Firm Profile > Bates Wells > London, England

‘Bates Wells has tremendous strength in depth. They are thought leaders’

‘Philip Kirkpatrick goes to the heart of the matter. He is a pleasure to deal with. He avoids inessentials, and is as close as you can get to the ideal charity legal adviser‘

‘It provides a seamless service in supporting in-house legal practices to achieve their intended outcomes, and adopts a can-do approach to help resolve problems and overcome hurdles to that end. The advice and approach is always strategic, pragmatic, accessible, engaged and insightful – and advice is delivered promptly’

‘A top-flight charity team, with the ability to navigate the fast-changing regulatory environment. Advice is always a sensible mix of practical and technical. The individuals with whom I work are able to take complex issues and explain them in practical ways to lawyers and non-lawyers alike‘

‘Rosamund McCarthy and Simon Steeden are professional, knowledgeable, proactive and approachable. They are leaders in the charity law field’

‘It has a massive team that has charity work is in its DNA. Luke Fletcher does a superb job on social investment work. Abbie Rumbold is highly professional, direct and honest, and has a thorough comprehension of charitable law‘

‘Thea Longley has an ability to make difficult things as straightforward as possible. Authoritative, pragmatic, reassuring, approachable and diplomatic – even fun!‘

‘Laura Soley is truly exceptional and an absolute delight to work with. A real credit to the firm. Impressive technical knowledge; constructive, pragmatic and strategic in approach; always accessible and responsive; and always instils confidence in clients with her professional competence and measured and personable approach‘

‘Lawrence Simanowitz is imaginative and brilliant’

‘Pippa Garland is thorough, clear, timely and helpful‘

‘Approachability, friendliness, understanding of the charity sector – the team offers political thinking as well as legal expertise and the ability to explain complex legal issues to non-lawyers.’

‘The team provides a real personal service, with senior team members maintaining hands-on involvement in case management, developing a detailed understanding of particular clients’ needs and ways of working, always being accessible and communicating with clients themselves directly, so as to establish relationships that involve long term client loyalty to an extent I have not experienced with any other firm of solicitors.’

‘Very responsive, collaborative approach to work.’

‘Professional discipline work has, in recent years, come to be very much driven by cost – essentially driven by regulators looking to get a job done at the lowest possible price (almost regardless of the quality of process and outcome). Bates Wells Braithwaite’s team manages to square the circle, and take a very efficient but also very effective approach to disciplinary matters.

Melanie Carter is an experienced and excellent partner – her experience as an advocate and also as a professional disciplinary decision-maker allows her to have a very well rounded view of matters.

Claire Whittle is a very good assistant solicitor.’

‘I have considerable experience of the work of Melanie Carter who heads up the practice. Rigorous, clever, committed and engaged. I certainly would recommend her.‘

‘We work primarily with two interlocutors. Nicole Curtis is a consummate professional, never fazed by a challenge, comfortable with complexity and able get to the heart of the matter, and quickly. Her advocacy is impressive, she is able to present a case such that the key evidence is readily digestible to a panel of lay and professional members of varying experience. Neil Wilks is highly competent and supports Nicole with case preparation, including taking statements often from young and vulnerable complainants and witnesses. Neil quickly gains the confidence of such individuals and his work is hallmarked by being thorough and incisive.’

‘Real expertise and experience, very good client care.‘

‘The team comprises excellent senior lawyers. They have wide experience and are particularly strong on regulatory and health care issues. They are probably the strongest third sector team in England.‘

‘The team’s major strength is the leadership provided by Melanie Carter, who is a powerhouse of the public law world. She brings valuable experience, including from her previous life as a central Government lawyer, and harnesses a real love for the law to drive and deliver for her clients. I consider this team to be one of the few competitors which has a genuine, dedicated and talented public law offering.‘

‘A very well-established team with a range of skills and areas of expertise.‘

‘Melanie Carter really understands issues from the client’s perspective, tremendously hard working and excellent at communicating issues at senior/board level.‘

‘Melanie is extremely able, hugely experienced and very calm under pressure. She has an extremely broad public law background and is very strong local government law, particularly local government auditing work.‘

‘Emma Dowden-Teale is a very effective public law litigator.‘

‘Alistair Williams is an up-and-comer. Diligent and bright, he will go far.‘

‘The team is really excellent at client handling, in terms of managing the difficulties of engaging in unexpected and unwanted litigation. The team is very good at providing pragmatic and efficient advice. From what I have seen, they are very accessible to their clients.’

‘Emma Dowden-Teale – partner, very knowledgeable and experienced. Very good at devising a pragmatic way forward in a difficult situation.’

‘Good, solidly pragmatic advice combined with very fast, responsive and efficient legal representation.‘

‘Mark Tasker is very good.  He takes a very pragmatic and fast moving approach. I have been working with him for years on over a dozen transactions and I have always had a positive experience with him. I recommend him without reservation.‘

‘Strong knowledge in the mid-tier market including in relation to smaller, regional deals. The firm is able to quickly bring together a multi-disciplinary team to execute deals quickly.‘

‘Mark Tasker is pragmatic and understands the sector well meaning that he is able to provide advice that is suitable for getting smaller deals done quickly and efficiently. Mark is easily accessible and very responsive with quick turnaround times.‘

‘Bates Wells have an excellent corporate team. Their strengths are client service, technical ability and excellent project management on deals.‘

‘Stephen Callender is excellent in adapting to the business needs and sometimes working with a low amount of guidance. He is a trusted and ideal partner for our in-house legal team.‘

‘Bates Wells are excellent in making their work accessible to a creative industries audience and keeping people with all levels of experience engaged in the workshops they have conducted for us. They always provided significant resources resulting in one of the smoothest services we have experienced in organising such events. Their expertise on IP and immigration is comprehensive and considerable attention is paid to the practical implications of the law for creative organisations as well as the latest developments.‘

‘Wonderfully supportive, always timely with an outstanding breadth of knowledge.‘

‘Erica Crump has been fantastic – she is personable as well as being sharp as a tack and dedicated to what she does, clearly having a passion in the arts.‘

‘Well balanced, experienced and capable team. Always available and prompt responses.’

‘William Garnett was exceptional and provided a great level of pragmatism, challenge and support. Regardless of seniority it is always daunting to be dealing with a very large PLC. William displayed a huge degree of confidence and experience when negotiating with them. At all times I felt as if my case was important to him and he was seeking to achieve the best outcome for me. He also considered the broader situation to ensure there were no loopholes which could impact on me in the future. He had the skill and experience to recognise when to challenge very hard and when to be very cordial during the negotiations. He kept me fully informed at all times. Ultimately I got the outcome I was seeking, without jeopardising my relationship with the company.’

‘A dedicated friendly team.’

‘William Garnett is a proven, renowned expert in employment law. He is able to see the issues surrounding the application of the law in the context of a client’s circumstances and therefore provide very clear purposeful advice. Employment issues are invariably complex so this skill is key attribute. It enables client to act and make decisions in a purposeful and informed manner. This in turn leads to good outcomes.’

‘Bates Wells has the best understanding of local government of any law firm I have encountered in my 20-plus years in the sector. The depth of the teams’ specific industry knowledge is exceptional.’

‘The team brought to the table an amazing amount of experience and breadth of knowledge. The team was friendly, patient, and efficient and always had someone to ask if they were unsure of a particular point.’

‘Each individual team member had their own specialist area and brought that experience to the table, having the experience of actually transforming a council team into a public service mutual gave us confidence. Individuals knew the pitfalls to look out for and were able to guide us through this complex process.’

‘They have unparalleled knowledge of the local government legal environment and insight on Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014 and the application of the related regulations.’

‘Melanie Carter provided an excellent service and was readily accessible for discussing issues and help with scoping to minimise the call on the public purse.’

‘Melanie Carter is very well-informed and steeped in the sector.’

‘The team are the sector experts in local government and the go-to firm for all our queries. Their work is something that you can rely upon! I would highly recommend them.’

‘Melanie Carter is an expert in her field. She is extremely approachable, her work is easy to understand and her advice is always robust and insightful. Her team is dependable, accessible and knowledgeable.’

‘Rupert Earle has been consistently excellent. He has always been available to advise fully regardless of the hour or the day. This is an area where specialised advice from someone who also knows how the press operate (not just the law) is of paramount importance. Rupert’s advice is practical  and strategic – focusing on the end game and guiding a client on how to work with and not necessarily against the media. It’s particularly helpful that he knows the players in media and thus can adapt advice accordingly, including when an investigative journalist is involved – it’s certainly not a case of one size fits all.’

‘Rupert has provided rock solid advice on handling disputes with investigative journalists that reach the Information Commissioner’s Office, including candid views on the strength of a case and how to position cases depending on their strength. In an area in which few of us possess serious experience and there are so many traps for the unwary, it’s invaluable to have Rupert on your side. Rupert is very good at ensuring that his advice is tuned to how the client thinks and would be prepared to act, as well as explaining alternatives and the consequences of each.’

‘I have worked with Mark Traynor on a number of complicated charity transactions over more than a decade and wholeheartedly recommend him. His abiilty to understand and simplify issues and find practical, simple solutions is outstanding.’

‘Malcolm Headley is very experienced and avsafe pair of hands. He has a really effective non-confrontational style when negotiating with the other side.’

‘When you engage the real estate commercial property team at Bates Wells you know that the individual assigned to your case will deliver work that is second to none. Additionally, you know that there is a whole team of other partners and associates who can provide additional support as required.’

‘Mark Traynor is super-efficient, very knowledgeable and great to work alongside.’

‘Jamie Huard is extremely helpful and supportive, he takes time to understand what we are doing as a charity and takes an interest in our work, and not just the legal side of things, and he is proactive in his approach and doesn’t just wait for us to contact him.’

‘Tony Cartmell and Jamie Huard are approachable engaging partners; they are not afraid to go beyond mere legal expertise and “tell it like it is” which only industry experience and knowledge can provide.’

‘Karli Hiscock was excellent in dealing with our lease.’

‘Maisie Ireland,  Jamie Huard and Karli Hiscock have all made our commercial property experience a positive one. It feels like the team has the same ethos and approach – which is to be accessible, to carefully and fully explain things, to make recommendations based on both best practice and our specific context, and most importantly to listen.’

‘Victoria Hordern and her team fully understand the context in which professional regulatory and public sector bodies operate. The team are quick to respond to queries and are excellent at providing advice on short notice, when required. From a management perspective they stick to estimates in terms of costs and times and consistently meet deadlines. As a client you feel that they are very much alongside you in the handling of a matter, not just an external adviser.’

‘The BW team have an excellent understanding of data protection and security that they are able to translate in to practical and proportionate advice. Very reliable and down to earth.’

‘Data privacy laws are extensive and complex, this team is extremely well informed and willing to remain practical about the applicability of the law while ensuring that the policies are appropriately adjusted for the organisation with which they are working.’

‘They have excellent knowledge of FoIA and its application, completing a detailed analysis of an organisational structure to identify whether FoIA applied to us.’

‘Victoria Hordern, Partner, is an exceptional data protection and privacy lawyer, who consistently provides solution focused, pragmatic advice which is nuanced to the specific circumstances of the client. She is responsive, helpful, professional – a true trusted adviser and a pleasure to work with.’

‘Victorian Hordern is extremely knowledgeable of the GDPR requirements and how each measure should be applied within an global company.’

‘Experts, very quick and target oriented.’

‘Available and strongly appreciated by clients.’

‘Knows how to identify the real issue, sees beyond the issue and offers an well-adapted and long-lasting solution.’

‘The team is very responsive, focused on my questions and issues with a collaborative approach, very efficient.’

‘We have had a long and fruitful relationship with the team, which is responsive, communicative and very professional. We can always rely on the accuracy and thoughtfulness of the advice.’

‘It is a large practice offering a wide range of legal services but at the same time it is friendly and accessible, with easy and direct access to the partners and all the staff.’

‘William Garnett demonstrated a complete desire to comprehend the technical as well as the moral reasoning behind my need for legal advice.’

‘William Garnett is exceptional. He is very knowledgeable, helpful and robust; he clearly keeps abreast of the changing legal environment and provides up to the minute analysis and advice.’

‘The trade mark team works as a responsive and cohesive unit in support of our varied needs. They are very experienced in international affairs and have a broad reach through their extended network in overseas territories.’

‘Catharina Waller and Mat Healey are our go-to trade mark attorneys. They are very experienced and knowledgeable and, importantly, they condense and communicate complicated subject matters so that we, as lay people to this specialism, can make sensible and well-informed decisions.’

‘The team at Bates Wells provided a very thorough trade mark service. They were also proactive and diligent in staying in touch and seeing our various trade mark applications through to the end.’

‘Catharina Waller was very thorough in her work and her advice on which trade marks to secure and how to surmount hurdles was clear and accurate. Furthermore, Catharina explained complex information clearly and was easy to speak to on the phone.’

‘I have worked mainly with Catharina Waller and her team for the past year and there hasn’t been a time where I had to chase for updates/outcomes. The services provided are consistent and timely. Great client service.’

‘The PATMA team is unique in that the team are able to appreciate the subleties of trade marks and when no action is the best action. I feel confident that I can talk through the options and that all aspects are being considered, not just those that will incur more fees.’

‘Mathew Healey is particularly strong. He is technically very knowledgeable but also has a sense of humour which is a big help.’

‘They understand our brand and our business and have tailored their service approach to us accordingly – they actively engage with us.’

‘Courteous, professional, considered and supportive.’

‘The team are reputable, professional and knowledgeable.’

‘Catharina is very responsive, flexible and clear in her communications.’

‘We find that Bates Wells are very practical, respond quickly, and are experts in their respective fields.’

‘Mat Healy understands our needs and tailors his advice accordingly. He doesn’t just advise on the law but on what steps to take in given situations.’

‘The team are extremely knowledgeable in working with sports bodies and clubs on real estate matters. They are well balanced in terms of the expert areas and distribute the work accordingly. Each lawyer I have dealt with is accessible and always willing to dedicate the necessary time to a matter, in a cost effective way.’

‘Jane Lougher is a fantastic lawyer with great attention to detail. Jane also provides a real commercial understanding to her advice, providing solutions rather than questions.’

‘Rebecca Rider is a diligent lawyer who provides timely and accurate advice on often complex matters. Rebecca is a pleasure to work with and always makes the time to understand the full facts of a matter to be able to provide the best advice.’

‘Thea Longley is compassionate and motivated to support charitable sectors, and is an excellent sounding board on governance.’

‘William Garnett and his employment law team at Bates Wells have consistently delivered pragmatic advice that takes a balanced view between the strict letter of the law and the practical realities of business situations. The team have helped me with a number of contentious issues for the last 10 years and the outcomes have always been satisfactory. They are accessible and available at (virtually!) any time, which is particularly helpful given that events often develop a timetable of their own!’

‘All of the lawyers, from partner to associate, have provided excelled support to my business. If I had to single out one member of the team it would be William Garnett – he has consistently provided first class advice, and has always been available at short notice as events have unfolded. His predictions of how things may end up have been unerringly consistent – he provides advice with an eye to the endgame and business needs.’

‘They are very willing to work in a collaborative matter and help us understand the nuances of the law, while remaining practical to what makes sense for a small organization.’

‘They are extremely well prepared and knowledgeable, but can also acknowledge when anything is outside of their scope of expertise and are able to quickly liaise with colleagues internally to gather perspective on the best approach forward.’

‘A very quick turnaround on all work which in a lot of employment cases is required. The advice is always very commercial which helps your make decisions .’

‘William Garnett is an employment lawyer who can very quickly understand the situation you have within your firm. He is very sensible and practical with his advice in the commercial world versus the law.’

‘The team provides very pragmatic advice and is very strong technically. They go the extra mile to really understand their client, how they work and what they care about to provide practical and tailored advice. Very nice people too!’

‘Paul Seath is excellent. He combines a wealth of experience with keen pragmatism.’

‘William Garnett is always available and very responsive, giving clear pragmatic and robust advice. He assimilates information exceptionally quickly and understands the business context of both the problem and the solution. William effectively removes any emotion from challenging situations, and is my ‘go to solicitor’ for any senior and complex employment issue. my secret weapon!’

‘There is definitely something special about this firm. Extremely pleasant and well rounded lawyers with a bit of personality, not just a bunch of City lawyer cadavers. They really care about your mission and the cause and have been a pleasure to work with. Really responsive for litigation and advisory work – highly recommended.’

‘Paul Jennings is a complete rock-star. Lightning quick mind, commercially astute, very responsive and definitely the person you want in your corner.’

‘The Bates Wells team is well recognised as being at the forefront of immigration law and practice. The firm’s immigration practitioners are highly knowledgeable about the law and apply their practical skills and experience to achieve unrivalled results for their clients. The team’s legal expertise and efficiency is coupled with an approachable style and tactical savvy that is the envy of other firms in the sector. If I had an immigration matter I would go to Bates Wells.’

‘The immigration team at Bates Wells is simply the best in the UK. Top notch.’

‘Philip Trott’s experience in this sector was key to the ultimate success. Particularly in the early stages he was generous with time and put in the effort required to understand the special circumstances of our situation.’

‘I have found working with Chetal Patel particularly refreshing – she is proactive and responsive and provided the necessary support to complete our exercise.’

‘Tim Barnden’s reputation as one of the most experienced and knowledgeable practitioners in this specialist area is well deserved. He is a pleasure to work with and achieves results that elude many other practitioners.’