The Legal 500

East Midlands: Dispute resolution

Commercial litigation: elsewhere in the East Midlands

Commercial litigation: elsewhere in the East Midlands - ranked: tier 3

Langleys Solicitors LLP

Langleys Solicitors LLP acts for commercial and private clients and demonstrates particular strength in contentious trusts and probate work; shareholder, partner and director disputes; and professional negligence claims and construction disputes. Practice head Graeme Stenson has niche expertise in relation to noise nuisance and the granting of planning permissions for wind turbines. He also handles intellectual property disputes and judicial review matters.

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East Midlands: Finance

Insolvency and corporate recovery

Insolvency and corporate recovery - ranked: tier 3

Langleys Solicitors LLP

Langleys Solicitors LLP handles personal and corporate insolvency instructions, acting mainly for local and national insolvency practitioners. Practice head David Tonge, who is adept at assisting with contentious and non-contentious work, is the key practitioner. Samantha Gray joined peer-to-peer lending platform ThinCats.

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East Midlands: Human resources

Employment

Employment - ranked: tier 4

Langleys Solicitors LLP

Langleys Solicitors LLP’s core expertise lies in the education sector, where the team handles a broad spread of work with a strong litigation component that includes whistleblowing and discrimination claims, grievance procedures, senior executive exits, and unfair dismissal claims. It also advises on TUPE procedures and provides corporate support. Practice head Kate Hindmarch advised Taylor Motor Group on the employment aspects of the acquisition of a car show room, assisting among other issues with the TUPE process. Other clients include Lincoln College Group, Greenzone Waste Management and Link Education Trust.

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East Midlands: Insurance

Personal injury and clinical negligence: claimant

Personal injury and clinical negligence: claimant - ranked: tier 3

Langleys Solicitors LLP

Langleys Solicitors LLP’s ‘extremely competent’ team has a clear focus on clinical negligence with a varied caseload that includes maximum severity cases alongside lower-value matters.  Practice head Andrew Cragg, associate Helen Rundle and associate chartered legal executive Helen Murphy, who is experienced in personal injury matters, form the heart of the practice, with Cragg’s recent work including a seven-figure cerebral palsy claim concerning sub-standard birth management and the successful settlement of a cauda equina syndrome case involving misdiagnosis. Additionally, Cragg settled a claim for a client who had suffered a dislocation of the hip because of a failed total hip replacement surgery. Former partner Sally-Ann Robinson works as a consultant for the firm.

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East Midlands: Private client

Agriculture and estates

Agriculture and estates - ranked: tier 1

Langleys Solicitors LLP

Langleys Solicitors LLP’s expertise covers agricultural tenancies, minerals leases, and sales and acquisitions of land and easements. Practice head Françoise Vandale handles options and leases in connection with wind farms and a broad spread of utilities and telecommunications work at the intersection with agricultural law. David Wood specialises in inheritance tax and capital gains tax advice, including deeds of variation of estates as well as gifts and leasebacks of chattels. Andrew Fearn is now a consultant.

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Family

Family - ranked: tier 1

Langleys Solicitors LLP

Langleys Solicitors LLP's matrimonial and childcare units handle a comprehensive range of family law matters, from divorce and cohabitation cases to public and private law cases regarding children, with public law instructions forming the bulk of the caseload. Other areas of strength are instructions pertaining to domestic violence, pre- and post-nuptial agreements, as well as mediation and collaborative law.  'Highly capable family lawyer' Emma Lawler, practice head John Conlon and Alison McGowan are the key figures. Recent work includes a divorce case involving a business and assets in the US and France, and a case involving a child who had suffered head injuries while in foster to adopt placement.

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Personal tax, trusts and probate

Personal tax, trusts and probate - ranked: tier 2

Langleys Solicitors LLP

Langleys Solicitors LLP’s ‘very knowledgeable and efficient’ team is experienced in inheritance tax advice and succession planning, acting primarily for farmers and owners of landed estates, but also has a strong track record in assisting with issues pertaining to trusts and estates. Inheritance Act claims, probate claims, and proprietary and promissory estoppel claims are other key areas. David Wood and Amy Allison jointly head the practice, which includes Amanda Voakes, whose specialisms include elderly client work, and senior associate and Court of Protection expert Lisa Gray. Andrew Fearn  is now a consultant.

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East Midlands: Public sector

Education

Education - ranked: tier 3

Langleys Solicitors LLP

Langleys Solicitors LLP combines ‘outstanding service’ with ‘exemplary legal knowledge’. Academy conversions make up the largest part of the caseload, but the team is also experienced in education-specific employment work and investigations by local authorities. Practice head Kate Hindmarch recently led advice for the Humber Education Trust on the establishment of a new twelve-school multi-academy trust, involving a mix of existing academies, community schools and a private finance initiative school. Property specialist Peter Horner impresses with ‘fantastic advice’.

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East Midlands: Real estate

Commercial property: elsewhere in the East Midlands

Commercial property: elsewhere in the East Midlands - ranked: tier 2

Langleys Solicitors LLP

Langleys Solicitors LLP has particular strength in mixed-use development work, but also handles mandates relating to student housing, commercial and residential investment and landlord and tenant work. Key figures include practice head Peter Horner, who is also a notary public, and the ‘excellent’ Sarah Miles. The practice recently advised Intuitive Standard on the transfer of a property portfolio into a limited company and acted for Melbourne Holdings on the purchase of two office blocks as investment properties, including one fully let with a telecoms mast. Jackson & Jackson Developments, Thames Ambulance Services and The University of Lincoln are additional clients.

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