Longmores Solicitors LLP > Firm Profile

About us: Longmores is a progressive firm of specialist solicitors renowned for its professional yet personal service that has been advising businesses and individuals for over 200 years.

We help individuals and families to buy and sell homes, resolve disputes, with employment related issues, divorce, relationships and children issues, and with their wills, trusts and inheritance matters.

We work with businesses across numerous industry sectors from smaller enterprises to market leaders on all aspects of their commercial matters including property, company and commercial, disputes, employment and rural land.

Our history: Much has changed since Longmores was founded in 1819.  Our values and our approach to our work with clients have not.

We continue to pride ourselves on our legal expertise.  Clients tell us that they value our common sense, commercial, no-nonsense approach; they also value our clear, concise advice and the fact that we make practical recommendations rather than simply reiterate the law.

They also like the robust manner in which we negotiate on their behalf and how we present their case when it comes to litigation.  They know that we seek to avoid the cost, distraction and risks of litigation where we can, through the use of alternative approaches such as mediation, so long as that will likely secure the best outcome possible for our clients.

When it comes to non-contentious work our clients say they like the fact that we focus on the outcomes that matter to them and that we communicate proactively and effectively.  That means that they understand how things are progressing at every stage of our work with them and can make informed decisions on their options if choices need to be made.  These characteristics are simply part of the way we do things across the firm.

Although the geographic reach of our work is greater than it was some two centuries ago, we remain involved in the community of the Hertfordshire area.  Our leading lawyers have always made time to give back, through public service and in other ways.  Charles Elton Longmore, a descendant of our original founder, served as Chairman of the County Council for over 35 years.  In 1914 he was also made President of the Law Society, representing the legal profession across England and Wales. Other partners have served the community as county coroners, judges and elected officials.

Our hardworking spirit has been passed on from generation to generation.  It is perhaps best typified by Bertie Cull, who joined the firm aged 14 in 1905. During World War II, he kept Longmores afloat almost single-handedly with clients always forefront of his mind.  An article in the Hertfordshire Mercury praised his extraordinary efforts, saying that “Bertie would work daily from 8am until after midnight. He did this seven days a week, and every week for six years”.

Today, whilst we aspire to continue in the tradition of solicitors like Charles Longmore and Bertie Cull, our Joint Senior Partners, Chris Pease and Richard Gvero, lead a modern and progressive firm of experienced solicitors.  Many join us because they feel that they can make a real difference for our clients and because they value our culture of client service and practical, intelligent delivery of real professional expertise.

Types of work undertaken
Commercial property: all aspects of commercial property transactions including acquisition and disposal of business premises, property development agreements, promotion and option agreements (including overage), business leases and landlord and tenant advice.  The team has a specialism in dealing with rural land transactions.

Company commercial: acting for corporate and commercial clients across numerous industry sectors. The firm’s expertise includes business sales and purchases; mergers and acquisitions; company formations and reorganisations; joint ventures; shareholder agreements; share buybacks; share option schemes; commercial contracts; software licensing, IT service and outsourcing agreements; intellectual property; partnerships and LLP agreements.

Dispute resolution: most aspects of commercial litigation (and some private litigation) are undertaken. The team has higher courts advocacy expertise and includes a mediator and an arbitrator. Specialist experience of search orders and other emergency remedies is offered. The team has significant expertise in matters involving the recruitment industry.  The firm also have a Property Litigation department of specialists dealing with property disputes acting for landlords, tenants and developers.

Employment: the specialist team deals with all aspects of employment law, contentious and non-contentious, and provides comprehensive support for HR departments. It also specialises in post-termination restrictions and TUPE. The team has developed a niche in the recruitment and education sectors.

Family: advising clients on divorce and separation, pre and post nuptial agreements, cohabitation agreements, dissolution of civil partnerships, financial provision, protective injunctions and child related disputes.  The team work with other solicitors within the firm on issues such as tax, trusts and company law and has access to a network of experts outside the legal field.  The solicitors are members of Resolution.

Private client: acting for individuals, including those with business and agricultural interests, providing advice on inheritance tax planning, wills, trusts and powers of attorney as well as the administration of estates and charitable giving.  Within the team are solicitors specialising in issues affecting older and vulnerable people such as Court of Protection matters, care funding decisions, issues around capacity and Lifetime Trusts. All the solicitors are full members of STEP (Society of Trust & Estate Practitioners).

Property Litigation: Across-the-board property law expertise with a depth and breadth of knowledge that few other firms can match. Advising on commercial, residential and rural property, the team also has a particular speciality in block management. Typical clients include management companies, managing agents, commercial landlords and tenants, investors, developers and rural landowners.

Residential property: specialist residential property solicitors with broad experience dealing with all kinds of properties, ranging from listed buildings to new builds.  The team helps clients with buying and selling homes, remortgages, holiday and buy-to-let investments, disputes, shared ownership and transfer of equity.

Rural Land: Acting for clients including businesses, farmers, investors, owner-occupiers, high net-worth individuals, and estate owners.  The team advises on a range of rural land matters including freehold acquisitions and disposals, option and pre-emption agreements, overage clauses, commercial leases, sale and purchase of farm land, and the purchase of unregistered land.

Lawyer Profiles

Photo	Name	Position	Profile
	Polja Atkins	CILEX Associate specialising in leasehold enfranchisement and property litigation generally.	View Profile
	Michael Budd	Michael joined Longmores in 2020 as Partner and Head of Company Commercial.	View Profile
	Helen Bunting	Helen is a commercial property solicitor and advises businesses and individuals on…	View Profile
	Tracey Dargan	Tracey Dargan is a Partner and Head of the Divorce and Family…	View Profile
	Bernard Flanagan	Bernard is a Solicitor specialising in Wills, Trusts, Inheritance Tax Planning, Probate…	View Profile
	Charles Fraser	Charles is a Senior Solicitor and is Head of the Older and…	View Profile
	Hayley Grantham	Hayley is a Solicitor, specialising in Property Disputes. She acts for a…	View Profile
	Richard Gvero	Richard is Joint Senior Partner, Head of Commercial and Head of Employment.…	View Profile
	Kerrie Hall	Kerrie is a Senior Solicitor in the team and has over 18…	View Profile
	Richard Horwood	Richard is a private client partner and head of practice area specialising…	View Profile
	Thomas Knight	Thomas joined the Company Commercial team at Longmores in 2019 as a…	View Profile
	Alastair Liddiard	Alastair is a Partner who specialises in Inheritance Tax Planning, Administration of…	View Profile
	Lauren MacKenzie	Lauren is a Senior Solicitor specialising in Dispute Resolution and mediation. She…	View Profile
	Agata Marosz	Agata is a commercial property solicitor advising a wide range of clients…	View Profile
	Miranda Mulligan	Miranda is a Solicitor specialising in Employment, advising both businesses and individuals on…	View Profile
	Chris Pease	Joint Senior Partner and head of the residential conveyancing practice area.	View Profile
	Victoria Sandberg	Victoria is a Partner at Longmores and Head of the Rural team.…	View Profile
	Rina Sond	Rina is a Company Commercial partner specialising in Intellectual Property. She deals…	View Profile
	Rachael Spalton	Partner and head of the commercial property practice area. Rachael has extensive…	View Profile
	John Wagstaffe	John became a Partner in 2020 and is Head of Property Disputes.…	View Profile
	John Wiblin	Head of Dispute Resolution team. A solicitor-advocate,  Californian attorney and (now non-practising)…	View Profile
	Victoria Wood	Victoria is a Solicitor in the Older and Vulnerable Client team. She…	View Profile
	Nathanael Young	Nat is a senior Solicitor in the Dispute Resolution team, specialising…	View Profile