Howes Percival LLP > Norwich, England > Firm Profile

‘A well respected team. One of my favourites for technical ability and commerciality’

‘Michael Green – makes you feel safe in his advice but also listens.’

‘Michael Green is someone who listens to me and is someone I can trust to deal with a case professionally, commercially and, when required, sympathetically.’

‘A commercial and versatile approach to problems with a focus on how to deliver the best outcome for their clients.’

‘The solicitor came highly recommended and excellent advice and all work is carried out to a very high standard.’

‘We only really use HP. They are very helpful but also I have confidence that they are very thorough.’

‘The Howes Percival Agriculture and Estates team is able to grasp the complexity of a problem and deliver solutions. They inspire total confidence, pragmatic in their approach and always quick to call or respond to our questions.’

‘As clients we felt they were a highly productive team who brought their own individual skills liaising in house to offer effective, honest advice. We felt they cared and had our best interests in mind at all times.’

‘Katharine Danks is a consummate professional with a forensic eye for detail. She managed some time critical situations and was not afraid to stand her ground and hold others to account in a highly skilled manner. Her specialist knowledge was incredibly impressive and invaluable to us. She provided an exceptional and uncompromising service.’

‘Stuart Maggs offered excellent advice in a precise and easy to understand format. He sees through problems and grasps the complexity. So knowledgeable and efficient, responding and maintaining excellent communication with us. Succession issues can be sensitive but Stuart understood that behaviour and emotion must be taken into account in family relationships Always looking for solutions his advice was well considered and delivered the outcome that enabled us to move forward.’

‘I do not think this practice is unique, rather it does traditional private client work supremely well. The team actually does work extremely well as a team. They communicate very well amongst themselves, so there is always one of the team available to clients.’

‘Tom Lawrence provides a really high level of comprehensive advice. Quick to respond, this is a high quality and very competent team.’

‘Stuart Maggs is experienced and gets to the nub of the issue quickly.’

‘Dealing mostly with the private client commercial development and planning teams, I find Howes Percival great to work with. More collaborative than many other solicitors and prepared to put in the effort.’

‘Outstanding technical ability.’

‘Stuart Maggs – outstanding technically, calm and considered approach.’

‘They think beyond just the direct legal matter and strategically plan the approach they recommend you take and use their multiple specialisms with a one team approach.’

‘The team at Howes Percival is unique in the way they collaborate in bringing all their necessary experts to you as a new client in order to understand your needs and the best fit for you as a client and how you work. A diverse team with a clear understanding of billing and transparency allows for a good working relationship with someone always there to take a call or run through any issues.’

‘The team covers a range of specialisms and has individuals with key skills in property and planning law which suits our needs.’

‘Many of the lawyers within the practice are willing to work in an agile basis to assist with getting transactions over the line.’

‘In my experience with HP the difference factor in comparison to other law firms is how tangible the partners are, not just at the beginning of the project, but throughout.’

‘Joanna Nicholls takes personal interest throughout the project, she’s pragmatic and she gets the job done.’

‘Always available, at the end of a phone or email in these trying Covid times. We appreciate the difficulties of providing a service in the current situation, but Howes Percival have mastered the problem more effectively than other firms we have dealings with.’

‘We mainly work with Joanna Nicholls and Tessa Haskey. Joanna never ceases to amaze with the speed with which she can master a load of documentation dropped on her desk the night before and get to the heart of the matter. Nothing seems to faze her or disturb her calm even approach to things, she remains pragmatic and adept at achieving desired outcomes within commercially realistic timetables and budgets. Tessa always conveys the impression that you are her only client and that her considerable skills of pragmatic problem solving are solely reserved for you.’

‘Jamie Childs is a high quality individual. I’m impressed with his ability and conscientiousness, not least in the difficult past 12 months. His grasp of up to date legislation and that on the horizon is also noteworthy.’

‘First-rate knowledge of planning law combined with a commercial approach.’

‘Jay Mehta combines an in-depth understanding of planning law and practice with first-rate client care. We highly value his input on projects. ’

‘Paul Wootton and Jamie Childs, whilst very capable in their own rights, also work as a brilliant team. With Paul’s unparalleled experience and exceptionally bright mind having the ability to simply get the answer (let alone the question) before you’ve finished asking, Jamie’s thoughtful absorption covers all bases.’

‘After all his years in the business, Paul Wootton still fizzes with excitement at a new challenge. It’s a joy to see let alone work with. Jamie Childs’ comprehensive consideration makes law text books look light on detail!’

‘High-quality service and great value for money. Prepared to fix fees and stick to them.’

‘The team was available at short notice to provide advice and deal with an urgent matter that had far reaching implications.’

‘Professional but also friendly and approachable.’

‘ Jamie Kidd initially handled our case and we experienced a very smooth transition to Bill Trow – the two individuals seemed to gel in the most natural manner as a team and we soon nicknamed them the “A Team”. Jamie continued to watch our case as it unfolded with interest and support to Bill as and when required giving occasional input with fresh and innovative ways of looking at arising issues.’

‘The team have a real ability to think outside the box but most of all act to the highest degree of integrity. ’

‘Bill Trow became an integral individual within our own team. We felt 100% supported by Bill which gave us the strength we needed during the most challenging of times. Bill’s consistent attention to detail and efficiency in reverting to us with accurate information, detail and advice within extremely impressive timeframes makes him stand out from others within his sector. Any client is in good hands with Bill Trow.’

‘Quality service well managed team with excellent communication and value for money.’

‘Matt Thompson – approachable and understands the business needs.’

‘The breadth of experience, knowledge, and network of the team.’

‘Miles Barnes is an excellent deal orientated commercial lawyer. He understands us, our business and what we are trying to achieve. Miles has assisted us with a number of projects and we are very pleased with the advice and service we have received.’

‘First-class regional Commercial Disputes Resolution team led by Geraint Davis and Satnam Chayra, attracting major corporate clients and recognised by peers as a top tier firm in the region. The CDR team’s strong offering is manifest, supported by a robust technological infrastructure that has seen Howes Percival strive during the pandemic.’

‘Geraint Davis and Satnam Chayra – both of whom are stand out lawyers with oodles of technical ability and fabulous demeanours to boot! I can address their qualities compendiously as they are ‘from the same mould’ in that it is a pleasure to be instructed by them both given the quality of instructions, their understanding and distillation of the key issues in the case and the commerciality.’

‘Fantastic out of the box view from the team. Amazing work ethics and dedication.’

‘Satnam Chayra is hugely knowledge as is her team, a real pleasure to work with and one of the reasons why we will only use Howes Percival for our needs. Her honesty, integrity and the personal approach is what we value most.’

‘Paula Bailey runs a brilliant team that offers consistent technical and pragmatic advice. Their level of responsiveness and client attentiveness goes above and beyond. ’

‘Alex Payton needs to be  acknowledged for his collaborative and conscientious style, offering sound commercial solutions in a clear and concise manner. Alex’s responsiveness and wraparound support should be commended, as should the personal touch that he applies in all that he does.’

‘I have dealt with quite a few legal firms in the employment area. Of course most will give you the legal information you want and have asked for, but some do it from a very black and white perspective or give you advice but always cover themselves. The Howes Percival employment team obviously give us the advice from a legal perspective but also seem to be willing and understand how it effects us as a company and as such what we should do to mitigate this.’

‘Hannah Pryce is a delight to work with. Always has time for you whatever time it is. Always gets back to you when messages are left and gives us good, down-to-earth advice. I cannot speak highly enough of her.

‘I have a lot of time for Graham Irons, who is always willing to discuss our issues.’

‘Howes Percival are a very customer-responsive practice. Having some key contacts makes it easy to gain reliable, credible and sensible employment advice. There are many strong members of their team and are always responsive to the questions asked as quickly as is possible.’

‘Graham Irons is extremely knowledgeable and very approachable. He is flexible and responsive, whatever the question. He has an excellent sense of humour, which aids the provision on sometimes dry subjects!’

‘Hannah Pryce is very approachable, supportive and provides sensible, balanced advice.’

‘The team are solution driven and utilise other departments in the firm well to provide commercial and robust advice to the client.’

‘My key contact is Carl Mifflin. Carl is experienced and extremely knowledgeable and is very good at determining when it is appropriate to use specialists in other sectors within his firm. Carl is extremely personable and works well with clients as well as my team staff.’

‘Compares well with other firms. Provides good quality advice.’

‘Carl Mifflin provides sensible, considered advice, demonstrating very good technical knowledge in an approachable manner.’

‘I find the team extremely responsive, good at what they do and I have complete trust in the advice they provide. In addition, they are very reasonable and always flexible when it comes to billings.’

‘My main contact is Carl Mifflin. He is an excellent lawyer and often someone I speak to when in a difficult situation. I trust Carl’s advice and know I can rely on him.’

‘The Team at Howes Percival is arguably one of the most diverse in the Insolvency market. It continues to deliver high quality work and service.’

‘Carl Mifflin is one of the stand out individuals in the insolvency field. His manner enables him to build quick and warm relationships with his client, whilst he is able to tell it how it is, supported by his broad depth of technical knowledge and experience.’

‘Excellent service at great value.’

‘Lucy Lord – understands the business and has exceptional eye for detail producing quality support.’

‘An excellent practice for complex matters, especially acquisitions and development funding. The quality of work is outstanding and client liaison superb. Good people too.’

‘John Herd has been excellent in advising us on the structure of land options and the subsequent sale of either land or the SPV’s associated with the land . He knows what deadlines mean and has dealt very effectively with lawyers acting for the other side with great maturity and, when required, subtle dexterity.’

‘We have worked with several of the employee’s who have always delivered for us, if I was going to mention one, it would be Stuart Burns. Stuart has now been apart of our team since the signing of our first site in the UK and continues to absorb himself in our business to better understand our needs to be able to better support us. My biggest appreciation of Stuart is his of course legal knowledge but also his commercial knowledge too, which allows us to have straight forward conversations and make quick decisions.’

‘The team at HP undertake a broad range of transactional and professional work and are able to advise us on a wide range of transactional and professional matters across the various in-house specialisms. More importantly, the cooperation and joined up thinking displayed by individuals across those disciplines ensures that the best advice and guidance can be secured in the most efficient and cost effective way.’

‘Our principle contact is Stuart Burns. I have worked with Stuart for around 10 years and he has provided advice in a number of contexts and across a wide range of issues. Stuart will simply go the extra mile when circumstances dictate. It is clear that fee hours aside, Stuart puts the interests of his clients and their commercial parameters central and has a solid understanding of how his advice fits with our commercial parameters.’

‘For the size of the firm, the quality of legal product is astonishing. We took a case to trial with Howes Percival – it was a factually and legally complex four day dispute and the HP team marshalled everything perfectly; would be easy to consider that they were a City silver circle firm for the quality of service provided. More often than not they achieve a commercial and pragmatic settlement but, when that isn’t possible, they are with the client all the way and are very much up for the fight! Tremendous value too; I do not know how they can provide such quality advice and litigation for such reasonable fees.’

‘Satnam Chayra is confident, client-friendly, commercially minded and a fierce litigator in your corner. Tells it how it is too. Wonderful to work with!’

‘A very personal but still professional relationship makes Howes Percival unique. Communication, promptness and efficiency is definitely one of their strengths.’

‘Expert and highly personable, combining excellent legal and commercial insight with real personality and warmth.’

‘Extremely easy to get along with, with practical and helpful advice at every stage of litigation. Always a pleasure to pick up the phone to any of the team. My principal contacts are Matthew Talbot, Hannah Steggles and Jenna Bruce, all of whom I enjoy working with.’

‘Everyone at Howes Percival has the same proactive approach – regardless of the department. Communication is totally on point, they tell you they are going to do something and its done and on the odd occasion its not possible, they update you.’

‘Their approach to business, the way they engage with you makes it easy to work with them. Their knowledge, willingness to share, and analysis are fantastic and support us in making the best-informed decision. The fact that we could do all our business online with them has been truly remarkable, and they are swift to respond to our queries and making themselves available for a call or an online meeting.’

‘Matthew Talbot and Jenna Bruce’s ability to see the larger picture and then drill down into the detail, keeping all the puzzle pieces together, is the reason we are partnering with Howes Percival. People buy from people, and they have done a remarkable job to understand our needs, business and vision. We look forward to a longstanding partnership. With them having our backs, I know that we can reach our goals and objectives even in these uncertain times.’

‘Very approachable and friendly team. Clear advice and good transparency on fees. Efficient service and quick to respond. ’

‘Jenna Bruce gives good solid commercial advice in a timely and efficient manner pulling from other members of the firm when needed but remains in control to make sure everything gets done properly and in the timescales required. Excellent service.’

‘We use Howes Percival for property, HR, corporate finance and company law issues so deal with them across many departments. There is almost no part of our legal requirements that HP can’t satisfy. On a personal basis, I have also used them for wills and inheritance work. Invariably, everyone is pleasant to deal with – professional and attentive.’

‘All the people we engage with are professional and attentive undertaking the work in a timely manner. This is done with a light touch making it easy to deal with them. The associates/legal execs are particularly diligent and knowledgeable and it is impossible to tell the difference between their work and that of the more senior solicitors.’

‘I worked with this team on a recent MBO, and I found them to be responsive and very knowledgeable. They each contributed to the process in a credible and positive way, and the legal drafting was handled with a great degree of skill and tenacity.’

‘Brigitta Naunton is incredibly detail-focused, and handled the day-to-day client matters. Oliver Pritchard led the team, and showed a great deal of commercial sensitivity. They both provided timely and impactful advice, skilfully adjusting when the terms of the deal changed suddenly.’

‘The team has a wide range of experience and provide commercial and practical advice to ensure transactions are completed on a timely basis. They work closely with the client to provide a personal service and plan to ensure that any potential issues are identified early and can be resolved.’

‘Oliver Pritchard always gives close personal attention to any transaction and manages the team well to ensure that client service is of the highest quality.’

‘Professional, friendly service ’

‘Oliver Pritchard grasped the nature of our rather unusual deal quickly.’

‘Oliver Pritchard always gives close personal attention to any transaction and manages the team well to ensure that client service is of the highest quality.’

‘Richard Turner is hard working and diligent, always working to provide top quality service to clients on a timely basis.’

‘Oliver Pritchard grasped the nature of our rather unusual deal quickly.’

‘Richard Turner dealt with the detail of our deal in a very efficient manner.’

‘Oliver Pritchard led the team, and showed a great deal of commercial sensitivity.’

‘Howes Percival assists us in many areas of our business where specialist legal advice and skills are required. Their response is always prompt and complete, seeing the issue through to its conclusion.’

‘I have recently worked with Jamie Childs on a licensing matter and he has been extremely helpful, taking on tasks where I required help and expertise. It is reassuring to have a contact who is always approachable, whatever the matter.’

‘Excellent legal knowledge coupled with great commercial approach.’

‘Legal knowledge, approachability, availability, responsiveness.’

‘The level of service that I received has been extremely impressive and my contact, Gordon Simpson, has made himself available whenever I needed assistance. What is also extremely impressive is the way Gordon actively encouraged the progression of trainees within the business. The way in which he mentored trainees meant that during incredibly busy periods the team ethic that was developed helped me tremendously with my case.’

‘I have been dealing with Gordon Simpson of Howes Percival for nearly two years. During that period Gordon has been extremely supportive and demonstrated an extensive knowledge of the law and has been and continues to be extremely dedicated. Gordon’s standout quality is his integrity and he possesses every attribute that you would hope for in a legal professional.’

‘My dealings with Howes Percival over the years have always been a seamless and hassle-free exercise. Even when dealing with very complex matters, the team have taken time to work with us to ensure all parties were clear in the objectives. The honest opinion of the team at Howes Percival is key to the ongoing relationship gap personnel have with them.’

‘Gordon Simpson of Howes Percival is our trusted legal partner of choice. He is always on hand to offer the best advice and does so based on “client first” perspective. Due to the open and honest communication that Gordon offers, we have actively promoted Howes Percival to colleagues within the recruitment sector.’

‘A very attentive partner and excellent advice.’

‘Matthew Potter is an absolutely fantastic solicitor. He is extremely knowledgeable and very practical and pragmatic in how knowledge and law translates into practical actions.’

‘Matt Potter is superb. A knowledgeable and commercial professional.’

‘I have no hesitation to refer work to Rob Starr. He is a standout lawyer, commercially astute, sensitive to clients and passionate about his work. A true delight to work with.’

‘Extremely easy to work with – they provide support and guidance on the wider topic so that you are then able to make a balanced decision on the best way to deal with any situation..’

‘Alan Millband is superb and always give s us support on topics that are current – or about to become so. He provides insights into trends within the industry and actions being followed by enforcement officers so that we ensure that our clients are aware of such issues and we can inform them so that they have awareness of issues faced by others that we can then educate on how best to prevent them facing the same events.’

‘As a company we have now worked with Howes Percival for a number of years. The service provided is unrivalled with a range of services provided from telephone support through to representation of clients in court and guest speaking at safety seminars.’

‘The team led by Alan Millband is always on hand to advise and support as required and go above and beyond expectation on every occasion.’

‘I found the team to be extremely professional in its approach and they provided me with high quality and easy to understand advice. I appreciated the way the advice was framed with a menu of options and recommendations that I could take to my executive board and talk through. I also appreciated how they met with the executive board and explained their recommended course of action and how the legal process would work.’

‘Robert Starr is the most competent and knowledgeable regulatory solicitor that I have dealt with. Robert has provided advice on a number of cases from lower level coroners to a serious Crown Court case, his case management is fantastic as is his knowledge. He became a trusted and valued part of our regulatory process.’

‘This is a small but focused team – Robert Starr is a particular talent. He has a strong white-collar crime background and a great relationship with clients.’

‘Good communicators internally and externally, providing efficient service.’

‘Queries are answered in easy to understand language. At this difficult time the firm is communicating in a timely manner.’

‘Christopher Cubitt handled the case and showed excellent availability, as well as being very easy to work with.’

‘What I found to be the most unique and reassuring factor about Howes Percival was its adaptability.’

‘A powerhouse in their region, taking on the more complex and difficult cases.’

‘I have known Sally Harris for many years and she is a safe and sensible pair of hands. You know the clients will be put first. She always listens to her clients and provides calm and pragmatic advice and encourages them to seek a negotiated settlement in a fair and reasonable way. I am pleased when she is on the other side of a case.’

‘Sally Harris managed my case exceptionally well. It was an extremely difficult case in terms of those we were dealing with on the other side that were deliberately obstructive and very difficult to deal with. Sally, with her professionalism, calm approach and experience enabled my case to make solid progress through the courts where consistency is important.’

‘Sally Harris is well respected locally as a strong lawyer – pragmatic, experienced and client-focused.’

‘Sally Harris is a highly respected and competent divorce lawyer. Calm and collected but also a formidable opponent.’

‘A very approachable law firm with customer care at its heart.’

‘Tom Skinner is a standout commercial property associate at Howes Percival. Tom has brought a huge of amount of expertise to the contracts he has worked on for our councils, always finding solutions to issues which arise and eager to provide clarification on issues when needed.’

‘Personal, friendly service and professional, pragmatic advice from Jon Greenhalgh, Michaela Henson and Scott Smith.’

‘Attention to detail, efficiency and a willingness to embrace the support of others.’

‘This practice is unique where they have a wide a range of legal services within real estate; from construction advice, property acquisition, corporate services all the way to litigation with delinquent tenants. Their cross-pollination of a client’s goal/strategy from the outset and throughout the project is strong. The legal team are professional, knowledgeable and experienced. They are commercially reasonable in their pricing which is appreciated. ’

‘Elizabeth Thomas is by far, my stand out lawyer at Howes. She is hardworking, very responsive and has excellent follow through when asked to carry out a task. I value Beth’s enthusiasm, tenacity, professionalism and judgement calls as an experienced lawyer.’

‘Michaela Henson has always been a very helpful and commercial partner at Howes, she has used her position of strength to help me agree commercial reasonable legal rates so that I can proceed with a transaction with a view to carry over the gaps in their costs in the next bigger acquisitions. She believes in investing in long term relationships and partnerships with clients.’

‘Having had five years of dealing with Howes Percival LLP during the sale of our land, I can only say that I hold this practice in high esteem in which they handled and resolved several difficulties which resulted in a successful outcome! After such a lengthy time we were grateful for the respect always shown to us.’

‘Michaela Henson has always been extremely pleasant, helpful and understanding. We were extremely fortunate to have encountered such an outstanding person. I have learned a lot and appreciated the whole team at this practice.’

‘HP are highly visible as a Team and regular make sure that they are actively talking to the Professional Community. They build up an excellent rapport and are seen as a ‘go to firm’. Large, commercial and approachable Team.’

‘Great collaboration between areas and always available / approachable. The culture at HP is very similar to how we work with a real team ethos, and everyone is treated with equal respect regardless of seniority.’

‘The banking and finance team at Howes Percival stand out from other firms in the region due to their market presence and visibility of key individuals. The team interacts seamlessly with their corporate M&A colleagues and for the East Midlands and wider region offer a sizeable and joined up presence, ideal for lower-mid and mid-market deals. Haydon Simmonds is a key part of the deal-making scene in the Leicester market in particular, since he joined the firm.’

‘Haydon Simmonds offers a highly responsive, hard-working, professional and friendly attitude which makes him a great lawyer to work with.’

‘Howes Percival are a forward thinking and client centric firm, that have a depth of experience across various legal disciplines.’

‘Their Banking Partner, Haydon Simmonds, is most helpful and is always willing to provide help and guidance on more generic legal matters.’

‘I switched to Howes Percival on a recommendation and this proved to be an excellent decision. Every member of the team I had contact with was incredibly professional, friendly and accessible.’

‘Justine Flack was my main point of contact and was outstanding. From my initial call, I had total confidence in her advice and guidance. Justine very quickly assessed my case and her recommendations ultimately proved the basis of the judge.’

‘I found this practice to be pragmatic whilst handling my case with sensitivity. Howes Percival were professional and punctual, if my solicitor was away from her desk there was always someone to handle my call.’

‘This was my first experience with talking to a solicitor on my own. Finance is not my strongest point but Justine Flack helped to put me at ease and explained things clearly.’

‘The firm has a commercial presence in Leicester and is known for a quality service.’

‘Justine Flack manages cases in a professional and experienced manner.’

‘Very positive – I consider the firm to be a professional outfit and think very highly of Justine Flack.’

‘The team are clearly highly knowledgeable and great at what they do. They seem to have genuine care for us as a client organisation, and are big supporters of initiatives aligned with our aims in the local area. Also, they see the bigger picture (and help us make the links) which has been very helpful when dealing with more complex matters.’ 

‘Edward Lee is an outstanding lawyer with great commercial nous.’

‘Andrew Harris is professional; he bends over backwards to get work done, especially if it has a time constraint, and is very easy to work with.’ 

‘The team are personable, professional, responsive and very capable.’

‘Edward Lee is highly regarded, with a strategic approach to ensuring the business and corporate community is well served across a range of areas.’   

‘The team is knowledgeable, easy to communicate with and super supportive’

‘James Howarth provides excellent analysis and practical advice, in high pressure situations’

‘Alexandra Hornsby is extremely friendly, approachable and knowledgeable.  She gave clear and concise advice, was easy to contact and very quick to respond to queries setting everything up in the timescale we agreed together.’

‘Good technical knowledge and flexibility to meet client demands. They dealt with my clients in a very professional manner while retaining the human element.’

‘Alexandra Hornsby was absolutely excellent. So knowledgeable and helpful, took care to understand my needs (and knowledge level), educated me on gaps in my knowledge, was full of ideas and options, then swift to implement.  A dream legal adviser!’

‘Down-to-earth solicitors and very commercially focused and efficient advice.’

‘The team are very accessible and welcoming. They are quick to answer questions and queries which is not always the case with legal firms. They appear more commercial and entrepreneurial than some competitors.’

‘Wonderfully friendly and helpful approach. Staff all seemed top quality, knew their stuff, were full of ideas and always delivered on their promises.  A complete pleasure to work with, unlike some other law firms, to whom you often seem to be their 10th most important client. Howes Percival made me feel I was their ONLY client.’

‘Simon deMaid is our point of access to Howes Percival. We can always rely on Simon for a fair and balanced view. Extremely helpful, responsive all delivered in a friendly manner.’

‘The team’s professional strengths are already well documented, but what should also be noted are their active questioning and attentive listening skills. These traits ensure that people are put at their ease right from the first point of contact, clear instructions given and potentially difficult conversations which need clarity of thought are able to be had in an honest and open way.’

‘Very high quality IP firm with an excellent commercial attitude to costs.’