Harbottle & Lewis LLP > London, England > Firm Profile

‘The team are extremely fast and always have time to discuss. They have a strong blend of experience and energy to get the job done. They have great patience and temperaments, so when the pressure gets very intense they are able to take a view that is measured and uncluttered’

‘Incredibly knowledgable, excellent negotiators and very good communication.’

‘We have been using Harbottle for M&A matters for over 15 years and have always been delighted by the quality and breadth of advice received. Harbottle have advised us on deals in the UK and also helped coordinate advice on multijurisdictional transactions.’

‘Colin Howes is incredibly knowledgable.’

‘They work extremely hard. Their sector expertise is second to none. Ed Lane and Colin Howes have both got encyclopaedic memories and experience’

‘Mark Phillips and Ed Lane have both been a delight to work with, and always go the extra mile to get the best deal possible for us.’

‘Katerina Capras was a pleasure to work with. Being new to the role, I had a number of questions and Katerina was normally my first point of contact. I was never made to feel like any question was a stupid question and there was always a professional response.’

‘Katerina Capras – excellent communication, attention to detail. Diligent and always available.’

‘Exceptional industry knowledge and great client base – significant value received by us through their knowledge of market standard positions and how far certain positions could be pushed with media agencies.’

‘Sacha Wilson and Josey Bright were both extremely knowledgeable in the area of media and were able to advise us on appropriate positions to take vs market standards. They were both extremely responsive and worked tirelessly to deliver within our tight deadlines.’

‘Genuine games industry knowledge, practical advice.’

‘Kostyantyn Lobov is a brilliant all-rounder, responsive, dedicated and creative thinker.’

‘The team is very knowledgeable in the industry. They’re not just legal professionals who happen to be helping with contracts or negotiations in the games or entertainment industries, but they understand it and have personal interest. So that makes them very special.’

‘I work closely with Mark Phillips. He’s the best I know in the country when it comes to video games industry. I’ve witnessed for many years now, people who worked with Mark and under his supervision, have now ended up in prestigious positions in the industry, leading the legal teams of multi-billion dollar companies; that’s not to be taken lightly.’

‘We have had exemplary advice and service from two notable individuals; Zoey Forbes and Shireen Peermohamed. They have been responsive and given us clear advice; playing out scenarios in simple steps allowing us to ascribe action (or inaction) to potential consequence.’

‘Harbottle is highly responsive with breadth and depth of expertise to provide a rounded service.’

‘A top tier reputation and privacy protection practice. Very sophisticated operators who add huge value in terms of strategy and practical know-how, over and above the purely legal stuff.’

‘Gerrard Tyrrell is a class act. He does not just deliver top notch legal advice, but also demonstrates a deep understanding of the media and the many and varied ways in which they seek to get away with unlawful conduct.’

‘John Kelly is one of London’s leading defamation and information litigators. And very client friendly with it.’

‘Gerrard Tyrrell is the best media lawyer in the UK. His knowledge is better than anyone else in this field. He has one other amazing quality, he always gets back to you within 40 minutes, ensuring that the client does not have to wait too long for advice.’

‘First rate. Highly regarded, go to firm.’

‘Excellent relations with in-house media lawyers and very adept at working quickly under deadline pressure. Deep experience working with VIPs and UHNWs.’

‘Excellent working relationships with the team. All a pleasure to work with, offer excellent advice and are able to see beyond purely legal perspectives. Gerrard Tyrrell also gave us some pro bono advice recently on a specific issue.’

‘Louise Prince: Superb under extremely tight deadlines.’

‘Solid, very current and thorough understanding of all aspects, and nuances, of employment law. Also, when needed, very knowledgeable in selecting the best Counsel and working well and seamlessly with them. Internally, quick and ready access to (non-employment) expertise within the firm.’

‘Howard Hymanson: Simply outstanding. I could not have asked for or imagined a more responsive service. In a difficult situation, was calm under fire and came up with a creative and original approach – which was successful! At all times determined to attain the best outcome.’

‘I found the solicitor I was working with really helpful and supportive throughout the whole procedure. This was very important to me in dealing with the issues I had to deal with since it is very stressful to go through any sort of legal disputes.’

‘Professional and user friendly. Nothing is too much trouble.’

‘The end to end communication and support from my lawyer was exceptional. I felt I was receiving the highest standard of sector knowledge and a plan of action was established and implemented swiftly. The process felt efficient but also held a good balance to still feel like a highly valued client with my needs and situation being handled in a compassionate way.’

‘The associate handling my case was Sarah Verrecchia. From start to end, Sarah provided me with not only a fully digestible range of options, but a genuine and sincere care for my case. Sarah led me through the process extremely professionally, communicated well and handled my case with astonishing tenacity. She gave me confidence and assurance; I was able to fully rely on her capabilities and most importantly, trusted her completely. She is an exceptional lawyer and her support, knowledge and guidance was invaluable.’

‘Colin Howes -his advice and support is consistently excellent and effective. I have always been able to rely on his input – being timely, insightful and effective. Colin’s deep expertise in the not-for-profit sector means that he has helped shape and optimise the big strategic calls that we need to make’.

‘Katerina Capras, associate – I’ve worked with Katerina on one project, that is ongoing. She is incredibly responsive – turning around queries, resolving issues and completing activities’.

‘A very experienced team (and we have had some unusual issues to sort out). So easy to deal with, in a genuinely collaborative way (and which is almost fun!). May Delaney – an up and coming star. Good to deal with; experienced operator David Scott – an experienced operator who provides sage guidance’.

‘Professional knowledge and competence allied to first-rate efficiency and open and warm client relationships. They are efficient and always willing to take time to explain often complex legal information. There is never a sense of being rushed or of not having time even though they are very busy’.

‘My experience of my contacts at H and L has always been reassuring and helpful. There is an attitude of support and empathy and the ability to take into account the lack of knowledge and expertise in myself as a client. Given that my work is predominantly philanthropy and pro-social in its nature H and L has also been helpful in explaining and limiting costs’.

‘We have always had a good service from the Harbottle & Lewis team. They are helpful, knowledgeable and able to work in a realistic timeframe. Katerina Capras and Colin Howes who are our main contacts at Harbottle & Lewis are both excellent and extremely easy to work with’.

‘The team at Harbottle and Lewis has an in-depth knowledge of all aspects of charity law. They are able to respond quickly on a number of varied issues and understand the complex structures of our individual charity and associated entities. The team also has got to know the various personalities that comprise the trustees and help frame the different legislation in ways that are meaningful to them’.

‘The lawyers are well organised, with accurate, on time monthly invoices. They also do their best to keep the costs down. Colin Howes is fantastic to work with. His responses to emails are punctual, considered and he draws on a huge amount of institutional knowledge of the charity and associated entities as well as up to date charity law’.

‘Nicholas Westley was my main point of contact for the duration of my divorce, which went on for 3 years. Nick was personable, knowledgeable, empathetic and always there if I needed him. I had complete confidence in his advice over the years and felt completely at ease every step of the way. Becky Storer: Becky was excellent’.

‘I am enormously impressed by Harbottle’s professional devotion to its clients, going the extra mile out of office hours and over the weekend. They present commandingly in Court and are always thoroughly prepared and collaborative in their approach to reaching the best outcome for their clients and thus the subject child or children. I have worked closely with Catherine Bedford, Mark Irving and Becky Storer but from partners to legal executives Harbottles exude consummate professionalism and mastery of their cases’.

‘I had a pleasant collaboration with Harbottle & Lewis’ family practice team, Mark Irving and Eleanor Haidon, in a cross-border deal. I am impressed by the legal service provided by Mark Irving and Eleanor Haidon. They can always think through all the possibilities, as well as provided the pros & cons of each approach and their recommended advice accordingly. Whenever we had any questions for the arrangement, both Mark and Eleanor could respond very quickly’.

‘The family team is extremely prominent and has strength in depth and excellence at all levels, from partner to associate. The team acts for a diverse cross-section of clients, from well-known celebrities to those in finance or from wealthy backgrounds. They are able to tailor their approach sensitively to the needs of the specific client and give realistic advice where required’. 

‘Catherine Bedford is a standout leader to the team, and a wonderful lawyer in her own right. She is able to combine many years of experience, which give her an insight and understanding into the dynamics of divorce cases, with a boundless energy, drive and determination which makes her committed to finding the right outcome for her clients. There are a number of up and coming stars in the team, including: * Mark Irving * Lidia Cantele *Eleanor Haidon * Helena Middleton * Polly Broad’.

‘Catherine Bedford is the obvious stand out partner. She has led the team from strength to strength. Her client list is remarkable. She is now involved in most of the high profile cases in London. She is a ‘tour de force’ in the family law world and her clients think very highly of her as she offers them such a good service. Mark Irving is also exceptional – clever, strategic and with great judgement’.

‘Catherine Bedford is at the absolute pinnacle of her powers. She is is tour de force. Her clients trust her implicitly and adore her. Mark Irving is the Cool Hand Luke of the team. He never puts a foot wrong. He can think through any problem and find the most elegant solution. Daisy Minns Shearer is the real deal. She is a rising star and she can step up and step in whenever she is needed and what ever she is needed for. She goes above and beyond to make it happen for the client’.

‘Mark Irving is a superb lawyer. He has excellent legal knowledge, has phenomenal attention to detail and is a calm and measured presence in the most conflicted of cases. Catherine Bedford (partner). She was quite superb in every way. She selected a necessarily very large team of the highest calibre, and led that team spectacularly. She is at all times calm, even under the most extreme pressure that I’ve seen in any litigation; she is on top of every little detail, while retaining an incredibly impressive strategic approach; she is highly intelligent, an excellent lawyer and is breathtakingly hardworking, and leads by example’.

‘The team delivers high quality work and legal advice on time and budget.’

‘We particularly appreciate their commercial awareness and pragmatism.’

‘The team has very strong experience in the venture capital space and is actively involved in the industry to ensure that they have up to date commercial knowledge.’

‘They think ahead to potential outcomes and what impact legal decisions now will have in the future.’

‘The extremely experienced and commercially astute Tony Littner brings a wealth of knowledge to any start up, investor or VC discussion.’

‘Tony Littner knows what is and is not market: he’s not afraid to tell you or the other side if anyone is being unreasonable.’

‘Tom Macleod is knowledgeable, reliable and committed.’

‘The team has sound tactical and strategic instincts, and a very sound grasp of the client’s ultimate objectives.’

‘Sandi Simons and the team as a whole have always provided the detailed knowledge, drive and enthusiasm to keep us going.’

‘Matthew Leverton is a star partner with excellent judgement and client focus.‘

‘Louis Castellani is a veteran litigator and very astute strategist.‘

‘Louis Castellani is a standout partner, with extremely astute litigation instincts.‘

‘Sofie Hoffman has been excellent at focusing on the important issues, while also navigating some very sensitive personal/relationship complexities between the various parties to the litigation.’

‘Lizzie Williams and Georgina Long – both very able senior associates who should go far.’

‘Lizzie Williams is a rising star. She is hugely hardworking, with a great eye for detail without ever losing sight of the big picture.’

‘Excellent team with great strategic vision and sensitive at all times to their clients’ needs.’

‘Sarah Gogan is probably the outstanding practitioner in this field. She is quite simply superb.’

‘Harbottle and Lewis is an extremely well known and justifiably respected firm in the field of human rights and immigration law.’

‘Sarah Gogan is very focused and attuned to serving her clients.’

‘They have two very impressive and well-informed solicitors in Sarah Gogan and Charlotte Boyce. Sarah Gogan showed great intelligence and excellent judgement in handling an extremely challenging and controversial extradition and asylum case. She is now ably assisted by Charlotte Boyce, who has also acquired great experience in the field of extradition and asylum, and with whom I have worked closely on the same major extradition and asylum case.’

‘Sarah Gogan works very hard and makes herself available to her clients 24/7. She delivers high quality advice and support to all her clients.’

‘Sarah Gogan’s experience and expertise spans asylum applications, business immigration, family reunion, nationality and crossover cases. She ensures that the client’s needs are understood and acted upon with close attention to detail and with utmost respect and confidentiality. Sarah provides a professional, highly competent, unruffled service to the most demanding clients in the most challenging cases. Not many law firms in the UK can make such a boast.’

‘Sarah Gogan is standout. She is one of the leading lawyers in this field and her presence at Harbottle automatically puts the firm on the map in this practice area.’

‘Their subject knowledge is great, they’re always happy to help and they do so in a timely manner.’

‘They stand out for their combination of a deep reflection on my business needs and how these are changing, understanding of developments in the legal context and how this might impact my business, and creative and innovative ideas about helping our challenges. They have also shown a real willingness to collaborate outside their immediate expertise and knowledge, and a passion for exploring new areas, such as blockchain.’

‘The TMT team cover all of our ‘technology’ requirements from building out digital channels for our customers and the automation and digital transformation of our manufacturing – this also invariably extends to data protection and take down requests. The combination of the media and branding firepower that HB is known for means it is one of the most comprehensive TMT practices I have come across – particularly as we look to protecting our brand and producing content for our digital channels for customers and the digital transformation of our back office. Emma Wright’s longstanding experience in TMT means she has breadth and depth across the verticals.’

‘Very approachable, very prompt in responding, very commercial.’

‘Harbottle’s entertainment specialists are bolstered by a strong technology and data practice. This means our data privacy and technology advice was always provided in the context of our industry/commercial practice. This is a huge benefit for an in-house lawyer as it means you don’t have to spend time deciphering external advice to make it “fit” for commercial colleagues.’

‘The team has knowledge of, passion for, and experience in the industry. Very reliable and helpful.’

‘We feel genuinely blessed to have Harbottle & Lewis in our corner. We are a small company and yet we receive a service that befits a much larger company. There hasn’t been a time when members of their team haven’t been available and the advice and guidance is always incredibly clear (for us laymen!) and has helped us grow exponentially into areas we simply wouldn’t have been able to had they not been supporting us.’

‘Emma Wright doesn’t just do the law, she does the translation to business so well I cannot imagine ever going elsewhere.’

‘ It is relatively young overall and aims to target new young money. It has a unified approach. Areas where the firm stands out compared to others: -US-UK work because of historic base in entertainment industry, work in creative industries and passion projects, including ESG work. -Difficult trust work in terms of dispute management and long term planning. investigations and contentious. It is a happy team which has excellent associate retention providing continuity for clients and excellent development for associates. -Middle East client base and language skills’.

‘Zoe Camp – outstanding on UK trust work. Should be top of trustees’ lists.  Jonathan Burt – private client tax technical guru. Gary Ashford – very active and thriving in investigations and disputes, transfer pricing and BEPS work. Chris Moorcroft – very measured modern private client advisor’.

‘Morag Ofili – robust tax litigator with great technical skills to back her litigation up. Judith Robertson – a charming and great attention to details, understated technical person. Siena Gold – Remarkable maturity of judgement, excellent client handling skills and client service, commercially minded, sensitive to family matters, unflinching attention to detail and technical star’.

‘Harbottle & Lewis leads the way in the private wealth space in London; they have the depth and strength to provide commercially relevant and detailed advice.

‘Chris Moorcroft. Superstar. Excellent bedside manner with clients. Business orientated. He’s been my go-to UK private client lawyer (non-contentious) for a while now. A problem solver. He excels at explaining extremely difficult UK tax issues such that they are extremely digestible for client’.

‘Jonathan Burt. An absolute brain. And an extremely safe pair of hands. I am working with Jonathan on a multi-jurisdictional global client and have found him to be extremely collaborative. He is a creative thinker‘.

‘The practice has a clear and transparent way of conducting themselves which allows for complete trust and confidence in their guidance.’

‘Melanie Benson provided exceptional support and guidance as we moved offices. She provided a pragmatic and commercial outlook to the project, it was a particularly complex assignment but we always felt she project managed both us and the other organisation to a successful conclusion.’

‘We have used Harbottle for commercial property matters for over 10 years and have always been delighted with the quality of advice received.’

‘Melanie Benson provides pragmatic and sensible advice and has an excellent eye for detail. She is very pleasant to work with and goes the extra mile for her clients.’

‘Partner led, always available. Excellent client service. 24/7‘.

‘The team has a real entrepreneurial feel to it – exceptional clients, quality partners and associates and a respected position in the market’.

‘Melanie Benson is stand out in residential’.

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‘The team is wide-ranging and able to deal very effectively with whatever is put across their desk.’

‘The H&L team led by Shireen Peermohamed are keen and understanding. They understand my requirements and are able to readily adapt to differing situations. This is due to the leadership of Shireen Peermohamed. Shireen is exceptional and offers her knowledge and expertise to all matters large or small. She has the ability to listen and understand the complexity of the automotive parts industry and then apply that to her work for us. Importantly, she is then able to transfer that to others.’

‘We have used Shireen Peermohamed’s team for more than 10 years now. They really understand our business and our sector. They get us the right advice and are a pleasure to spend time with.’

‘Shireen Peermohamed is really well known in our industry (publishing/entertainment) which makes it easy to instruct her and get her on board projects. She’s a steady hand and a tactical adviser. She really understands the creative drivers of our industry, which makes her advice sensitive and practical.’

‘Harbottles provide clear, pragmatic advice.’

‘Shireen Peermohamed is excellent. Takes time to listen to and work within our business objectives.’

‘Very approachable, very prompt in responding, very commercial.’

‘I have worked with Shireen Peermohamed for a very long time. She is an exceptional lawyer with great knowledge and an ability to communicate difficult concepts in simple, easy to understand, terms.’

‘Emma Wright’s background means she understands digital infrastructure and cyber well, partnered with Anita Bapat on privacy when looking at the security of digital infrastructure both on strategic matters such as the procurement of new cyber solutions or responding to cyber attacks.’

‘Anita Bapat is straight-forward in her approach, sophisticated in her knowledge of the law and very practical in the application. It is a perfect blend of skills that lands very well. When combined with the considered and well-informed, business-focused strategising from Emma Wright, it provides a double hit of excellence, with a decent amount of fun thrown in.’

‘A strong team led by the excellent Bob Mitchell. .’

‘Bob Mitchell is exceptionally knowledgeable, particularly in cricket.’

‘Sam Purkiss is always reliable and a safe pair of hands.’

‘A very strong team with a diverse nature led by a superb leader in Bob Mitchell who has a history of developing good lawyers who go on to senior roles across the sports industry.’

‘Very responsive; very good understanding of industry and commercial factors; clear practical advice.’

‘Marian Derham provides clear, commercial and very good advice across a range of employment issues and I have been able to rely on her to guide us through a number of complex and time sensitive matters. She is also very responsive and a pleasure to work with.’

‘What makes Harbottles so right for us as a company is their human focus and pragmatism.’

‘The legal advice is always there and exactly what we need, with pragmatism and logic.’

‘Yvonne Gallagher is fantastic. Warm, approachable and a hugely knowledgeable advisor.’

‘Marian Derham is a very pleasant colleague to work with; she is responsive, quick to deal with complex matters and highly proficient.’

‘Every single person I work with from Harbottles is hugely helpful, quickly available and pragmatic.’

‘The advice is always incredibly valuable.’