gets great results, adopting a creative approach, blending his public law specialisms effectively. Incredibly user-friendly.’

‘Go to firm with lots of experience.’

‘Relatable, professional, reliable and knowledgable.’

‘Yagmur Ekici is a really excellent personal injury lawyer. She has terrific attention to detail and understanding of the law, combined with a really compassionate approach to her clients.’

‘The team works well together and is led well. They have the ability to take on complex clients, with diverse needs and cultural differences. They find the best way of working with everyone supportively, and communicating effectively with teams around them, in order to act in their clients’ best interests. They are well organised and supportive.’

‘All the team members that I have worked with are knowledgeable, experienced and develop very supportive relationships with injured clients, which helps to reduce the trauma of the legal processes.’

‘Alla Murphy, Shelly Pastakia and Rosaleen Wyllie are approachable, thorough and helpful, with excellent attention to detail.’

‘The team are very client-centric. Throughout our case, we felt that everyone ‘had our back’ and was focused on achieving the very best outcome for us. We found everyone at Bindmans to be extremely personable and easy to work with.’

‘Solicitors at Bindmans are very knowledgeable and experienced. They know what they are doing and how best to do it. They are driven to achieve the best outcomes for their clients. They go above and beyond to ensure that this is achieved.’

‘They are very committed to their clients and have a really good connection with them. For them, the ideal of ‘putting the client at the heart of their practice’ is absolutely what they do. They are not only great lawyers but also terrific with client care. Their human rights work is well known and they have a well deserved reputation for challenging unfair decisions and practices, which is reflected in their personal injury work.’

‘Alla Murphy is a natural leader – she is organised and efficient. Siobhan Kelly is a great lawyer and simply wonderful with vulnerable clients, taking time to deal with their concerns and dealing with the wider issues that may arise within the wider family when a member is catastrophically injured. John Crocker is a veteran in personal injury and related litigation and steers this team with great skill.’

‘Laura Hobey-Hamsher is one of the leading solicitors in this field. She is very dedicated to achieving the best outcome for her clients and always gets results‘.

‘Bindmans has a first rate court of protection team. They have excellent capabilities in health and welfare matters and benefit from being part of a wider team with expertise in related areas of mental health, housing, community care and human rights‘.

‘Laura Hobey-Hamshere is a star in the Court of Protection world. She is regularly instructed by the Official Solicitor and has a deep understanding of this area of law and the difficulties faced by those who lack mental capacity. Will Whitaker stands out as a very capable CoP solicitor.’

‘Laura Hobey-Hamsher is outstanding. A true class act who combines excellent client care skills with the knack of knowing what a judge will decide’.

‘The Bindmans team has breadth and depth and they work well together. My impression is that associates are given plenty of responsibility and are not micromanaged by partners but are also guided effectively with excellent support in place’.

‘Laura Hobey-Hamsher is an absolute joy to work with and a terrific lawyer. She is incredibly experienced and takes a no nonsense compassionate approach to her work. Emma Varley has really impressed me this year. She has a good understanding of wider public law and housing issues with impeccable attention to detail’.

‘Will Whittaker and Liz Cleaver also stand out as very pragmatic and experienced members of the team’.

‘Laura Hobey Hamsher is the best COP solicitor in the UK’.

‘I have primarily worked with Melissa Arnold and Maeve Lucey. I have worked on a number of long-running and difficult cases with Melissa. As counsel, I value her ability to combine no-nonsense practical advice with excellent client care. She has excellent instincts, but is also keen to discuss ideas.’

‘Hannah Marshall impressed me with her hard work and dedication to an unusual application for a client. She was also well versed in the difficult legal considerations’.

‘Megan Rothman is an up and coming young solicitor. She provides excellent client care and manages her cases to a very high standard. Alison Leivesley is a partner who provides a steady hand on the tiller. She is authoritative, supportive and client focused’.

‘Alison Leivesley is superb in her sensitive approach. Tactically she covers all bases, scrutinises all possibilities so is always well prepared. Excellent legal knowledge. Megan Rothman is someone to watch. She has an excellent grasp of public law and excellent client care skills with difficult and vulnerable clients’.

‘Alison Leivesley has an experienced, hands-on approach to the work of her department, and a knowledge which extends to expertise in highly specialised fields such as international CoP cases. Olivia Piercy is a very experienced, established international children’s practitioner of considerable and quick intellect and ability coupled with a charismatic, friendly but incisive manner‘.

‘Hannah Marshall is experienced, bright, expert, resourceful and highly effective in her conduct of international children and CoP work, with a very substantial track record of success in high-level, difficult cases, giving her real authority in what she does- with a substantial record of successful leading cases to her credit‘.

‘Marianna Michaelides has considerable experience and expertise further strengthening the team. Maud Davis – is an associate within Bindmans – she is fair, articulate and well prepared as an advocate – committed to child care work and has an extremely even approach to the work and will research and follow up on advice provided. She is skilled at working with children’s guardians’.

‘Alison Lievesley is as experienced as they come, combining excellent technical knowledge with clear case strategy and outstanding client skills. Her reputation goes before her and stands out as a real star of the field. Well known for her mentoring and training of others, she is a natural leader. Marianna Michaelides is excellent, showing experience and wisdom beyond her years. She manages her cases exceptionally well, and has particular skill with international child law cases’.

‘Excellent and transparent billing’

‘Karen May – Great expertise in SEND and linking to expert medical evidence. Brilliant at influencing Local Authorities on the key issues and knows how to deliver this in different forms of communication both remotely and face to face. Karen is brilliant at delivering the strategy to win the battle and disregards the minor skirmishes on the periphery. A lovely professional to work with and listens to her clients attentively as to what is important to them.’

‘I found every aspect of working with Bindmans made very easy for me mostly through the professionalism they showed, regular contact and updates, going above and beyond what my remit was, etc. I also applaud Bindmans for considering the particular financial situation I was in and making allowances for this in terms of capping the maximum final fee to an affordable level and showing patience in terms of invoice payments regarding my own cash flow circumstances.’

‘Alex Temple worked for me and represented me by constructing an appeal that also set the foundations for a complaint if the appeal was unsuccessful. The appeal was successful and I credit Alex and his high quality work for achieving this. Alex was always available for discussion and, often, reassurance, during the life span of his work for me.’

‘Professional, efficient, knowledgeable, good results and outcomes for the clients’

‘They worked as part of the team with everyone involved with the client being well respected and with a valued voice, by working together the outcomes were achieved. Excellent support and communication from Karen May. She is very passionate about her field and this is obvious to see and she is a pleasure to work with, I would recommend her to anyone who needed support in her field.’

‘Bindmans have a very strong healthcare team with capabilities spanning medical treatment issues, mental health, inquests and regulatory matters and major public law decisions.’

‘Elizabeth Cleaver is an excellent solicitor. She is dedicated to her clients and has very good judgement.’

‘Extensive expertise in relation to niche areas such as serious medical treatment disputes involving babies, children and adults’

‘Laura Hobey-Hamsher. Vastly experienced, compassionate, professional and a dream solicitor to work with.’

‘Elizabeth Cleaver is a stand-out solicitor. She is dedicated, driven, organised and empathetic.’

‘Bindmans’ wide public law base means that it is well able to manage cases which straddle a range of areas (e.g. mental health, clinical care, capacity, education etc). Highly invested in their individual clients, in my experience they never lose sight of the legal merits and strategic issues.’

‘Laura Hobey-Hamsher is an absolute joy to work with and a terrific lawyer. She is incredibly experienced across a range of healthcare public law issues and takes a no nonsense compassionate approach to her work.’

‘Will Whitaker and Liz Cleaver  stand out as very pragmatic and experienced members of the team.’

‘Tamsin Allen – an excellent lawyer who is highly respected and regarding in this field. She has a wealth of experience and knows the law inside out. She delivers great results and knows whether it is necessary and in the client’s best interests to take cases all the way to court, or to settle. Some outstanding results – including in the Supreme Court. Great client care and highly efficient.’

‘The firm’s long term profile as a leader in advising in fields where clients are exposed, especially to regulatory and criminal/extradition and immigration conflict with the authorities makes crisis and reputational management an integral part of their work. The work has a new name and higher profile that in the past, but Bindmans was already steeped in it before it was regarded as novel. As a result, partner Kate Goold has huge experience to draw on, which must explain how she stays calm whatever the crisis’

‘Kate Goold has exceptional client skills, putting worried clients at ease so well that you can imagine them calling her for pleasure rather than just legal advice. Always focused on what the client needs and not distracted by what they think they want; an excellent team builder.’

‘Incredible preparation and total focus on the client’s needs. The firm are extremely well prepared and are relentless in the case management.’

‘Katie Wheatley is dedicated to her clients. She is always available and is extremely approachable.’

‘The team has a wide and diverse knowledge in fraud and white collar crime, which melds well with there other areas of work.’

‘Kate Goold brings a wonderful element of humanity and insight into international work, and combines this with a insight fraud and white collar work.’

‘The team has considerable experience in dealing with both complex and high profile cases and have built with it the expertise to advise on detailed, financially intricate matters. They go the extra mile in delivering a service to their client.’

‘Katie Wheatley, now head of the department is extremely knowledgeable and a very reassuring pair of hands both client and counsel.’

‘In-depth expertise in all areas of white collar crime.’

‘Katie Wheatley is a stand out individual. Highly experienced; sound judgement; and fantastic empathy.’

‘Bindmans has great depth, brilliant technical knowledge and a genuine commitment to their clients and their clients’ cases.’

‘They are excellent at cases involving human rights and freedom of expression issues in the workplace. They are the best employee firm I have worked with for those issues.’

‘Tina Din is organised, reliable, committed and responsive. An excellent lawyer.’

‘Krishna Santra is personable and very easy to deal with.’

‘Krishna Santra is a well known employment specialist and has a long history within this sector, always getting results for her clients.’

‘The team has, I think, a strong supportive approach, with panel members working alongside up-and-coming new members of the team. The team has both medical and legal experience and extensive contacts with experts and counsel. There is usually “hands on” partner involvement in all cases, which is not the case in some larger firms. From my perspective, the team provides an excellent and highly personal service. Without exception, those with whom I have regular contact have outstanding people skills and are very conscientiousness.’

‘Jon Crocker and Siobhan Kelly set the tone for the team. Jon is an excellent solicitor with warmth and dedication. Siobhan Kelly I rate very highly – she is sympathetic with clients and tough with opponents. She is a good and determined negotiator, often taking on and succeeding with claims which other solicitors have refused, with first-class client care skills.’

‘Jon Crocker has an excellent clinical negligence team, who do a very thorough job for clients and leave no stone unturned in getting them the best results.’

‘Yagmur Ekici is a real star. She’s conscientious and bright with a wonderful bedside manner. Every time I get a case from Bindmans, I hope that Yagmur will be one of the solicitors on the team.’

‘Alla Murphy is a formidable figure.’

‘Bindmans’ clinical negligence team has a particular excellence in their ability to communicate with their clients, to explain the complexities of what can be an excruciating process running on year after year, and (in my experience of cases) to deliver a satisfactory outcome that the claimant understands.’

‘Siobhan Kelly is exceptional in her attention to detail and in her willingness to go over matters again and again until they have been properly resolved and explained. Alla Murphy has a formidable grasp of detail and does not shirk asking hard questions of experts, on her client’s behalf. Jon Crocker is the safest pair of hands I have come across.’

‘Jon Crocker and Yagmur Ekici have been extremely supportive to us, always explaining every process we have had to endure to final settlement. I highly recommend them both.’

‘Bindmans provides very solid legal advice that is innovative and imaginative, and always sound.’

‘Quick to respond, and a pleasure to work with in personal (as well as professional) terms.’

‘Bindmans has a reputation for taking on cases of discrimination in the political field. It has developed expertise in this area, and its name being associated with a case brings a level of respect from the outset.’

‘Bindmans went out of its way to put me at ease. It was a distressing time for me, and the lawyers took the time I needed to explain my situation and help me to decide how to proceed.’

‘I can highly recommend Jamie Potter and solicitor Shirin Marker. The quality of the legal letters they produced was excellent, and their clever crafting of these documents had the desired effect.’

‘Expertise, approachable, open, good at listening, and clear advice, along with excellent client skills and depth of legal knowledge.’

‘Jamie Potter has a fantastic client manner and engenders trust.’

‘Kate Goold has a growing practice in this field, drawing on her considerable experience in crime and fraud cases to assist clients facing serious regulatory/disciplinary allegations.’

‘A brilliant media team. Able to deploy cross over skills to great effect.’

‘Tamsin Allen is a brilliant media lawyer working on cutting edge cases. Clever and strategic lawyer who brings huge experience to the table.’

‘Tamsin Allen: a legendary media lawyer. Knows everything there is to know – and overflowing with good judgment and commonsense.’

‘Monika Sobieki is a very committed and engaged new partner.’

‘Tamsin Allen is one of the leaders in her field in defamation and data protection.’