Freemans Solicitors > London, England > Firm Profile
Freemans Solicitors Offices

18 Bedford Row
LONDON
WC1R 4EQ
England
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Freemans Solicitors > The Legal 500 Rankings
Private client > Family Tier 2
‘One of the go to firms for children work‘, Freemans Solicitors combines expertise in public and private children law with a specialist matrimonial finance team. Team head Nina Hansen is ‘second to none‘ in her work for vulnerable children engaged with local authorities and high-profile, often aristocratic, clients alike. For international matters Laura Coyle is a go-to: ‘her technical expertise is second to none and she is a tactical genius’. Mark Kosmin heads up the matrimonial team, supported by Georgina Stavrou, specialising in matters involving complex asset structures. Marianna Michaelides joined the team from Bindmans LLP in November 2023, with particular expertise in international parental child abduction work. Andriana Syrimis is also recommended.Practice head(s):
Nina Hansen
Other key lawyers:
Laura Coyle; Andriana Syrimis; Gulizar Candemir; Sophie Lambert; Georgina Stavrou; Mark Kosmin; Claire Leslie; Marianna Michaelides; Samantha Harris
Testimonials
‘Freemans is one of the go to firms for children work. They are well known for their public law work, but they are also incredibly experienced in complex private law matters, particularly in difficult cases where their expertise in international and public law matters gives a real advantage over other firms.’
‘Samantha Harris works extremely hard for her clients and leaves no stone unturned in trying to secure the best outcome for them.’
‘Sophie Lambert is a superb solicitor who works tirelessly for her clients. She is pragmatic, sensible and has great judgement.’
‘Nina Hansen is very well known and respected in the world of children law. She is extremely bright, knowledgeable and knows the law on children matters inside out.’
‘Gulizar Candemir is outstanding in her representation of parents and children in care cases. She is very calm, even when under immense pressure and is utterly committed to fairness and to presenting her client’s cases in the most beneficial light possible.’
‘Laura Coyle is frankly the best solicitor out there in the market and, in her own advocacy, is better than most Silks. She is on top of everything and takes no prisoners in fighting for her clients. Her technical expertise is second to none and she is a tactical genius!’
‘Excellent all-round advice and representation in children law matters, including public, private and international issues. This is very rare.’
‘Nina Hansen’s expertise surely well exceeds most of her competitors. She can handle anything: she can ably represent a severely disadvantaged parent in complex care proceedings, an UHNW parent in challenging private law proceedings and run complex legal arguments in the Supreme Court. Second to none.’
Crime, fraud and licensing > Crime: general Tier 3
Described as ‘an impeccable firm’, Freemans Solicitors is regularly engaged in cases concerning high-profile sexual offences and serious fraud. The team is spearheaded by Michael Field, Kishoree Kotecha-PauPractice head(s):
Michael Field; Kishoree Kotecha-Pau; Peter Bedingfield
Other key lawyers:
Leo Martin; Deborah Hogg
Testimonials
‘Leo Martin has legal expertise combined with a very personable bedside manner and pragmatic approach to the issues, which led to a very satisfactory outcome. He was also always responsive and available.’
‘Kishoree Kotecha-Pau utilises her team to the full extent and really indulges in the case to look through fine details to find adverse findings, she goes above and beyond. ’
‘Fantastic service from beginning to end.’
‘Kishoree Kotecha-Pau was very informative and professional with her vast knowledge ’
‘Peter Bedingfield is clearly highly experienced in dealing with traffic offences, the magistrates court and helping people get the best outcome. He is very calm and highly efficient, taking the many facts of a complicated situation and sifting the essential facts that would help my case in court. I would highly recommend him to anyone else who had a motoring issue. ’
‘Freemans Solicitors are an impeccable firm. They were always ahead of their game. Treated me with utmost professionalism and I always felt I was in safe hands.’
‘I was lucky to work with Peter Bedingfield at Freemans during my case. He was attentive, knowledgeable, reassuring, and highly professional, he always had time to speak to me and explain things in a calm and easy manner, I felt confident as he understood my case and its legal side, and approached it with great knowledge, sensitivity and wisdom.’
Work highlights
Employment > Immigration: human rights Tier 4
Described as ‘a team that is committed to assisting the most vulnerable‘, Freemans Solicitors is especially knowledgeable in nationality and citizenship matters, asylum, unlawful detention and other complex immigration issues. Practice head Oluwole Osibona is an ‘excellent lawyer‘ and advises on a broad range of immigration matters for private clients, such as Leave to Remain, entry clearance issues and asylum. Katarzyna Jurkun specialises in complex asylum matters and is praised as ‘a staunch defender of migrant and refugee rights‘. The group also includes Lorraine De Guzman, who handles issues relating to detention and deportation, and Meg Omolayole, who advises on a variety of asylum and human rights applications.Practice head(s):
Oluwole Osibona
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘A team that is committed to assisting the most vulnerable.’
‘Katarzyna is a staunch defender of migrant and refugee rights – always going that extra mile for her clients.’
‘They are strong players in the immigration field.’
‘Oluwole Osibona is an excellent lawyer, very committed to his clients, knowledgeable and skilled and a pleasure to work with.’
‘I have always had fantastic experience with Freemans Solicitors.’
‘Oluwole Osibona is very professional, and I cannot recommend him highly enough. His exceptional dedication and unwavering support make a profound difference in my experience.’
‘Very professional, up to date with relevant laws. The team is awesome and very friendly.’
‘Oluwole Osibona is highly knowledgeable and is able to identify and focus on the real issues in any case. With an approachable calm confidence, he is able to put his clients at their ease.’
Work highlights
Real estate > Property litigation
Freemans Solicitors > Firm Profile
Established in 1995 by Howard Freeman, Freemans Solicitors has evolved into a highly regarded central London practice. It has a reputation for dealing with difficult and complex cases, and for providing clients with a high standard professional service.
Freemans advise individuals and businesses on a range of legal issues. The firm’s main areas of practice include:
Property (commercial and residential): Freemans’ commercial and residential conveyancing team represent a variety of clients, including developers, investors and lenders acquiring, disposing and lending against the security of land and buildings. Freemans has the legal expertise to negotiate, draft and produce complex documentation that will establish responsibilities and control costs, in order to maximise the value of clients’ properties. The department has a reputation for acting quickly, competently and having a real understanding of the ‘deal’ from a client’s perspective.
Dispute Resolution: the firm has extensive experience in all aspects of property litigation relating to both commercial and residential properties, debt recovery including insolvency and commercial litigation. We have represented clients in the civil courts, various property Tribunals, and conducted mediations and arbitrations. Its client base ranges from private individuals and high net worth individuals to large corporations and offshore companies.
Employment: the specialist employment department deals with all employment matters from the drafting of contracts and advising on settlement agreements to litigation in the courts and the employment tribunals. The firm acts for employers and employees and can advise on employment claims arising from unfair dismissal, constructive dismissal, harassment, bullying and victimisation, and employment issues on the transfer of the business to a new owner.
Family, Children and Divorce: the family department has a reputation for high-quality service and breadth of expertise. It is particularly well known for its work in the field of international family law, an area in which it is considered to be a market leader. The firm has a number of specialist children solicitors and has been involved in a number of high-profile cases involving cross-border disputes, including in the Supreme Court and the Court of Justice of the European Union, which have helped to shape the law. It is also well known for representing parents and children involved with social services. The matrimonial finance team are frequently instructed in complex cases involving high-net-worth individuals, and cases with international elements. The department also includes a team of specialist family mediators to assist parties who wish to reach an amicable agreement in relation to their children and/or family finances. Some solicitors in the family department are members of the Law Society Children and Family Law panels, and many are Resolution accredited specialists. The head of family department is also a member of the International Academy of Family Lawyers.
Immigration: the team of specialists are highly experienced in all areas of immigration and nationality law including business immigration. It is very adept at assisting high-net-worth individuals and businesses, especially in Central London. Clients include large businesses and manufacturing companies which are leaders in Europe and the Middle East. The team is able to achieve exceptional results for clients and has assisted tier 1 entrepreneurs, tier 1 investors and tier 2 work permit applicants. It has obtained sponsorship licences for employers and assisted sole representatives of overseas companies. Recently the team have been working with UK and European Nationals advising them on the impact of Brexit. Freemans lawyers are experts in human rights and European law rights, appeals and judicial review applications in connection with transfers and negotiating image rights on the behalf of clients. The team have had cases heard at all levels of Court, including the Supreme Court and the European Court of Human Rights.
Crime: the criminal team has considerable experience across a wide range of criminal offences, many high profile, including, inter alia, serious drugs, murder, terrorism, extradition, VAT fraud, money laundering, driving cases involving death, drink drive, sexual offences, investigations by the DSS, DWP, MHRA and NMC. It offers specialist advocacy services in all cases before Magistrates, Crown Court and criminal appeal courts.
Regulatory: the firm offers a specialist regulatory service to businesses and individuals. The firm advises on environmental, trading standards, and health and safety maters. Advice and assistance is provided to professionals subject to investigation or disciplinary proceedings by their regulator.
Wills and probate: the firm offers an efficient service for the preparation of wills and lasting powers of attorney, which can, if necessary, include a visit you your home. It provides a professional and sympathetic service, after a death, in dealing with the administration of the deceased’s estate in accordance with the terms of the will, or if there is no will, in accordance with the intestacy rules. It also deals with post-death variations by way of the preparation of deeds of variation, deeds of family arrangement or disclaimer.
Freemans has a contract with the Legal Aid Agency in the practice areas of Crime, Family and Immigration. The team can assess an individual’s eligibility for legal aid where appropriate.
Main Contacts
Department | Name | Telephone | |
---|---|---|---|
Managing partner | Oluwole Osibona | +44 20 7935 3522 | |
Civil litigation | Russell Henry | +44 20 7935 3522 | |
Commercial/Residential property | Nathan Woodward And Balbit Thandi | +44 20 7935 3522 | |
Crime | Michael Field And Kishoree Kotecha-Pau | +44 20 7935 3522 | |
Employment | Jacob A Fabowale Makinde | +44 20 7935 3522 | |
Family | Nina Hansen | +44 20 7935 3522 | |
Immigration | Oluwole Osibona | +44 20 7935 3522 |
Lawyer Profiles
Solicitor Profiles
Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
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Max Anwar | View Profile | |
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Lorraine De Guzman | View Profile | |
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Katarzyna Jurkun | View Profile | |
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Marianna Michaelides | View Profile | |
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Rebecca Salu | View Profile |
Staff Figures
Number of UK partners : 14 Number of other UK fee-earners : 39Client Testimonials
CLIENT: Anon
COMPANY/FIRM: Freemans Solicitors
TESTIMONIAL: “This firm is a credit to legal representation. The firm is very reliable and great value for money. Will recommend them any time to anyone, Well done.”
CLIENT: Anon
COMPANY/FIRM: Freemans Solicitors
TESTIMONIAL: “This firm is absolutely excellent and they have recruited some of the best people to work for them. They are all amazing, helpful, kind, considerate, committed and extremely knowledgeable about their work.”
CLIENT: Anon
COMPANY/FIRM: Freemans Solicitors
TESTIMONIAL: “The right choice….Freemans delivered a service that was supportive, understanding and professional. With so many other firms competing to have you as a client, I can highly recommend Freemans”
CLIENT: Anon
COMPANY/FIRM: Freemans Solicitors
TESTIMONIAL: “The help and advice I received from everyone at Freeman’s was excellent. They were very supportive and informative. I was in very safe hands”
CLIENT: Anon
COMPANY/FIRM: Freemans Solicitors
TESTIMONIAL: “Thank you for your advice and support in what was a very difficult and stressful time for our family. I fear that the outcome may have been different had I not been fortunate to have had you on my side from an early stage. We got the right outcome in the end and you fought our corner with tenacity, despite frustrating and unhelpful opposition. I will always be grateful to have had you fighting our corner”
CLIENT: Anon
COMPANY/FIRM: Freemans Solicitors
TESTIMONIAL: “I wanted to express my gratitude for your efforts and dedication for my case. I can honestly say that throughout the whole process my matters are dealt with professionally and efficiently at all times…I also feel supported and that I have someone on my side throughout”
CLIENT: Anon
COMPANY/FIRM: Freemans Solicitors
TESTIMONIAL: “We would recommend this firm 1000 times over!!! Competent, efficient and knowledgeable should be their motto!”
CLIENT: Anon
COMPANY/FIRM: Freemans Solicitors
TESTIMONIAL: “Michael Field is a most excellent barrister. Although the word is misused a lot nowadays, legendary, truly applies to Mr Field. He is truly outstanding barrister, humanitarian, gentleman. The way he helped my husband through a crisis of unimaginable proportions is truly incredible. If you are going through hell like we were, give Michael Field and Freemans a call. All our prayers were answered when Mr Field and Freemans walked into our lives”
CLIENT: Anon
COMPANY/FIRM: Freemans Solicitors
TESTIMONIAL: “I finally have my freedom back Michael and for that i am at most thankful to you and your team who supported me and my son through this very difficult time. I honestly thought that you handled the case extremely well and was at times amazed and completely taken back just how you unfolded and dealt with each scenario. It was to say the least one hell of an experience but having you on my side made all the difference.”
CLIENT: Anon
COMPANY/FIRM: Freemans Solicitors
TESTIMONIAL: “A professional and excellent service was received from both Kishoree and Michael. They genuinely cared about our case and the outcome which instilled a lot of confidence in us. Lovely people to work with and their eye for detail and conscientious approach ensured that we received the best outcome possible. It was a pleasure to have known and worked with them”
CLIENT: Anon
COMPANY/FIRM: Freemans Solicitors
TESTIMONIAL: “Barrister Michael Field, helped my dad during a crisis wonderfully, who was suffering from mental health issues. Mr Field went out of his way to deliver a truly outstanding service. We sought help from some of the biggest law firms in London with their famous solicitors and barrister. Although they were good, none could do what Mr Field and Freemans achieved. Anyone needing a truly out of this world firm and barrister, needs to call Mr Field and Freemans”
CLIENT: Client S
COMPANY/FIRM: Freemans Solicitors
TESTIMONIAL: “You have to see Barrister Michael Field at work to really appreciate him. Although I met him in unfortunate circumstances of my trial, it was an absolute pleasure to see a true master of his trade at work. Calm logical approach, thoroughly reasoned delivery, an incredible ability to sift through huge amounts of information and extract only what is important and discard what is not important. A kind man, totally trustworthy. An amazing knowledge of the subtle technicalities of law, a gentleman. If there is a firm that deserves the highest 5 stars then it is Freemans.”
CLIENT: Ms A
COMPANY/FIRM: Freemans Solicitors
TESTIMONIAL: “Kishoree Kotecha-Pau is a very experienced criminal defence solicitor at Freemans. She is very professional and takes personal interest in your case. She has been God send to me. She is very considerate and has gone well above her duty to help me. On numerous occasions she has given up her time on the weekend to provide advice. I highly recommend her.
CLIENT: Mr B
COMPANY/FIRM: Freemans Solicitors
TESTIMONIAL: “I would like to thank and commend Kishoree for the way she handled my case. Her knowledge, experience, support and understanding was outstanding and exceptional during my traumatic 27 month period. Kishoree’s guidance during the case and in the help recommending the right legal team (QC and Barrister) to represent me at court, was very invaluable. Kishoree genuinely cared about the whole family, during the whole difficult period for us. I will always be grateful to Kishoree for her kindness, understanding and compassion.”
CLIENT: Ms R
COMPANY/FIRM: Freemans Solicitors
TESTIMONIAL: “I just wanted to thank Kishoree and the team at Freemans. They have fought various cases for my husband in the last 5 years. Kishoree came highly recommended through friends and I was not disappointed. Her professionalism, wealth of knowledge, organisation, understanding and support to our family has been exceptional. She was always available for late night calls and email responses If ever I was unsure of anything.”
CLIENT: Ms N
COMPANY/FIRM: Freemans Solicitors
TESTIMONIAL: “My case was handled by Kishoree Kotecha. I must say she did a great job and was a pleasure to work with. She put in so much time and effort into my case and which reflected on the outcome . The receptionist was so pleasant and made me welcomed anytime I had an appointment. I would highly recommend this firm based on the great experience I had.”
CLIENT: Anon
COMPANY/FIRM: Freemans Solicitors
TESTIMONIAL: “Nina has represented me for over a year now. She has supported me through various court hearings, the most recent being three days. My case was very complex involving the children. Her team have been amazing! Nina is extremely professional and her knowledge and experience in family law in exceptional which was crucial for me. Above all of that …. she cares!”
CLIENT: Anon
COMPANY/FIRM: Freemans Solicitors
TESTIMONIAL: “My experience with Nina Hansen has come after a lengthy and complex multi-jurisdictional family dispute. …Nina can be tenacious when necessary; she is always empathetic and cares about my family and always manages to strike a balance that has the long-term well-being of the children at heart. I can unreservedly recommend Nina, and after having had experience with several firms, Nina is a notch above the rest. …I respect Nina for this and her insightful and wise advice.”
CLIENT: Anon
COMPANY/FIRM: Freemans Solicitors
TESTIMONIAL: “… I have been and continue to be impressed [by Nina’s] excellent quality of work and care and dedication to my case. Nina has been a huge support to me throughout this time and she is someone who really cares about families and children. Her attention to detail and critical analytical skills have helped me hugely in understanding how to navigate through a very difficult period in my life. … I would strongly recommend her and her team as being exceptional lawyers who really care about the work they do for families and children.”
CLIENT: Anon
COMPANY/FIRM: Freemans Solicitors
TESTIMONIAL: “… I found [Nina] to be exemplary in her professionalism, she exuded serenity, was completely attentive and reassuringly empathic to my situation and concerns. Her method of extracting pertinent information by thorough, precise and carefully framed questions, that were delivered in a non-patronising fashion enabled me to reveal details that I had either forgotten or thought them to be inconsequential, but were, as she showed, very relevant… It’s because of Nina’s calm considered approach, evident wealth of experience and ability to sort the wheat from the chaff that gave me some solace …. I had legal representation of the highest calibre.”
CLIENT: Anon
COMPANY/FIRM: Freemans Solicitors
TESTIMONIAL: “I got Mr Osibona’s contact details from a family friend, and his services came highly recommended. He was encouraging and positive from the outset and kept our end goal at the forefront of the process at all times. I particularly appreciated his clarity in explaining every step of each procedure. He was responsive at every turn and I was always able to reach him when necessary – he approached all our concerns in a practical and professional manner. I would recommend his services to anyone with a similar legal issue, and it has been a pleasure to work with him”
CLIENT: Mr S
COMPANY/FIRM: Freemans Solicitors
TESTIMONIAL: “Mr Osibona, Thanks so much for this sir. I am really grateful. You are one of the people I have came across in the journey of my life that have had a good positive impact in my life. You have always responded to all my problems even the one that doesn’t concern you, my wife will call you and you will give her attention. You took me like a brother and you always do your best to ease the pressure on me”
CLIENT: Mr L
COMPANY/FIRM: Freemans Solicitors
TESTIMONIAL: “A big thank you to Mr Oluwole Osibona and Freemans solicitors. Mr Oluwole Osibona is the best immigration solicitor I ever came across. He saw the long-standing journey of my immigration to a glorious destination. His professionalism is second to none, his integrity has no match, confidence is unquantifiable and his level of reliability and attention to details is immeasurable. When you hand over your case to him, you can go and sleep while he works on your case with the appropriate armour. He is well experienced. I will undoubtedly and strongly recommend Mr Oluwole Osibona of Freemans solicitors anytime.”
CLIENT: Mr M
COMPANY/FIRM: Freemans Solicitors
TESTIMONIAL: “My heartfelt gratitude goes to Freemans Solicitors and Mr. Oluwole Osibona for the very professional and responsive service rendered to me. Mr. Osibona was particularly available to guide me through the process and respond to my enquiries timeously. His knowledge of the field made the application process almost seamless. With his help, I was able to achieve the desired result. I recommend the firm and Mr. Osibona to anyone who may require legal services.”
Diversity
Being a diverse and inclusive workplace is an integral part of our organisation. When establishing the firm in 1995 former Managing Partner Howard Freeman set out with the intention of creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. He wanted to prove that it was possible to establish a successful and diverse practice. Today we are a team of 13 partners headed by Oluwole Osibona and over 30 fee-earners who come from different ethnic backgrounds.
Our diverse and inclusive culture distinguishes our practice from other firms who have introduced specific measures to become more diverse. We remain committed to treating everyone equally and with the same attention, courtesy and respect, regardless of:
- age;
- disability;
- gender reassignment;
- marriage and civil partnership;
- pregnancy and maternity;
- race (including colour, nationality, and ethnic or national origin;
- religion or belief;
- sex; or
- sexual orientation.
In 2018 we were awarded the UK Diversity Legal Awards for Managing Diverse Talent in recognition of our diverse and inclusive culture. Building on our success, we will aim to continue to be an inclusive and welcoming firm and to treat people whoever they are, from whatever background, colour, race or creed, gender identity, sexuality, those with religious beliefs and those with none, with respect and dignity and to a Freemans service. In addition, that same year Partner and joint head of the criminal department Kishoree Kotecha-Pau also received a Highly Commended BSN Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her accomplished legal career and dedication to promoting equality and diversity within the profession.