Freemans Solicitors > London, England > Firm Profile
Freemans Solicitors Offices
18 Bedford Row
LONDON
WC1R 4EQ
England
Freemans Solicitors > The Legal 500 Rankings
Private client > Family Tier 2
At Freemans Solicitors, practice head Nina Hansen
and Laura Coyle are praised as ‘the Rolls-Royce of family law’ as ‘there is no competition for complex international cases or difficult care cases’. The group is best known for its specialism children law matters, with a strong reputation in international cases. The group has a wide variety of clients, from vulnerable or dispossessed individuals, to high-net-worth families. It often represents parents and children in Hague Convention matters, wardship mandates, and child arrangements, including relocations. Mark Kosmin is also recommended, and Andriana Syrimis was recently promoted to the partnership. Hilka Hollmann joined Dawson Cornwell LLP in February 2023. Practice head(s):
Nina Hansen
Other key lawyers:
Laura Coyle; Andriana Syrimis; Gulizar Candemir; Sophie Lambert; Georgina Stavrou; Mark Kosmin; Claire Leslie
Testimonials
‘There are so many reasons why Freemans is a top choice for family law. The team has an incredible wealth of talent, and they are able to deal with all possible types of family case. They are one of the best family teams around. They are highly respected by their peers and by judges.’
‘Nina Hansen is extremely experienced in both public and private law work; this has advantages in relation to some cases with cross over of work within children’s proceedings in particular. She is tenacious.’
‘Laura Coyle has an amazing ability to efficiently juggle and remain fully on top of a very large and demanding case load. She never drops the ball or misses a detail and is always one step ahead of the other parties. Her knowledge of the law is stunning and she will often use it to provide shrewd and imaginative solutions in cases.’
‘Andriana Syrimis is another exceptionally talented member of the team. The support she provides to her clients is unparalleled and enables them to manage the most difficult and stressful time of their lives. She is extremely hard working, efficient and produces amazing documents.’
‘Gulizar Candemir is brilliant in every way. She is always on top of a very heavy case load and is incredibly talented. She provides very sound, pragmatic advice and is utterly unflappable and calm. She is an absolute joy to work with and an asset to the team.’
‘Laura Coyle is gifted and has brilliant technical expertise. Really first rate. Nina Hansen is the queen of family law; she is outstanding.’
‘Georgina Stavrou blends efficiency and knowledge with warmth and kindness towards her clients. I am happy to refer clients to her, as I can be confident that they will be looked after compassionately and have a good legal outcome.’
‘Nina Hansen is a pre-eminent practitioner and excellent strategist. Claire Leslie a very competent and personable practitioner.’
Crime, fraud and licensing > Crime: general Tier 3
Clients praise the general crime practice at Freemans Solicitors for its ‘dedication and commitment‘, with co-heads Michael Field and Kishoree Kotecha-Pau described as ‘outstanding‘ and ‘compelling‘ respectively. The team offers advice on matters such as sexual assault offences, serious fraud, false imprisonment, and violent crimes. Names to note within the practice include Leo Martin for pre-charge advice, and higher courts advocate Peter Bedingfield for his twenty years of experience in this practice area. Clients also appreciate associate Deborah Hogg‘s ‘diligent‘ and ‘thoughtful‘ approach to cases.Practice head(s):
Michael Field; Kishoree Kotecha-Pau
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Michael Field was outstanding, calm, reassuring, knowledgeable. I wish we could have found him earlier in our process.’
‘There is great teamwork. They show great dedication and commitment to their clients and their cases. I often recommend Freemans to people looking for legal assistance.’
‘Kishoree Kotecha-Pau: Behind her amiable and engaging manner lies a determined and ingenious lawyer for whom no detail is too small or line of defence too tenuous.’
‘This is a diverse team, highly experienced in both serious crime and every type of fraud allegation. They can handle anything and are one of the best in the field. Clients can be confident that no stone is ever left unturned and the team’s hard work and enthusiasm get results.’
‘Kishoree Kotecha-Pau and Deborah Hogg are both excellent and engaged lawyers. Kishoree is a compelling, authoritative and assured leading solicitor. One trusts her judgement implicitly. Deborah is incredibly diligent, thorough and thoughtful, giving every case her all, leaving no stone unturned.’
‘The team at Freemans go above and beyond for every client. The amount of work that goes into the preparation of each case, and each brief to counsel, is impressive.’
‘Superb and consistent client support from the investigation stage, charge, preparation and trial. Each client treated on the basis of individual needs and represented with respect and dignity.’
‘Kishoree Kotecha-Pau is unique for her understanding of diverse cultural backgrounds and brings her calm authority, discretion, extensive experience and in depth knowledge of the law to all her cases. She is fiercely intelligent, assimilates extremely complex detail quickly and is always there for her clients. She is quite simply brilliant.’
Employment > Immigration Tier 4
Freemans Solicitors has a strong reputation in nationality and citizenship matters, unlawful detention cases, and other complex immigration matters that interface with human rights and asylum. Oluwole Osibona heads up the team, and is described as ‘a brilliant lawyer and a great personality‘, with substantial experience in human rights and sports law. Immigration advisors Katarzyna Jurkun, Meg Omolayole, and Lorraine De Guzman are also of note.Practice head(s):
Oluwole Osibona
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Diverse team with a strong client oriented skill set and good technical knowledge and preparation.’
‘Osibona has a strong grasp of the immigration law, giving real practical advice for his clients.’
‘They are all highly competent, very friendly, approachable, and efficient. Oluwole Osibona, head of the department and managing partner, is always a pleasure to work with, as are Lorraine de Guzman and Katarzyna Jurkun.‘
‘Excellent communication and clarity all through the process. Friendly staff who are very accommodating.’
‘Mr Oluwole Osibona is an exceptional individual. Very knowledgeable and thorough in all processes. Gives the best advice and has a way of reassuring and calming one down. All round a good, honest and trustworthy person. You can’t get a better person than this genuine man.‘
‘They are attentive, organised and diversified in knowledge and people.’
‘Mr Oluwole Osibona is a brilliant lawyer and a great personality. He has a calming influence and provides spot on advice.’
‘Freemans Solicitors has a proven track record of highly professional legal service. Their attention to detail is clear from the moment of first contact, and the expertise of the team is evident. They have a profound ability to put their clients at ease, regardless of the nature of the legal complexity involved in any case; with clear and sound advice given at all times.‘
Work highlights
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.
Civil litigation and Company law: the firm has extensive experience in all aspects of commercial litigation, property litigation, building disputes, insolvency, probate and inheritance disputes and company/shareholders disputes and has conducted cases in all civil courts, the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal, and in mediations and arbitrations. Its client base ranges from private individuals to large corporations and offshore companies. It is also able to provide advice and assistance in relation to drafting of documents, including shareholders’ agreements, service contracts, joint venture agreements, partnership agreements, terms of business and asset purchase agreements.
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 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 has 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
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.