Harbottle & Lewis LLP > London, England > Firm Profile

‘I have used Harbottle & Lewis in a number of small and medium-sized M&A-type deals and their advice, help and support has been absolutely invaluable. I have worked with other firms but I always find myself gravitating back to them. They are accessible, smart, original thinkers and I am always delighted to have them on my side.’

‘Colin Howes is an absolutely exceptional lawyer. I have worked with Colin for a number of years in a wide and varied set of situations and he never fails to deliver the highest quality advice and guidance in a clear and simple form. His intelligent and original approach to solving often complex problems is remarkable. I cannot recommend him highly enough.’

‘Very responsive, a large team is involved. They are able to track, check and summarise the pros and cons in simple context for all changes in contract terms and ongoing negations.’

‘Tim Parker is approachable, friendly, huge amount of knowledge, explained clearly and applicably. Pleasure to work with.’

‘Attention to detail, availability and knowledge were all excellent. Colin Howes was incredibly helpful throughout.’

‘The H&L team is strong but most importantly very commercially oriented. The team members are hard-working, always available and willing to explore all possible avenues.’

‘Abigail Payne is an excellent lawyer. Doesn’t miss a trick but is very practical in her advice. Has quickly become my go-to lawyer at Harbottles.’

‘Sarah Lazarides (partner) is our lead counsel who goes above and beyond the call of duty on all legal matters great and small.’

‘Shireen Peermohamed (partner) is an exceptional advisor who provides pragmatic solutions and considers commercial realities in her strategic thinking.’

‘The specialist knowledge in this team is extraordinary – our primary contact Neil Adleman is recognised as an industry leading expert in what is a complicated and unique field.’

‘We’ve worked with the team at Harbottle for years and the relationship is a strong one. They have a wide-ranging experience across the industry which helps given the various contracts we work on. They understand our business completely.’

‘Our business is in the video games industry, and it makes a big difference when the legal firm has great knowledge of the industry. Harbottle & Lewis has practitioners who has served the industry for a long time, which makes it so much easier to communicate with when we have legal issues that need help and advice.’

‘Michael Lister consistently provides top quality advice and is really commercial and pragmatic. He gets what we are trying to achieve and helps us get there, steering us through any challenges that come up.’

‘I have worked very closely with the Harbottle & Lewis reputation team for many years. They are first-rate. They are strategic, considered, and effective.’

‘Highly experienced team. John Kelly is outstanding.’

‘Discretion, sector expertise, speed and availability combined with sensitivity around the nature of and personalities involved in our business.’

‘Gerrard Tyrrell – always available to help with advice and background context when issues erupted.’

‘An extraordinary group of experts who provide professional advice on a full range of employment law issues. Diverse expertise acting for executives level negotiating and advising on: – exit strategies – termination packages – contractual arrangements – PR communication. Exceptional client service.’

‘I had a pleasure to work with the extraordinary Marian Derham and Poppy Lucas.’

‘The lawyers are intelligent, astute, knowledgeable and supportive.’

‘H&L which came highly recommended and very quickly stood out. Howard Hymanson not only gave me valuable free advice at the end of the call but he showed me that he is really sympathetic and understanding towards my matter.‘

‘Howard and his associate team member thoroughly captured all the details of my case and offered sound advice throughout. Everything seemed transparent and they were always ensuring that I am comfortable with the strategy they laid out. Howard was always very generous with his time and patient with me. He spent more hours on my case than what he finally invoiced me.’

‘Howard Hymanson has incredible judgment.’

‘Yvonne Gallagher stood out, taking a very sensible but firm approach to litigation for her client, which enabled the matter to reach a sensible outcome for both parties at an early stage, without the need for protracted litigation.’

‘Sarah Verrecchia provided an outstanding service with impeccable response rates, supportive people skills in a difficult time, and thorough analysis of the unusual issues arising.’

‘The family team is relatively young and has excellent energy. It is never afraid of a fight although it will try and find compromise where that is in the client’s best interests. Catherine Bedford and Nick Westley are both excellent litigators‘.

‘Excellent family/private client team, friendly and approachable,  providing first rate practical advisors and advice, dealing with the largest matters, but offering the same quality of service to all tiers.  Exceptional commitment to the interest of the clients – the lawyers really care in a way that is a pleasure to see and to work alongside. They leave no stone unturned and will work day and night (literally) for their clients. If you want a family legal team to really be not only on your side, but by your side, I cannot recommend anyone more strongly. Catherine Bedford who heads up the team is fantastic.  She is the embodiment of all that is described in the preceding section (which I could repeat here), whose validity owes a great deal to her qualities.  She is very ably supported indeed by her partner Mark Irving and assistant solicitors, senior – Lidia Cantele – and more junior – Eleanor Haidon.  Mark, Lidia and Eleanor all exhibit the same qualities, and apply the same standards that are a hallmark of the department. A pleasure to work with them‘.

‘I have been extremely pleased and impressed with Harbottle & Lewis’s thorough knowledge about every detail of my case.  The lawyers never seemed preoccupied by other cases they may have been involved with and always acted and made me feel like mine was the most important case. Lidia Cantele’s care is extraordinary.  Her thoughtfulness, patience, attention to detail and ability to see the big picture is exactly what is needed to steer a clear path through often difficult situations‘.

‘I have been very impressed by the exceptional quality of the work done by the team at Harbottle & Lewis, which is of the highest standard in terms of all relevant criteria, including knowledge of relevant law and practice, judgement on sensitive tactical questions, client care and handling of the client and sheer hard work.  The team is led by Catherine Bedford, assisted by other partners – Mark Irving. My comments also apply to a very impressive team of Associates led by Lidia Cantele. An outstanding performance all round‘.

‘The family law team at Harbottle and Lewis is one of the few truly top family law departments in London. Led by the dynamic Catherine Bedford, H&L has quickly overtaken competitors in the field over the last few years, as a result of which the biggest clients are now queuing up at the door. Given the strength in depth of the team, it is clear to see that they will continue in the ascendancy for many years to come. Harbottle and Lewis is a very strong team from top to bottom, and is blessed with a number of serious players‘.

‘Catherine Bedford is, quite simply, the future of family law in London. Over the last few years she has emerged as the front runner to replace the old guard of leading solicitors who are fast approaching retirement. Catherine has it all: she is charismatic, thoughtful, driven and a brilliant strategic thinker. Clients warm to her immediately and she is utterly dedicated to them‘.

‘Mark Irving and Lidia Cantele are both stars of the future. They are already handling very serious cases and both have all that it takes to succeed at the highest level. I expect to see both of them at the very pinnacle of family law over the next twenty years‘.

‘A good mix of both male and female and a wide spectrum of experience meant they worked well together as a team. Catherine Bedford – Excellent managerial and client management skills. Nick Westley – tough negotiator’.

‘They provide exceptional and solution-oriented advice.’

‘They collaborate and always look for the best solutions.’

‘Anthony Littner is very quick thinking and takes a strategic viewpoint on all advice given. Anthony will be thinking about what is around the corner in 1-5 years and shares his experience from the outset. This ultimately not only protects the company but is cost effective.’

‘Tom Macleod is thorough with his work.’

‘Tom Macleod is extremely personable, very sharp legally but willing to be pragmatic when appropriate.’

‘A friendly and efficient team with experience in both litigation and arbitration.‘

‘An excellent, client-focused and accessible service delivered by people who work very well as part of a wider team encompassing clients and counsel.‘

‘Unparalleled expertise in the media field, and very approachable and adaptable.‘

‘Sandi Simons is an excellent team leader, with good strategic instincts and bags of common sense – very friendly for a partner of her seniority, and happy to get her hands dirty mulling over the issues and even the details.‘

‘Louis Castellani is a fantastic tactician, who really understands what makes opponents tick and what will press the appropriate buttons. He really sees the bigger picture with clients whose interests are not necessarily confined to the dispute in hand.‘

‘Matthew Leverton has built a very strong reputation and has very good fraud experience – a very safe pair of hands and very insightful.‘

‘Senior associate Georgina Long has a good eye for detail.‘

‘Senior associate Lizzie Williams is very good at running cases with little support, doing the work of several associates.‘

‘Harbottle & Lewis is a firm that cares about its clients and their needs: they look for ways to help their clients with flexible costs, confidentiality, honesty and commitment from the first instance.’

‘Team are innovative, practical, commercially minded and really pleasant to deal with.’

‘Sacha Wilson is very commercial, gets straight to the heart of the matter, makes everything seem very manageable and you know you are in a safe pair of hands.’

‘Harbottle have a deep understanding and expertise in the video games industry and this comes through in their advice which is concise and commercially focused. In addition to this obvious strength, an area where I have sought their expertise quite regularly is in the ad tech space. Sacha Wilson’s expertise in this area, both from a practical and legal perspective, has been invaluable.’

‘It has deep expertise in not-for-profit activity – we have worked with H&L on a range of issues (charity re-structuring and objects, managing relationships with the Charity Commission, major donor/commercial agreements, trademarking, HR advice and strategy support), in both formal and informal capacities. The service and relationship that we have received is high-quality, timely and effective – the team at H&L is always available and supportive – in many cases we present a problem to them and they are quickly able to identify solution options with supporting expertise. We also value the philanthropic contribution that H&L offers to our charity, which spans a number of areas‘.

‘Our primary interface is Colin Howes – who is a key, trusted stakeholder for our organisation. His advice and support is highly-valued by our charity’s leadership team and our trustees.  Colin’s approach starts and ends with the relationship, and how best he can serve our charity’s objectives, from which the legal strategy and work then flows. I always feel that he takes into consideration the entirety of our situation, never focusing on specific legal points. The other quality that I value in Colin, having worked with him for several years, is his consistent and positive development of junior staff’.

‘May Delaney helpful and proactive. Colin Howes – intellectually extremely able and a joy to work with‘.

‘Very customer focused, the lawyers go the extra mile to support clients. The expertise provided on amending our Articles of Association was invaluable. Katerina Capras guided us through the entire process step by step- we could not have managed this without her advice and excellent support!‘.

‘A very responsive team with creative solutions to client problems. The team works hard to support clients at every stage of the process and is transparent on fees. May Delaney has always been an excellent resource for clients. Her enthusiasm, attention to detail and forward thinking approach has solved many a tricky problem for clients‘.

‘Very good and capable. Has helped to save the day on one case which was difficult and we had to deal with challenging third parties. I am profoundly impressed and grateful for the support and professionalism. A great team to work with. May Delaney – associate. I really value her experience and quality of work. Hardworking, sees the bigger picture. Commercial. Committed‘.

‘Outstanding, open, honest and direct. Fully up to date technically and digitally. Engaged and committed. Every one is an outstanding communicator‘.

‘ Harbottle & Lewis for its expertise in the Charity sector and because of  the excellent existing relationship with the firm ( Media ). H&L is always keen to show willing in accommodating the client‘.

‘I find this firm to be friendly, easy to work with, calm, wise, knowledgeable, efficient, prompt in responding and, in short, very professional in providing a first class service which is just what I need‘.

‘A refreshing and vibrant team. Marianne Kafena – very experienced and a delight to work with. Chris Moorcroft -very knowledgeable and innovative. Siena Gold is bright and engaging’.

‘Approachable, very responsive and easily understood advice. Very transparent on billing and very reasonable. Very approachable, happy to explain a point until there is understanding. Quality of advice is always clear and concise‘.

‘Innovative, entrepreneurial mindset to match the clients. Collaborative and always willing to help. Gary Ashcroft – always goes the extra mile and incredibly knowledgeable on tax. Caroline Rao – strong and knowledgeable with a good client base‘.

‘It is a good private client law firm with expertise in the entertainment industry which is what I use them for. Zoe Camp a leader in the field‘.

‘The team at Harbottle Lewis all bring slightly different areas of expertise to the table, but seem to genuinely “get on” as individuals, which really helps them work collaboratively across the practice. The main thing that sets Harbottle apart, in my experience, is the combination of being very good, professionally and technically on the one hand and approachable on the other. They are informal and easy/straightforward to deal with, but really “know their stuff”‘.

‘Experienced team on the private client side. Jonathan Burt has both experience as an external advisor and also from the perspective of a trust company, as he worked in-house. His international exposure and connections make him a go-to lawyer‘.

‘The team is excellent and expanding rapidly, which is a testament to  its abilities in a highly competitive field. Jonathan Burt is first-rate – the perfect private client lawyer, combining technical expertise with first-rate judgement’.

‘The partners are very talented and helpful, giving good commercial advice . The accounts team have been very understanding through the pandemic. In summary, they are well run, professional and a client-focused company.’

‘Melanie Benson is very insightful, using her excellent knowledge to make complex leases transaction run smoothly. She has very good interpersonal skills which makes working with her a pleasure.’

‘Fantastic firm with great lawyers, entrepreneurial spirit and incredible clients.’

‘Excellent professional advice, always available.’

‘The whole team act as one, they offer support and understanding but listen and offer the best solutions to the problems.‘

‘Under the leadership of Shireen Peermohamed the team are excellent, efficient, objective and essential to our UK enforcement operation. Shireen has imparted her automotive trade mark knowledge not only to Kostyantyn Lobov, who has become a key player in our operation, but also to the trainees whose knowledge grows everyday.‘

‘Shireen Peermohamed is excellent and sets a high standard.‘

‘The team is experienced, innovative and passionate about understanding their clients’ needs.‘

‘Shireen Peermohamed is a brilliant lawyer, razor sharp, expert in her field of specialism, incredibly commercial in her approach and a pleasure to work with.‘

‘Neil Adleman is a fantastic legal partner, he goes the extra mile; he is very commercial, knows the theatre industry intimately and is a strategic thinker.‘

‘The team feels like an extension of ours – they fit in seamlessly providing commercial and practical advice and drafting when we need them. We work across a very broad range of arts and entertainment sectors, from global ceremonies to creative installations and festivals and we know that the team can plug in and advise confidently whatever we turn our hand to.’

‘A lot of our work involves cutting-edge technology and often deals that are the first of their kind. The team have been very helpful in helping us with novel agreements and in getting things done in short timescales. They are pragmatic, highly commercial and also great people who we enjoy working with, which makes a big difference.’

‘Mike Jones is fantastic, he is commercial and highly pragmatic and feels like an extended part of the team. He is able to turn his hand at a really wide range of agreements and subject matters, often working at the forefront of new technologies in entertainment. We enjoy working with him and value his advice and input.’

‘Michael Lister consistently provides top quality advice and is really commercial and pragmatic – he really gets what we are trying to achieve and helps us get there, steering us through any challenges that come up. A safe pair of hands with a cool and calm approach. He is a really nice guy to work with, and feels like an extended part of our team. Highly recommended!’

‘They have the talent to make complex legal topics understandable and comprehensible for us as a commercial/sponsorship outfit. Very experienced in the sports industry and with big sports organisations. They are pure gold standard from my point of view.’

‘Sacha Wilson – outstanding knowledge and understanding of application of GDPR. Most knowledgeable I have found in the market.’

‘Harbottle & Lewis have a deep understanding and expertise in the video games industry and this comes through in their advice which is concise and commercially focused. In addition to this obvious strength, an area where I have sought their expertise quite regularly is in the adtech space. Sacha Wilson’s expertise in this area, both from a practical and legal perspective, has been invaluable.’

‘Efficiency, knowledge and clarity.’

‘Marian Derham is proactive and has our institution’s Vision and Values firmly in mind when giving advice. Very strategic thinker. Mark Primrose is thorough and gives excellent technical HR advice.’

‘Very responsive, practical and commercial advice from experienced and approachable lawyers who understand our business.’

‘Technically strong and competent, always available.’