Firm Profile > Bates Wells > London, England

‘BWB team combines flawless technical knowledge of charity law with superb interpersonal relationships. The lawyers are the lead experts who also understand the power and importance of knowing their clients and their needs intimately‘.

‘BWB has a truly stellar reputation and happily is able to live up to this. The name is constantly mentioned when discussing leading practitioners in the space, and the individuals making up the team are all recognised in their own right for the work they do and the advice they give‘.

‘Philip Kirkpatrick has provided us with fast, professional, intelligent and responsive advice and is supported by an excellent team‘.

‘Rosamund McCarthy is without a doubt the best there is. She combines her expertise with compassion and an unrelenting focus on the specific needs of her clients. And this never falters despite being under extreme pressure‘.

‘Thea Longley is really, really well-respected‘.

‘Abbie Rumbold- I found her friendly, approachable and knowledgeable. Most importantly, she was able to break down complex information and positions so it was understandable‘.

‘Stephanie Biden is thorough, hardworking and efficient. She provided well-considered and imaginative advice and support’.

‘Luke Fletcher is genuinely excellent –  he is pragmatic and reasoned and a particularly likeable guy too‘.

‘Laura Soley is bright and astute, but also brings pragmatism and a strategic approach in providing her legal advice and in working with us to find solutions – often against challenging deadlines and policy contexts‘.

‘Laurence Simanowitz and Erica Crump adopt a constructive, pragmatic and problem-solving approach‘.

‘William Garnett provides superb support and service, which is highly practical and solution orientated. He always goes the extra mile to ensure that his customers get the desired outcome.’

‘The Bates Wells team is widely acknowledged as being the go-to firm for public sector and charity law issues. Their expertise and knowledge is reliable and this is because of their vast experience in this area.’

‘Simon Steeden is a real expert on campaigning and electoral law in the UK. Simon has done  a lot of pro bono work too and did not hesitate to lend his expertise to the broader social sector by leading a team to produce a series of campaigning guides to help activists understand how to run campaigns legally.‘

‘The practice has this year acquired the regulation team of Penningtons Manches, which has consistently provided a partner-accessible, partner-hands-on, user-friendly, efficient, proactive and knowledgeable service to its clients‘.

‘The team always makes itself available – even when under pressure – to talk through the options, risks and best approach, and it always makes clients feel included and consulted’.

‘Nicole Curtis and Geoffrey Hudson have a wealth of experience in the field of professional regulation, enabling them to identify what is important in a case and exactly how all the elements of a case should be managed‘.

‘Melanie Carter and senior associate Claire Whittle are both extremely astute; they mix legal ability with superb client care‘.

‘A class act in public law that provides intellectual strength and a high quality of service‘

‘A team of intelligent and efficient communicators‘

‘The team applies very strong strategic thinking to each case‘

‘Melanie Carter has many years of public law experience and is an acknowledged leader in the field‘

‘Alistair Williams is calmness and efficiency personified‘

‘Melanie Carter is a fantastic lawyer and her experience is second to none. She is incredibly client focused and committed to delivering a good service, which flows through to the rest of the team‘

‘Melanie Carter is a star in the field. She is bright, approachable and very well regarded‘

‘Emma Dowden-Teale, Claire Whittle and Joanna Howard are efficient, proactive, approachable and friendly‘

‘Emma Dowden-Teale has strategic judgement beyond her years‘

‘Melanie Carter combines an encyclopedic knowledge of public law with an approach rounded in the practicalities and realities of judicial review‘

‘This is a highly responsive, knowledgeable and solution-orientated team, offering a highly personalised service across a broad range of services.’

‘The team has the ability to think both creatively and pragmatically around an issue and provides an excellent service, however large or small your organisation, and how large or small the matter.’

‘Excellent knowledge and advice, given in a pragmatic and helpful way. Quick understanding of the circumstances of a case. Very good at crafting an argument in a convincing way and thinking outside of the box.

‘The team takes time to get to know the client, to be able to provide tailored and commercially relevant advice.’

‘Personalised care and support from start to finish.’

‘Lucy McLynn is excellent; extremely knowledgeable and skilled, whilst also being pragmatic, supportive, and the ultimate professional.’

‘Paul Seath is excellent – he provides timely advice; always pragmatic and clear.’

‘William Garnett has an honest, no-nonsense approach, spelling out the impact clearly on the different options. He is truly passionate about your case.’

The team is very understanding and personable.

Tom Pratt takes his time to explain situations and advises in the most helpful way possible.

Erica Crump has a particularly pragmatic yet rigorous approach and makes the client feel like an essential part of the team.

The team is very responsive and flexible, with high levels of skill and finesse in approaching complex issues and ensuring swift resolutions.

The team is reassuring and supportive.

The team is professional, expert, efficient and a pleasure to work with.

The partners are always available and the junior staff are of a very high quality as well.

Erica Crump runs an excellent team; she cuts though and simplifies complex issues.

‘Mathew Healey and Rupert Earle make a phenomenal team: both are valued advisers as well as being practical, responsive and commercially minded.’

‘The entire team provide outstanding advice, expertise and dedication. It feels like Rupert Earle and his team are an integral part of the brand‘

‘Rupert Earle is a brilliant mind, strategic and calm under pressure. He knows the industry inside out as a regulator and we are able to count on his team at Bates Wells to consistently provide excellent service and results.’

‘The team has expertise and wide experience in a specialised field of local audit law, covering all aspects of Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014 and the associated regulations. I find that the staff at BWB understand what we need from them and provide us with advice rather than replaying to us what we have told them.’

‘A strong commercial team led by an excellent partner in Mark Tasker‘

‘The corporate team at BWB is a very slick operation. There are no weak links and they all seem to operate with huge commitment and enthusiasm‘

‘Mark Tasker is a brilliant operator and clients love him.’

‘David Davies is an excellent lawyer and very good at working out complex matters.’

‘Matt Gearing is one to watch – he shoulders a huge workload and provides an excellent service to clients in managing deals. He is also bright and calm under pressure‘

‘They have an excellent understanding of the charity sector and the risk management factor for trustees so their advice is tailored accordingly. They are pragmatic and do not take unnecessary points on drafting issues.’

‘Karli Hiscock and Tom Allen are the stand-out individuals. Their understanding of the charity sector makes transactions run pretty smoothly. They keep us well-informed of progress.’

‘Jamie Huard has a thorough grasp of our complex issues and is able to think beyond the immediate question and propose robust solutions.’

“The sports team at Bates Wells Braithwaite have excellent knowledge of charity and not for profit sector.”

‘The team are passionate about third sector and deliver on challenging topics with empathy.’

‘Thea Longley is exceptional’

‘Thea Longley delivers consistently in a principled and professional way. Thea and her team are excellent in doing what is asked of them, and not looking to enforce or charge where not necessary – proportional and professional support.’

‘The corporate and commercial team is very personal in a professional way’

‘The team is familiar with the business they advise in and their approach is hands-on and prompt’

‘They respond quickly and professionally with sound and practical advice’

‘The attention to detail and the promptness of responses are outstanding’

‘The associates are exceptional’

‘You will get a fantastic high-quality service at a time span and rate that is kept well in sight’

‘The speed at which the team turns around work is remarkable’

‘The practice as a whole was able to handle all our legal requirements and the interdepartmental communication they have seems to be wonderfully set up’

‘Responsive, flexible, commercial and the appropriate amount of risk adverse’

‘The team put the client first and give practical advice on how to resolve an issue or dispute – sometimes that means not taking the legal route but taking instead a more commercial or hands-on approach to achieve the same outcome’

‘Richard Marke is very creative in his advice. He is pleasant to work with and always very responsive. He is known for his international network’

‘Anna Przewoznik is very detail focused but not at the exclusion of the bigger picture. She takes the time to understand the business, the contract requirements and the client’s place in the wider machine and thus is able to tailor contracts’

‘The team has the ability to think both creatively and pragmatically around an issue and provides an excellent service, however large or small your organisation, and how large or small the matter.’

‘Excellent knowledge and advice, given in a pragmatic and helpful way. Quick understanding of the circumstances of a case. Very good at crafting an argument in a convincing way and thinking outside of the box.

‘The team takes time to get to know the client, to be able to provide tailored and commercially relevant advice.’

‘Personalised care and support from start to finish.’

‘Lucy McLynn is excellent; extremely knowledgeable and skilled, whilst also being pragmatic, supportive, and the ultimate professional.’

‘Paul Seath is excellent – he provides timely advice; always pragmatic and clear.’

‘William Garnett has an honest, no-nonsense approach, spelling out the impact clearly on the different options. He is truly passionate about your case.’

Philip Trott is a stand-out partner; he is incredibly knowledgeable and is very good at understanding the needs of the business and advising accordingly.

Chetal Patel expertly, promptly and pleasantly deals with all enquiries.

If you are serious about UK immigration, you have to have Philip Trott on your team.

The team has a deep understanding of the requirements of the immigration rules and guidelines, as well as practical experience on how the Home Office assesses cases and responds.

Chetal Patel is extremely helpful, efficient and supportive.

The team are almost instantly responsive and it has a focus on client service.

The lawyers are very competent, well-disposed and responsible.

Matthew James’ work ethic and attention-to-detail is excellent; he is highly professional and pleasant to deal with.

Katie Dilger is very efficient at grasping the complexity of a situation.

Tim Barnden is committed to doing his best for his clients.