Sills & Betteridge LLP > Northampton, England > Firm Profile

‘Chrystal Theofanous and her team are amazing. They always go the extra mile with a high level of experience and knowledge of international children matters; they are becoming more prominent in this area which is positive to note.’

‘Chrystal Theofanous manages her cases impeccably and her team always knows what is happening at every stage. Chrystal is always available for her clients and counsel and takes an active role in all elements of her clients cases; her advice is spot on and her support of counsel is invaluable.’

‘Ailsa Tennant’s collaborative and measured approach to cases has always ensured that the working relationship between client, solicitor and Counsel is a smooth and successful one. Ailsa always provides extremely helpful and comprehensive briefs and, where further information is required, responds to queries of all natures in a timely, attentive way.’

‘Helen Derry stands out as a strong leader of the family team. She leads on the commitment to training and development of the entire team and is a proven performer in her field with many years of experience.’

‘Nick is very passionate and very balanced in his approach to representing children. He goes beyond duty every time to ensure that the children have best representation.’

‘Siobhan Thompson is an experienced solicitor in children’s cases. She is very hardworking and dedicated to a high level of client service. She is particularly popular with Children’s Guardians.’

‘Nick Flatt – An exceptional solicitor, who always works hard for his clients, understands issues and ‘gets’ family law.

‘Siobhan Thompson – An extremely hard working children law specialist, who is well respected by Guardian’s for her focus on best outcomes for children.’

‘We have been very pleased with the service we have received from Sills & Betteridge for our commercial business transactions. They have offered a prompt service, scaled their team to handle the transactions in the time frame required when the scope of the work increased unexpectedly to deliver the business on time. The communication has always been excellent, with full availability of the team. ‘

‘James Conduit is very easy to work with and communicate. While providing us with a full legal opinion in a clear and succinct manner, the team have also become familiar with our style of business and preferred method of working and have made the process very simple and efficient.’

‘Superb professionalism.’

‘I have always found that the team works with the utmost professionalism. Their high degree of expertise and knowledge is standout compared to other firms that I have come across. I have complete reassurance that they will offer sensible and concise advice and deal with my legal matters properly.’

‘One notable difference between Sills & Betteridge and their competitors is that they work quickly and thoroughly.’

‘Robert Pearson has worked with me on various issues relating to real estate. He always offers concise advice and is knowledgeable on each of the matters at hand. In a fast-paced and often time pressured industry, that is a quality that is invaluable to me and one which, sadly, is certainly not the standard of many other firms.’

‘Karen Bowen-Brown is very knowledgeable, friendly and to the point. She was easily accessible by telephone or email and replied promptly, and she went through all my options and advised me appropriately to a successful outcome. I am truly grateful.’

‘Robert Pearson is a calm and reassuring presence to commercial clients who has a wealth of knowledge and an approachable manner.’

‘Deborah Linford was excellent, she was our contact and always available to discuss matters, we understood the situation all the way through the process and she gave us confidence at all times, I really cannot say enough about Deborah, but totally outstanding.’

‘Extrememly efficient service, professional employees who are experienced in their field of work.’

‘Deborah Linford was extremely professional and efficient in all her dealings with me. She explained things clearly and kept me updated every step of the process. I had absolute confidence in her and really valued her advice.’

‘Deborah Linford is a complete professional knowing her job inside out. She acts with common sense, compassion and dignity. Her clients matter to her and she cares for their welfare making the whole process as easy and stress free as possible. Deborah was easy to get in touch with, always knew exactly where the action was at.’

‘Deborah Linford was outstanding. She was well informed and assisted me in a supportive and knowledgable style. I found this very reassuring.’

‘Sills and Betteridge are very helpful and professional. They take full responsibility from your first appointment, make you understand the situation fully. All the staff are very friendly, in emergency they always make sure I speak to the right person almost straightaway. They are always upfront for the cost of work – this is very important. Every time I use this practice I have received a positive outcome. I will choose Sills & Betteridge again and again.’

‘I was so impressed with Karen Bower-Brown. The legal position was explained clearly and I received a very good level of support, with every stage being explained along the way in layman’s terms.’

‘Sills & Betteridge are outstanding could not have chosen a better firm to assist me in my Contentious Probate matter.’

‘Karen Bower-Brown has been amazing, since my first consultation she has been supportive and helped me make important decisions. It has been a mentally draining position that i was in and Karen was there for support personally and professionally.

‘Karen Bower-Brown is very effective, and exhaustive in explaining risks. She does try to keep the focus on the particular core job in hand, even if I might request additional information for my own understanding and appreciation of the situation’

‘The relevant skill sets and corporate knowledge are plainly evident in the firm. The effective and efficient handling of probate is a key factor in the firm’s ability to reassure clients that they are receiving the highest level of professional care and conduct.’

‘This is an exceptionally good firm. I have used many lawyers in the past – both personal and corporate, but none have made me feel as secure as Sills and Betteridge. To me they represent excellent value for money and complete peace of mind. Most firms claim to put the client at the centre of operations but this firm really does it. Put simply they make everything easy, which is exactly what you need when your life is in chaos.’

‘Andrew Durkan is a Partner responsible for Trusts, Wills and Power of Attorney. He explained to us exactly what he could do to help us in a very straightforward manner that was easy to understand. This practice is well respected in Lincoln for their diversity where relevant, clarity of billing and respect shown to people.’

‘Andrew Durkan – professional, understanding, explained everything clearly and spoke in a language I understood. They felt human.’

‘Richard Bussell’s professionalism has been outstanding when dealing with  Family Trusts, always has time to explain in layman’s terms, the care and consideration, one could not ask for more.’

‘The relevant skill sets and corporate knowledge are plainly evident in the firm. The effective and efficient handling of probate is a key factor in the firm’s ability to reassure clients that they are receiving the highest level of professional care and conduct.’

‘Richard Bussell is a very keen legal mind with an excellent understanding not only of the law but also accounts which give him the abililty to provide a very full advice’

‘Andrew Durkan: Andrew has a good all round knowledge in private client work and estate and trust tax planning he has a sound knowledge and good client rapport.’

‘Susan Thomas was friendly and clear about how she could help me.’

‘Melissa Kirk and her team have been stellar in the work they have done for me on a very complex leasehold situation. Melissa is an excellent problem-solver and is extremely clear about ethics, potential legal barriers and options, and contract negotiations.’

‘Malachy McGill was most patient and helpful . He explained what was required in a clear and precise manner and negotiated a successful deal.’

‘They are open and honest and always suggest what is right. This is one of the most reliable team I worked with. Even if we miss or forget something, they will follow up for us and always works in our best interest. They give all round suggestion including financial and legal viability of a project.’

‘Peter Dadwell stands out for his breadth of knowledge, level of commitment and high-profile clients’

‘Sarah Rowe will always make the time to respond to me via phone, text or e-mail and on occasions when I have had a difficult case that I have consulted her on, has taken the time to try to answer my enquires.’

‘Sarah Rowe is the team leader of the Doncaster branch and is exceptional in the work she does. Her colleagues mirror Sarah’s work ethic and approach, which is always a friendly and approachable one. She is a credit to her team and the company. Again we do not find this in the other firms we partner with and also Sarah always gets the positive results for the client.’

‘I have regularly had matters with Leanne Barton from Acclaimed Family Law on the other side. Leanne is a competent family lawyer. She attempts to resolve matters away from the court arena and with a sensible and pragmatic approach. She is good to work with and even where our respective positions are significantly different, she focuses on how to move a matter forward in a constructive manner. I would send any conflicts of interest that I had to her, without hesitation.’

‘The team at Acclaimed Family Law have provided excellent service on all levels. I know that I can trust in quick responses to my communications and a personal approach in all of their dealings with me.’

‘Michelle Cooper has literally been my rock during a long and continuing, acrimonious divorce. Her attention to detail, unflappable nature and sound advice have been a steadying influence. She has helped me to navigate through many difficult times, and I trust that she has my best interests as her objective.’

‘As a client of Acclaimed, I was very impressed with the efficiency and honest approach of the team. They worked hard to make me feel supported, listened to and my needs understood.’

‘The firm took my case at extremely short notice due to my previous solicitors having a conflict of interest. Despite this, the team were able to act quickly (48 hours before my first divorce hearing) and get up to speed with my case. Throughout the divorce proceedings they were able to give a measured approach working with me and my strong opinions regarding the offer made. Ultimately, we won the case.’

‘The practice is very responsive and provides clear guidance, ensuring they explain the ins and outs of cases. Availability is always very quick, no matter what the issue, and the quotes provided for work are very accurate. They have a huge amount of experience.’

‘Stephen Britton – Always outstanding advice, with the advantage of having worked as a tribunal judge.’

‘Professional, pragmatic solutions; focussed on knowing our business and guiding us to a solution which meets our needs.’

‘Steve Britton provides us with a very personalised, pragmatic and thorough advice or guidance. We are a complicated business, and Steve is very knowledgeable about how we operate. Therefore, the solutions are always relevant to us and the outcome we are trying to achieve.’

‘The advice and guidance has been accurate and made understandable, including practical applications. This often very complex area has been made much more straightforward by the working methods employed by Sills and Betteridge. Communication has always been excellent and extremely prompt, either by email and or by telephone.’

‘Stephen Britton has a great way of highlighting the legal position on matters we raise with him and then breaks this down to help us with practical application of the legislation. Stephen has a lovely approach – always friendly, calm, patient and extremely knowledgeable.’

‘Very responsive, professional and friendly team.’

‘Steve Britton totally understands our business and adapts his style to suit our particular challenges. He is very much like an extended member of our team.’

‘This firm are very committed to their clients, very hardworking and are willing to take on and run difficult and challenging cases. They show a good level of client care and are determined to get the best results they can.’

‘Very knowledgeable and experienced fee earners.’

‘I have know Louise Bush for a considerable time and as well as being an experienced practitioner will always try and do her best for her client.’

‘Simon Breedan is an incredibly knowledgeable solicitor who I trust to make good decisions with positive outcome. He has been a big factor in my personal recovery due to an RTC and I honestly believe that without him and his contacts (specialists), then I wouldn’t be where I am today. I owe a lot to this man’

‘Excellent communication and understanding of my claim and issues around it’

‘I think this practice is unique with the way it deals with their clients, nothing is too much trouble for them and their knowledge of their chosen field, in my case personal injury is absolutely second to none.’

‘Louise Bush is very professional and has an excellent approach to engaging with experts.’

‘Simon Breeden specifically, and his team generally, are excellent. They are professional but friendly, knowledgeable but understanding. They represent the best qualities needed in a good solicitor.’