Ashurst > London, England > Firm Profile

‘The Ashurst team brings to due diligence and negotiations a good commercial understanding. The team’s work is thorough and rigorous, but is always informed by a sense of proportion.’

‘Excellent advice. Accessible, highly responsive and proactive. Commercial and strategic. We’ve worked primarily with Dave Carter’s team on a wide range of PE and corporate matters. ‘

‘Dave Carter makes the effort to know his clients well. He understands their strengths and weaknesses and is not afraid to step in when necessary. He is committed to the success not only of their individual investments but also of tbeir firm as a whole.’

‘Dave Carter is a superstar. ‘

‘Long established team and relationship with ourselves. Intimate and commercial knowledge of the fund finance market. Always responsive, and when negotiating, very commercial. They can cope with multiple parallel financings – a key thing for us – and maintain quality.‘

‘Navdeep Benning leads the function, with a good balance of control and delegation, and with the obvious thought leadership. Very visible, proactive and commercial. Clearly understands our needs in this market.‘

‘Robert Andrews loves a complex, innovative structure! It allows him to flex his intellectual muscle, whilst preserving commercial principles and keeping the solution real for the client.‘

‘Robert Andrews – extremely bright and focused on risk mitigation. He comes into his own when considering complex, innovative structures and calls upon Ashurst’s expensive network to support solutions across multiple jurisdictions, particularly Germany.’

‘Briony Holcombe – up and coming, highly competent senior associate – one to watch.‘

‘True sector specialists – very commercial lawyers who know their subject area well. Epitomised by their very useful Infrastructure M&A Opportunities Tracker. Proactively reach out on potential M&A opportunities’.

‘Proactive. Enthusiastic. Thinks outside the box. Commercial. Approachable (good partner availability. Jason Radford’s team are really fantastic. He is very commercial, great at handling and supporting us as we work through complex issues and brings in great specialist lawyers where needed. Very clear communication on who in the team is working on what, good updates, they always meet deadlines and work very hard’.

‘Jason Radford – statesman-like, a great communicator, great at managing people, he gets to the nub of the key issues very quickly and finds solutions, he is a great support’.

‘Laura Ho – excellent lawyer, extremely organised and on top of everything. Amazing ability to handle huge quantities of work and many demands, always gets the deal over the line. Totally reliable.  Extremely energetic and proactive approach to work both on execution and in discussing market opportunities’.

‘They have always been very professional and fair and their teams have always been very strong’.

‘Very reliable and always give a good service’.

‘When our company was faced with the pandemic and financial markets went into meltdown, we needed a law firm we could rely on to be there for us at short notice, who could adapt quickly and produce complex documentation whilst looking for ways to speed up the negotiation process to complete the deal. Ashurst were very impressive, reacting quickly, helping us to understand points raised by the other side, whilst offering solutions.’

‘Michael Burns is full of ideas and opinions. Knows the industry really well.’

‘Julia Derrick – really considerate as to what clients want.  Great on the detail of any given matter.’

‘Julia Derrick is a great lawyer with a strong eye for the details. She knows all the ins and outs and is able to translate complicated matters in topics easy to grasp. Julia provides excellent advice. Clients love her.’

‘Easy to work with, extremely knowledgeable and very pragmatic.’

‘Strong technical advice coupled with understanding the commercial aspects of a deal is what makes Ashurst stand out in this area. The quality in the partnership is also reflected in the well-trained associates, who are knowledgeable, pro-active and able to solve issues. Together this results in a high quality consistent product without wasting time and costs.’

‘They really know oil & gas, in particular UK upstream M&A, better than anyone. Great attention to detail and a quality product.’

‘A high quality offering with depth and great understanding of the energy sector.’

‘Nick Stalbow stands out as the top lawyer in the UK for getting EfW projects to financial close. His ability to get EPC contractors, funders, technical advisors, waste suppliers, insurers, landlords, O&M providers all pointing to the same goal is remarkable. There are very few lawyers that I would call “value add” – Nick is definitely one of them.’

‘They have extensive knowledge of the sector and of precedent transactions. They know the key issues that lenders and counterparties will want covered.’

‘Cameron Smith is fantastic to work with – a very astute and knowledgeable partner.’

‘I work with Antony Skinner and his team. Antony has been lender counsel of several of our financings and is extremely pragmatic and commercial. He wants to get a deal done and is particularly good at working with several banks in a club situation and managing the process effectively. As a borrower looking to control time and costs, this is very valuable.’

‘Cameron Smith was innovative in approaching commercial agreements to ensure it could be bankable. Several agreements were bespoke and had no precedent, and Cameron was able to articulate concepts clearly to help the lenders understand why the approach we took was bankable (and no further negotiations would be needed).’

‘The practice has established itself as a leader in the waste sector and is able to bring knowledge to new projects that speed up execution and the understanding of issues.’

‘Experience in the waste to energy business. Commercially very sound. Very professional during negotiations with our EPC contractors.’

‘The team was very responsive and was staffed appropriately to ensure we were able to meet the financial close target. Ashurst seem to have the right relationships with the other stakeholders to help move the deal forward whenever we encountered an obstacle.’

‘Ashurst’s key strength is its commercial approach to transactions which ensures a smooth diligence process. This is critical for complex SPV transactions where we are often looking at value add or development product. The team has great experience and there is always good access to the lead partner.  Ashurst also provides well thought out quotes which they are subsequently able to honour.’

‘David Jones is always available to add his experience and commercial approach to a deal. This is not always the case with competitors where the lead partner is on the periphery of a deal.’

‘John Arey is extremely diligent and has proved critical pushing deals over the line.’

‘Ashurst bring great depth, knowledge and experience of the sector and of comparable transactions to the table which has proved invaluable in completing our deal.’

‘Tim Regis brings a commercial understanding to very complex negotiations and has a great intuition for unlocking problems.’

‘Ashurst is very good at mapping out potential scenarios in complex situations. They also have a way of deciphering the legal jargon, distilling it down to the key details making it far easier as a client to understand. As a client this is invaluable when weighing risk and helps you make well informed decisions.’

‘David Jones leads an excellent team in London, he is reactive and co-ordinates actively with ease at all levels in the organisation. It feels like bespoke tailoring.’

‘Tim Regis provides a can-do novel approach to property transactions in what has been a buyers’ market.’

‘Ashurst’s key strength is its commercial approach to transactions which ensures a smooth diligence process. This is critical for complex SPV transactions where we are often looking at value add or development product. The team has great experience and there is always good access to the lead partner.  Ashurst also provides well thought out quotes which they are subsequently able to honour.’

‘David Jones is always available to add his experience and commercial approach to a deal. This is not always the case with competitors where the lead partner is on the periphery of a deal.’

‘John Arey is extremely diligent and has proved critical pushing deals over the line.’

‘Ashurst bring great depth, knowledge and experience of the sector and of comparable transactions to the table which has proved invaluable in completing our deal.’

‘Tim Regis brings a commercial understanding to very complex negotiations and has a great intuition for unlocking problems.’

‘Ashurst is very good at mapping out potential scenarios in complex situations. They also have a way of deciphering the legal jargon, distilling it down to the key details making it far easier as a client to understand. As a client this is invaluable when weighing risk and helps you make well informed decisions.’

‘David Jones leads an excellent team in London, he is reactive and co-ordinates actively with ease at all levels in the organisation. It feels like bespoke tailoring.’

‘Tim Regis provides a can-do novel approach to property transactions in what has been a buyers’ market.’

‘They are technically superb. Very easy to deal with and extremely responsive.  Their advice is pragmatic and when they need to make a point they do so without being patronising. They speak in simple language and don’t try to impress us with their knowledge.  We really feel they get it.’

‘Mark Elsey – technically excellent, his commercial and solutions-driven approach is a refreshing change.’

‘Ashurst has been heavily involved in the rail sector since pre-privatisation.  They act for a range of clients in the sector. As a result they have a real in-depth knowledge and understanding of all parts of the sector, the issues that impact on it, where it has been and where it is going. They have an excellent understanding of us, where we sit in the sector and where we want to be.  These attributes are what we want from our advisers.’

‘Terry van Poortvliet – sharp and focused. Has the ability to get to the nub of the issues and provide effective solutions.

‘James Illingworth – really impressive for a senior associate, very considered and always provides pragmatic advice.’

‘Naomi Horton understands the rail sector. She is proactive and delivers sound commercial advice in a user friendly way.’

‘Naomi Horton and Jonathan Turner are both excellent. Their knowledge and experience of the rail sector is exceptional. They provide practical advice and offer solutions to problems and novel situations.’

‘They understand the context, the objectives and constraints of their client very well. The team complement each other. They are great lawyers who clearly have a passion for their speciality but still great respect for the other specialties. A diverse team is a team made of individuals that think differently. I felt we definitely had that within the Ashurst team.’

‘On the ball, really good team.’

‘The team is very well organised and super capable. In particular, they are very good at bringing in specialist expertise in related areas (such as real estate, or litigation) to ensure all bases are covered.’

‘Chris Bates -very helpful and approachable, able to cut through jargon, negotiated well for us. Clearly has expertise in the area.’

‘Chris Bates – great guy, very hard working, sensible advice, responsive.’

‘Christopher Bates is very knowledgeable and experienced and brings a great deal of assurance with his advice.’

‘We always have very good experiences with Ashurst. They deliver real partner attention and have excellent, attentive and efficient associates.’

‘Nicholas Holmes is among my first calls when I have a difficult situation. He is a thought leader in the sector and understands the issues and the latest market practice.’

‘We mainly use Nicholas Holmes. Nicholas is an excellent lawyer and can be relied upon to give a robust view on tricky legal issues. He is always available for calls and visible on transactions.’

‘We always have very good experiences with Ashurst. They deliver real partner attention and have excellent, attentive and efficient associates.’

‘Nicholas Holmes is among my first calls when I have a difficult situation. He is a thought leader in the sector and understands the issues and the latest market practice.’

‘We mainly use Nicholas Holmes. Nicholas is an excellent lawyer and can be relied upon to give a robust view on tricky legal issues. He is always available for calls and visible on transactions.’

‘Simon Swann has an encyclopaedic knowledge of SDLT. Tim Gummer and Paul Miller are very strong on VAT, especially in the real estate sector. The team is very responsive and extremely knowledgeable. Bills are always as predicted.’

‘We have worked with the Ashurst tax team for well over ten years and across corporate tax, employment tax, VAT and stamp duty for a variety of different transactions, both domestic and international. Technically, the team are extremely strong, not just on tax but on understanding all the other factors impacting on the end result. Commercially, they understand our business and our objectives, tailoring their advice accordingly. They communicate well internally to ensure the wider Ashurst team is well informed and are a pleasure to work with from a personal perspective. The team is well respected by their peers at other firms and by senior counsel.’

‘Alex Cox is truly excellent from a technical and commercial perspective as well as being a pleasure to work with. Alex understands what we are aiming to achieve and his advice is always spot on. Very highly recommended!‘

‘The team we deal with is hardworking and technically knowledgeable, but they also advise with regard to the wider context of a scenario. This results in advice that is pragmatic and useful rather than being just what the letter of the law says. The team also proactively monitors for developments that might be relevant to our business and sends updates in addition to a commentary on the potential impact.’

‘Lynn Dunne is a standout litigator; she knows what her clients objectives are and how to achieve them.‘

‘Edward Sparrow is outstanding, highly experienced, calm and reassuring.’

‘Excellent knowledge and experience of the sector.‘

‘Accustomed to big-ticket, high profile litigation instructions. Have a big engine room to drive arbitration and litigation to the conclusion.’

‘Lynn Dunne: very gifted and works well in complementary practice areas. A real tour de force, but a pleasure to deal with.‘

‘Lynn Dunne is excellent and understands what I need as a client. Work is carried out to a high standard and within budget, with the right amount of client engagement. I trust Lynn and the team to carry out targeted and proportionate investigation work in the context of threatened litigation (with serious and sensitive allegations) with a careful mind to the degree of risk involved and without seeking to needlessly expand on instructions for the sake of generating more income.’

‘Alex Cox is very highly recommended. He is commercial, thinks outside the box, has in-depth technical knowledge across the taxes. He is also a pleasure to work with.’

‘The team we deal with is hardworking and technically knowledgeable, but they also advise with regard to the wider context of a scenario. This results in advice that is pragmatic and useful, rather than being just what the letter of the law says.‘

‘I have worked with Nicholas Gardner, partner, on two significant cases: one in the First-tier Tax Tribunal and the other in the Supreme Court. Nick was extremely good, both at dealing with significant volumes of documents and evidence and at navigating complex procedural rules.’

‘Utterly professional. One of the most formidable tax litigation teams operating in the market today. Their attention to detail and commitment to the case is astounding; illustrated by their level of success. They are an absolute joy to work with.’

‘Nick Gardner and Alex Cox, both partners in the tax team, have phenomenal technical knowledge. They also lead the team by example; they have a tireless work-ethic and will ensure that nothing is left to chance. Availability is never an issue, and their experience brings real value to the team. Sara Mardell, a senior associate in the tax team, is almost certainly a star of the future. She stands head and shoulders above her peers. She inspires confidence in both clients and the rest of the team.’

‘A really detailed and intelligent appreciation of the workings of the tax tribunals with great resources and an in depth knowledge and expertise in tax – great combination.’

‘Paul Miller and Sara Mardell are an excellent team. Clever, practical, totally reliable.’

‘The firm has an excellent understanding of the bank market and interaction between lenders, providing exceptional experience and knowledge in managing the complex situations that arise from time to time.’

‘The team provides strong technical yet commercial advice.’

‘The quality in the partnership is also reflected in the well-trained, knowledgeable and proactive associates, who are able to solve issues.’

‘When our company was faced with the pandemic and financial markets went into meltdown, we needed a law firm we could rely on to be there for us at short notice, who could adapt quickly and produce complex documentation whilst looking for ways to speed up the negotiation process to complete the deal.’

‘Nicholas Moore is very switched on regarding market developments, and a pleasure to work with.’

‘Nicholas Moore together with his senior associate Briony Holcombe were very impressive, reacting quickly, helping us to understand points raised by the other side whilst offering solutions.’ 

‘The team is well experienced in corporate trust deals and approaches each transaction with detail and commercial rationales in mind.’

‘Although a smaller team than some, the Ashurst DCM team definitely punches above its weight. Exceptional legal and market knowledge provided by personable and approachable lawyers. There is a real sense that we work in partnership with this team on any transactions that they advise us upon.’

‘Anna Delgado is always the first person to turn to. Thoughtful but tenacious in getting the best for her clients. Great legal knowledge – and complete focused on the important points. I don’t think anything is too difficult for Anna.’

‘Alex Biles is excellent all around. Very responsive. Thoughtful and clear advice that is always a few steps ahead.’

‘The team is uniquely commercial, down-to-earth and approachable, which is rather rare in the industry. It is always possible to have a frank and relaxed conversation, where the legal jargon is broken down and made accessible to the client.’

‘Alex Biles is an expert in his field, whilst being very approachable and down-to-earth with his clients. It is always possible to have a quick and frank discussion about any legal topic, without feeling intimidated or unsure about the legal concepts raised during the discussion, which is a frequent issue with senior legal advisers.’

‘Having worked with the team on a number of projects over the past few years I feel 100% confident in their work, support and advice. There is always the feeling that they are completely on top of all of the key issues, and keeping me informed but not overloading me unnecessarily – so that when we do have issues to discuss I know what is key. When we are facing anything new, whether a new transaction or just a technical issue, they draw upon their experience elsewhere in the market to guide us.’

‘From a personal point of view alone I have built up a good relationship and rapport with key members of the team – and in the midst of a heavy workload, deadlines and sometimes technical issues, it is nice to have a friendly face or voice at the end of the phone. It makes the process so much easier and I have learnt a lot from the team. As my main partner and associate contacts, Anna Delgado and Alexandra Eastwell are excellent and I know I can rely on their guidance as well as their calm, methodical approach when things get busy or close to a deadline.’

‘Ashurst has a solid finance practice and great depth in the derivatives and traded products space. It has the expertise in the product segments needed be they OTC derivatives, securities financing transactions and regulatory work. Developing talent in COVID times is indeed challenging but the impression is that at times, the skill level of some associates might be better managed. The global footprint is good particularly in the developed markets. When advice was required in jurisdictions where they do not have an office, it was efficiently managed.’

‘Kerion Ball is our primary contact. He has solid expertise and is thoughtful in his advice giving. He has assisted on both project related work as well as transactional deal doing. He is an engaged partner, available and open to discuss issues – he wants to help and values the client relationship. Jonathan Haines is very able technically and can distill complex legal issues to their essence.’

‘The team combines a high degree of expertise with good transactions skills and very competitive pricing.’

‘Mike Logie is an immensely experienced practitioner with a great deal of product expertise and a good eye for regulatory issues that we would not otherwise considered. He is well supported by a team of able associates.’

‘Very responsive, great communication skills, strong technical expertise and brilliant customer care.’

‘Ability to leverage other departments to provide a cross-product service which enables us in term to service our clients. Lots of technological innovations in the space of amendment template generation which mean we can use data to conduct large repapering exercises rather than necessitating expensive due diligence exercises.’

‘James Knight is thoughtful and thorough in his advice with an eye on pragmatism. Troy Pickard-Taylor brings energy to even the most mundane tasks helping to generate a feeling of being in it together.’

‘Michael Logie, Jeffrey Yow. They make you feel like you’re their no.1 client, no matter how busy they might be. Great availability, responsive, commercial in advice and approach to dealing with a problem.’

‘A creative and commercial team.’

‘Very reliable, great value for money. An excellent team and always incredibly helpful.’

‘Jonathan Walsh, in particular, is such a legend in the industry and a great source of knowledge. He gives great comfort on deals.’

‘Knowledge, craftsmanship and personal commitment of the partners, as well as a good network.’

‘Jonathan Walsh has outstanding experience and is fully engaged on the transactions. He provides impartial advice.’

‘The Ashurst securitisation practice is quietly impressive and has gained a place with the big players. The team is very knowledgeable and commercial, the delivery of advice is very to the point and understated – which is rare in this complex area. The team is always available and approachable and any topic, however complex, can be discussed rather quickly and simply – which is another rarity in this legal industry. The law is approached in a logical and reasonable manner, and applied commercially and efficiently.’

‘Tom Picton is a rising star in this practice – he is very understated and approachable, whilst delivering on-point practical advice in a succinct manner, without much fanfare or elaboration, which is extremely appreciated by clients in this complex (and sometimes stuffy) area.’

‘Prompt and clear direction delivered in a business-like manner.’

‘The firm has a willingness to engage positively with our team and to take on board our focus points.’

‘This insurance team always delivers, you can place your trust in and rely on them. They cover the range of the market getting the most complex insurance related corporate and regulatory matters done. They are progressive, practical, commercial and technically excellent. They are impressive as a team and individually, and I have no hesitation is saying you want them by your side.’

‘Apart from the legal, corporate and transactional excellence, this is a team full of people who are a pleasure to work with. Adam Levitt is a leading light in the industry who never ceases to impress. Akiko Morioko is excellent.‘

‘Very strong on regulation and pragmatic about implementation.’

‘Adam Levitt is a stand out partner, both technically and as a project manager.’

‘The team are knowledgeable, dedicated and always available.‘

‘Adam Levitt is an expert in the UK insurance market.’

‘Ashurst’s key strength is its commercial approach to transactions which ensures a smooth diligence process. This is critical for complex SPV transactions where we are often looking at value add or development product. The team has great experience and there is always good access to the lead partner.  Ashurst also provides well thought out quotes which they are subsequently able to honour.’

‘David Jones is always available to add his experience and commercial approach to a deal. This is not always the case with competitors where the lead partner is on the periphery of a deal.’

‘John Arey is extremely diligent and has proved critical pushing deals over the line.’

‘Ashurst bring great depth, knowledge and experience of the sector and of comparable transactions to the table which has proved invaluable in completing our deal.’

‘Tim Regis brings a commercial understanding to very complex negotiations and has a great intuition for unlocking problems.’

‘Ashurst is very good at mapping out potential scenarios in complex situations. They also have a way of deciphering the legal jargon, distilling it down to the key details making it far easier as a client to understand. As a client this is invaluable when weighing risk and helps you make well informed decisions.’

‘David Jones leads an excellent team in London, he is reactive and co-ordinates actively with ease at all levels in the organisation. It feels like bespoke tailoring.’

‘Tim Regis provides a can-do novel approach to property transactions in what has been a buyers’ market.’

‘The Ashurst team has huge experience and knowledge of PFI and renewable energy construction disputes. The contentious team works very well with the non-contentious team to provide high-value advice.’

‘Madeleine Pope stands out. She is very commercially minded and gives very sensible advice.’

‘Dyfan Owen is very knowledgeable and very personable.’

‘Ashurst stands out for the consistently high quality of its solicitors. They have been of an incredibly high level across the board, both in terms of quality of output, but also providing sensible and perceptive advice.’

‘The quality of lawyering is superb. Deadlines are always met. The use of counsel is minimal and only where appropriate. They work very closely with us – there isn’t the usual excuse that certain matters are commercial issues that they won’t concern themselves with. They are a pleasure to work with.’

‘The team at Ashurst that I have been engaged with are diligent, accurate and thorough. They collaborate effectively in understand what I and our clients are seeking to achieve and turn around actions and tasks quickly. They are also effective in developing strategic plans for dispute management and are honest in their responses and advice regarding strengths and weaknesses of cases and points of argument.’

‘Highly responsive. They provide good general advice as well as in relation to specific legal and contractual advice.’

‘Simon Bromwich is highly experienced and knowledgable.’

‘A key strength of the practice is to provide advice that is highly commercial as well as technically sound. This has always included a sharp eye on how the market is evolving and what clauses can be seen as standard. ‘

‘Matthew Bool supports his team when needed but gives them enough room to develop, provides advice in plain English and is always on hand to take calls.’

‘Strong associates and support members but with continued presence from partners.’

‘Lauren Morrison has grit, determination and is genuinely passionate about everything she does. She doesn’t let things go which is an admirable quality.’

‘Very responsive and efficient – a good example for the profession.’

‘Lauren Morrison and Matthew Bool are consistent in all ways and offer as much attention to detail on small appointments as large-value contracts.’

‘Excellent client relationship management – proactive and able to provide all specialist support.’

‘The planning team is experienced, efficient and effective, which can provide advice to all sorts of issues and queries a developer may face in the UK property market.’

‘The approachability and accessibility of the team I work with is really strong. Being able to get quick and efficient answers to queries is really helpful, especially on projects where we need to coordinate responses to shared clients.’

‘I would say that Ashurst is one of the top firms I work with. They give clear and consistent advice, are strong negotiators and are enjoyable to work with.’

‘Claire Dutch is an exceptional planning lawyer and an extremely good communicator.’

‘Trevor Goode is one of the most trustworthy planning lawyers in the industry, whenever tricky planning-related legal issues arise, he is always the first external consultant we would go for.’

‘Charlie Reid’s attention to detail and his quick understanding of other aspects of client’s commercial or even technical issue takes his advice beyond the planning and legal realm, which is often very helpful too.’

‘Ashurst has always proved extremely knowledgeable in dealings I have had with them over the years, particularly in the specialist industry in which I work. Their turnaround on providing advice makes them dependable and a safe pair of hands.‘

‘I worked very closely with Alison Hardy, a partner at the firm, and I found her to be incredibly supportive in my preparation for a hearing. Alison’s extreme dedication and commitment to ensuring that our team had the best chance possible at the hearing was extraordinary.’

‘Alison Hardy has a very analytical mind and understood and digested copious amounts of background technical information in a very timely manner with such close attention to detail.‘

‘The Ashurst property litigation team is extremely knowledgeable in all areas. The team provides strategic and commercially focused advice. They are very supportive and work to very tight deadlines. I would highly recommend them.‘

‘Well integrated with their real estate colleagues. Very down to earth and willing to go the extra mile to get an issue sorted. Clients receive extra value from their training and updates.‘

‘Communication and availability was exceptional, as was the advice given.‘

‘Alison Hardy is clear and clever, and very hands-on for a top-rated partner.‘

‘Led by Alison Hardy the team has found a new vigour. They are commercial, driven and highly polished, diverse and innovative.‘

‘Bradley Rice is very responsive and provides pragmatic advice around cryptocurrencies.’

‘I was astonished how deeply the whole team engaged with our project and understood such an innovative space like digital assets and cryptocurrencies.’

‘Tara Waters is like no other partner in law firm I have come across; she is so well tuned to the needs and resources of a start-up in the fintech space.’

‘The team is well-organised, precise and tech/business-savvy.’

‘Besides their profound knowledge, they also have great connections in Europe and the United States.’

‘Comprehensive legal knowledge paired with business and market insights make this team unique and highly efficient.’

‘The team comprises well-experienced and knowledgeable experts who complement each other.’

‘They are up-to-date and seem to take on head-first any task, regardless of its size and complexity, and produce a terrific product.’

‘This team is one of the most concentrated group of TMT experts I’ve ever worked with. Every member of the team brings expertise and depth. They also continuously look to be at the forefront of new technology projects and they’re comfortable providing legal advice and analysis in uncharted waters (e.g., cryptocurrency, AI and machine learning).’

‘Christopher Bates is one of the most commercial-minded lawyers. He is laser focused on helping clients achieve their business outcomes while providing expert analysis and legal advice. He is tireless when it comes to meeting and exceeding client expectations and the work product he (and his team) provide is always crisp and on-point.’ 

‘Nick Elverston has unparalleled experience in the telco space and he is an expert in both the legal and technical business of telco projects. He isn’t afraid of taking on big ideas and is always looking for new solutions to legal challenges. Many lawyers are uncomfortable in circumstances that they haven’t seen before but Nick embraces new challenges in a way that is really refreshing.’

‘The team from Ashurst has been a delight to work with, bringing a wealth of relevant knowledge and experience, while ensuring continual communication.’

‘They respond very quickly and they are very knowledgeable in the subject matter that we have hired them for. Most of the answers or opinions are fairly comprehensive and with high level of certainty.’

‘The team is pragmatic and pro-active in their approach and focused on getting the right answer for their client.’

‘Simon Swann is a go to person for advice on real estate tax issues. He carefully explains his advice, with its rationale and advantages and highlights potential pitfalls. His support team are good at taking forward the advice.’

‘Alex Cox is an all round adviser, his tax advice is clear and precise.’

‘Paul Miller is the tax partner that we generally work with. He is very knowledgeable and very responsive to our questions.’

‘This team provides really clear advice and are extremely responsive. They understand our business well‘

‘Nigel Parr is without doubt the best competition lawyer in Europe. His advice is outstanding, timely and delivered in an extremely pleasant manner. Absolute delight to work with Nigel. However, the team really stands out in that you also get outstanding service delivered in the same phenomenal way by his entire team, notably Steven Vaz and the economists David Wirth and Tom Punton. Ashurst really is our go-to lawyers whenever we have complicated matters and we even use them outside their own jurisdiction in some cases. More junior people are also very clever and nice to work with.’

‘They are simply better than the competition – better and clearer advice, faster, better drafted, more comprehensive etc. Even massive merger tasks are completed in record time and with outstanding results. The availability, even of the top partners, is outstanding.‘

‘We work primarily with Nigel Parr and Steven Vaz. Both are very knowledgeable and thorough, keeping us appraised of timelines and activity. We appreciate that they highlight what matters and manage the process without our needing to manage them. In highly complex competition matters, their knowledge of the intricacies has allowed us to focus on big picture issues while they manage the fit with the law. Highly recommend them for international matters where application of familiar competition concepts need to be applied under local law.’

‘Wide base in financial services regulation, which was the reason for their appointment. Bags of experience of contentious and non contentious issues involving FCA and regulated firms.’

‘Ashurst has had for many years a distinct character within the City firms, an absence of hubris, a lot of humour, a keen determination to be a fearless advocate of their clients’ interest and a pervasive professionalism.’

‘Strong contentious team originally built up by Ed Sparrow.’

‘Ashurst are an excellent firm with a refreshing, modern outlook. Their lawyers are creative, responsive, hard working and a great pleasure to work with.’

‘Tom Connor has an excellent reputation in the contentious Corporate – Commercial – Financial Services space. He is very thoughtful and client focused. He is often instructed on big ticket, high profile disputes.’

‘Exceptionally pragmatic service and advice. Understand the issue very quickly and is clear in the approach and what will be covered in the opinion. Also exceptional in trying to find a solution!‘

‘The team offers a strong knowledge of relevant regulation balanced with an effective understanding of practical application that makes the advice relevant and applicable.’

‘Tim Cant applies a practical approach to addressing regulatory challenges that is effective, pragmatic and well informed. Combined with a very good understanding of the market makes him a highly valued when looking to resolve the more complex issues of the day.’

‘Excellent technical knowledge and commercial mindset.’

‘The team had a good understanding of our organisation and its risk tolerances, and was very good at cutting through to the key issues.’

‘What stood out for me was the pragmatic/practical approach to the advice provided – we didn’t get reams of legal analysis but instead useable guidance to help us assess the risks. Jake Green in particular was great at this.‘

‘We feel this team makes a concerted effort to get to know our business.’

‘Willing to stand behind their positions and drive home their assertions.’

‘Tom Mercer has excellent technical skills, advice and client care.’

‘Karen Davies a technically excellent practitioner with a calm manner. Karen tackles the tricky issues with pragmatism and poise.’

‘Nick Williamson – customer focused and committed to providing practical, commercial advice.’

Nick Williamson; very experienced dealmaker, on the ball and always there when you need him. Pleasant boardroom advisor, sensible lawyer providing excellent quality service. Very knowledgeable and reliable and is a delight to work with. Really providing added value and always delivers.’

‘Tom Mercer – first rate public M&A lawyer, very commercial, easy to deal with.’

The team is technically excellent and focused on solving for issues practically and efficiently. I appreciate their ‘always available’ attitude when working globally. Their firm is committed to female partner advancement and that is reflected in the team that I deal with every day, which I appreciate.’

‘Impressive group of excellent partners and associates operating at the highest level of corporate and commercial. Top firm in M&A. Very effective deal team, thoughtful, responsive and excellent quality.’

The Ashurst corporate practice is pragmatic, commercial and always happy to assist.’

‘James Levy is brilliant. He has a great brain and is endlessly supportive, with application that makes some very difficult arguments and concepts understandable. The firm compares very well to magic circle firms in my view and is my choice over most magic circle firms.‘

‘Jon Gale is very strategic  and commercial in his approach. He seeks to get the best economic outcome for us as clients rather than chasing fees. Jon is available at all hours and we really feel like we have his full attention when required‘

‘Tom Duncan is outstanding: unflappable and concise, with excellent judgement. Sophie Law is destined for great things. She is  highly intelligent and diligent, with excellent judgement and wide experience of heavyweight litigation.‘

‘James Levy is an exceptional team leader, has excellent commercial judgement, communicates very effectively with clients, and gets the best from his counsel team.’

‘I have found the litigation team at Ashurst to be first-rate. The team is flexible, receptive, enthusiastic and responsive. This is an example of well-informed and very clever lawyers investing time in my business to understand the key drivers and so provide commercially-orientated and useful advice as opposed to “legal” advice – very much a part of our team. overall estimates of costs are always safe to reply on and flexible payment arrangements help.‘

‘Excellent blue chip firm who provide a premier service.‘

‘Nigel Parr. A simply outstanding black letter law competition lawyer. If he doesn’t know it, it isn’t worth knowing.’

‘The Ashurst international arbitration team is first-class.‘

‘It has a considerable and highly impressive track record for running high-value, complex arbitrations in various forums and a variety of different industries.‘

‘They are highly responsive and deliver a high-quality product quickly, efficiently and without fuss. They are the full package: effective, user-friendly and cost effective.‘

‘Extremely detail-oriented, well prepared and thorough.‘

‘The practice possesses not only the core knowledge of arbitration and arbitral institutions, and insight into key players, but also brings very strong industry expertise to the table.‘

‘They work very effectively as a team.‘

‘Matthew Saunders stands out, in particular for his industry expertise and strong strategic sense. He is at the top of his game – focused, highly effective, credible and clear.‘

‘Myfanwy Wood is deeply impressive. She is tremendously intelligent, utterly unflappable and always able to see the wider picture. She invariably takes a solution-orientated, commercial approach which – together with her legal nous and ability to smooth out stressful situations – inspire complete confidence in her clients. With her extensive experience in big-ticket international arbitrations, I would recommend Myfanwy without hesitation to any client with a complex, high-value international dispute.‘

‘The team is very easy to work with and, in particular, Rebecca Servian. They work with us in a supportive manner and are open to our concerns to find the best solution. ‘

‘Rebecca Servian is a standout among her peers and a real pleasure to work with. She is a skilled lawyer who understands the requirements well. She is more importantly able to engage with us as a client and understand our commercial needs. Rebecca is collaborative, responsive and always willing to listen to our priorities and perspective.’

‘Responsive to urgent request for assistance/advice.’

‘Helen Burton is excellent.’

‘An experienced seasoned team with good cross-European coverage.’

‘The team’s strengths are collaboration, responsiveness, experience and knowledge, with particular emphasis on the consistent hands-on approach on the part of the partners.’

‘The team has a real client focus and an innovative approach to corporate insolvency.’

‘The team is always ready to find constructive solutions to difficult problems.’

‘Giles Boothman has developed a very collaborative style and works well with other advisors to get deals done.’

‘The knowledgeable and professional Giles Boothman has a clear focus on delivery for the client and has taken the time to understand our needs to provide excellent and supportive advice and counsel. He is very commercial and thinks creatively.’

‘Drew Sainsbury is engaging and communicative.’

‘Olga Galazoula is knowledgeable and responsive.’

‘Impressive cross team collaboration within the firm, without ever losing our lead point of contact. Flexible and genuinely engaged in what we are doing as a business. Proactively shares experience and insight that is useful for us to have as we progress and encounter new issues.’

‘David Futter – very practical and understood the landscape well – helped to even the playing field for us in terms of a start up dealing with more established entities. Technically very strong.’

‘The team was knowledgeable in the funds space and able to break down tricky concepts to all stakeholders at our end. They were helpful in negotiating a tricky agreement and also providing industry insight and guidance despite limited direct precedent for the arrangement in question.’

Nicola Hopkins was very easy to work with and always made herself available, even at short notice and with very tight timescales.’

‘Strong team, with excellent understanding of our needs (both in connection to the firm and the fund platforms).’

‘ Nick Goddard is able to provide feedback both ways with objective of providing excellent service across a range of different ‘products’.’

‘Our contact is Eleanor Reeves. Ellie is an absolute diamond and has a fantastic ability to disseminate complex issues but still deliver solutions that are understandable and on the tailored level required for the client. She is a real asset for our organsation.’

‘The environmental team at Ashurst is small but well led by Eleanor Reeves. They have good depth and breath of knowledge on environmental matters and  are able to provide good value and timely advice. They are just as good on discrete technical matters as on transactional matters.’

‘Eleanor Reeves is knowledgeable and proactive. She provides practical advice on complicated legal matters, always with an eye on the commercials. She also provides tailored legal updates on topics that she thinks may be appropriate to our business. She is also very personable and easy to work with.’

‘The team provided comprehensive and thorough advice to my organisation. Extremely thorough in spotting issues beyond the initial brief and drawing them to our attention. Performed well in negotiation and provided pragmatic advice to us in order to resolve potential roadblock issues.’

‘Great open book strategy that allows experts to step in and provide insight they are then able to back up, ensuring that the client receives the best possible advice.’

‘Eleanor Reeves shows great personal attention to key issues, which allows decisions to be made quickly. James Nierinck has an open approach to new issues and provides very close client support when required.’

‘Eleanor Reeves clearly stands out for her intelligence, clear thinking and strategic focus. She is also a very good team leader and team player. She is abreast not only of the current law but also of draft legislation and policy so as to be able to think ahead and plan accordingly. She is always polite, but firm, and resolute without being inflexible when dealing with the other side in a dispute. I regard her a star performer and have had no hesitation in recommending her to others.’

‘One of the best real estate finance teams.’

‘We love working with the team. Great group.’

‘The team are particularly strong and lead from the front. Great deal management and understanding of what needs to be done. Clear, confident advice from with minimal partner visibility required due to confidence in the team.’

‘Sarah Watkinson is excellent.’

‘Ashurst are a formidable litigation firm. In pensions litigation, they rely on their heavyweight commercial litigators, who collaborate with John Gordon for the provision of expert pensions input.’

‘Ashurst have always provided us with a very high quality service.’

‘Team is led by John Gordon, who has over time proved more than capable of dealing with the intricacies of the many varied issues we have asked him and the team to consider.’

‘Ashurst has a strong HY team who are very adept at responding in a very agile manner to developments or changes in the company’s requirements. They have delivered on a number of levels over the past year including running a successful consent solicitation process and managing a complex litigation from a small number of noteholders.’

‘It is a small and new practice but the partner, Anna-Marie Slot, has experience form her previous role at White & Case.’

‘They are very good at understanding the complex requirements to support delivering a solution that works best for all parties.’

‘The team is hardworking and dedicated to achieving the desired outcomes and objectives. The work was resourced appropriately with the right amount of partner involvement and very bright associates doing the day-to-day work. ‘

‘James Levy is smart and leads his team well. He is good at managing the client relationship.’

‘An up-and-coming team with great ambitions and lawyers who know what they are doing.’

‘Highly competent, fast responsiveness.’

‘Ruby Hamid, who co-leads the global investigations group, has real strength in depth and hands-on criminal law experience.’

‘I have worked with Ruby Hamid who is dynamic, technically strong and imaginative. Ruby brings huge energy, drive and enthusiasm to her matters, which makes it a pleasure to work with her.’

‘An experienced team knowledgeable across a range of asset types and situations. Worked with them on a series of asset disposal processes.‘

‘Don McCombie is an excellent operator.‘

‘A wealth of experience in IP matters, suitably robust when a matter requires it.‘

‘David Wilkinson is extremely experienced, flexible in his thinking, personable, generous with his time, practical and understands his clients.‘

‘The IP practice under the leadership of David Wilkinson has considerable depth and breadth of expertise enabling them to handle the biggest and most complex matters.‘

‘David Wilkinson is a very professional, tough and an effective negotiator.‘

‘Don McCombie is young and up and coming. One to watch. Supremely intelligent and knowledgeable, great with clients and a pleasure to deal with.‘

‘Impressive in terms of turnaround speed. Advice received to date has been concise and effective.‘

‘Good value for money.’ 

‘Ashurst Singapore practice – I have had the pleasure of working with professionals from the Ashurst Singapore office on a number of high-value Oil & Gas industry transactions. I find their team have excellent market knowledge, are highly committed and highly skilled in preparing and negotiating agreements and supporting the client in delivering value. The key Ashurst people I have dealt with are more than just lawyers, they are an extension of our team. I have also had experience working with other firms and across the table from other firms. I have found the professionals at Ashurst represent the best I have seen in oil and gas.’

‘Prompt and precise legal advice from the partner Daniel Reinbott.’

‘Dan Reinbott is experienced in the energy industry and provides solid practical advice in addition to helping with legal issues.’

‘Dan Reinbott is a highly regarded Partner in the Singapore office. I have worked with Dan on a number of transactions including LNG terminal use / inter-user agreements, LNG SPAs and time charter parties. Dan is very knowledgeable and persuasive and I have seen first hand his delivery of significant value for clients. Dan is also a very easy going and hard working committed individual.’

‘One of the best lawyers I have worked with. Jessica Ham is a committed Counsel in the Singapore office. I have worked with Jessica on several LNG SPAs and her work is always first class. Jessica displays a great understanding of her clients’ requirements and commitment to delivering quality advice and agreements. Jessica is very impressive in negotiations, quietly and effectively explaining the position of her Client to support the achievement of quality results for her clients.’

‘Priya Shah is a Senior Associate in the Singapore office. I have had the pleasure to work with Priya on terminal use agreements. Priya is highly articulate and demonstrates great depth in her practice areas. A very impressive individual, focussed on quality and commitment to delivering on client’s requirements and demonstrates the capacity for breaking down complex concepts into concise, clear drafting.’

‘The firm has depth of members of various seniorities, from partner to trainees, which the firm deploys efficiently to work on various aspects of a project financing simultaneously when necessary. This enables the firm to tackle various work streams at the same time, enabling the financing to close as soon as possible.’

‘David Wadham and David McCormick respond very quickly to my requests for advice on complex issues. Their advice are also well thought out and presented in a concise and well-articulated manner.’

‘Mark Barges has the great advantage of being both a lawyer under French law and a solicitor under English law, which allows him to have a broad understanding of the subjects and specific issues according to the laws applicable to our contracts.’

‘Mark Barges is responsive and close to his clients.’

‘I am pleased with the level of service provided by Tom Longmuir and his team. They get the job done.’

‘Tom Longmuir is always on hand to help and I can count on him for his reliability and dedication to the case.’

‘It is a very good team and has everything from Corporate to disputes covered, all by excellent lawyers.’

‘Alexis Rosenberg and Jessika Colthurst are both good associates.’

‘Ashurst is uniquely positioned as a mid-cap focused international law firm, with hands-on execution commitment by senior partners. Less costly as compared to large international firms.’

‘I know their partners well both in London and in Tokyo. Hiroyuki Iwamura is a Japanese senior partner based in London. I don’t know any other law firms that have a Japanese lawyer in London, apart from short-term secondees. Also, they have a senior partner from Australia in Tokyo who speaks perfect Japanese.’

‘Very professional attitude and 24/7 access, for international projects a perfect bridge between the different business cultures.’

‘They work on a very high level of precision, they are always accessible and 100% reliable. They are very solution-oriented without losing focus on details.’

‘Ashurst team is very capable to deal with Japanese clients knowing unique corporate culture. They took lead legal discussion with the counter party in very reasonable and efficient manner.’