Porter Dodson LLP > Taunton, England > Firm Profile

Porter Dodson LLP
THE QUAD, BLACKBROOK PARK AVENUE
TAUNTON
TA1 2PX
England

Employment > Employment: Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire Tier 2

With a focus on care and medical sector clients, Porter Dodson LLP's team is active in standalone employment matters. It also frequently works closely with the firm’s corporate and commercial property teams to support clients across a broad-range of issues, such as grievances, transactions, and TUPE business transfers. Yeovil’s Sarah Young leads the team jointly with Laura Roper in Taunton.

Practice head(s):

Sarah Young; Laura Roper

Other key lawyers:

Kate Shawcross

Testimonials

‘They give clear concise advice that is commercially considered.’

‘Straightforward advice that is easy to understand and make decisions based on.’

‘I have found Kate Shawcross to be proficient and very numerate with complex Schedules of Loss.’

‘Sensible and pragmatic advice. Work well together as a team.’

‘Easy to talk to and explain things well.’

‘We have used the services of Porter Dodson since 2011. They have, and continue to be supportive, professional and key in our ability to be effective employers. Their knowledge, experience and advice have supported us through some difficult matters with positive resolutions.’

‘Portor Dodson has strength-in-depth as a team. They communicated well with us and kept us updated clearly and explained issues in a way that provided clear options to be considered.’

Key clients

Toolstream Limited

AJ Wakely & Sons

Pitt Godden & Taylor LLP

Summerfield Developments

David & Charles Limited

AH Warren Trust (Holdings)

Oakfield Academy

DB Foods

Meyers Group

Tone Valley Service

Coneygar Lodge

Taunton Road Medical Centre

Preset Calibration

Somerset Landscapes

Quantock Vale Surgery

Cranleigh Gardens Medical Centre

Grove House Surgery

Polden Hill Vets

Work highlights

  • Advised AH Warren Trust (Holdings) Limited on the employment implications of the sale of Coombe Farm Retail to Eversfield Organic.
  • Advised the client on the employment implications of the sale of a prominent hotel.
  • Advised a manufacturing business in relation to the employment implications of its disposal of part of its business for £14m.

Corporate and commercial > Corporate and commercial: Dorset, Devon and Cornwall Tier 3

Porter Dodson LLP's corporate commercial department leverages the firm's network of offices to handle a varied range of work in the local region. The team acts for a roster of SMEs, family owned and owner-managed businesses, and often assists with matters with an international aspect. Evelyn Adfield leads the practice, which also features David Culshaw, who excels in the manufacturing, technology and food and drink sectors, and Sarah Young, who leads the healthcare team.

Practice head(s):

Evelyn Adfield

Other key lawyers:

David Culshaw; Matthew Jackson; Sarah Young

Testimonials

‘Diligent, quick and accessible with great communication.’

‘I have worked mostly with Matthew Jackson. He has proved excellent in terms of the help and explanations he gives about the documents he reviewed.’

‘David Culshaw. Quality legal advice, commercial, responsive and delivers.’

‘Responsiveness and flexibility are crucial qualities for any successful business, Porter Dodson and particularly Evelyn Adfield have these qualities in abundance. We will use them again, without question.’

‘The operate as if they were part of your business, integrating seamlessly across our business unit and teams.’

‘Evelyn Adfield is exceptional in her approach, support, professionalism and ability to work at varying levels of complexity.’

Key clients

Driving Success Ltd

Bullet Lift Group Limited

Emmat Norton Limited

Framptons Group Holdings Limited

IAM Compliant Ltd

Unison Triumph Investments (UK) Limited

Ashridge Capital

Work highlights

  • Advised Driving Success Ltd on the acquisition of the entire issued share capital of Splink Industries Ltd.
  • Advised Bullet Lift Group Limited on the sale of its two wholly owned subsidiaries, Bullet Lift Services Limited and Bullet Training Solutions Limited to Classic Lifts, part of the US Andwis Group.
  • Instructed by iAMCompliant Ltd in connection with an equity investment by Maven Capital.

Corporate and commercial > Corporate and commercial: Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire Tier 3

SMEs as well as family or owner-managed businesses turn to Porter Dodson for assistance with a range of corporate and commercial matters including acquisitions, reorganisations, management buyouts, or disposals. Evelyn Adfield is hailed as ‘exceptional in her work ethic’ and leads the team, in which David Culshaw also plays a key role as advisor for the tech, manufacturing, as well as food and drink sectors.

Practice head(s):

Evelyn Adfield

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘A team that delivers on everything you’d expect from a legal firm – professional, credible, knowledgeable and value for money. But all of this with the added benefit of partners who are accessible and who talk both business and legal.’

‘Lucky enough to have worked with David Culshaw across two of our private equity investment rounds. David is a fantastic legal partner. I particularly admire his ability to take complex topics and convert them into easily understandable language – he makes the tricky simple.’

‘Work as part of our business, integrating seamlessly into our business units and teams.’

‘Evelyn Adfield is exceptional in her work ethic, has a broad understanding of our needs and has become a vital member of our team.’

Key clients

Driving Success Ltd

Bullet Lift Group Limited

Emmat Norton Limited

Framptons Group Holdings Limited

IAM Compliant Ltd

Unison Triumph Investments (UK) Limited

Ashridge Capital

Work highlights

  • Advised Driving Success Ltd on the acquisition of the entire issued share capital of Splink Industries Ltd.
  • Advised Bullet Lift Group Limited on the sale of its two wholly owned subsidiaries, Bullet Lift Services Limited and Bullet Training Solutions Limited to Classic Lifts.
  • Instructed by iAMCompliant Ltd in connection with equity investment by Maven Capital.

Private client > Agriculture and estates Tier 3

The ‘sound local team’ at Porter Dodson LLP acts for clients in the sale and purchase of property, AHA tenancies, succession planning, and has notable strength in assisting with deals for strategic land with developers and promoters, which is a particular area of expertise of team head Steve Farnham. Specialising in agricultural property, Rob Oliver joined the team in December 2023 from Trethowans LLP.

Practice head(s):

Steve Farnham

Other key lawyers:

Kate James; Ben Hingley; Tom Mottram; Helen Williams; Gemma Lindegaard; Emma Starr; Rob Oliver

Testimonials

‘Broad range of knowledge throughout, with a very approachable attitude.’

‘Down-to-earth and approachable. Easy to understand and easy to raise questions with. Good at answering technical questions in an understandable manner.’

‘Sound and prompt advice.’

‘Gemma Lindegaard is very knowledgeable and efficient.’

‘A sound local team with individuals who understand the importance of providing practical advice in an understandable way.’

‘They have a broad knowledge of agriculture and rural matters and are good at working with other professionals in a positive way.’

Private client > Contentious trusts and probate Tier 3

Porter Dodson LLP handles a large volume of wills disputes, acting for executors and beneficiaries in contentious estate administration matters, in addition to handling will validity challenges related to capacity issues and Inheritance Act 1975 claims. The team is led by Chris Green, who works closely with the firm’s private wealth team to provide comprehensive estate and legacy administration advice to individuals and charities.

Practice head(s):

Chris Green

Testimonials

‘Porter Dodson have been on the other side of a range of complex cases with us. One of their specialisms is contentious trusts and probate and they provide an excellent service to their clients based in the South West. ’

‘Chris Green is a highly regarded solicitor in his field. He comes across as a business-minded problem solver which is clearly in his clients’ interests.’

‘Porter Dodson do a good job of handling clients across the South coast and offer excellent value for money.’

‘Chris Green is competent and has good strategic insight.’

‘A firm with a strong following in the South West’

‘Chris Green – a partner specialising in contentious trusts and probate, who is brilliant with clients and a top notch lawyer’

Private client > Family Tier 3

Porter Dodson LLP‘s family team maintains both a divorce and financial remedies offering and an active child law offering, with clients benefitting from the large practice’s breadth of expertise in public and private matters. Practice head Richard Baker spearheads the team’s financial offering and is routinely instructed by high net worth individuals with domestic and overseas business assets to act in private FDRs, while Rebecca Marshall is a key contact for private and public law child issues, including care work and Children Act proceedings. Cathryn Smith is an expert on pensions issues in divorces.

Practice head(s):

Richard Baker

Other key lawyers:

Rebecca Marshall; Cathryn Smith; Zoe Gaitskell; Ellen Saunders

Testimonials

‘The company is highly regarded locally and has a range of solicitors and advisers with a wide range of backgrounds and a lot of experience.’

‘I found the practice to be represented by highly knowledgeable and diverse staff. Their strengths are communication, empathy and peaceable advice. Throughout the whole process of my divorce, my solicitor kept me grounded but showed compassion.’

‘Zoe Gaitskell’s calmness and ability to put me at ease was invaluable. Her knowledge and ability to explain the process in a way that didn’t leave me confused or stressed was fantastic.’

‘Genuinely caring and understanding.’

‘Porter Dodson is blessed with an impressive group of people who are extremely capable and care about their clients.’

‘Rebecca Marshall is an excellent solicitor – she is efficient, diligent and bright. Hugely impressive.’

‘Zoe Gaitskell is a calming and impressive partner. She brings good sense, empathy and a powerful intellect to her cases. No stone is left unturned and she is tenacious on behalf of her clients. She has extremely good instincts and great client care. I have recommended her personally.’

‘Richard Baker is a knowledgeable and skillful lawyer. He is someone with whom you need to bring your A-game. He is very commercially astute.’

Work highlights

Real estate > Commercial property: Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire Tier 3

Porter Dodson LLP is regularly instructed by landowners, developers, and SMEs on a wide range of commercial property matters spanning acquisitions and disposals of leasehold and freehold properties, complex lease arrangements and refinancings. The team is also noted for its wide sector expertise, with particular strengths in the residential, GP and medical spaces together with a growing case load in renewable work. Practice head Ben Hingley has a strong track record advising landowners on option agreements and overage agreements, while Victoria Walker is a key name for landlord and tenant matters. Transaction and lease expert Louise Sanders is ‘extremely personable, highly qualified and knowledgeable’, and Steve Farnham assists with site acquisitions and strategic land work.

Practice head(s):

Ben Hingley

Other key lawyers:

Victoria Walker; Louise Sanders; Steve Farnham; Emma Starr; Gemma Lindegaard; Michelle Mallon

Testimonials

‘They seem to understand there are lots of areas that aren’t straightforward and therefore may require an ‘outside the box’ approach. If there are several issues, there’s good interaction between colleagues with different specialties able to advise or act within the firm.’

‘Louise Sanders was outstanding in her responsiveness and analytical approach to the fairly novel transaction involved. She clearly applied all her knowledge and experience to presenting solutions to us and successfully completing the transaction.’

‘The team have exceptional knowledge and expertise and understand our objectives and, therefore, are able to make sensible commercial decisions particularly regarding contract negotiations.’

‘Gemma Lindegaard is our go-to contact with all our property matters. She’s approachable, knowledgeable and able to grasp the main issues quickly and respond accordingly. We find her efficient, prompt and thorough.’

‘We work very closely with Louise Sanders and her team. We have a very long-standing relationship which testifies to how valued Louise is to us as a property lawyer. She is extremely personable, highly qualified and knowledgeable, and can take a commercial and pragmatic view.’

‘I have dealt with Gemma Lindegaard mostly, with back up of a partner Louise Sanders. Gemma is a truly fantastic associate, she has the knowledge, understanding, work ethic and personal touch that is rare. She manages to get through all the work given to her in a professional and proactive way. She really is a huge asset to my business.’

‘The team at Porter Dodson keep us well informed and updated and are very capable in managing Commercial Property legal requirements.’

‘Victoria Walker is very flexible with her work approach and communicated with us in a way that helps.’

Key clients

Oxbury Bank Plc

Denton & Co Trustees Limited

Sherborne Castle Estates

Vispring

And So To Bed

Toolstation Limited

Encompass Care Organisation UK

Redgate Medical Centre

Taunton Road Medical Centre

Hillcroft Surgery Supplies

Levers Estates Limited

Polden Medical Practice

Alhampton Community Pub Limited

Work highlights

  • Advised Vispring on the acquisition of its second prime London location at the Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour.

Private client > Personal tax, trusts and probate Tier 4

The team at Porter Dodson LLP is based across a network of seven offices in Somerset, Devon, and Dorset, enabling it to advise clients throughout the region on probate matters, tax relief and compliance, and wills and succession planning. Under the leadership of estate planning expert Sharon Collier, the team offers particular strengths in the administration of agricultural estates and is also active in mental capacity work.

Practice head(s):

Sharon Collier

Other key lawyers:

Kate James; Tom Mottram; Sarah Stone; Chris Green; Paul Watkins; Clare Sanderson

Testimonials

‘Down-to-earth and approachable, as well as being technically very strong.’

‘Approachable and easy to understand. Able to explain highly technical matters in layman’s terms. Pragmatic and commercially focused.’

‘My experience of the Porter Dodson private client team is that they adopt a team approach. This provides a robust and comprehensive service to the client. Each of the individuals have good technical knowledge and work well together.’

‘Sharon Collier is both very knowledgeable and also very personable; these are key attributes when working with private clients.’

‘Sarah Stone and Tom Mottram deliver a great service to clients and add value.’

‘I have utmost faith in the capability of the staff I work with. Not only are the very professional with a high level of knowledge and expertise, but they are also responsive and approachable.’

‘The core strengths of the Porter Dodson team are, I believe, their commitment to the south west as a region and their knowledge and expertise that their communities would require and expect of them. I have visited a number of their offices and they are welcoming places to visit.’

‘The private client team at Porter Dodson are very much focused on providing a first-class service across the south west. I have worked with a number of individuals within the team and they all come across as incredibly genuine, good people who just want to do the right thing for clients.’

Work highlights

Porter Dodson conveys a simple and strong message to both clients and employees to reflect the complete focus on quality service delivery and staff engagement, which drives its client-centric approach. To maintain the range and level of commercial expertise and stay abreast of the changing economic environment, Porter Dodson continues to invest in quality appointments.

Porter Dodson is committed to assisting its clients, whatever their needs, and ensures that national expertise is delivered at a local level. The focus is on being the clients’ long-term trusted advisor by putting client relationships at the forefront at all times.

The firm has excellent feedback from clients who value the commitment to delivering a personal approach to legal requirements. Identified by clients as the most important elements of their Porter Dodson experience are communication, accessibility, responsiveness and clear explanation.

Principal areas of work: 

Corporate Commercial: The corporate commercial team draws on its depth of experience and technical excellence to provide a comprehensive service to the full range of business clients, from entrepreneurs, SMEs and family businesses to major retail and national employers with operations locally, nationally and overseas. The team advises on mergers and acquisitions, private equity, restructuring, joint ventures and commercial contracting.

Real Estate:

The team comprises a number of highly regarded lawyers who advise on property portfolio matters of every size. Work undertaken involves site development work (including SIPP’s, site assembly, conditional contracts, options, overage, planning agreements and infrastructure arrangements), property finance and commercial landlord and tenant for national and local businesses and companies.

In addition, the firm has an established client base of high net worth clients for residential transactions.

The real estate and corporate commercial teams are leaders in the field of GP surgery integrations throughout Somerset, being an NHS pilot scheme.

Dispute Resolution: The dispute resolution team is one of the largest in the area and provides a comprehensive litigation service, including mediation services.

Employment: The team advises a number of major employers, providing strategic advice and expertise, including restructuring and TUPE and the provision of in-house training.

Private Client: The team’s high-level expertise and broad knowledge is bolstered by practitioners who are members of STEP (Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners). The firm has an enviable reputation for advising generations of families on their private legal matters, from property transactions, asset protection, succession and tax planning, to estate administration. The team’s reputation attracts a large volume of contentious probate work, often of a complex nature.

Family: Porter Dodson has one of the largest family teams in the region, with in-house counsel, and can, unusually, offer collaborative family law advice, mediation and representation in court. The team has an excellent reputation in childcare, pre-nuptial and cohabitation agreements. The firm offers a highly innovative, niche fertility and parenting practice.

Recruitment: The firm is always interested in hearing from anyone wishing to join Porter Dodson in a legal advisory or support role, either speculatively or in response to an advertised vacancy. All applications should be sent to [email protected]

Other offices: Bridport, Dorchester, Poundbury, Sherborne, Sturminster Newton, Taunton, Wellington.

Department Name Email Telephone
Chair Julia Perrins
Corporate Commercial Evelyn Adfield
Commercial Property Ben Hingley
Residential Property Michelle Wilson
Managing Partner Kate James
Family Richard Baker
In-house family/childcare barrister Ellen Saunders
Private Client Sharon Collier
Employment Laura Roper
Residential Property Michelle Wilson
Employment Sarah Young
Dispute Resolution Scott Bowley
Residential Property Robert Coppard
Corporate Commercial David Culshaw
Residential Property Zara Davies
Private Client Chris Dickinson
Private Client Susannah Emson
Commercial Property Steve Farnham
Family Zoe Gaitskell
Contentious Trusts and Probate Chris Green
Family Rebecca Marshall
Private Client Tom Mottram
Commercial Property Louise Sanders
Employment Kate Shawcross
Residential Property Jenny Shepherd
Private Client Ben Simpson
Private Client Sarah Stone
Commercial Property Victoria Walker
Private Client Paul Watkins
Property Litigation Helen Williams
Photo Name Position Profile
Evelyn Adfield photo Evelyn Adfield Evelyn undertakes all aspects of corporate and commercial work, specialising in business…
Sharon Collier photo Sharon Collier Partner in the Private Client Department covering a wide range of work,…
Ben Hingley photo Ben Hingley Head of the Commercial Property Department specialising in landlord and tenant work,…
Julia Perrins photo Julia Perrins Julia undertakes all aspects of matrimonial work, specialising in high net worth…
Laura Roper photo Laura Roper
Photo Name Position Profile
David Culshaw photo Mr David Culshaw I work with business clients across all sectors and particularly with clients…
Chris Dickinson photo Mr Chris Dickinson I primarily deal with individuals needing to put Wills or LPAs in…
Susannah Emson photo Mrs Susannah Emson I am a full member of the Society of Trusts and Estates…
Zoe Gaitskell photo Mrs Zoe Gaitskell I am a Resolution accredited specialist in complex financial matters on divorce/separation,…
Number of UK partners : 28
Number of other UK fee-earners : 125