Moore Barlow > Guildford, England > Firm Profile

‘Great team – really got to understand our business and what is important to us, to be able to advise us and help us with decisions where they counted.’

‘Deep market experience in IT commercial transactions mean that familiarity with the business models, language etc. is a significant strength. The team are partner led with excellent team interaction so they work cohesively. Fair and understandable fee structure with high low estimates and cost waterfalls are helpful. This is important as fixing costs does not work out.’

‘Corporate and commercial – very practical, Strong technically and they get the job done.’

‘I work regularly with several of the corporate partners (on mutual clients) all of whom are very high caliber individuals. A couple of specific mentions: Peter Jefferey has a sharp mind and commercial acumen; he quickly gets to the route of client issues and is highly capable in solving them. David Bright is hugely personable and adept in delivering pragmatic advice in terms a lay person can readily understand.’

‘They are friendly and accessible. They speak plain English and translate complex legal drafting into something we understand. Peter Jeffery is the absolute stand-out lawyer here, he is incredibly smart, charming and efficient. He is also great fun to work with. High praise that is well due.’

‘Roger Bailey – extremely responsive, very pragmatic and easy to deal with – feel assured that our risks are covered.’

‘Peter Jeffery is outstanding for good practical advice which is technically well supported. Thomas Clark is good too.’

‘Moore Barlow provides the complete professional organisation in terms of HR advice and all other disciplines both in terms of business and personal matters. There fee structures are acceptable for the quality of service which is provided in a friendly manner.’

‘David Ludlow is the consummate professional who deals with our queries and instructions with advice in a friendly forthright manner at all times.’

‘Friendly and approachable. Sound advice.’

‘Excellent team. Solid advice.’

‘Varied team with a high level females as well as men. Talent is recognised and promoted within the firm. Engagement terms are clear and well set out and truly feels like a close knit team that work together concisely.’

‘Rebecca Chaplin and Heather Dobson are professional, courteous and highly recommended. Work adheres to legislation but commercial viewpoint is always considered and fees are transparent, fair, reasonable and cost effective to the client. Goal posts are never moved and clients are informed at all times.’

‘I highly rate Moore Barlow. They have excellent solicitors whose technical knowledge is very good and their fees are very good value for money vs the quality of the advice received. I would have no hesitation in recommending Moore Barlow to clients.’

‘Heather Dobson is a joy to work with. Technically excellent, pro-active and commercial. Rebecca has assisted me on various matters and has always been able to work to tight timescales and deliver under pressure. Friendly personality and easy to work with.’

‘Good technical knowledge and very approachable / commercial.’

‘Very detailed knowledge of a highly technical area, good analysis, realistic, commercial approach and extremely hard-working. A pleasure to work with.’

‘Heather Dobson is extremely knowledgeable, committed, very approachable with an excellent analysis of client’s position.’

‘The restructuring team is approachable, reliable and willing to take a commercial view on fees.’

‘The team show very good knowledge of client needs, careful and considerate handling of clients in distress, clear advice and guidance through the litigation process for clients.’

‘The lawyers I work with in this practice have empathy for their clients and the situations they find themselves in, the understand the need to take time, to help clients adjust their expectations and to appreciate that legal cases often cannot progress as quickly as clients wish.’

‘Working with Moore Barlow is always a pleasure. Cases are always prepared thoroughly and their knowledge of the sector is second to know, particularly in relation to finding the right team for each case, be that counsel or experts.’

‘Enhanced by the merger of two great firms, this is now a market-leading claimant PI/clin neg firm in the south of England. Helen Goatley is a force to be reckoned with. The firm are very good at bringing on juniors and nurturing the partners and leaders of the future.’

‘From my very first meeting with Victoria Jones I was confident in her knowledge of Cauda Equina cases and the realistic perspective she provided regarding the merits of my claim. Victoria’s command of the detail of my case was exceptional and at every stage I felt comfortable with her advice, she showed compassion and understanding for the trauma caused by my injuries and the lasting  effects upon my life. My claim was a complex one with no guarantee, but Victoria took her time working in a highly professional and diligent manner which resulted in us reaching a successful settlement.   Typically claims of Cauda Equina take upwards of five years, Victoria managed to reach a settlement in just over four years. Victoria has helped to change the course of my life and I will be eternally grateful to her and the support of the many expert health professionals.’

‘Excellent team with depth of legal knowledge and client care.’

‘This team’s strength lies in its diversity, but that is not at the expense of competency. Although members of the team hail from a range of backgrounds, each can be relied upon to progress a case to their client’s best advantage.’

‘Matthew Claxson – mild-mannered but uber-resilient, Matthews displays total dedication not only to the cause of his clients (for whom he works as hard as it takes to get great results) but also to the solicitors’ profession at large.’

‘A specialist partner-led firm, which has a strong department focusing on rural and agricultural property.’

‘Partners are strong communicators with well-informed, decisive yet practical advice.’

‘A strong, responsive and empathetic team with a good understanding of their client’s business.’

‘They strive to create a personal relationship with a detailed understanding of their client’s business.’

‘Diverse team. Well established. Works very well with other departments in practice.’

‘My experience of the team is that they provide clear, practical, moral and realistic advice. They were able to look at a serious and difficult safeguarding report my church had received and provide advice.’

‘Adam McRae-Taylor dealt with the majority of the work in our case. He was exceptionally accessible, and he provided clear, structured and well reasoned advice. It is not an exaggeration to say that his help shaped our church for the better and has helped us deal with a very difficult and sad situation.’

‘We used Moore Barlow for a charitable organisation’s restructure during the midst of the pandemic and were delighted by their responsiveness then and their familiarity with the legal and financial territory. Their team work was great – we got continuity and level of staff seniority appropriate to each stage of the process.’

‘The individuals we worked with were knowledgeable and genuinely interested in our charity and its unusual beneficiaries’

‘First class knowledge and very commercial/pragmatic. Extremely easy to work with.’

‘Exceptional knowledge. Giving extremely useful advice. Very quick responses – almost always the same day.’

‘We have been delighted with the service we have received from the charities team at Moore Barlow. The team have supported us on a range of matters, including establishing a trading a subsidiary, support with collaboration agreements, governance advice, and copyright advice. They have an excellent approach to customer service combined with really strong expertise in the charity sector.’

‘We have worked closely with George Shepherd and Gordon Reid, both of whom are extremely professional, reliable, approachable, and highly knowledgeable in the charity sector and related matters.’

‘This is a very good southeastern firm for clients who do not want to spend London firm money but want to get the same quality.’

‘Scott Taylor is a practical and effective litigator, who champions his clients’ cause very strongly.’

‘Tom Middlehurst – proactive, enthusiastic and focused.’

‘They have a strong group of solicitors who practise predominantly in this area – their expertise and experience makes them stand out.’

‘Thomas Middlehurst is excellent. I feel like I am working as part of a team with him, rather than just having one brain on the job. He is very astute and comes up with good legal arguments. I know he is also very quick to respond to his clients.’

‘Moore Barlow are a go-to firm for contentious trusts and probate. Headed up by Scott Taylor, the team is experienced in complex contentious probate litigation and offers a first class service. Clients can feel confident in this legal team.’

‘Scott Taylor is a shrewd litigator. He is intelligent and approaches his cases with a strategic mindset. He also has a wonderful demeanour with clients and provides excellent client service. Emily Travell is very smart. She is also practical and dynamic in her approach. Definitely one to watch.’

‘Graham McLean has impressive attention to detail and is client-orientated.’

‘Quick and thorough response to all questions – sensible use of junior staff for less critical questions.’

‘Debra Emery and Jenny Wigginton gave excellent advice and looked after my best interests throughout.’

‘The team is always keen to ensure they look after their clients. They are well organised and prepared. They are a safe pair of hands.’

‘Strength in depth. A major player in the South East. Good client relations. Hard working and thoughtful. Very thorough.’

‘They have a highly collaborative ethos between the lawyers and the availability of a wider range of knowledge is a real benefit to clients.’

‘Joanna Farrands is highly responsive, creatively minded and not afraid to deliver pragmatic advice to clients in high value financial remedies cases while going “toe to toe” with City firm opponents who are used to deploying aggression as a tactic.’

‘Mandy Spring – wonderful. Pragmatic, empathetic and knowledgeable.’

‘Victoria Walker moved heaven and earth to enable us to help us and was then available at very short notice during the hearing itself. Her commitment was unwavering.’

‘Jo Farrands is a great collaborative lawyer and really works hard for her clients. Mandy Spring has just been made a partner. She is great lawyer and is easy to speak to if you are in the other side to try and resolve things amicably.’

‘Jan Galloway’s attention to detail is fantastic. She has a client centric approach and brings in all necessary expertise to ensure the best outcome for the client.’

‘Moore Barlow is a firm that knows what it does and does it well.’

‘Farm partnership law combined with taxation knowledge.’

‘Philip Whitcomb is in a very small elite in the UK who can advise across farm partnership issues and taxation.’

‘Philip Whitcomb is a reassuring and practical expert on landed and agricultural families.’

‘The team’s focus on our needs and responsiveness makes it feel like we have in-house legal counsel. We have several active matters at any one time, and they have worked with us to develop continually-improving management systems to ensure everyone is up to date with what is happening.’

‘Moore Barlow has a great commercial litigation team that specialises in financial services work and group litigation and has some very robust litigators, with good experience in insolvency and professional negligence work as well.’

‘Claire Haverfield is a very robust litigator and very commercial. Mark Osgood is an expert strategist and fantastic with colleagues, clients, and opponents alike.’

‘Good strong experienced team who are accessible, knowledgeable, flexible in their approach and a natural extension of our business – we work in partnership.’

‘I have recommended Claire Haverfield of Moore Barlow to clients in the past and will continue to do so. She is a very strong, confident litigator who stands up for the client every inch of the way. She is extremely efficient, always on top of the detail and is genuinely dedicated to obtaining the best result for the client. She does not shy away from litigating when necessary and is never afraid of taking a point to court or letting the judge decide. She is super-bright and very capable of understanding complex technical materials – in my experience ranging from computer code, to engineering, to share valuation to points arising on the law.’

‘Sarah Watley & Susie Marsh are partners that lead from the front and far more accessible than other firms’ partners worked with. Very knowledgeable, clear communicators, sound advice, flexible and people you really want working for you, not against you!’

‘Claire Haverfield is a standout litigator.’

‘They go above and beyond what one would expect from any legal team. They are quick to respond and will leave no stone unturned in order to get the result needed.’

‘They take a personal interest in each case they deal with, which makes it possible for them to get a holistic view of the situation. This extra interest helps them provide the best possible service.’

‘All I can say is that I found Moore Barlow to be the most efficient, helpful and trustworthy firm of solicitors I have ever dealt with. I was very impressed.’

‘Moore Barlow LLP have a very good understanding of the nature of our business, our client contractual terms and how best to engage with our customers regarding debt recovery.’

‘The team at Moore Barlow LLP have proven to be responsive, efficient and very diligent in following up the cases we bring to them.’

‘Our success rate in dealing with debt recovery is due largely in part to the efforts of the team at Moore Barlow LLP.’

‘The individuals have proven to provide comprehensive advice and support. They are not afraid to speak to our clients directly in order to get resolution on debt recovery matters.’

‘Moore Barlow are adept at dealing with claims on behalf of lenders, high net worth individuals and businesses. They have innovative funding and case management mechanisms and are experienced in group actions.’

‘Mark Osgood is a great strategist and fantastic with clients and opponents alike, and also a real team player internally.’

‘Andrew Reid is extremely bright and good at using technology to assist the presentation and progress of claims.’

‘Claire Haverfield is a robust and tough litigator who gets clients’ commercial objectives.’

‘Esther Millard is lovely to work with and very able.’

‘The team are very professional, friendly and approachable.’

‘Tim Adams is approachable and provides high levels of client service.’

‘Very sound, able and sympathetic lawyers.’

‘City service at regional rates. Helpful, friendly and willing to go that extra mile to help when needed.’

‘I worked with Moore Barlow on two separate matters. I was very happy with them as they were very professional and efficient. I can’t praise them high enough.’

‘Jo Farr represented me during the transactions. I was very impressed by her effort. She was happy to answer all my questions clearly as I found the whole process very complicated. The whole team was responsive and extremely professional.’

‘Richard Hughes and Callum Leary have learned intimately what makes our company tick, so we can trust them to negotiate actively on our behalf and our best interests. For a company like ours that is used to in-house legal in the rest of Europe, giving such trust can be a big ask, but Richard and Callum have very much earned this.’

‘I find Moore Barlow LLP to be extremely professional, knowledgeable and efficient. They are always available to answer a query or question, and do so promptly, which in turn gives me great confidence in them as a firm.’

‘I have worked with both the Real Estate Team and the Insolvency & Restructuring Team and they are both very competent teams with a wealth of knowledge and experience. Both teams are good, safe pairs of hands that can be relied upon.’

‘Great strength in depth. Very responsive, diligent and on top of the detail.’

‘Chris Marsden runs a good team.’

‘Susannah Marsh has been excellent – professional, knowledgeable and friendly and exactly the sort of individual you would like working with.’

‘John Warchus is our point guy at MB and he is an exceptional adviser to our business. John blew it out of the water and showed supreme intelligence.’

‘It’s the combination of response times, the reduced fee retainer, the level of integrity, the consistency of service, and the ease of doing business. We have no problem with recommending MB to anyone, including Legal 500!’

‘They have overall diverse skills across the sectors so it’s like a one stop shop.’

‘John Warchus is involved in every piece of our technical legal requirements.’

‘John Warchus is a knowledgeable, amenable, and thoughtful lawyer. He was very pleasant to work across from and works in a collegiate and collaborative spirit.’

‘Karen Barham is the only mediator I use at MB, but she always appears on my recommended list of mediators sent to clients to select. She is innovative, not shy in dealing with confrontation and above all, successful’.

‘Moore Barlow is a great team – particularly Karen Barham and Jo Farrands’.

‘Karen Barham is an excellent mediator, particularly for high conflict couples. Mari Magnussen has also assisted clients in a calm and supportive way where feedback has been positive’.

‘Karen is an extraordinary talented mediator, valued across the family law industry. She brings charm, patience and wit to her work. This year she managed an extraordinary difficult situation to a successful conclusion – despite obstacle-generation that would have tested a saint’.

‘Karen Barham is absolutely at the top of the DR tree!’.

‘Karen Barham is exceptionally experienced, knowledgeable and her gravitas radiates’.

‘Karen Barham is passionate about non-court dispute resolution methods, and she has campaigned for a better way for several years’.

‘Karen Barham is very experienced, endlessly helpful and flexible and innovative in her mediation practice. She is also a delightful person’.

‘We moved to using Moore Barlow after a successful reorganisation piece of work which was handled with sensitivity and careful practical planning. Questions and queries are answered in a very timely manner and meetings held in person where possible.’

‘We have a close and strong relationship with both contacts at the firm who have dealt with HR issues at our school. They are quick to respond and clear in their explanations on what is possible and and not possible. Ben Collingwood and Adam McRae-Taylor are always personable in their approach and helpful with honest and practical solutions.’

‘Excellent service in assisting us though an employment consultation. First time using Moore Barlow and looking to move further work over based on our experience.’

‘A well balanced and dependable team, who provide a wealth of sound advice. They are friendly, customer-focussed, understand the sector and have good insight into the business side of a charitable independent school. They deliver good value and consistently high quality advice.’

‘Ben Collingwood quickly grasps complex issues and reduces them to their essential components without over simplifying. He is responsive and gives clear, sound advice. Gordon Reid is dependable and solid, giving a great, reliable service. Adam McRae-Taylor has always reliably and successfully guided us though the complexities of employment law.’

‘Broad and detailed knowledge and experience within the team. A one-stop shop for all education/charity issues. Prompt response to any issues and always willing to help or recommend someone who can.’

‘Professional, quick to respond, relevant experience, pragmatic.’

‘All I can say is that those who have given advice and prepared documents went beyond the usual effort to make sure that everything ran smoothly.’

‘Mark Lucas and Matthew Devine have been and continue to be exceptional at listening to the complex and making it simple and easy to deliver. At the same time, they leave no stone unturned to ensure that we are well covered for all eventualities. I want to know that we can trust our legal team to look after our best interests without continual oversight and I can honestly say that over multiple transactions the level of trust built by Mark and Matthew’s outstanding professionalism makes them ‘go to’ people for our business and well-trusted and valued partners.’

‘Very pragmatic and user-friendly – explain things in easy to understand manner.’

‘A strong team, with highly commercial partners and associates. Always prepared to think laterally to achieve the best outcome for the client. Brings all the tactical sense of a major London firm at highly competitive rates. Always a firm I recommend.’

‘Moore Barlow has an excellent team with good partners with very diligent support staff. They provide a first class litigation service which I have no hesitation in recommending.’

‘David Foster – a first-class litigator. Brings a sharply commercial instinct, along with a creative verve to devise the best strategy to resolve disputes. Always a great pleasure to work with.’

‘David Foster is a stand out solicitor. He has considerable experience and is very good with clients.’

‘Rachel Hetherington – a rising star; Rachel is always totally on top of the details and has good tactical sense. A great pleasure to work with.’

‘Excellent technical knowledge combined with an empathy and understanding of their client’s business and objectives.’

‘Responsiveness, gravitas but all combined with a personal relationship.’

‘Skilled, knowledgeable, and collaborative team. Easy to work with. Good communication.’

‘Nicholas Endean is very knowledgeable in community care issues, caring, and an excellent communicator.’

‘We dealt with Nicholas Endean. He was extremely knowledgeable and approachable.’

‘Very professional and outcome focused. Displayed a good partnership dynamic, working successfully with a separate, adjacent legal team. Very accessible and responsive.’

‘My main dealings were with Nicholas Endean. He was flexible enough to take on board the ideas and knowledge of others, whilst still maintaining a clear and authoritative “direction of travel” for the case. Abundant specialist knowledge and firm, meaningful advice at the critical stages. Very sharp analysis of case material and effective communication with client. Highly competent.’

‘They are accommodating and have very good communication. They want to get to know your business to truly help you.’

‘A uniqueness of Moore Barlow is the personal, small company approach, but a highly professional, seamless service provision of a large firm. In particular, they have a strong focus on entrepreneurs nurturing their business ideas into commercially successful reality. They have the ability to match the right partner with the client.’

‘Dorothy Agnew is a superb lawyer with a significant breadth of knowledge and experience. Her ability to provide very clear and practical advice as well as her technical understanding and interaction and engagement with clients is second to none.’

‘Client-centric in the highest order. I’m not a legal guy and they really support me with their really smart people who are able to offer professional, kindly offered and patient lay-man’s translations of what we need to know!’

‘John Warchus is on speed dial. John has taken the time and trouble to get to know our business well. He has saved us a lot of money over the years protecting our interests. Quintin Farley works for John, he’s great and does most of our day to day work now, smashing chap, quick and efficient.’

‘A diverse knowledge across the team.’

‘The best one who has helped us in this area when it comes to contracts is John Warchus because he takes what we are trying to achieve and make it straightforward without complicating it.’

‘Moore Barlow is client-centred. They are only interested in what the client needs rather than what they have to sell.’

‘Our initial conversation with the firm was handled with the utmost care and respect. Throughout the process Mala Sidebottom and the team were very supportive and communicative, taking extra care to better explain processes and paperwork.’

‘Mala Sidebottom was extremely supportive during my claim, and attentive throughout. We would like to thank her and her team again for all of their hard work and dedication.’

‘Mala Sidebottom – I enjoy working with her, she knows her stuff and is good with clients.’

‘Mala Sidebottom brings her medical experience to her work.’

‘Moore Barlow have the willingness to take on difficult cases and pursue them with great skill, in particular, by the allocation of the best-suited lawyers to the challenging claims.’

‘For me, the outstanding individual is Anne Cassidy. There is no better forensic approach found in clinical negligence than that provided by Anne. She explains truly complex medical issues in terms that clients can understand, and pursues cases that other lawyers would not even start.’

‘Mala Sidebottom is very communicative and approachable. She constantly actively thinks about cases, and keeps everything under review.’

‘Anne Cassidy is brilliant: tenacious, with a great forensic mind, she knows the medicine inside out and really pushes to achieve the very best result for her clients.’

‘The lawyers have given excellent advice with great diplomacy and understanding’.

‘A strong understanding of both the industry and the client’s businesses. Always keen to understand their clients’ businesses and objectives. Attentive and responsive. A true personal relationship and they feel part of our wider team’.

‘We have dealt almost entirely with Edward Whittington. He has given us exceptional advice and support dealing with potentially combustible family relationships‘.

‘Anita Symington. She is the perfect, rounded, solicitor for this type of work. Approachable, can explain the most technical points in plain English, focused on outcomes. She has unparalleled experience in agricultural work‘.

‘I have used the team for a number of property purchases and disposals. Their communication and availability around some fairly nuanced issues were exemplary’.

‘They have been excellent in listening to the challenges faced and respond to the actual question with great clarity and transparency of the options with great summaries of the advantages and risks of each path. It has been a refreshing experience as this has kept timeframes manageable and rework to a minimum‘.