Shoosmiths LLP > Belfast, Northern Ireland > Firm Profile

‘Knowledgable, reliable.’

‘Strong and capable team with a positive attitude and good market awareness.’

‘Mark Davis is highly expert at handling private wealth – he has incredibly commercial knowledge because he ran his own business and he comes from the corporate finance world as well as law.’

‘I found the Shoosmiths team are easy to work with, with excellent communication and professionalism.’

‘Andrew Jennings is pragmatic with a high degree of common sense and professionalism. His down to earth approach enables a good working relationship.’

‘I have worked with many law firms over the years but can easily say the service we received was second to none.’

‘On a personal level Grant Edwards has a very professional reassuring demeanour. His obvious knowledge of the sector was evident and this further served to enhance the confidence that the senior management team placed in him.’

‘I found the team easy to work with and efficient.’

‘Gillian Crotty and Stuart Nevin have been exceptional and proactive in the advice given. They are extremely knowledgeable with a real human touch showing the empathy lacking in many other law firms we have used.’

‘Gillian and Stuart are proactive in their responses and able to provide advice without seeking a “QC’s Opinion” which seems to be the default for other NI Law Firms.’

‘Good rounded banking and finance team. Can be relied on to assist with most matters and queries where needed.’

‘Anna Vangrove – reliable, responsive and easy to work with. Pragmatic on negotiation and doesn’t over complicate matters.’

‘Very client/customer focused delivery. Available at all times. Strong work ethic and deliver in the timescales promised (notwithstanding any factors outside of their direct control).’

‘The banking and finance team key staff are well known and respected in the market. We have built up a strong relationship over time on previous engagements and the team will always go the extra mile to deliver for clients.’

‘Particular stand out mention to Anna Vangrove and Michael Kelly – strong work ethic and commerciality means that I am confident I would get the best representation to get the deal done in the shortest time period while protecting my interests as the client.’

‘From my experience Shoosmiths have cemented a leading role within the renewable energy sector across a range of technologies, with a strong insight particularly within the onshore wind, solar and hydrogen sector.’

‘This is a brilliant firm to work with. They truly understand our business and are helping us become better and more successful.’

‘John Palmer provides well-considered advice and insightful commentary on a wide range of issues associated with the renewable energy sector.’

‘Team is very commercial in its approach and has a ‘can do’ attitude to ensuring contract completions on time and within budget.’

‘Enthusiastic and make the work a high priority.’

‘Great knowledge and commercially-minded.’

‘Good quality team.’

‘The team is extremely competent, knowledgeable and helpful. They are able to provide high-quality advice based on their comprehensive knowledge of market norms.’

‘Not only is the team highly professional, it is also highly valued on the inter-personal side – being able to share the more “human” moments of a high pressure deal process can really help when you’re “in the trenches”.’

‘Very friendly and approachable. They have a very commercial and pragmatic view that helps to get transactions done efficiently.’

‘The Shoosmiths team often goes above and beyond when matters become more complex and are unphased by challenging deals.’

‘Steve Barnett is highly intelligent, methodical and balanced in his approach.’

‘Steve Barnett provide very commercial and pragmatic advice.’

‘Sanjeev Sharma – an excellent client relationship partner, who not only is abreast of the large number of transactions that his team are handling for us, but is also always available as a valuable sounding board on a range of matters.’

‘Alistair Hammerton has been incredibly helpful on our matters. He is easily accessible and gives concise and accurate advice.’ 

‘Great culture and values. Builds trust. Delivers result.’

‘Gary Assim: Excellent lawyer, very skilled in his craft and can explain very complex matters in layman terms. He has a natural authority and is very good in mediations.’

‘Extremely responsive, practical and commercial. Beth McArdle leads a team offering a consistently high level of personalised service which has enormously benefited our organisation navigating the storms of Covid and coming out stronger on the other side.’

‘Friendly and approachable contacts, Lucy Taylor in particular is very approachable and knowledgeable, ready to listen and ready to receive advice’.

‘The team is hardworking but never too busy that they can not give you the time that you need. Would like to mention in particular Sue Bowler ‘.

‘On hand to make pragmatic decisions in support of trustees/clients, a friendly approach informal where possible but business like and formal when required. Lauren Miner in particular has been fantastic so far in all aspects of support to us’.

‘Lucy Taylor – Exceptional lady whose knowledge in her field I would have to say is unsurpassed in my opinion’.

‘Tricia Grout stands out for her dedication, commitment and problem solving abilities. She is approachable and an excellent communicator. Her values are exceptional and she is absolutely the person I would choose for myself or a loved one’.

‘I’ve dealt with Rebecca Bristow on a Court of Protection client for several years. Rebecca clearly cares about what she does and balances professionalism with a sensitive human touch making clients feel at ease and well looked after. I’d recommend Rebecca without reservation’.

‘From a case management perspective, the solicitor has an extremely good relationship with the client and the family and provides a ‘personal’ touch. I refer to Sue Bowler and her team’.

‘Lucy Taylor and Rebecca Bristow are both superb. I am a Court of Protection solicitor and financial deputy and if I ever required Court of Protection services for myself or a loved one then I would feel safe with either of these leading individuals’.

‘Very friendly team with deep M&A expertise and ability to adapt to changing deal circumstances.’

‘Andrew Millar is an excellent negotiator. Clear and responsive to client needs. Technically excellent in his field.’

‘Tim Jackson-Smith is very responsive, gets to the point and provides consistently good advice.’

‘The Shoosmiths team was integrated, bringing together a number of competencies within the same time. We are impressed with the level of connectivity within the team, and that they were completely aligned in their advice so that you can speak to any person and get clear and consistent advice across a broad range of topics.’

‘We found Andrew Millar and Tim Jackson-Smith to be clear, concise and structured in their advice. They were very commercial, and highly engaged in the project throughout. They were also available to the client and ourselves as advisors whenever required, which was critical to the success of the project in a very tight timeframe.’

‘Shoosmiths take ownership of the deal and are to be commended for the commercial outlook. Exceptional client care and a comfortable environment.’

‘Richard Millington – excellent client service with swift grasp of the issues.’

‘The team takes of all of the issues at hand. Bring them to the attention of the client and resolve the issues.’

‘Alice Casey is an outstanding member of the banking team. She takes ownership and doesn’t let anything slip.’

‘They put the client at the centre of everything they do and provide concise relevant advice in a timely manner, this coming at a competitive price.’

‘Debra Cooper stands out as leading that client interaction being accessible at all times as well as being supportive to the client relationship at all levels allowing the development of our own staff.’

‘A great team, in particular Robert Nieri.’

‘Robert Nieri is hugely assiduous and thoughtful in his advice. He has a forensic attention to detail combined with an engaging and supportive style. He is technically excellent, but also is able to focus on the bigger picture.’

‘Technically strong user-friendly and practical advice from a team with real depth of knowledge and experience.’

‘Robert Nieri is responsive, clear and an excellent communicator – he briefed and guided our charity board with real skill.’

‘Robert Nieri was personally outstanding. He engaged his colleagues and ensued we had excellent advice throughout.’

‘Shoosmiths displayed a real detailed knowledge of charity relevant law and best practice.’

‘The team are experts in their field and there are not many firms which have a team dedicated purely to contentious probate and trust work, often this work is lumped in with other litigation. This team however is very niche and extremely competent and capable at what they do.’

‘Adam Draper is an exceptional solicitor who is always very pragmatic in his approach. He helps clients to work towards a sensible and cost-effective solution to resolve their matters as swiftly as possible. I never hesitate to recommend him as I know he can be relied upon to provide a great service and sound advice.’

‘Adam Draper is a stand-out individual who always finds the time to be responsive and generous with his time. I love that he provides as much practical guidance and help to potential clients even when it seems clear they’re unlikely to instruct for whatever reason, as chargeable clients who are spending good money with the firm.’

‘Legal expertise added to a practical approach. A bigger firm than many in the inheritance disputes field, but hasn’t lost the personal touch.’

‘Adam Draper knows the law, but is pragmatic and effective.’

‘Adam Draper and his team in the NW are very able and sensible practitioners in this field. They are always among my first choices.’

‘Sensible, well-versed in the law, and a very safe pair of hands.’

‘Within the huge Shoosmiths organisation, the contentious trusts and probate team has successfully avoided the risk of a one-size-fits-all approach to their cases – they give real care and attention to every case, with tailored and bespoke advice. Highly recommended.’

‘The team is responsive and always willing to take your call if urgent advice is needed. They’re able to understand the bigger picture, allowing them to focus on the key issues at hand.’

‘Shoosmiths provide practical legal advice but are also in tune with commercial matters so that their sound legal advice marries well with commercial realities.’

‘Christina Suddes is an accomplished legal director. Always available to provide timely and commercially prudent legal advice. The team always go above and beyond to service their clients.’

‘Vanessa Rickard values the trust of a client and is not afraid to highlight risk, but always with a solution or approach to mitigation thereof. Deals with all instructions promptly and effectively, with a calm and measured demeanour. Vanessa is not afraid to hold out in negotiations for matters in the Trust’s best interests even if that makes her unpopular with others on the opposite side of the transaction. Vanessa is highly respected by our property team.’

‘The knowledge in the sector is second to none and the commitment to knowledge sharing throughout the team is exceptional.’

‘Very personable and a willingness to help. They are not afraid of arming in house teams with knowledge and skills so that they can carry out business as usual work in-house.’

‘Friendly, personable, hard working, and understanding of clients.’

‘All members are very approachable and knowledgeable.’

‘Outstanding firm of planning solicitors. Know that you can trust them to get on and deliver, whether it is instructing counsel, co-ordinating an appeal team or preparing a legal agreement.’

‘Samantha Grange has detailed knowledge and experience of the CPO process.’

‘The team is particularly strong in compulsory purchase work.’

‘Kathryn Jump is outstanding. Delivers excellent advice, approachable, practical, commercially savvy. Lisa Tye is also outstanding.’

‘Great CPO experience, understand both the public and private sector.’

‘Kathryn Jump: gives clear, straightforward and sound advice to clients.’

‘Lisa Tye has sound judgement which is put to good effect in giving advice to clients.’

‘The team brings absolute expertise to any property litigation issue/problem, which in itself is unique. They approach issues in a pragmatic, professional and down to earth manner and explain difficult concepts in simple terms. They key to this success is clearly the ethos of the team.’

‘Ben Kelly as senior associate in the property litigation team is a stand out individual. The ability to tackle unique and unusual legal issues is a key character trait. Ben prepares and delivers advice with real quality, so difficult to find outside of London.’

‘Every interaction was professional, but also personal. Thinking outside the box and applying regulations to the clients way of working is a strength that the property litigation team has.’

‘Kirsty Black and the team are very reactive with a high level of knowledge of the sector. They are always available on hand to deal with any queries or instructions and have always worked “with” us in getting matters resolved. This way of working and having this kind of client-lawyer relationship is unmatched and I could not recommend this team more highly!’

‘Kirsty Black is simply outstanding. She delivers quality legal advice but never loses sight of the commercial aspects. She is my go to on all property litigation matters.’

‘Shoosmiths are a well rounded team with expertise in all fields. I find this very beneficial when a transaction is being undertaken as various teams can assist with specific matters (eg tax, planning etc).’

‘They go the extra mile to ensure that I understand the more technical legal issues so that I can provide the relevant instructions.’

‘Kirsty Black is in a class of her own when it comes to retail tenant work.’

‘The team have dealt with our social housing contracts in a very professional manner.’

‘They are players at the top table with the social housing developers/operators in Scotland.’

‘As a team they have what is sadly missing in a lot of deals these days, a very good dry sense of humour and underlying respect.’

‘Gillian Ralph has good experience and has dealt with our social housing contracts in a very professional manner.’

‘Janette Speed is an excellent leader.’

‘Janette Speed is a commercial property solicitor who knows what commercial means. Will work with you to get a deal done for the benefit of all.’

‘Strong commercial team, very knowledgeable, professional, accessible and responsive.’

‘The legal advisers at Shoosmiths give the company that difference as they are extremely knowledgeable and professional whilst maintaining a practical and business focused approach.’

‘Stuart Lawrence and Sian Hoare are a pleasure to work with and balance their knowledge and expertise extremely well, alongside the needs of the business.’

‘For me, it’s how pragmatic the advice received is that puts Shoosmiths above other legal practices I’ve worked with.’

‘I’ve worked primarily with Stuart Lawrenson who has a truly excellent knowledge of employment law. Where advice required needs to stray beyond Stuart’s strengths, he has quickly arranged collaborations with colleagues who I’ve found to be of a similarly high standard.’

‘The team get personally involved and their support has been exceptional.’

‘Stuart Lawrenson was exceptional over a two year period. He was always available both on a personal level and in providing legal support.’

‘The team are all very approachable.’

‘Our contact is very approachable and always responds quickly to calls and emails. She always gives good clear and helpful advice. It is always helpful to talk particular employment matters through with her.’

‘We work with the team where we are administrators of the estate, and we grant a Power of Attorney for them to act. They know and understand our governance and are efficient and fairly priced, hence the repeat business.’

‘Great solid charity expertise and support on interpretation and governance queries.’

‘The Shoosmiths team is very approachable, knowledgeable and is able to provide advice and guidance in an easily digestible form. They approach matters in a pragmatic way and are able to provide efficient solutions to issues.’

‘Angela Bowman and Robert Nieri are both excellent people to work with on charity matters, they are both very knowledgeable and are able to get to the root of any issues that arise swiftly, and then provide effective guidance. Both are very thoughtful in their approaches to difficult matters and are able to get good results for charities, when needed.’

‘The practice has excellent knowledge of the charitable sector and in particular the area of contentious wills. The partner is able to summarise matters in a clear and understandable manner and give clear recommendations on the right way forward.’

‘Angela Bowman has been dealing with a complicated, contentious legacy on behalf of two charitable beneficiaries. Her summaries of the case are at all times clear, concise and helpful.’

‘A diverse team offering a range of services – the full package.’

‘Caroline Watson is an excellent family lawyer who has a fantastic eye for detail. Clients feel very safe with Caroline. I have had her as an opponent and been impressed. She also works collaboratively.’

‘Faye Wright is also one to watch and impressive.’

‘Going through a divorce is a very emotional experience and a time when I just wanted to walk away as quickly as I could even if it meant taking a lot less than I was entitled to. Caroline remained very focused on the practical and legal elements ensuring that we remained focused on moving things forward and explained the broader implications of some decisions for my and my family’s future.’

‘Caroline was a pillar of support sorting out facts from emotions which I really needed at the time.’

‘Caroline is extremely thorough and found cases that were similar to mine to set a precedence for the hearing. Whilst one would expect any lawyer to do this, that doesn’t equal that it would happen. Caroline ensured I was completely prepared for the hearing covering every angle that might have been thrown at me.’

‘Caroline Watson was thoughtful, helpful and pragmatic.’

‘What makes this practice outstanding is its width and depth of experience. Potential clients would be grateful to know that all and any aspects of their cause will be dealt with comprehensively. Its strength is in the diversity of its specialists and their willingness to cooperate with each other. As to people – all I have had dealings with have been most helpful, informed yet gracious in their communications.’

‘Angela Bowman carried me throughout the case. Melissa Maple was very hard-working.’

‘Shoosmiths has a great understanding of our business and are aware of our constraints/challenges. They take the time to get to know us and our wider portfolio. This helps them to manage our real estate and support us to ensure there are no surprises and transactions are managed in a timely fashion.’

‘The team is well joined up and proactive. They have established a good client portal to cover our projects. We find the turnaround advice and actions are very good. They are good value for money.’

‘The team work closely together so it is pretty seamless for us even when team members move on. Joanne McGuinness leads by example and manages her team extremely well to ensure we the client comes first. Emily Stocker manages quite a few of our complex matters and also has her wider team supporting us.’

‘Emily Stocker always provides clear, positive legal advice in often complex and unusual circumstances.’

‘All the team are very proactive, constantly probing the boundaries of the possibilities in order to deliver the required outcome for the challenge presented.’

‘The individuals are all highly qualified, skilled and pay particular attention to achieving the result required from the brief presented. All the staff meet the required deadlines, are pleasant to work with and always available at any time to discuss any of our requirements.’

‘A strong team within a well-known national firm.’

‘I find the practice very helpful yet pro-active. Very knowledgeable in their field.’

‘The individual I know best is Simon Foster, Partner and Head of the Real Estate Litigation (Southern) team. He is diligent, a good lawyer, commercially astute and very pleasant to work with.’

‘Simon Foster is first class. He is very knowledgeable and approachable. He gets to grips with the issue quickly and gives practical advice. He has helped us resolve issues amicably and quickly.’

‘I’ve been impressed with Richard Willcox with property litigation – grasps the issues quickly and well, gives good practical and clear advice, very good customer service.’

‘Aimee Teague is by far an impressive Property litigation lawyer who has our own interest at the forefront of any transaction. She helps manage our whole property portfolio and I can honestly say, she knows our portfolio just as well as I know it myself. A truly inspirational lawyer and glad she is supporting us on our account/transactions, she also makes sure I do not miss any deadlines.’

‘The Shoosmiths team are a highly experienced team with deep knowledge and understanding of our business, really dedicated, and with strengths in various disciplines which we can rely on at any time.’

‘Alistair Peet and his team are a pleasure to work with. Alistair knows the market inside out and provides excellent guidance in handling negotiations. He is highly responsive, thoughtful and unstintingly cheerful.’

‘Questions are answered correctly and quickly at all times. The assistance is extremely helpful. Shoosmith has become familiar with our business area in a very short time and is able to provide us with spot-on advice.’

‘The team are experts in the venture capital area. They are very responsive and work hard and diligently.’ 

‘We look forward to working with the Shoosmiths team again going forwards – we highly recommend them.’

‘Alistair Hammerton is great to work with. He listens to what you want and need and is happy to give a steer when requested. Most of all, he is commercial and appreciates that all sides want a positive outcome when it comes to investment transactions.’

‘Georgina Rennie is a star. She is tenacious, organised and a pleasure to work with. I have every confidence in her ability and I am always pleased if Georgina is working on my files.’

‘Alastair Hammerton is an excellent resource. He exemplifies the team attributes of knowledge, understanding and applicability of advice and strategies.’

‘Shoosmiths care about their clients and the results, and are willing to put an enormous amount of time and effort into securing the best outcome for their clients.’

‘They handle an enormous amount of work apparently effortlessly, always responding swiftly to queries in a clear and concise manner.’

‘Roger Potgeiter and Jordon Bray are a genuine pleasure to work with and are extremely knowledgeable and tactically astute.’

‘Roger Potgieter is at the top of his game. He is on top of all legal developments and has an intricate knowledge of his client’s needs, with an eye on commerciality at all times.’

‘Jordon Bray is always willing to go above and beyond, working late into the evening to ensure that everything is ready for trial.’

‘In-depth sector knowledge and specialism.’

‘Driven by the phenomenal Alex Bishop, Shoosmiths has developed a commercial litigation department that any firm would be proud to have.’

‘A joy to work with and operating at the top of their game.’

‘They handle an enormous amount of work apparently effortlessly, always responding swiftly to queries in a clear and concise manner.’

‘Alex Bishop is simply a force of nature and the complete comm lit package. Stunningly bright; an excellent lawyer; a superb tactician; a brilliant team-leader; a joy to work with; and totally dedicated to the client.’

‘Mark Elder is an excellent and extremely organised leader, who has assembled a strong team which allows him to oversee things from a strategic perspective, something which he does very well.’

‘Rebekah Finch is outstanding and possibly the strongest associate in media law at the moment for me. She is a great client manager, a complete joy to work with and always delivers.’

‘Shoosmiths was able to provide an excellent breakdown of the legalities of a very complex situation, alongside professional but practical advice on how to move forward. As this occurred during lockdown, all consultations were virtual and I was particularly impressed by how well managed this was’.

‘Charlie Rae was extremely easy to deal with, very professional and always gave clear clarification on all matters concerned’.

‘Charlie Rae who runs the team is exceptional. He is a strong technical lawyer and brilliant with clients. Adelle Hayfield is very popular with clients and very ably assists Charlie‘.

‘Commercial understanding, pragmatic solutions provided, levels of support required depending upon circumstances. Charles Rae‘.

‘The team is responsive, pragmatic and offers solutions and advice taking into consideration the needs of the business.’

‘Nick Vernon – excellent support with good all round employment knowledge in multiple areas and access to specialist support if needed. Clear, concise and well positioned feedback always provided’.

‘Exceptional client service, strong partner availability, first class technical knowledge and perfect balance of commercial versus technical requirements.’

‘Team is very responsive and able to close transactions quickly.’

‘Jon Bew has an excellent understanding of ABL transactions and to ensure that we have sufficient protections for our bespoke transactions.’

‘Exceptional client service, strong partner availability, first class technical knowledge and perfect balance of commercial versus technical requirements.’

The strength of our relationship and the consistently high standard of work is the reason we keep using them – they are our number 1 panel firm.’

‘Ms Samra’s honest, expert advice enabled us to navigate a very upsetting and stressful situation regarding our daughter’s EHCP and school placement.’

‘Parents of SEN children can often feel isolated and lost within the EHCP process, but Guv Samra was always ready to listen to our deep concerns and had the needs, and the legal rights, of our child at the core of all she was attempting to achieve for us as a family.’

‘Gurvinder Samra does a brilliant job year after year in providing legal advice for my sons’s EHCP reviews.’

‘The education specialists at Shoosmiths possess a high level of knowledge and expertise, but more importantly they are friendly, efficient, and very clear and persistent in dealing with the education authorities. I was always kept informed, and my phonecalls and emails were answered promptly.’

‘Gurvinder Samra looked after my daughter’s case, both with our original application and with a subsequent funding issue the following year. Her communication was always prompt and to the point, and she was proactive in her approach, which helped a great deal with the considerable stress of fighting the local authority for funding.’

‘Gurvinder Samra was excellent. She explained everything clearly, acted quickly and kept us up to date with our case. She achieved what she said she would. We have recommended Gurvinder to others.’

‘Gurvinder Samra continues to provide excellent advice to parent/carers of potential students. She is easily accessible and keeps in contact. Gurvinder gives parents/carers a sense of confidence and stability in what they usually find is a very stressful time.’

‘The team have extensive knowledge of special educational needs and this helps support families to ensure that they receive the best possible outcomes for their child. They can navigate the system to help families understand in a way which is meaningful for them.’

‘Seasoned, highly experienced contentious construction team backed up by highly expert colleagues on the advisory side and excellent paralegal support. Very collaborative and highly supportive of client needs.’

‘Ian Yule is a truly outstanding contentious construction lawyer. Ian is never less than 100% engaged in supporting and advising the client and zones in with unerring accuracy on the key technical, commercial and legal issues. He is a highly strategic thinker who understands technical issues and who has a wonderful ability to reassure clients, both lawyers and non-lawyers alike and to keep the entire team focused on achieving the optimum outcome.’

‘Michael Bennett possess excellent knowledge of industry sector, good listener, flexible in approach, quick understanding and interpretation into good pragmatic advice.’

‘Nick Shepherd is an exceptional property litigator. His advice is carefully considered and measured. Under the pressure of time critical responses to injunctions he was an invaluable, calm and responsive member of our professional team.’

‘A highly experienced and a commercially powerful team. This firm handles the most high value and complex property law disputes and is one of the leaders in its field.’

‘Kate McCall is a stand-out partner, whose attention to detail, case management, and tactical and strategic awareness are second to none. She does not miss a trick.’

‘Very friendly, responsive and clearly on top of all our work and issues arising.’

‘There is a breadth and depth of expertise who understand the domain as well as the legal aspects.’

‘The IP team are incredible easy to deal with. They breakdown the issue quickly and offer pragmatic, commercially focused advice which I can quickly relay to the Board. They are experts at what they do.’

‘I have been impressed by the way this firm has embraced changes in technology including AI.’

‘The team demonstrated very good knowledge of the subject matter, both of letter and the practical aspects of the law, and were very helpful in guiding us through the matter.’

‘Andrew Brennan is my go to IP lawyer. I have a number of litigation/passing off claims where Andrew’s advice has been pragmatic and commercial. I wouldn’t use anyone else.’

‘The advice and support from Victoria Bentley over the last few months has been exceptional.’

‘Victoria Bentley exhibited a thorough knowledge of IPR law and practices and led our project brilliantly.’

‘The team is always available and on hand to provide excellent commercial advice. They always strive to support in any way they can and their technical ability combined with pragmatic approach really helps ensure any matter moves forward in the best way.’

‘On all of the matters Simon Proctor has led from the front, providing a top level service and a fantastic technical ability. He has always delivered, ensured the transactions progress on time and is always on the end of the phone is needed. Without his support we would not have had the success we have achieved in the last year.’

‘Strong team, highly skilled but delivered by a team with a diversity of backgrounds.’

‘James Foster – very entrepreneurial, relationship led lawyer but underpinned by strong legal acumen.’

‘This is a new banking team in the region and it has been put together well with Anna Robson leading and a series of strong hires underneath her’

‘Anna Robson is very engaging and provides straightforward helpful advice. Kat Acott is a young lawyer who is extremely capable. Kat and Anna make a great team.’

‘The team is very close to regulatory and government circles and so is able to effectively advise on not just prevailing sector issues, but also how that may change in the near future and how to influence that change.’

‘Shoosmiths is a modern practice that is forwarding thinking and innovative but still values traditional methods of building, maintaining and developing personal business relationships, which is the corner stone of understanding a client and their business well.’

‘Kate McGoverne is an established solicitor, who is well versed in all commercial landlord and tenant property matters. She understands the commercial reality of what businesses need from a lease to operate efficiently and effectively.’

‘The Sheffield-based team at Shoosmiths LLP delivers a first-class service for our real estate asset management and transaction requirements. The team is knowledgeable, capable and efficient in its handling of our matters. Maximum service with minimum fuss.’

‘Kellie Hatton’s commitment, technical ability, commercial understanding and approachable manner runs through her team and ensures the service delivery is first-rate.’

‘Shoosmiths offers a broad range of expertise to cover any legal problem we might wish to throw at them. They are always diligent to respond in a timely manner.’

‘Kate McGoverne understands our requirements well and has always diligently pushed to get the best possible terms for us.’

‘Brilliantly efficient and effective. The team are dedicated.’

‘Shoosmiths have the ability to field a multidisciplinary team at short notice to deal with litigation issues. This is invaluable as such issues are inevitably high-value and/or need to be responded to quickly and to strict timescales. We have been impressed at their ability to involve several advisors with their own particular specialisms to ensure all facets of a problem are considered and dealt with.’

‘Michael Gaughan is a fantastic litigator, he is incredibly responsive and utterly strategic and can be relied on to deliver.’

‘They take time to understand our business needs and tailor their advice accordingly.’

‘I have worked closely with Matthew Lonergan and his team on a complex dispute. He and the team have been fantastic, always proactive and quick, pragmatic and solution focused.’

‘Their willingness to understand our needs, particularly in relation to specific project work.’

‘Approachable and knowledgeable. Their advice is pragmatic and solution-focused.’

‘Really diverse team of talent.’

‘A very efficient and professional practice.’

‘This is a small but well regarded team.’

‘Stuart Nevin has been developing a strong reputation in this area.’

‘Stuart Nevin is calm under pressure and has excellent rapport with clients.’

‘Good team of people offering a good diversity of knowledge.’

‘A highly talented team that works well together and provides first-rate skills at every level.’

‘Bill Molloy is one of the most personable people you could hope to meet, while being an excellent lawyer, strategist and tactician. He knows how to get the best out of his people and is utterly unflappable.‘

‘Bill Molloy is a heavyweight commercial litigator, with a strong knowledge of tech disputes.’

‘Bill Molloy – a great strategist and will fight your corner without fail.‘

‘Susie Wakefield is a standout partner at Shoosmiths – approachable and hands-on to understanding the issues arising in our business. She always considers the appropriate structuring of a matter, who is best placed to help, and how Shoosmiths can add value.’

‘Philip Tansley and the remainder of the team (which included senior associate Matthew MacLachlan) demonstrated excellent client management and engagement skills; were always on top of broader strategy issues; and delivered timely, well-thought out advice.’

‘Elliot Bishop is a standout partner with an impressive following. He is commercial, easy to work with, and very clever.’

‘Associate John Shirley is exceptionally bright and hardworking – one to watch for the future.’

‘Very knowledgeable and sensible team. The team are excellent costs advocates and are very prompt to respond.’

‘Excellent costs drafting service.’

‘I have worked on a number of cases and over several years with Andy Sinclair. He is extremely responsive, quick, knowledgeable, accurate and completely reliable. He is commercially minded and always ready to advise on the more strategic side of costs recovery, as well as having excellent technical knowledge. He is our firm’s go-to for all costs matters.’

‘Andrew Sinclair is at the forefront of costs law. There is nothing that he does not know about costs. He is very pragmatic.’

‘Martin Wright is an incredibly balanced and knowledgeable costs lawyer.’

‘The lawyers have been, without exception, knowledgeable, helpful, prompt and constructive.’ 

‘Jon Bew is an expert in managing multiple stakeholders and is pretty unflappable.’

‘Shoosmiths understood what needed to be done to unlock a complex redevelopment opportunity, displaying unlimited patience at times to get documents agreed and exchanged.’

‘A broad depth of experience across the necessary sectors to provide a ‘one stop’ shop service.’

‘Kirsty Chalkley: Commercially astute and always thinking outside of the box.’

‘Pragmatic and commercial, always seeking to make the deal happen and not overly negotiate on minor points.’

‘Catherine Williams – excellent detailed knowledge, personable, super responsive, commercial and pragmatic. Never flustered.’

‘Exceptionally knowledgeable in this area and punching well above their weight. A very safe pair of hands and hugely capable in defending complex claims. Will always go the extra mile for their clients.’

‘Richard Marshall: one of the most capable litigators in this area.’

‘The team is genuinely collaborative across its platform of branches nationwide. This is actually difficult to achieve and is often undermined by rivalry between London and other branches. In the case of Shoosmiths they seem to have created a very positive and collaborative working environment enabling the necessary talent to be brought to a case. There also seems to be a good availability of talent from Partner to Associate. In fact some of the Principal Associates are very talented.’

‘Hayley Saunders and Phil Ryan – Partners. Hayley and Phil provide H&S and regulatory advice. Both make you feel that you are in safe hands. They provide sensible balanced advice’

‘The team is always available and responds quickly to all questions. Their advice is good and rapid.’

‘Liam Philips is outstanding. Reliable and quickly responds to any issues.’

‘Clever and calm.’

‘Our experience with this firm is excellent thanks to a star lawyer, namely, Gary Assim.’

‘Gary Assim is a gifted IP lawyer and a wonderful colleague to work with.’

‘The firm has great people and values. They easily build trust with clients.’

‘Gary Assim is an excellent lawyer, very skilled in his craft and can explain very complex matters in layman terms. He has a natural authority and is very good in mediations when also the opposing counsel listens to him. Eloise Di Pasqua is learning from Gary and is already a very good lawyer.’

‘Very experienced and enthusiastic team that punches well above its weight. Very effective litigators with a huge depth of experience. Quick to spot the key issues from the client’s perspective and to steer the litigation from that angle. A very good rapport with clients.’

‘Richard Marshall has huge experience in product liability and insurance. A very capable litigator and a very challenging opponent: commercial, effective and smart.’

‘Experts in their specialist fields, good rates, and a proactive and creative approach to legal issues and challenges in and out of litigation.’

‘Kath Livingston – excellent commercial sense and able to cut through to the real issues at hand.’

‘A user-friendly and hard working group of solicitors with an eye for detail.’

‘Very available and very savvy.’

‘Sylwena Sempa – a brilliant senior associate. Kath Livingston – has seen it all.’

‘Jonathon Crook: exceptional timing in responses; ability to explain things in a clear understandable manner; will always find a solution to a problem; excellent to engage with at all times. Jonathon is a great example of what good should look like in the legal profession.’

‘Open-minded, sound and credible advice. Willing to listen to other opinions and offer the best solution based on the faces and circumstances as opposed to what they have done previously.’

‘Emma Morgan and Lauren Bholé are the individuals I’ve had the most interaction with. It’s always a very pleasant yet professional experience where all viewpoints are listened to and the best course of action is arrived at. Always willing to listen to other viewpoints and opinions.’

‘They are excellent at managing complex litigation where successful defence of the proceedings is not the only outcome desired by the client. They are commercially-minded and able to think outside the box to achieve solutions to clients with difficult employees to all parties satisfaction.’

‘Emma Morgan is my main contact and the team around her are professional and provide good quality advice in both a legal and practical manner.’

‘Practical advice rather than quoting what you can’t do. They bring employment law cases to life giving examples of how they might apply and what to look out for in terms of checking our policies.’

‘This team is very responsive and incredibly knowledgeable about a constantly changing, and complex, area of law. The advice received is always clear and sets out actionable pathways, or straightforward guidance, that can be implemented by in-house counsel, trustees and advisors alike.’

‘Paul Carney is fantastic to work with – beyond being knowledgeable and commercial, he has a great way of really focusing on the critical issues and presenting practical, commercial solutions and advice. Paul focuses on the client, understanding the full needs, the history, and the overall strategy, enabling him to be proactive in his advice/issue flagging, as well as ensuring that he’s ‘horizon-scanning’ in a sensible way. I really cannot recommend Paul enough!’

‘Paul Carney – deep experience in pensions law, and able to combine technical capability with sound judgement and practical advice. Nice manner.’

‘Great recommendation, we have subsequently recommended to other contacts. Good advice, well explained and supportive team.’

‘Paul Carney’s involvement with the pension has been exceptional. Items always explained in lay terms for non-legalese and proportionate to a scheme of our size.’

‘The team is very responsive to requests and proactive when necessary. They are very attuned to the way we work as an organisation and their competitive pricing and clearly laid out invoices make it is easy to control our legal budget. They have helped in the past with numerous projects and their unfussy, uncomplicated approach and clear advice is appreciated by the senior management team.’

‘Paul Carney has proved to be an excellent solicitor and offers key pension advice to our team as and when queries arise. Paul will clearly explain the advice given and builds a good rapport when working with colleagues outside of our legal team including HR and operational leads.’

‘Paul is very approachable. He will make himself available for meetings and will turn work around quickly when required. Paul has a wealth of experience and this enables him to provide practical advice. The work provided by Paul is detailed and it is clear that time is spent to ensure the advice given is accurate and relevant to our queries.’

‘Sarah Teal is very responsive and helpful.’

‘The team, headed up by Sarah Teal, has one of the strongest profiles in Manchester.’

‘As well as being technically strong, the team also stand out from competitors as having a strong market profile and having strength and depth within the team. Sarah Teal, Bethan Moore and Hollie Wrigley are all great ambassadors for their firm and clearly love working there.’

‘Very commercial, with a strong profile, and are involved in a large number of cases.’

‘Sarah Teal is a leading figure – very commercially aware and astute.’

‘I was recommended Shoosmiths as the company to use for the sale of my business . I was not disappointed . The customer service was excellent, especially the communication during the process even out of office hours which is exceptional .’

‘Alison Gilson and the team were extremely professional though out the whole process. They kept me advised at every turn guiding me through the process I could not have asked for more.’

‘Very approachable and knowledgeable team always trying to look for innovative solutions to resolve matters. Our team in particular is in the majority female which, as a female founder is really refreshing. The team are really collaborative and everything we do with them is via Teams which makes scheduling meetings at short notice much simpler.’

‘Alison Gilson is excellent – she was recently promoted and clearly managing larger clients than us but never makes us feel any less important. She is very experience in commercial law and brings this past experience to share learnings and ideas. Eliza Stubing is fantastic – she worked tirelessly on closing our investment raise going well above and beyond what we expected.’

‘Good co-ordination across the different specialist teams.’

‘Alison Gilson – very commercial in all aspects, looks for solutions rather than just identifying problems.’

‘Partner-led service at appropriate cost levels.’

‘Commercial views/assistance where required i.e. not simply quoting legal positions but providing meaningful direction / assistance to resolve challenges.’

‘Fiona Cameron is an experienced lawyer with a very strong grasp of the commercial aspects of any request. She looks to assist with straightforward practical solutions acceptable to all parties which help greatly in a transaction. I would have no hesitation in recommending her.’

‘The team were able to bid very keenly for a bespoke piece of work and brought considerable expertise to the project. They were very easy to deal with, commercial and approachable and made the project a much easier task for me as in-house solicitor.’

‘Fiona Cameron and the team are excellent. They were much more approachable than others I have worked with at other similar firms but had similar levels of expertise.’

‘The team has a broad range of experience in corporate insolvency within the UK. I have dealt exclusively with the team in Scotland and have found them to be both knowledgeable and enthusiastic. The team share experiences and ideas to assist them in working through unusual problems. They are well aware of the areas where there is ambiguity in the law and use these to their advantage in negotiating settlements in contentious issues.’

‘Stuart Clubb is the partner who I have worked with most in Scotland. Stuart is very impressive. He is a regular speaker at conferences and is on the Lexis Nexis panel of experts. He has a detailed knowledge of insolvency law and uses that knowledge to great effect in achieving his client’s objectives.’

‘Excellent all-round team providing first-class service.’

‘Very professional and proactive.’

‘We have worked with this excellent team for many years. Impressive breadth of experience, fantastic team, always on call to advise at short notice, which is often required in our unpredictable area of work.’

‘Stuart Clubb has been my go-to lawyer for many years, always able to provide reliable advice and great to have by your side in challenging situations.

‘The team at Shoosmiths offers a respected and friendly team that is able to handle a wide range of litigation matters. Nothing is ever too small or too complex to be handled by the team.’

‘Stuart Clubb is a Partner who assists on a wide range of commercial disputes and complex insolvency matters. He turns around complex insolvency disputes quickly and always finds a solution to the Insolvency Practitioner’s problems.’

‘Hands-on solid professional advice from an experienced team of individuals who make it their task to know and understand our business.’

‘Strong commercial team led by Janette Speed who takes time to offer individual advice and innovative solutions.’

‘Shoosmiths LLP are always highly professional in the work they undertake on our behalf. Similarly they have an understanding of the requirements of our business at all times in the process, working proactively in the work that they do.’

‘Excellent team who understand and are therefore able to provide sound legal advice with regards to the particularly niche (and often very misunderstood) area of telecommunications and the Digital Economy Act. There are very few such solicitors across the UK and the substantial level of experience together with the open, honest and transparent nature of the team means that I would have no hesitation in recommending Shoosmiths to any number of our clients (and have done on numerous occasions).’

‘My main contact at Shoosmiths is Gillian Wood. I find Gillian to be extremely approachable, very professional and she has an unparalleled knowledge of the Electronic Communications Code having led a team working for two of the main code operators in a previous role (and now representing landlords). I have introduced Gillian to numerous clients who have all been very happy with her approach, explanation and with the professional advice given and subsequently (and most importantly) with the result.’

‘Key strength is the ability to balance legal advice with a commercial hat on. Shoosmiths are excellent at steering you through contracts and making you fully aware of commercial risks involved such that it aids decision making on what can be complicated matters. In my experience this strength is way above any of their competitors that I have been involved in.’

‘For the same reasons as above plus their ability to provide their advice in a very understandable way. Gillian Wood is particularly strong on this under the stewardship of Janette Speed.’

‘Shoosmiths is a modern practice that is forwarding thinking and innovative but still values traditional methods of building, maintaining and developing personal business relationships, which is the corner stone of understanding a client and their business well.’

‘Shoosmiths is an excellent firm for property litigation within the commercial litigation sector. The solicitors always have a good eye for the commercial needs of the clients.’

‘Richard Willcox is very good. I worked with him on a restrictive covenant case. He is very commercially aware.’

‘Oliver Spicer is excellent for mortgage work, especially the more complicated and involved cases.’

‘Professional and efficient. We have used them for a number of years and have a very good working relationship.’

‘Oliver Spicer and Start Montgomery are our 2 main points of contact at the moment. Personally, I value Oliver’s opinion and guidance on all ongoing case matters. For us, one of the most important qualities is speed and efficiency and Oliver provides this without fail.’

‘An excellent team of all-rounders: strong in the law, adept tactically and committed to delivering the optimal results for their clients in the most cost-effective way.’

‘Stuart Montgomery is a “go to” lawyer for complex financial and banking disputes, with great client-handling skills and a real flair for running a case.’

‘Kate Connolly is hard-working and has an eye for detail that marks her out as an excellent lawyer.’

‘Highly professional, efficient and experienced.’

‘Timely and commercial advice enabling a complicated deal to be concluded in tight timeframe.’

‘Approachable, friendly and always willing to discuss potential legal queries on a speculative basis as part of early work.’

‘Excellent team and high-quality individuals.’

‘Excellent client care relations. I cannot think of a firm who devotes more attention to ensuring the client is satisfied.’

‘Tim Willis is a legend amongst planning solicitors. He is the dude! He is known across the industry as a heavyweight who gives excellent strategic advice and always adds value.’

‘Stuart Tym is quickly establishing himself as one of the go-to partners.’

‘Very experienced firm of planning solicitors who specialise in all aspects of Town and Country Planning, including housing, retail, highways and CPO. They are friendly and approachable, whilst being commercial and direct.’

‘Tim Willis is one of the most experienced planning solicitors in the West Midlands. Bright, friendly, hard-working and commercial. Great to work with.’

‘Focus on client needs and provision of a great service, quality legal advice in a timely manner. Stuart Tym in particular is fast becoming one of the Midlands go-to planning lawyers for insightful legal advice and guidance.’

‘Extremely industrious and hard working. Prepared to put in the hours which are necessary to make any claim run smoothly.’

Probably the strongest Employment in the region. Commercially aware and willing to thinking of creative solutions.

‘Practical, down to earth, technically very solid, responsive and commercially very aware.’

Phil Crowe is the Roll Royce of the team. Always responsive and proactive… I know people scramble to retain him. Simply the best of the best.

‘The practice as a whole is exceptionally responsive and has highly skilled staff. They are often my go to firm as I know they will answer calls quickly and have strong underlying knowledge of most situations.’

‘The team are very approachable and easy to deal with. They also strike an excellent balance between the legal position and the commercial realities of a situation.’

‘The restructuring team in Leeds, including Lizzy Wood, looks to build long lasting relationships, which includes giving excellent advice but also looking for opportunities for me as a client.’

‘Judy Fawcett has excellent property finance knowledge.’

‘A construction practice with deep industry knowledge and  collaborative approach when engaging and negotiating with their counterparts, helps ensure a commercial and practical focus to transactions so that deals get done.’

‘Rick Atha is a highly experienced practitioner. Works collaboratively with others on transactions to achieve solutions for his clients and to get their deals done. Always available and user friendly.’

‘The team is very approachable and offers clear advice.’

‘Depth of knowledge on construction contracts and providing bespoke solutions to complex issues.’

‘The team at Shoosmiths are extremely personable and take a very proactive and supportive approach to the service they provide. The team’s ability to utilise their knowledge and apply it in a different context is invaluable.’

‘Alex Kirkhope is patient, thoughtful and worked through situations with care and attention. Even on complicated legal matters, he would take it away and come back with effective solutions.’

‘Shoosmiths LLP were professional and organised, and met our legal requirements with ease. The team we worked  with were all very pleasant in nature and punctual for any meetings we had arranged.’

‘Alex Kirkhope is personable and knowledgeable with good commercial practical advice.’

‘An exceptional blend of talent and personality, the Shoosmiths team brought a refreshing approach and explanations were crisp and clear and avoided the obfuscation so prevalent in some lawyers. The team were well versed in private equity deals and its personal approach was brilliant.’

‘The team and especially Michelle Craven Faulkner are very knowledgeable on all aspects of rail. They listen to the customers requirements and adjust their approach accordingly.’

‘The client relationship is what makes this practice unique. Michael Briggs works as an extension of my HR Team, he understands our business and helps us to make sensible decisions. The team are responsive and clear in their advice.’

‘Shoosmiths are a great team to do business with. They’re there when you need them and always listen to your requirements. No issues with billing, which is always great – we get a breakdown on where the costs have arisen, so very clear and transparent.’

‘Michael Briggs is very knowledgable about our organisation and has supported a number of my colleagues throughout the year.’

‘My experience working with Rachel Harvey has been one of total confidence. She has been helpful, knowledgeable and extremely accommodating to my requirements of their services. ‘

‘Rachel Harvey. She is extremely personable, willing to share her knowledge and will always follow up on queries as promised.’

‘The immigration team are extremely knowledge and quick to react. They will always go the extra mile to ensure that you receive a response to any queries submitted.’

‘The Shoosmiths team are well-established and it shows through the professionalism shown when working with their clients. I think potential clients would be thrilled to know that they act in a prompt manner and take all the stress and worry away by keeping you informed and up to date on the case and making you feel involved in it too.’

‘This is a very strong and cohesive team who show great commitment and tenacity to getting the best outcome for their clients. The junior lawyers are all very well supported by their senior colleagues.’ 

‘Excellent clinical negligence team. Attract high quality work across the Midlands and able to deliver impressive results across a wide spectrum of cases.’

‘Sarah Harper – thorough and very hard working, cares deeply about her clients.’

‘Shoosmiths has a well resourced clinical negligence team and is able to deal with cases of all values and complexity.’

‘Simon Towler is extremely experienced and pro active. His preparation is thorough, and he communicates with and manages client expectations extremely well. He is an effective negotiator and able to persuade others to come to the negotiating table at an early opportunity. I would happily recommend him to a family member.’

‘This firm is really a cut above. They are very smart, efficient and commercial. I would recommend them to any client.’

‘Sharine Burgess – excellent attention to detail, great judgment, super hard working and brilliant with clients.

‘Our experience of Shoosmiths, is that they are people-led – genuine focus on the actual people involved in all sides of any equation’

‘Paula Swain who heads up this division – is extremely experienced, passionate and devoted. Paula always has time to share generously her knowledge, experience and to help others in anyway she can. Paula is a true ambassador for Shoosmiths and the profession.’

‘The team is genuinely collaborative across its platform of branches nationwide. This is actually difficult to achieve and is often undermined by rivalry between London and other branches. In the case of Shoosmiths they seem to have created a very positive and collaborative working environment enabling the necessary talent to be brought to a case. There also seems to be a good availability of talent from Partner to Associate. In fact some of the Principal Associates are very talented.’

‘The thing I found most unique was the Team’s ability to give practical advice and to clearly give an opinion. Often firms will provide you with the risks of different approaches and leave the client to reach a decision on the best way forward but, in this case, we needed some very specific on advice on what course of action needed to be taken and they provided that advice. It was very practical and understood the commercial needs of the business. I was incredibly impressed.’

‘Philip Ryan and Jo Sear are very approachable, highly technical lawyers, who have an ability to translate very heavy legislative provisions into easily digestible bites.’

‘The support and guidance provided by Shoosmith LLP in Health and Safety is underpinned with a significant depth of experience and expertise, that is provided in a timely and considered manner. Moreover, support is rapid and delivered with a great understanding and empathy of prevailing conditions. Partners are unafraid to get out on the ground and live the problem. I have no reservation in recommending their services.’

‘Hayley Saunders is fantastic to work with – responsive, pragmatic, and always provides commercially focused advice. All the qualities you’d expect from private practice lawyer. Highly recommended.’

‘Shoosmiths is a real market leader in this area – and richly deserves its excellent reputation. They have strength in depth: a highly experienced team of partners, ably-supported by a team of associates, who are able to offer an excellent service to their clients. They have buckets of relevant experience – with a number of star individuals. They are deeply committed to their clients’ causes. They go the extra mile – always. It is not surprising, therefore, that they have long-standing relationships with a cadre of loyal clients – whether they be national supermarkets or individual businesses – with whom they enjoy “trusted adviser” status. All in all, I consider them to be among the very best in their field and I very much hope that they are afforded tier 1 status.’

‘Charles Arrand is one of elite. He has unparalleled knowledge and experience of health and safety law. His commercial approach, and excellent judgement, instil huge loyalty in his cadre of blue chip clients.

‘Joanne Sear has great knowledge and understanding of procedure and the dynamics of criminal litigation. She combines great judgement with an incredible capacity for work. It is small wonder, therefore, that she is building a superb reputation for herself in this area. She’s definitely one to watch.’

‘The team’s knowledge and expertise in Scottish law is very impressive and reassuring.’

;Andrew Foyle is exceptional in terms of knowledge, experience and helpfulness.’

‘Amit Nayyar blends deep technical legal expertise and excellent commercial acumen to get deals done. He also shows great willingness to support our organisation outside of deal processes whenever we have legal questions or general market queries. His smart and friendly approach to doing business is really beneficial, particularly in circumstances that need high levels of EQ to create forward momentum.’

‘Pragmatic advice with a friendly face. Excellent breadth of knowledge of the subject.’

‘Very impressed with Jonathan Smart who has wide knowledge of his subject and a creative and lively approach. He is often able to apply his awareness of trends in the sectors we work in and the law to good effect.’

‘Broad experience of M&A and working with PE transactions. Able to work with both founders and investors – clear understanding of both positions.’

‘Claire Checketts is outstanding.’

‘The key individuals on the team had a fantastic work ethic and were incredibly proficient in turning documents around efficiently. Without their proactive approach the deal would have dragged on far longer than it did.’

‘The key team members were Lisa Sigalet and Laura Austin. They dealt with all matters pragmatically and there was never any problem with them posturing or procrastinating with the other side’s lawyers when issues came up.’

‘Adam Leszczynski is a pleasure to work with. He is responsive and concise with his advice. Most importantly, he communicates simply and his views are balanced. Sanjeev Sharma is available when needed. They set out their pricing at the start of the process.’

‘Ed Smith is a high quality, thoughtful and empathetic lawyer.’

‘Nick Holland – thoroughly commercial in approach and understands particular risk areas, enabling us to take a risk-based approach that’s effective within our business.’

‘Understanding of client needs, ability to tailor a solution based on budget, ability to put together a cross disciplinary team.’

‘The team is well-known in the Series A venture space and up-to-date with current trends.’ 

‘Tom Wilde is very commercial and always delivers a quality service.’

‘The team has exceptional knowledge of VCT provisions and can give clear, commercial advice whilst staying within the boundaries of the VCT regulations.’

‘The Shoosmiths team provides a very personalised service, and demonstrates a high degree of commercial acumen. The team punches above its weight in terms of the quality, value and complexity of cases in which it is instructed.’

‘The team stands out from its competitors. They are incredibly knowledgeable and dedicated. I have consistently found the team to be thorough in their approach. They are very confident dealing with a wide range of complex matters and offer excellent advice.’

‘Shoosmiths LLP is a leading firm in the region. The firm is a highly professional and well resourced outfit. Jon Smart’s team deals with disputes for household names and the team is well placed to manage the typical range of commercial disputes and issues that arise for large corporations in a holistic manner. The team is organised and works effectively to tackle issues. The team is particularly knowledgeable concerning contractual litigation and corporate & shareholder disputes. The team also collaborates effectively with counsel where specialist input is required. Unlike some firms, the team seeks counsel input at the right phase in potential actions which means the client’s interests are well served (financially and legally). I have always found members of the team to be easily accessible and responsive where necessary.’

‘All members of the team are bright, hardworking and collaborative. Their approach to handling claims of varying sizes is diligent, commercial and thorough.’

‘Jonathan Smart is a very hands-on partner. He can parachute into cases at short notice and lead counsel as necessary in the absence of his associates.’

‘I work closely with Luke Coleborn and Jonathan Smart. The reason they stand out is for their commercial awareness. They understand that for a business litigation, isn’t just about winning, there are costs considerations, PR concerns and effective use of management time. Both Luke and Jon understand this and tailor their advice and approach to keep this in mind. They make my job easier which cannot be said for other litigators I have worked with.’

‘Jon Smart is an exceptional partner who fights hard to secure the best outcome for all of his clients and has led the team on a number of impressive cases. Shelley White is outstanding and has an in-depth knowledge of insolvency litigation as well as general commercial litigation. Luke Coleborn is very sharp and has a fantastic grasp of all aspects of commercial litigation.’

‘Luke Coleborn is excellent. He works incredibly hard for his clients and has excellent knowledge and experience in his field. Luke is creative in his approach and finds solutions.’

‘The debt recovery team has a very broad spectrum of talent within it. They are always consistent, prompt and incredibly diligent. The advice and guidance given to us as clients is always second to none. I am particularly impressed in how the team have been able to understand the complexities of my debtors and my industry sector.’

‘Paula Swain is always calm, collected and astutely professional. Her advice is always considered and very well investigated. She instils tremendous confidence and her team naturally reacts to her brilliant leadership style. What impresses me most is that Paula and all of her team ‘speak my language’. They do not hide behind legal jargon.’

‘Very professional and extremely reliable organisation who we worked with for a number of years who have resolved a large number of problem accounts for us.’

‘As ever, the team are very knowledgeable and prompt in responding to instructions and offering advice. The team and I have worked many cases together over the years and had many successes.’

‘Engaged and understand how debts have arisen, with a unique approach to maintaining relationships with debtors.’

‘Always great at communicating, easy to get hold of, reliable and friendly.’

‘A personable team, which has made it easy to build excellent working relationships. Feels like we are working with extended members of our team.’

‘Michelle Morgan is brilliant. You never get a boring email from her – I can always see a smile behind the words.’

‘I work with Jonathan Naylor and he is fantastic. He perfectly blends high-quality technical legal advice with an interest understanding of the commercial parameters by business is dealing with. In addition, he is extremely approachable and brings lightness and good-natured humour to even the most difficult of situations.’

‘The team is always responsive, comes back on issues with great ideas and is always keen to understand what we want from their advice, in terms of an overall outcome.’

‘Michelle Morgan is particularly responsive and always provides good advice in a timely manner. She wants to know the background and what we need.’

‘Accessible, commercial, efficient. Able to quickly grasp the issue and provide meaningful and helpful advice and guidance at extremely reasonable rates.’

‘Jonathan Naylor is exceptional. Nothing is too much trouble and the advice and guidance received is always spot on. Jonathan has a thorough understanding of our business and acute awareness of some of the challenges we face and the characters involved.’

‘Kevin McCavish is our main client partner and always willing to have a call or a chat and puts us in touch with the best “fit” people from around the firm.’

‘We feel from Shoosmiths LLP we always get a quick response without having a negative impact on the quality of service. The billing is transparent and we have never needed to question the numbers as they match the time spent.’

‘Jo Sear – excellent team player and great with the technology required for large projects.’

‘The team continues to attract a lot of very able lawyers. There is a positive approach to work with a genuine emphasis on client care.’

‘I work with Joanne Sear and Philip Ryan. I am impressed with both of them but Jo in particular has been a godsend on a recent piece of regulatory work. Whereas most lawyers I have worked with in this field sit on the fence and are reluctant to give precise advice or guidance but this was not the case with Jo. It felt much more like a partnership.’

‘The team are just that a team that works with you for the best outcomes appropriate to the issue and connected with the correct empathy. This is of course underpinned by significant experience and sound advice.’

‘Unlike some firms who dabble in health & safety, and profess to be experts, Shoosmiths are true experts in the area of H&S. They have specialist teams with individuals who have genuine expertise and understanding of the law in this area. The team speak the language of the board room, allowing them to advise companies and company officers on the nuances of H&S legislation and how duties and responsibilities arise.’

‘Charles Arrand – a doyen of the H&S world. Charles commands the respect of judges, barristers and solicitor alike. He has such a deep rooted knowledge of H&S law, thereby allowing him to advise companies and company officers on criminal investigations by the CPS and HSS, and parallel coronial proceedings. In times of crisis, he is exactly who a board want on their side.’

‘Rubina Zaidi – a hard working and passionate solicitor. She always goes the extra mile for her clients and demonstrates an enquiring mind. Incredible work ethic and extremely hard working.’

‘The team not only provides excellent legal advice, but they also understand the commercial reality and business needs to enable them to provide pragmatic solutions. They are very responsive and a friendly legal team, who are easy to work with and have supported us with overcoming some difficult and complex issues to achieve great results.’

‘Knowledgeable and efficient.’

‘Shoosmiths have provided legal services to us for over 20 years. During this time we have never had cause for complaint. All advice provided, verbally and written, has always been given in a format that has been understandable to us, with any queries being fully explained. All services have been completed diligently, efficiently and in a totally satisfactory manner.’

‘Heather Chandler is excellent with a warm cheerful manner. Speedy helpful responses, always focused on what is important for Trustees.’

‘Heather Chandler is an extremely competent, experienced, confident and knowledgeable lawyer, who, in our opinion, is an expert on pension law. She has a very patient and pleasant personality and she always ensures that we are understanding and comfortable with her advice.’

‘Tracey Hemingway is excellent and has recently provided detailed advice and support in respect of a complex M&A transaction. Tracey is very commercial and pragmatic and can explain and provide advice on complex issues in a simple and clear manner. Tracey is responsive and has worked to support us with very tight timelines.’

‘Tracey Hemingway was able to make a difficult subject for us seem simple and was first class in all our dealings.’

‘Exceptional knowledge of the Pension law and regulations set by TPR. I mainly deal with Suzanne Burrell and the consistency makes for better working practice.’

‘The team we work with shows strong gender diversity with female partners and several female senior associates. They bring a city outlook to a regional practice (out of Reading) and are well equipped to handle our cross-border deals in emerging markets in Africa and South Asia.’

‘Rebecca Mauleverer brings all of her city and international magic circle experience as as a seasoned deal-doer. She’s proactive and practical in her approach to getting things done. She focuses on the big issues and can incisively explain to some of our clients what is needed, why and when. She manages her team fairly and keeps client service front of mind.’

‘Sophie Tyler is an excellent Senior Associate and has worked on our matters for several years. She has really got to know how we operate and our working relationship gets smoother with each deal. She is focused on the end goal and keeps the deal driving forwards to get us there.’

‘Ben Churchyard is developing into an excellent associate. Ben has quickly built a strong rapport with us and with our clients on deals. He is strong on the details and is another proactive lawyer, so the whole of the Shoosmiths team are all geared to getting us over the line.’

‘Good knowledge of existing client documentation arrangements and borrowing structure. Time invested with lending team to determine key requirements and explain background to any queries.’

‘Very personable in approach to engagement, always willing to assist lending deal team with queries to arrive at solutions to issues.’

‘The firm operates a flexible national banking team so they are able to call on whatever resource is necessary to staff the deal and whatever skill set is required wherever this may be located. This also enables them to provide a very cost effective service unlike their competitors who have a single office or a much smaller network.’

‘Ali Triptree is a first class banking partner. She is very hands on, understands the client’s needs and gets the job done. She has many years experience as a partner in a major city firm and it shows, her ability to close a transaction is second to none and she provides at least the same level of service as city and US firms, but at a significantly lower cost.’

‘An efficient and well run firm whose PI and clinical negligence team is highly experienced and up to date in all areas of practice.’

‘Denise Stephens is a giant in the clinical negligence field. She tenaciously builds cases to provide claimants with awards to achieve life long support. She masterfully provides honest, firm and insightful conduct of her litigation cases.’

‘Shoosmiths are a close team and support one another well. They provide a very welcoming and supportive environment.’

‘Denise Stephens is an excellent and extremely committed partner. I view her as a leader in her field, pushing all the time to absolutely maximise recovery for her immediate clients and also with an eye to improving the field for future personal injury claimants. Sue Prior is a really reliable solicitor, hard working, great with clients and deeply lovely to work with which really does make a difference. I always dig deep to find the extra time and go the extra mile for them all.’

‘Almost unparalleled strength in its experience of serious injury cases – both personal injury and clinical negligence. This gives them a depth of knowledge which enables them to get the best results for their clients.’

‘Denise Stephens is a force of nature. She works well with experts and always gets the very best for her clients.’

‘Susan Prior has represented some of the most troubled clients that I have seen. She is calm under pressure and well organised. Always prepared for anything that might arise in a case. A very safe pair of hands and a person I would want to represent me if I were in need of a solicitor.’

‘I have mainly worked with Angela Bowman, whose knowledge of contentious probate is outstanding.’

‘Angela Bowman stands out because she has a calm, very measured approach about her. She is well-reasoned and persuasive. She has a great reputation in this field.’

‘Very able, approachable and easy to work with. Great client focus.’

‘Mandeep Chima: highly intelligent, practical, strongly focused on client objectives.’

‘Knowledge of complex areas of law and prompt service.’

‘Stephen Patch is approachable,  friendly and very knowledgeable.’

‘Stephen Patch is excellent. Helpful to clients and gives great client service. Practical and pragmatic with the clients best interests at heart.’

‘The team is accessible and approachable and gives that personal service that is often missing with other national companies.’

‘Stephen Patch has provided an excellent quick service when a will and power of attorney was required within a week. The case was not an easy one yet it was delivered on time. Stephen’s personal touch helped a great deal too.’

‘In my experience Shoosmiths LLP are excellent at communication and response times. There is a general assumption that a firm of solicitors can perform the task they are engaged to do, but Shoosmiths stand out for their response times and clarity of advice.’

‘Stephen Patch is responsive, clear, and most importantly can get on well with clients.’

‘Shoosmiths provides excellent advice across the broad spectrum of property development, with a determination to get the right result for their client.’

‘Kirsty Chalkley is a commercially astute solicitor with enormous amounts of patience to get even the most complex and difficult transactions across the line.’

‘Commercially astute, professional and personable. Rarely confrontational – unless needed to be – always problem solving in a positive and proactive manner.’

‘I have worked with Catherine Williams for many years and it is rare to work with someone who always finds a way through by simplifying and keeping positive.’

‘Shoosmiths are an exceptional and integral partner for our business, they provide an excellent client experience on every matter. Our primary contact is the commercial team who provide a first class service every time. Outside of Commercial Property the team are able to recommend and sign post you to colleagues who echo the same standard we receive every time with the commercial property team.’

‘Chris George, Claire Raddan and Soma Fattah all ensure our corporate objectives are at the heart of their advice and focus. This is what makes the commercial property team at Shoosmiths stand out from any other firm I have worked with before. They each have a proactive approach in solving problems and ensuring transactions are completed in time. I have complete trust in the team and the work they do for us in every transaction.’

‘The firm works in a very collaborative way, always ready to listen and explore different approaches. Always very responsive.’

‘Ben Pariser displays all the qualities listed above. He gets to the main issues very quickly and offers clear and concise advise.’

‘The team is very communicative and keeps the client updated on all progress. They quote and bill within their quote. They make sure we are happy and informed.’

‘They are great bunch of people to work with who are professional and make sure that non-legal clients understand the legal aspects.’

‘Not a weak link in sight! A rare thing indeed! They have attuned themselves so wholly to our business and investment approach that they can act for us confidently and exceptionally quickly, which we very much appreciate as this undoubtedly has cost and risk benefits for us. In short, they make my job immeasurably easier and are excellent value for money – what more could a client want?’

‘Nathan Rees is more than just a seasoned practitioner and technical expert, he intuitively “gets” our business, which is more than we can say for most. We trust his judgement explicitly – he has trusted adviser status, and is regarded as an invaluable support to our board in a way few external lawyers truly achieve.’

‘Nick Dalgleish has invested really well in building strong client relationships, building trust, which gives him the edge on transactions and allows him to serve us very efficiently. We have full confidence in Nick and appreciate his commitment to us and our workstreams which can often be multi-dimensional, challenging and drawn out.’

‘Nathan Rees – commercial and pragmatic, doesn’t waste anyone’s time, gets to the nub of the issues and provides clarity with a commercial approach.’

‘An excellent environmental practice – focused around nuisance cases – and led by Charles Arrand. The team has huge experience, talent and charm. They are sure-footed guides through the minefield of such litigation. There is no better team anywhere in the country. I have recommended them on a number of occasions – and they have always delivered the goods. Exceptional and excellent.’

‘Charles Arrand – a wise and wily defence practitioner who, as partner, has seen it all before.’

‘Good co-operation between departments. Good advice on environmental matters.’

‘Joanne Sear – ex Environment Agency prosecutor who displays a brilliant grasp of both criminal and regulatory environmental law.’

‘Not just a grasp of the law itself but also an excellent grasp of the regulatory framework in which environmental law sits.’

‘Charles Arrand is at the top of his game. There is no better trusted adviser. He has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the law, exceptionally well-tuned litigation antennae and totally sound judgment. If you are in a fight, you want him in your corner. Joanne Sear, a senior associate, goes from strength to strength. She has fabulous instincts, an incredible capacity for work and a great dollop of common sense. She is developing a reputation as a leading light in the field – and a trusted lieutenant to Arrand.’

‘Kayleigh Chapman was particularly efficient and driven in resolving our matter.’

‘Depth of experience, personal involvement and a genuine understanding of business needs matched with a thoroughly professional service at all times. Speed of response and accessibility have not waivered through the pandemic, they are an extension of our business for HSE legal matters’.

‘Breadth of expertise, pragmatic approach shown by partners. Approachability of team at all levels. Hayley Saunders is excellent to work with on health and safety matters – she is pragmatic, thoughtful and provides sensible, clear, commercially focussed advice in good time. Also very approachable and more importantly, always pleasant to deal with’.

‘Hayley Saunders is the stand out contributor to this cutting edge team. A model of client care efficiency and with excellent knowledge and experience’.

‘Shoosmiths are true specialists, with members having acted in some of the most serious and high profile H&S cases in recent years. It is the people that make the team, without exception, the solicitors have strong interpersonal skills, a good work ethic and most importantly excellent knowledge of the subject area’.

‘Roy Tozer – charming, measured and totally self-assured. He has been there, seen it all and done it all in terms of H&S law. As a result, the client is buying anecdotal experience and insight which you just cannot put a value on. Roy is very well regarded by all that operate in this world, a senior statesman with whom companies and company officers instantly buy into and feel at ease. Undoubtedly, the first port of call in a corporate H&S crisis. Hayley Saunders – engaging, diligent and highly driven, Hayley is a H&S Partner that is going places. She has a lovely client manner. She combines this natural empathy with a passion to get the best possible result for her clients’.

‘Roy Tozer – has a wealth of experience and his insights and advice are invaluable’.

‘Quite simply the best regulatory practice in the country in my opinion. I have practised in this area for almost 20 years and if I had to recommend a firm to do this, it would be this one. They have great technical ability and outstanding strength in depth’.

‘Roy Tozer – many years at the helm of these cases. There are not many significant health and safety cases where he isn’t acting for someone. Hayley Saunders – good on the strategy and the law. I am always happy to refer cases to her. I know she will look after the client how I would like’.

‘Phil Barnes – leader of the clinical negligence team that attracts the best work in the Midlands and delivers a service that is authoritative and yet personal. A hard mix! The team manages cases efficiently and with in-depth knowledge’.

‘The clinical negligence team is highly motivated, hugely industrious and leaves no stone unturned to ensure the optimum result for its clients. The success rate is impressive. Kashmir Uppal has vast experience and fantastic judgment; and (like all her team) works incredibly hard for the client. Sharon Banga has all the qualities needed in this sector: determination, endless energy and is very focused’.

‘Kashmir Uppal is a formidable and hardworking advocate for her clients. She radiates calm when matters are difficult. Kashmir builds excellent relationships with her clients, colleagues and barristers and is extremely able at expressing understanding and empathy, particularly when dealing with the severely injured and bereaved’.

‘The strength in depth in the Shoosmiths clinical negligence team is impressive. The ability to deal with claims of all sizes and complexity is a credit to the leadership team. An exceptional level of service is provided to the lay client.  Nick Tubb, Natasha Read and Amy Greaves warrant special mention. Their attention to deal is impressive and gives rise to excellent results which might not have been achieved by other lawyers. A genuine desire to achieve the best result for their client is obvious in all dealings with each of them’.

‘Shoosmiths LLP has an exceptionally strong team of clinical negligence lawyers with a breadth of experience in the legal and healthcare sectors. Its  expertise is second to none. Amy Greaves is an excellent lawyer who inspires confidence in clients, barristers and judges. A solicitor who can be trusted to deliver on any case. Victoria Blankstone  – her experience of the NHS is a massive asset. This experience coupled with a tenacious approach and a clever tactical mind makes her a formidable clinical negligence lawyer’.

‘Natasha Reid (clever, kind and endlessly patient and supportive of her clients. She has a real flair for difficult and complex cases which would make many solicitors run a mile. Kishma Bolagi- empathetic and generous with her time. Her cases are always meticulously prepared and carefully reasoned’.

‘I have found Shoosmiths LLP extremely easy to work with. The lawyers have a very structured approach and clear knowledge in the sectors. Having a lawyer who was easy to deal contact was very important. It’s fair to say that you don’t just feel like a number you feel like an important client. Very happy with the service provided. Chris Mckinney – I find his knowledge of medical experts and issues around my injury very good. He clearly has a depth of experience in dealing with personal injury claims’.

‘Chris McKinney has been leading my case and he is exceptional. His communications are professional and clear, but also easy to understand from a lay person’s perspective. It is clear that he brings with him a huge amount of experience in this area and in discussions we have had during the course of my claim, he has explained all options available to me in a very open and understandable way’.

‘First rate. Formidable opponents in litigation – hard hitting, close attention to detail and commercially very astute.’

‘Matthew Brown is bright and very thorough. One to watch.’

‘High quality insurance practice with strong leadership and strength in depth.’

‘Richard Marshall is an insurance expert who has an encyclopaedic knowledge of insurance law and is tactically astute. He is also a delight to deal with.’

‘Richard Marshall: savvy and experienced. Very quick to identify the core strengths and vulnerabilities in any litigation.’

‘Angus Evers has a complete grasp of technical issues arising out of environmental disputes . His advice is clear and succinct and easily understood by the layman.’

‘The technical understanding of the team beyond the legal aspects of environmental practice is impressive with a strong comprehension and problem solving approach adopted to facilitate resolution.’

‘My primary interaction has been with Angus Evers in relation to environmental matters, Angus is seen as one of the leading UK environmental law practitioners in my opinion.’

‘This is a practice with a fantastic combination of experience and energy, managing large cases with impressive efficiency.’

‘Of particular note is Karen Howard, an excellent, experienced solicitor whose intuition and insight is harnessed to good effect in the planning cases she oversees.’

‘The team is highly knowledgeable and has great experience in the field.’

‘Sarah Tedstone stands out as having an in-depth knowledge of the subject.’

‘Anastasia Fowle is knowledgeable and pragmatic. The firm’s deep understanding of the motor industry makes it uniquely positioned to respond to our specific initiatives.’

‘In an area that is vastly changing on almost a daily basis, the team at Shoomsmiths keeps up to date with cutting-edge and commercially viable advice. They make labour intensive work seem inconsequential and deliver technical advice on a clear and pragmatic manner.’

‘Nick Holland and Christian Cockcroft are clear masters of their subjects. They are able to grasp information quickly and deliver advice in an expeditious manner.’

‘Sherif Malak is a superb expert in the field of data privacy and always delivers sound and commercial advice. His understanding of our business and internal workings of the company is a huge plus.’

‘They are very good at responding quickly to urgent matters, and excellent at taking complex matters and explaining them in more simple terms so the wider business understands the matter. They are also excellent at helping to assess the commercial risk for various data-related activities. One of the many things I like about the Shoosmith’s data privacy team is that they fully collaborate with the business and our parties to help find practical, commercial and compliant solutions for our projects and initiatives.’

‘We rely heavily on the data privacy expertise of Adam Fox.’

‘Really pragmatic advice, very prompt and agile approach.’

‘John Cleavely has unique insights due to his combination of private practice and in-house experience. This gives him a sense of empathy (as to the realities of in-house life!) that many private practice lawyers are unable to provide. This ensures that John provides his advice in a very targeted and efficient way.’

‘Shoosmiths has a strong construction team headed up by an experienced partner. The associates are highly experienced and hard working and will always look for the strategy which best serves the client rather than one that simply generates fees.’

‘John Cleaveley is a highly experienced individual having worked both in-house and as a solicitor. This helps in him being able to provide well-rounded advice. He is also highly supportive of his team without micromanaging them which fosters a good atmosphere for learning and development of the associates.’

‘A team who have experience both in legal firms and in-house with main contractors, this allows the team to give more balanced views and also see both sides of a potential problem. They always try their best to ensure a problem is solved ideally by commercial negotiation or discussion. Cost to the client is always top of the agenda and ensuring where possible it is kept to a minimum. With the team you always feel it is personal service rather than just a lawyer who happened to be available.’

‘John Cleaveley mixes non-contentious with disputes in a smooth and effortless approach, his years in-house with main contractors also allows a balanced view to be taken.’

‘Team are friendly and good at not telling clients all the law and making it sound more complex than it needs to be. Commercial and relevant.’

‘Pragmatic, responsive, and experienced. They understand the client’s acceptable risk profile.’

‘The team at Shoosmiths is regarded as one of the best in Scotland. It is full of very clever lawyers, whose names appear regularly in the most complex of commercial cases. On any view, a force to be reckoned with.’

‘Ben Zielinski – highly experienced. Great know-how. Very calm. A good negotiator.’

‘Shoosmiths is a substantial and well-resourced firm which has instructed me on a wide range of work, illustrating the range of work covered by their litigation practice. That has included Electronic Communications Code disputes, pension funds advice, professional negligence claims and IP litigation.’

‘Stuart Clubb is the partner that I have dealt with most. He is very strong both in terms of his technical ability and his ability to engage with clients. He is an excellent communicator.’

‘Stuart Clubb is an excellent solicitor. His legal analysis is very good. He fights hard for his clients. A guy you want in your corner.’

‘Excellent knowledge and expertise of commercial litigation and practice in Scotland.’

‘Main person I work with is Stuart Clubb. He is an excellent lawyer with in-depth and extensive knowledge and understanding of commercial litigation in Scotland.’

‘Stuart Clubb is practical and commercial in his approach. He communicates well, keeps clients up to date on progress with cases and is a pleasure to work with.’

‘Collaboration is excellent, they provide us with regular updates, we are always left feeling reassured that we are in safe hands.’

‘The people I have have worked with at Shoosmiths have been great at building relationships, checking with us and helping us reach a conclusion to any challenges we have. They are extremely knowledgeable.’

‘We find the team to be extremely approachable and easy to work with. We receive excellent advice and structured support.’

‘Shoosmiths are a fantastic team to work with. They really see us as partners rather than clients, and always go the extra mile in order to give us the best advice possible.’

‘The team are hugely dedicated to delivering extraordinary service to their clients. They work tirelessly to make the client’s experience of litigation as painless and smooth as possible.’

‘Michael McLaughlin is outstanding. He communicates in a way that gains the support and understanding of our managers.’

‘Kim Pattullo has always been utterly fantastic to work with. She is both humble and knowledgeable, always gives great advice, and often helps us to see the context of an issue and also advise on the workplace culture issues that, while not strictly a question of legality, make a big impact.’

‘Kim Pattullo is real tour-de-force when it comes to equal pay matters.’

‘Very good people – friendly, forward thinking, always willing to provide some initial informal advice to help progress matters.’

‘The planning team at Shoosmiths are all extremely friendly and relatable, which, partnered with their knowledge of planning law and associated processes, is a fantastic attribute for working with.’

‘Shoosmiths have an extra edge in pairing the soft skills alongside the technical.’

‘Always responsive, friendly, approachable and technically astute, whilst having an eye on strategic matters at the same time.’

‘A national law firm with a proven track record in representing high-net-worth individuals.’

‘Peter Morris has impressed me as a meticulous and thorough practitioner who adopts a methodical approach to his cases. He is very good with handling client expectations, whilst always making them feel totally supported during one of the most stressful periods of their lives. He is sensible and always prepared to reach a fair out of court settlement when possible. If not, then he is more than capable of representing a client’s interests robustly in court.’

‘Shoosmiths provided outstanding team service and I really was pleased with all of them.’

‘Peter Morris was my lawyer involved in a international law divorce between the United Kingdom and the United States. His performance and final resolution of the divorce was professional, negotiated and resolved at the highest level. It was handled in an expedient manner and I was well advised and guided through the legal process. I could not have had a better solicitor/attorney then Peter Morris.’

‘The team have been very helpful in the process of reviewing historical data and papers. They have kept the other professionals engaged and closely worked with counsel.’

‘A brilliant firm, with a formidable and well deserved reputation. They can handle cases of any size and complexity, and really know the law inside out. They are fearless representatives who you would want in your corner.’

‘Elliot Bishop is a standout partner with an impressive following. He is commercial, easy to work with, and very clever.’

‘Shoosmiths is unique in its offering to both high net worth private individuals and those who fund and insure luxury assets such as yachts. The team is a non-stop shop; they can help on sale and purchase, fund it, make and defend claims on the insurance and pursue defaults under marine mortgages. They are flexible and highly commercial.’

‘Lisa Williams gives our company outstanding advice.’

‘All members of the team stand out by their reactivity and the quality of their work (spot on, patient and solution oriented).’

‘Knowledgeable, hands-on team lead by Liz Sweeny. They work very well with their property and construction colleagues.’

‘Liz Sweeney is organised and bright and can handle complex and sizeable matters.’

‘Able to communicate complex competition law issues in a simple manner to the business, non-lawyers.’

‘Simon Barnes is an exceptional lawyer: communicable and provides a calm assurance on complex legal issues.’

‘As ever at Shoosmiths, what makes this practice different is its people and their approach. Lawyers are helpful, approachable and personable as well as having the requisite technical skills. Advice is pragmatic, not handed down from an ivory tower. Costs are also reasonable.’

‘Simon Barnes is my go-to competition lawyer. He is very knowledgeable and up-to-date with the law. He can unpick often knotty competition law problems, and find practical solutions. What I particularly appreciate is that he explains his thinking as he goes along, which increases my understanding.’

‘Simon Barnes provides pragmatic advice in a very technical area.’

‘Often competition lawyers provide vanilla, generic advice at a helicopter level without truly understanding the relevant facts and dynamics at play. Simon takes the time to understand the detail of the operations in order to provide targeted and relevant advice in context.’