Stevens & Bolton LLP > Guildford, England > Firm Profile

‘Proactive approach to commercial advice that is tailored to the project, with swift feedback and cost-efficient teamwork. This means this firm reduces possible duplication and can also promptly identify key legal issues and how to resolve them. Their diversity and collaborative skills are unparalleled – clients benefit from this with an excellent review of legal risks/opportunities and how to manage them.’

‘The team at Stevens & Bolton were excellent – they demonstrated not only technical excellence but also invaluable strategic insight, which helped us to secure a great overall result. We would have no hesitation in recommending them and working with them again.’

‘The team had depth of expertise in all required areas and had very rapid response time.’

‘Friendly, helpful and always offering assistance and direction.’

‘London quality and service at regional rates. Given the London quality, highly respected by top London firms and where multiple legal firms have been required, seamless integration and respect from all parties.’

‘Beverley Flynn has a wealth of experience which she provides with pragmatic advice. What is outstanding is how Beverley is prepared to be available for questions, to answer them in detail and to also follow up the implementation of her advice so as to achieve our objectives. She has consistently provided advice with clear language, without legal jargon. This is extremely helpful in data protection matters.’

‘Keith Syson has exceptional knowledge of the corporate deal making process and adds real commercial value.’

‘Always available, professional and great fun outside of the work environment. A real pleasure to deal with them all.’

‘Kate Schmit is first class. Our go-to for tax support on transactions. Responsive, commercial, and first rate communication skills.’

‘Stevens & Bolton offers a full service for M&A transactions. The team is technically excellent, whilst being commercial and offering a friendly and personable service.’

‘Sarah Balchin is brilliant. She simplifies tax issues and is never afraid to advise her clients on the best route forward. Her commerciality and awareness of deal sensitivities mean that working with Sarah is always a pleasure.’

‘Professional, experienced, and well informed in the tech industry. Efficient and pragmatic yet friendly, encouraging and helpful for executives without legal expertise/training.’

‘Sound technical knowledge matched by a willingness to understand client needs and offer pragmatic solutions.’

‘A very strong team that is entirely at home in big scale high value litigation.’

‘Very commercial in nature – will tailor advice to commercial needs of client. To achieve this they are very good at client liaison and actually listening to needs. The advice is always of a high standard and delivered within estimated timeframes.’

‘I have been impressed by Sarah Murray and her colleagues for their responsiveness and team-management skills in complex multinational cases.’

‘Sarah Murray is able to combine a deep legal knowledge with a strong pragmatic and multicultural approach. She is great at managing the various teams involved in complex international cases.’

‘Sarah Murray is pragmatic, commercial, and a joy to work with. Catherine Penny has worked on litigation for us. She is technical and always comes to the point quickly. We find her to be very efficient and provides high quality work.’

‘Stevens & Bolton’s team provides prompt commercial advice. They understand our business priorities and are a pleasure to work with.’

‘Everyone we work with in this team are all responsive, direct and technically skilled. We enjoy working with the team immensely.’

‘We rely on Stevens & Bolton for general employment law advice and, since 2020, advice relating to the Covid-19 pandemic. S&B are extremely flexible, practical and willing to provide well reasoned support on Covid-19 where other firms, I have found, tend to limit advice to the law.’

‘Hannah Ford is an extremely responsive and practical partner. She is personable and unflustered by time-pressure.’

‘Kerry Garcia is an excellent immigration partner, and very capable.’

‘Lloyd Davey: Excellent technical skills as one would expect but also excellent communication skils to convey complicated concepts succinctly. Rapid speed of response, a pre-requisite in the clients market we both serve.’

‘Andy Williams is my go to partner, he understands our business, is highly responsive and partners really well, his advice and counsel is excellent, taking time to explain complex points of law but also providing practical solutions and a way forward. Andy has been pivotal in a very complex case that we have been managing with his help – I have 100% confidence in him.’

‘Stevens & Bolton LLP is on top of the requirement from end to end, it is evident that they are experts in immigration, and are updated with the latest rules and changes, giving you the tranquillity of knowing you are in good hands They contact you frequently to give you updates, or you can contact them in case of doubts.’

‘We have been working with Stevens & Bolton for years. They have a vast team of specialists who are always responsive and give clear advice. They are practical and friendly and build up good relationships with clients. Due to their wide expertise within the firm, advice is available across the board and so there is never a need to seek alternative 3rd party advice. They are fully up to speed with all current technology and have multiple communication channels. The billing is timely and very reasonable and the team is always upfront on any exceptional fees that are incurred.’

‘All partners and associates are very knowledgeable; efficient; well trained; proactive; friendly; very responsive; and always give good practical advice. The partners have been particularly good and will always direct any query to the relevant specialist person.’

‘Reliable, friendly, and work well as a team. There is always someone to pick up your query, you are never left in the dark.’

‘Stevens & Bolton provide simple to understand, practical advice in a complex area. They understand that as an in-house counsel, this is not an area of expertise and they are very good at identifying pragmatic solutions to managing immigration issues internally.’

‘Kerry Garcia, partner, is superb. Very hands on and practical, and clearly hugely knowledgeable.’ 

‘The team is very professional and approachable, I have worked with Jackie Penlignton, several times since 2011. She has helped me with all my visas here in the last 10 years. She is very clever and thorough, very precise, she is willing to explain the legal topics and immigration process and terminology, in different ways, until everything is understood 100%.’

‘As this is the first time I was immigrating, the process can be quite daunting. Working with Nyasha Gardner was an absolute pleasure as she walked me through the process from start to finish. She had set up numerous calls with me before each milestone of the visa process to ensure I was prepared for each step, and was an email away if needed.’

‘Very high quality team, with strength in depth and a range of banking and finance experience.’

‘Very hands-on and easy to use ,we have particularly appreciated the work done by Matt Padian and Andrew Dodds.’

‘Complete level of experience and knowledge. Good coordination of strategy. Always seem to be ahead of the opposite side. Pleasure to deal with.’

‘David Steinberg has been as good as it gets in technical and resource knowledge and general efficiency.’

‘A well-supported and attentive team, able to respond quickly and comprehensively.’

‘Tim Carter is an affable, professional and highly-skilled practitioner. He is very supportive of his clients and has a strong, ‘can-do’ mentality. However, he always remains objective and is never vague in his recommendations.’

‘Technically on point and commercially focused. Drives a restructuring transaction from the centre to get to a swift and fair outcome. Hand offs between team members were seamless, allowing matters to be advanced at pace. Trusted and respected by all stakeholders, which is a rare thing in the contentious world of restructuring.’

‘Steinberg is a consummate negotiator. Confident in the legal position but commercially fair, he is pragmatic in delivering a balanced outcome and keeping parties on track. I would hire him every time.’

‘I was given excellent client service, prompt responses, and advice that was both commercial and technically strong.’

‘I have dealt mainly with Tim Carter who has provided excellent advice. Technically very capable, I have also been grateful for his commerciality and discussions around strategic approach. He is very approachable, responsive and has provided me with great service.’

‘James Lister is a fantastic head of the team, building a real powerhouse department.’

‘James Lister has long been described as a star of the future but it is clear that the future has arrived. Always available, tactically brilliant, and charming. He has the full package.’

‘James Lister has a fantastic reputation in the field of contentious trusts and probate. A very experienced litigator that any client would want on their team.’

‘Hayley Robinson is a star. She works hard to get the best outcome for her clients and has amassed a wealth of knowledge and experience in the field. She has great instinct and her client service is second to none.’

‘Jack Bailey – an extremely good lawyer with an naturally reassuring and client-friendly demeanour. Very good in challenging inheritance disputes, especially in helping clients through difficult family situations.’

‘James Lister, Jack Bailey and Hayley Robinson combine very well as a team. They are highly responsive and incorporate counsel into the team at an early stage.’

‘Stevens & Bolton’s team have rapidly become my go to firm for contentious trust work. It has great strength in depth with high-quality practitioners to rival any magic circle firm. They are always at the top my list of firms to recommend to clients in this area and provide responsive advice, quickly and within budget.’

‘James Lister is the best combination of being very knowledgeable and also highly personable. Hayley Robinson is responsive and a great team player.’

‘I found this practice to be professional, thorough and proactive. I always felt confident that my solicitor had thoroughly understood my query or issue and was experienced enough to give me well balanced and thoughtful advice.’

‘Very constructive and able team of family lawyers who compete in the London as well as their local market. Because of the breadth of the firm’s wider practice and their corporate and private clients the family team benefit from additional expertise and look after the family law issues of the firm’s high-net-worth clients.’

‘I find the whole practice a perfect balance of friendliness and professionalism. Everyone I’ve encountered at S&B, the offices, the whole experience has made me feel in very safe hands.’

‘Nicola Harries – a pragmatic, warm and empathetic lawyer. Grace Parker-White – a thoughtful, well organised and caring solicitor and mediator.’

‘Grace Parker-White was my solicitor and I could not have got through my divorce without her. She was kind, understanding, unflappable and responsive. She gave me excellent advice, dealt with my ex-husband very well and kept the process moving when it easily could have stagnated.’

‘The warmth and empathy of the my solicitors (Grace Parker-White and Victoria Batstone) combined with their unfailing professionalism and efficiency makes them the best solicitors I’ve ever instructed.’

‘Nicola Harries was efficient, calm, knowledgeable and kind on the family matter we dealt with. She was always courteous and available to discuss the case to progress.’

‘Incredibly competent both on UK domestic and cross border issues. More cost effective than central London so provides a good alternative for clients who do not need central London lawyers but need the same level of expertise and gravitas.’

‘The team is very knowledgeable, technical and produces advice of high quality, very detailed and accurate. I have worked with them for several years and they really have a tailor made approach to find out the best solution for their clients. The value for the work that they deliver is exceptional.’

‘Daryl Fox has advised us over many years, is always proactive and alerts us to IHT and will issues before they arise. She is quick to respond to queries and has worked very well with our US lawyers on many issues. Friendliness and being a good listener make her special.’

‘Rosie Todd has extensive experience with all kind of private client matters, which makes her perspective and insight very relevant.’

‘Strong performing team with eclectic and diverse knowledge of all legal fields. Efficient service with clients put first ahead of fees income’

‘Unfailingly professional and responsive, they guided us through the process and gave clear advice at all stages. Very proactive – we were constantly updated on the progress of negotiations.’

‘Excellent access to partners and other colleagues. Advice is succinct and highly valued. Real estate team are exceptional when compared with much larger practices.’

‘Andrew Steele is very knowledgeable, affable and approachable.’

‘Alex Watt is very thorough, personable and quick to understand commercial requirements. He is excellent at explaining detailed points without being condescending.’

‘Professional and knowledgeable team, good access to partner level if required.’

‘Kimberley Eyssell has always provided us with succinct and honest accurate advice.’

‘The quality of advice and knowledge of the sector provided by the firm is on the highest level. The firm stands out from other with its professionalism and practical experience combined with the deep legal knowledge.’

‘I worked with Valerie Fogleman of Stevens & Bolton LLP on issues related to environmental liability. I highly value her huge practical experience and the theoretical knowledge. I appreciate a lot her professionalism and expertise.’

‘The property disputes team displayed an extensive depth of expertise in residential property and their excellent advice helped us to to resolve our property dispute. The work was allocated to an appropriate level, providing a value for money service and consistent point of contact throughout.’

‘They provide a personal service and don’t palm you off to an underling. They make it happen.’

‘We had a tricky claim and the solicitor and partner dealt well with it explaining the process and advising us at each step when we needed guidance. We felt that there was a varied and wide depth of knowledge that could be called on because of the quality and number of personnel. We felt we were in capable hands with a professional team.’

‘Client focused firm which not only draws upon the strengths of its individual specialist partners but has a team approach to legal problem solving across functions.’

‘Helen Wheddon: very timely in responses, clearly a very detailed knowledge of her subject matter. What impressed me was the clear advice in a very complex matter and the ability to liaise with other solicitors at a senior level in international practices.’

‘The stand-out individual for me is Markus Klempa. He delivers complex legal advice in a relaxed and confident way, based on years of experience, which makes him a highly trusted adviser.’

‘Stephanie Newton – Stephanie has provided practical advice throughout and has been pro-active and responsive in understanding the issues and helping us to achieve a resolution.’

‘We have dealt with Markus Klempa who has always imparted clear, concise advice in a timely manner.’

‘Friendly and professional. Very supportive and understanding. Feel like part of the internal team.’

‘They have a great understanding of the client’s demands to ensure the best results.’

‘Very good on IT-related contract wording review, displayed excellent knowledge of the pitfalls and weaknesses.’

‘Charles Maurice was an extremely good and patient guide through a complex negotiation.’

‘Very approachable, capable people. City quality with regional fees.’

‘James Waddell and Keith Syson are steeped in experience and very capable. All very approachable.’

‘Excellent combination of high quality work and great service. Good accessibility and fast response times.’

‘Aside from the knowledgeable nature of the team, they make practical suggestions, not just legal suggestions. I have referred a number of clients to Nicola Broadhurst and always received extremely positive feedback about her expertise.’

‘Nicola Broadhurst is a superstar! She demonstrates her expertise regularly and has been most helpful in discussing local markets and legal issues impacting them.’

‘Nicola Broadhurst was recommended to me as a expert franchising solicitor with particular experience with children’s activity franchises. This has proved to be a great recommendation and Nicola has been knowledgeable, professional and expert whenever we have dealt with her.’

‘We value the experience and knowledge that Stevens& Bolton provides us for our franchise business. The team are responsive to our needs and are both professional and approachable at the same time. They provide an excellent service.’

‘Nicola Broadhurst provided excellent advice to us at the inception of our franchise business and continues to do so with its on-going development of it. She goes the extra mile to ensure she is available and really knows her stuff!’

‘They are part of the Guildford golden circle. I have recommended Stevens & Bolton to friends for contentious trusts and estates work. The team is small, but has two standout stars’.

‘The best regional offering in the Contentious Trusts arena. Sharp, switched-on and good to work with’.

‘James Lister is a superstar in the making. Jack Bailey and Hayley Robinson add huge strength in depth’.

‘This team is made up of top class solicitors across the board, all experts in their field. James Lister is highly respected in this area, and manages an impressive team. They’re a force to be reckoned with’.

‘Hayley Robinson is a bright, proactive and efficient litigator. She has an excellent manner with clients and is committed to achieving the best outcome possible for them.  Jack Bailey is clever and highly experienced in his field. He can be trusted to give clear and practical advice to clients‘.

‘Jack Bailey is an ambitious private client litigator with a sound legal knowledge. The team is gradually building up its strength both organically and through lateral hires. James Lister puts in a big effort and has a high profile in the industry’.

‘James Lister and Jack Bailey are the lynchpins of the team. They have a can-do attitude and are not afraid to have the difficult conversations with the clients’.

‘James Lister is an all round exceptional partner at the the firm, highly experienced, thoroughly decent and a razor sharp lawyer’.

‘User friendly; they do not over complicate matters; they talk through issues making it easy for the client to understand; their billing is reasonable.’

‘Simple, to-the-point advice. They fully understand construction law so have no need to complicate matters, unlike some of their peers.’

‘Extremely helpful and able to keep the conversations easy to understand for a layman. Quick to respond to queries. They made the process extremely easy to handle.’

‘Stevens & Bolton offered our business a wide range of commercial, constitutional and public law legal advice. The company brought in the right skills and capabilities to work together to provide solid legal advice that enabled the board of directors to make the right decisions to maintain the viable commercial status of the company.’

‘Gustaf Duhs has provided insightful legal advice on a range of constitutional and public law issues that has enabled our company to meet its objectives. Michael Frisby has been very helpful in helping us understand how to tackle performance issues commercially with one of our suppliers.’

‘Very proactive and responsive. Knowledgeable about the sector. Easy to work with and good value for money.’

‘Charlotte Tillett and Michael Frisby are stand out names.’

‘We have worked with the team now for a number of years. They know what we want and why we want it, they know our structure and the essence of how we function.’

‘Solid commercial advice and excellent deal execution. We value the pragmatic advice, attention to detail and relationship with Joe Bedford and the team.’

Joe Bedford and Krishna Patel provide an excellent service. They are both responsive, reliable and a safe pair of hands for steering corporate deals.’

‘Daryl Fox has been our lead contact over many years and knows us as individuals and as a family with both US and UK issues to address. Good back up when people are away and always gives thoughtful and relevant advice‘.

‘I work on a regular basis with Katie Davies. She is very reachable and cares genuinely about the clients. She is cautious and goes into details but manages to summarise all the key elements in a very comprehensive way’.

‘James Hardaker is very good. I worked with him on a few occasions and he always gave me a very good impression’.

‘The partners and associates are of high calibre, and this gives them the edge over their competitors. Although their fees are higher, this is more than compensated by the efficiency of the team. Rosie Todd, Katie Davies and Matthew Peto’.

‘Stevens & Bolton is an exceptional private client firm, ideally suited to clients who prefer a locally based west of London team, who share the same depth of expertise as the large, often impersonal central London lawyers’.

‘Matt Peto – on all occasions I have been extremely impressed by Matt who works hard to consider my own requirements and provide an excellent level of service, on time and within budget. When Matt requires additional expertise, he calls on a wide depth of in-house skills provided by partners and other specialists’.

‘They are a very client-friendly firm. Abigail Palmer-Page is bright, responsive and exceptionally good at distilling complex factual backgrounds as well as legal issues. She provides a smooth and effective bridge between the lay client and Counsel. She strikes the perfect balance between support, adding value to a case and being commercial and competitive in the legal market. Daryl Fox is the overseeing partner and brings cohesion to the team’.

‘The team is very knowledgeable, highly technical and manages to keep a practical sense of the matters of private clients. They are used to work in a cross-border environment. They deliver within a reasonable timeframe. It is also a very good point for them that they keep their fees within the provided estimate. In a nutshell, they are very reliable‘.

‘Across the range of departments, Stevens & Bolton offer an extremely flexible approach to working and billing practices, great availability and a really strong understanding of the client’s business.’

‘Beverley Flynn has a sound understanding of how the client works and internal politics.’

‘Extremely strong depth of experience, with the skills needed to manage the largest and most complex litigation.’

‘Commercial to the core, taking time to learn our business before advising. City-level advice at outer-London prices.’

‘Sarah Murray – tremendous tactical awareness and deeply knowledgeable about financial service practice and litigation.’

‘Sarah Murray is unique in creating the right atmosphere among the team members and coming up with smart ideas in difficult times.’

‘Sarah Murray is an excellent client partner – she really takes time to learn our business and ensure all advice from the firm is tailored to our commercial requirements. She is also reliable, forever available, and provides experienced and expert litigation advice.’

‘Michael Frisby understood the case very well and made it as if it were his own case.

‘Catherine Penny is very highly regarded by barristers instructed by her.‘

‘Managing associate James Evison is a partner, surely, in waiting – he has the experience of running highly complex litigation.’

‘Excellent firm. Great breadth of specialisms and knowledge. Pro-active and diligent.’

‘Beverley Flynn is brilliant. Highly personable, knowledgeable and pragmatic. She inspires confidence in the top quality advice she provides.’

‘Very clear responses and guidance that address the issue in hand. Excellent understanding of our company and the industry. Structured responses. Superb knowledge and great relationship with clients.’

‘Clever, responsive, and well-informed.’

‘The team is very hands on and to-the-point in their advice, always a pleasure to work with them.’

‘Beverley Flynn and Charles Maurice are highly recommended professionals.’

‘I have worked with Stevens & Bolton for many years on different legal aspects and have always found its advice well considered, well explained to clients and presented well and timeously .’

‘Charles Maurice explained the principles and guided me through a very difficult subject for which I was very grateful.’

‘Strong regional team with excellent clients given the firm’s strong private client and corporate offering. Nicola Harries – very experienced, calm, constructive and solution-driven’.

‘Grace Parker-White – very sensible and easy to deal with’.

‘A great team – particularly Nicola Harries and Grace Parker-White. Nicola Harries is a calm, astute family lawyer. Grace Parker-White is approachable and professional’.

‘Highly respected firm which continues to consolidate its position as one of the market leaders in Guildford/Surrey and which benefits from strength in every dept. In Family Nicola Harries & Grace Parker-White are the stand out practitioners; hugely experienced, solution focussed and sensible to deal with’.

‘Nicola Harries & Grace Parker-White – solution focussed, delightful to deal with and very capable. Both are a very capable and safe pair of hands and are respected by clients & fellow practitioners alike’.

‘S&B answer queries quickly and efficiently. They ensure that they are able to answer urgent queries. They inspire confidence in their advice.’

‘Tom Lingard and Charlotte Tillett are a pleasure to work with. Tom ensures he is available for urgent client matters, which is much appreciated. Tom provides commercially relevant advice to ensure clients are fully informed of their options and potential outcomes. His advice is technically correct and practical, allowing clients to make fully informed decisions.’

‘The team at Stevens & Bolton LLP are extremely knowledgeable with both the explanation of the legal issues and applying the commercial concept to the situation. Expectations of time deliverables are clearly set and always delivered upon.’

‘The individuals at Stevens and Bolton take the time to listen and are always courteous, professional with exceptional technical knowledge. They have the ability to deliver a high-quality, flexible service to meet the client’s needs.’

‘Gustaf Duhs is an excellent generalist and a pleasure to work with.’

‘Efficiency, professionalism, great communication between other departments and collaboration.’

‘I appreciate Gustaf Duhs’ excellent expertise in competition law and quick thinking. He is very much to the point and very responsive.’

‘Strong commercial and competition advice.’

‘Gustaf Duhs is always available at the drop of a hat, intelligent, commercial and charming.’

‘A personal, competent and swift and responsive team that is there for you when you need them. They stick to the key material points and understand the clients’ wishes and desires.’

‘Responsive and always see the broader picture.’

‘They stand out as honest, straightforward individuals who know their subject and can inform their client in simple language. Any individual wanting legal help would be doing themselves a disservice if they did not pick Stevens & Bolton.’

‘Helen Wheddon was excellent.’

‘The practice is unique in respect of its people, being highly experienced yet delivering a best in class service in an approachable style.’

‘Helen Wheddon has included me in every step of the process, keeping me updated and ensuring I have fully understood each step that we have taken.’

‘Helen Wheddon is so professional yet really approachable which I have found a rare quality when dealing with other firms.’

‘Helen Wheddon – very responsive and knowledgeable.’

‘We have a longstanding relationship with the team due to the consistently high level of service, accurate and timely advice, and reasonable fees we see.’