Firm Profile > Boyes Turner > Reading , South East

Boyes Turner
ABBOTS HOUSE
ABBEY STREET
READING
RG1 3BD
South East

Email firm Visit website 0118 959 7711 0118 957 3257

Clinical negligence: claimant Tier 1

Boyes Turner's 'extremely well-thought-of clinical negligence team' is led by Susan Brown and skilfully handles the full spectrum of matters ranging from cerebral palsy and brain injury claims to high-value complex medical negligence cases. Richard Money-Kyrle deals with high-value matters and is particularly proficient in cases involving cerebral palsy and birth injuries. Julie Marsh has expertise in claims involving cauda equina syndrome, which form the bulk of her caseload, and Vanessa Wand manages obstetric and birth-related injuries.

Leading individuals

Susan Brown - Boyes Turner

Richard Money-Kyrle - Boyes Turner

Rising stars

Julie Marsh - Boyes Turner

Vanessa Wand - Boyes Turner

Commercial property: Thames Valley, Berks, Oxon, M4/M40 Tier 1

Boyes Turner leverages specialist practitioners in complementary areas such as planning, construction and dispute resolution. Nick Carter leads the 'very knowledgeable' four-partner team who have 'outstanding capabilities' in commercial and residential development, technology and real estate finance. Mark Appleton specialises in the purchase, letting and disposal of properties for owners, occupiers and investors, while Derek Ching primarily advises landowners and developers on land development issues, including aspects of site acquisitions and assembly, secured lending to developers (acting for lenders and borrowers), as well as environmental and planning issues. William Nassau-Lake has 'an outstanding reputation' in housing development. Rachel Duncan and Sarah Webb are also recommended.

Leading individuals

Mark Appleton - Boyes Turner

Rising stars

Rachel Duncan - Boyes Turner

Sarah Webb - Boyes Turner

Employment: Thames Valley, Berks, Oxon, M4/M40 Tier 1

Boyes Turner has a strong track record advising technology, telecoms, hospitality and leisure and automotive clients on the full range of employment law issues. Barry Stanton heads the practice and is experienced in handling whistleblowing claims, directors’ misfeasance and in relation to employees’ misuse of confidential information and breaches of restrictive covenants. Also of note are key partners Helen Goss and Michael Farrier for all aspects of contentious and non-contentious matters. Director Laurie Anstis is a specialist of business immigration, equal pay, TUPE and employment status matters. Associates Andrew Whiteaker, Claire Taylor-Evans and Darren Smith are all recommended.

Insolvency and corporate recovery Tier 1

Boyes Turner's insolvency team offers a 'comprehensive' service, carrying out a range of work involving complex contentious and non-contentious insolvencies, often with cross-border elements. Clients include a wide range of insolvency practitioners based nationwide, from both large and smaller practices. Recent work highlights include acting for an insolvency practitioner in a £2m claim in the liquidation of a cash and carry. Phil Smith heads the team and boasts over 20 years' experience as an insolvency lawyer. Chris Branson, who specialises in contentious insolvencies, asset-tracing, fraud and bankruptcies, is another key name to note, as is the 'excellent' Ollie Fitzpatrick.

Leading individuals

Chris Branson - Boyes Turner

Phil Smith - Boyes Turner

Rising stars

Oliver Fitzpatrick - Boyes Turner

Intellectual property Tier 1

Boyes Turner is notable for its cross-border capabilities, working with several US and European firms across both contentious and non-contentious work. A key feature of the practice is its brand guardianship programme, which provides clients with a comprehensive brand protection service and this is combined with its litigation expertise. Practice co-head Bill Gornall-King specialises in the commercial exploitation of intellectual property, while fellow co-head Mark Blunden is the key contact for cross-border matters.

Leading individuals

Mark Blunden - Boyes Turner

Bill Gornall-King - Boyes Turner

IT and telecoms Tier 1

Boyes Turner is a key firm in the Thames Valley market, advising a range of clients from across the technology sectors. The team has a particularly strong track record with clients operating in the data, automotive, fintech, and Adtech industries, and is particularly strong on contract negotiations. Mark Blunden heads the practice, and focuses on the commercialisation of clients' technologies, while licensing agreements expert Bill Gornall-King is another key name at the practice. Sarah Williamson departed the firm for Ashfords LLP in October 2018.

Leading individuals

Mark Blunden - Boyes Turner

Bill Gornall-King - Boyes Turner

Personal injury: claimant Tier 1

Boyes Turner advises clients on a range of personal injury matters, with specialist expertise across the areas of brain and spinal injury. Kim Smerdon is the key name to note in the team, handling large catastrophic claims, brain damage, spinal injuries, and serious orthopaedic injuries. Claire Roantree acts in mild to severe high-value brain injury matters and also has experience in musculoskeletal injury and chronic pain claims.

Commercial litigation: Thames Valley, Berks, Oxon, M4/M40 Tier 2

Boyes Turner acts for individuals and corporate clients alike in commercial and contractual disputes, and boats a strong client roster in the technology sectors. The department has also expanded its offering in property litigation with the hire of Adrian Griffiths from Gordon Dadds LLP in July 2018. Key partner Jonathan Grigg and associates Stephen Baker and Rowan Turrall make up the 'knowledgeable and skillful' team.

Leading individuals

Jonathan Grigg - Boyes Turner

Next Generation Partners

Stephen Baker - Boyes Turner

Rowan Turrall - Boyes Turner

Corporate and commercial: Thames Valley, Berks, Oxon, M4/M40 Tier 2

Boyes Turner is best known for its strong expertise withing the technology sector. Mark Blunden assists technology clients on the commercialisation of their products and services, including outsourcing, licensing, product and brand development, often with an international aspect. Corporate partner Kate Eavis advises life science, biotechnology and software spin-outs. Senior associate Chris Dobson is recommended for M&A transactions in the technology and healthcare sectors. Robert Rice departed to Harrison Clark Rickerbys in December 2018.

Rising stars

Chris Dobson - Boyes Turner

Debt recovery Tier 2

Boyes Turner has significantly bolstered its capabilities in debt recovery with the recruitment of head of practice, Donna Goddard and her team of associates, Natalie Roff and Rachel Brown from BDB Pitmans in late 2018. The practice acts for private and public sector clients and has recently won new instruction from corporate clients in the technology, professional services, construction, recruitment, retail and hospitality and property management sectors.

Media and entertainment Tier 2

Boyes Turner has a strong presence in the advertising and adtech sector, with particular emphasis on media monitoring and data harvesting. Another key sector for the firm is publishing, where it advises clients on commercial and intellectual property matters, including advertising , publishing, and distribution agreements. IP and cross-border work specialist Mark Blunden heads the team, and is notable for his media licensing expertise. Sarah Williamson departed the firm for Ashfords LLP in November 2018.

Property litigation Tier 2

In July 2018, Boyes Turner strengthened its real estate litigation offering by hiring Adrian Griffiths from Gordon Dadds LLP. The department is best known for assisting clients with challenging purchase order decisions, collective enfranchisement work and right-to-manage claims. Elsewhere, the group handles commercial landlord and tenant disputes and dilapidation claims. Associate Russell May works primarily for blue-chip clients and developers.

Education Tier 3

Advising exclusively on SEN and related matters, Boyes Turner is a key firm in the Thames Valley market for individuals seeking education advice. Practice head Laxmi Patel is highly experienced in SEN tribunal cases, and often works closely with the firm's clinical negligence and Court of Protection teams, as well as maintaining close relationships with various SEN charities. The team has undergone some personnel changes recently, with the departure of Janata Ali to Moore Blatch LLP and the arrival of Rachel Allison and Rachel Baxter from Weightmans LLP and an independent practice respectively.

Next Generation Partners

Laxmi Patel - Boyes Turner

Personal tax, trusts and probate: Thames Valley, Berks, Oxon, M4/M40 Tier 3

Boyes Turner’s expertise spans the core areas of wills, trusts and estate planning as well as contentious probate, LPA’s and Court of Protection work. The practice also advises on the specific legal issues affecting elderly and vulnerable clients, including legal implications of moving into long-term care and the funding options, often working in conjunction with the firm’s financial experts. Paul Lowery is the key figure in the Reading-based wealth protection team.

Boyes Turner is one of the UK’s most vibrant and outstanding, full-service regional heavyweight law firms.

The firm: Boyes Turner has built a nationally and internationally recognised specialism in the technology and innovation sector. This is built on the firm’s roots as a leading regional law firm, based in Reading, in the heart of the UK’s ‘silicon corridor’, surrounded by globally innovative universities, and within 30 minutes of central London.

The firm has additional particular expertise in the leisure and hospitality and development and housebuilding sectors, as well as a nationally recognised claims group.

Committed to strong organic growth, the firm is able to use its geographic location to attract lawyers and support staff of the very highest calibre to service a client base which would sit comfortably with leading City and other national firms.

Types of work undertaken: Claims: the firm has a nationally recognised claims group, with solicitors on specialist panels for the Law Society, APIL, AVMA, Headway and Spinal Injuries Association. It has expertise in complex personal injury work and clinical negligence claims, including birth accidents, head injuries and spinal injuries.

Commercial: the commercial group provides advice on agency and distribution strategies, commercial and trading agreements, outsourcing agreements, protection and commercialisation of IP, regulation and competition, joint ventures and partnering, branding, media and marketing law, as well as data protection issues.

Corporate: the corporate group handles UK and cross-border mergers and acquisitions, buy-outs, disposals, joint ventures, partnership law, corporate governance, reorganisations and shareholder agreements.

Dispute resolution: the dispute resolution group is a leading commercial litigation services provider. The group acts for regional, national and international clients covering the full range of dispute services with a focus on the technology and international sectors. All members of the group have individual service specialisms and are leaders in their field, but a common thread is the group’s commitment to excellence in service delivery and a focus on delivering first-class commercial outcomes, whether through litigation, arbitration or alternative dispute resolution methods.

Employment: the employment group provides a comprehensive service tailored to individual clients’ needs on all contentious and non-contentious aspects of employment law and personnel matters. It also provides an HR consultancy service to help businesses cope with some of the more time-consuming tasks which they encounter on a daily basis.

Industrial disease: the firm’s significant industrial disease practice focuses on high-value asbestos-related disease litigation work, recovering maximum compensation for claimants.

Insolvency and corporate recovery: the business support and insolvency group includes a licensed insolvency practitioner and is one of the most highly rated in the UK. It acts for a wide range of clients in a number of industries and works closely with leading accountants and IPs, as well as banks and other professional advisers.

International: Boyes Turner provides advice and assistance on all aspects of inward investment into the Thames Valley and Europe, where the firm’s membership of LawRope provides clients with high-calibre, pan-European legal advice. It also assists its international clients by project managing cross-border transactions.

Private client: the firm advises high-net-worth individuals on wills, inheritance tax planning, probate and trusts.

Property: the property group has substantial experience of all aspects of commercial property work, including landlord and tenant, land development and sales, as well as construction and environmental issues. Notably, it has its own dedicated planning team. It also offers residential conveyancing services.

Department	Name	Email	Telephone
Corporate	Kate Eavis
Clinical negligence	Susan Brown
Commercial property	Nick Carter
Construction	Rowan Turrall
Dispute resolution - property	Adrian Griffiths
Corporate recovery	Phil Smith
Debtco	Jonathan Grigg
Dispute resolution – commercial	Jonathan Grigg
Dispute resolution – property	Jonathan Grigg
Education	Laxmi Patel
E-commerce	Mark Blunden
Employment	Barry Stanton
EU and competition	Bill Gornall-King
Housing associations	Derek Ching
Industrial disease	Kim Smerdon
Intellectual property	Bill Gornall-King
IT	Bill Gornall-King
Personal injury	Kim Smerdon
Private client	Paul Lowery
Property development	Derek Ching
Property finance	Mark Appleton

Photo	Name	Position	Profile
	Mark Appleton		View Profile
	Mark Blunden		View Profile
	Chris Branson		View Profile
	Susan Brown		View Profile
	Nick Carter		View Profile
	Andrew Chalkley		View Profile
	Derek Ching		View Profile
	Kate Eavis		View Profile
	Michael Farrier		View Profile
	Bill Gornall-King		View Profile
	Helen Goss		View Profile
	Jonathan Grigg		View Profile
	Paul Lowery		View Profile
	Ruth Meyer		View Profile
	Richard Money-Kyrle		View Profile
	William Nassau-Lake		View Profile
	Laxmi Patel		View Profile
	Claire Roantree		View Profile
	Kim Smerdon		View Profile
	Phil Smith		View Profile
	Barry Stanton		View Profile