Sydney Mitchell LLP > Birmingham, England > Firm Profile

‘A very professional and approachable team that provides high quality advice covering a wide range of immigration issues including human rights, family reunion, the EU settlement scheme and the points based scheme for workers and students’.

‘Andre Minnar is outstanding, good at taking note, listening to clients and asking questions where needed. Doesn’t stress you out but creates a trusting relationship between us. He helped me on my statement using the right words and terminology. Andre makes you feel part of it all. Ready and willing to talk to you when you need it. He advice is priceless’.

‘Andre Minnaar has been brilliant to deal with. He is very responsive and knows the industry inside out and has always gone above and beyond in my dealings with him’.

‘Melissa Southall is an outstanding personality with a high degree of competence and professionalism. Her attitude towards clients is excellent’.

‘Melissa is very approachable, professional and supportive. Explained everything very clearly and never gets tired of calling her repeatedly for advice and support. Very much customer focused. Professional and willing to listen carefully as well as being very patient’.

‘I have instructed Melissa Southall for a number of immigration related matters and I have always found her work to be of an excellent standard. She provides thorough advice and is always responsive to any queries I have. She continually kept me up to date with the status of my cases and was friendly and approachable in delivering advice’.

‘The key strength of the team is that it has the experience to deal with the full breadth of personal immigration issues – more so than many of its competitors. Both Andre Minnaar and Melissa Southall are very personable and provide an excellent client service’.

‘Sydney Mitchell has a strong private immigration practice as it was founded by two very experienced practitioners, Andre and Melissa, who moved to the firm after successful careers elsewhere. Andre and Melissa are both excellent practitioners who work hard for their clients. Their preparation is meticulous and they are a pleasure to work for as a result – they make counsel’s job easier’.

‘The firm has developed a very good reputation for being extremely responsive to their clients. Pam Deol has recently joined Sydney Mitchell to add additional experience to its contentious probate department. Pam is an extremely astute solicitor who handles these difficult cases with sensitivity‘.

‘Main thing is that firm’s staff are very, very down to earth , honest and bilingual. Pam Deol is well known in sikh community for the last 20-25 years’.

‘They care, listen and learn all about your case and never is anything too much trouble. Pam Deol was an outstanding solicitor along with her colleagues‘.

‘Pam Deol is outstanding in her field. She has an ability to grasp facts and information easily, and apply her broad experience and expertise to build great empathy and trust with clients. She continues to learn and apply herself to the latest case law and never rests on her laurels. I would say that Pam is a tremendous asset to Sydney Mitchell LLP, I also know that she supports and coaches new talent in the firm as well as other activities such as writing blogs and radio interviews’.

‘Pam Deol is a vastly experienced litigator who is particularly adept at dealing with difficult family situations, and able in those situations to adopt a collegiate approach in order to bring people together in order often to achieve positive outcomes for her clients. When I have seen her in practice she is consistently good humoured but tough and able to work particularly well with Counsel to make her client’s case’.

‘Pam Deol has moved to Sydney Mitchell as a partner and will be a great asset. Pam is very professional‘.

‘Pam Deol is an outstanding lawyer who pays attention to detail and offers a high level of client care and service’.

‘I have had dealings with Pam Deol who is a partner in the contentious trusts and probate department, she has extensive experience in the her area of expertise and has great client care skills and is able to build and maintain client relationships‘.

‘Karen Moores is a force to be reckoned with. She is hugely experienced, determined and hardworking. Mauro Vinti is also highly recommended‘.

‘A local team that was always there when I needed it. Very detailed understanding of the needs of the process and how I should best be prepared for each aspect of it. Able to call on relevant experts who could both coach me and understand my needs through the court processes‘.

‘During the breakdown of my marriage, Karen Moores and Gemma Whitchurch were always at hand to lend professional advice. They ensured that I understood communications from the other party’s solicitors and reasoned with me when taking into account costs for legal fees against costs of fighting for certain things’.

‘Honest reliable and uses the correct approach when dealing with clients. Very attentive to the client’s needs as well as offering realistic solutions and legal advice. Mauro Vinti is great and works in a collaborative manner and goes beyond the call of duty to get things done for the client. His pragmatic approach as well as out of hours availability is reassuring when dealing with personal legal matters‘.

‘Karen Moores has been brilliant, approachable, professional and knowledgeable. I have never had any trouble contacting Karen and she has always been on hand to answer any questions I’ve had and explain things fully, while also adding a touch of humour when needed‘.

‘Karen Moores has an exceptional reputation in the area of private law family work and financial remedy. She is dogged and determined. She is unafraid of giving robust and practical advice to her clients’.

‘Karen Moores is an energetic, dedicated and talented solicitor. All angles are thought about, all possible arguments pursued whilst at the same time retaining an air of calm assertiveness that is so reassuring for clients. Opponents know they have a tough case ahead but one that will be professional and balanced’.

‘The team is one of the best teams in Birmingham. I cannot recommend the team highly enough. The instructions are always of the highest standard. The approach of the firm is exceptional and as a result, achieve fantastic outcomes for their clients. Gemma Whitchurch is one of the most impressive solicitors in Birmingham. She goes over and above for all her clients, and fiercely fights for them. She is thorough and robust and can rely on her to help assist me when she instructs me’.

‘Extremely courteous, responsive and professional. Patient and explains everything in terms that are understandable to the non legal person. Excellent value for money. Tracy Creed has been an outstanding solicitor. Her knowledge is unsurpassed and coupled with her friendly and humane approach I would not hesitate to recommend her. She has gone the extra mile‘.

‘Shelley Collingbourne recognised that l was able to complete a lot of the work involved and just needed assistance to calculate the inheritance tax payable. Instead of charging me to do work l could undertake she provided me with clear instructions of what was required so that her chargeable time was kept to a minimum. Shelley was always very clear and straightforward and l always felt that she was acting in a fair and honest way in my best interests‘.

‘I would strongly recommend Sydney Mitchell LLP to a potential client because of its reputation for providing professional services of the highest level. Shelley Collingbourne was always willing to discuss on the phone, reassuring me when I needed help (quite a lot!), explaining clearly when legal jargon got the better of me (again quite a lot)‘.

‘Tracy Creed at Sydney Mitchell has been nothing but caring, kind, helpful and professional. The team is well organised’.

‘Tracy Creed has been helpful, caring, polite, professional and most importantly straightforward with us. It has been a delight to meet her and I would recommend her and the service she provides to any of my friends and family to use’.

‘Tracy Creed has specialist knowledge and a very sound knowledge of general probate, trust and tax matters. Her client care, knowledge and approachability are all hugely impressive and she has always gone above and beyond the call of duty for her clients’.

‘Shelley Collingbourne is helpful and knowledgeable and provides a very good overall service to clients and keeps me as financial adviser informed along the process. I would be very happy to recommend her. She is able to relate well to individuals’.

‘This is a very client friendly team, personable, warm and caring, as well as being very technically competent. Tracy Creed is an incredible partner leading the private client team. Her attention to detail is second to none and she is incredibly knowledgeable. Tracy recently attended a mediation with me as private client support, and I only wish I could have her with me all the time! She had information at her fingertips and has such intimate knowledge of the tax regime. This lady is smart!‘.

‘The team is expertly led by Leanne Schneider-Rose but also has great associates under her. I have found that no matter who I am dealing with on a case they are on top of the file, motivated and give 100%, including when there has been urgent work through the pandemic that necessitated going into the office or working late, etc.’

‘Leanne Schneider-Rose leads the team excellently and has great connections, she brings in a wealth of work to the department because she is both knowledgable and relatable. IPs and other professional clients trust Leanne explicitly. She also has extensive experience of both insolvency and financial law.’

‘The team offers unparalleled legal knowledge and advice to its clients at all moments during assignments, providing practical, effective and unbiased solutions to complex problems, as well as being proficient in dealing with simple matters cost effectively. A joy to work with.’

‘Leanne Schneider-Rose has demonstrated time and again her deep expertise and willingness to overcome obstacles. She is quick to respond and always offers practical and effective solutions to sometimes complex problems. It is always a privilege to work with her.’

‘The insolvency department within Sydney Mitchell is very well established, and Sydney Mitchell is a trusted adviser.’

‘Sydney Mitchell is a friendly firm with committed lawyers who passionately support the local community based around its three offices in the West Midlands. The personal injury team comprises a small number of experienced, skilled practitioners who have an excellent reputation‘.

‘Sydney Mitchell is a small firm in the market, but manages to obtain and proficiently run a number of high value personal injury claims, including amputation claims. Although smaller in size than many of its rivals, this allows for good levels of client contact and support. Mike Sutton – a highly tenacious associate who always goes the extra mile for his clients’.

‘Mike Sutton heads the personal injury and clinical negligence team and is exceptionally skilled at handling serious and catastrophic injury claims. Mike’s talent is understanding his clients and tailoring the service that he provides. He speaks to clients on their own level and quickly gains their trust. Mike possesses over 30 years experience in personal injury and clinical negligence law and matches the finest in the industry for insight and expertise’.

‘The PI team at Sydney Mitchell is, in my experience as counsel, excellent. It is clear that an exceptional service is provided to the clients, the instructions are always clear and on point. David Lydon and Mike Sutton‘.

‘Mike Sutton, associate – vastly experienced litigator. Highly motivated. Client focussed and always realistic about outcomes and endpoints. Clients clearly love his style and candid approach. Significant experience in this field means his medical knowledge is impressive’.

‘Mike Sutton stood out in that he was inclusive in his approach to the case always taking extra time to speak to our family and explain in clear detail the pathways and options available. He set timescales and objectives and never once did he fail to achieve a positive outcome. At all times Mike was a very knowledgeable, calm, experienced professional who worked closely with us to achieve a very positive outcome’.

‘David Lydon has been very helpful, understanding and brilliant at his work. He has made this process easy to understand and he’s always very happy to speak to you. He answers my emails and calls very prompt’.

‘David Lydon has always struck me as everything that a claimant clinical negligence lawyer should be – accessible, sympathetic, realistic and tenacious. He combines good technical knowhow with practical litigation experience in every case he has conduct of’.

‘Everyone within the team is very approachable, extremely competent, always accessible and confident in their ability to deliver a great result.’

‘The team is able to hold their own against other lawyers/teams in much larger national and London law firms and they are totally committed to their client’s cause. In my view, they are one of the best litigation teams within the West Midlands.’

‘The outstanding Dean Parnell is a heavyweight litigator, is the man you want in the trench with you fighting your case. He is a great lateral thinker in all disputes and comes out on top all of the time. In every sense he is a real mastermind of a lawyer. Hugely respected in the City and beyond. Down to earth and very approachable.’

‘Dean Parnell is an excellent litigator. Organised, thorough, robust and very effective on behalf of his clients.’

‘Dean Parnell is a very talented litigation lawyer who is first and foremost a problem solver. He is an original thinker with a keen intellect and provides clients with the confidence that they are in safe hands.’

‘Sydney Mitchell provides top class employment law expertise, with practical know-how. It is reassuring to know you’re in good hands. Emma-Louise Hewitt is very knowledgeable and has an excellent client orientated focus. She is quickly able to grasp complex details seeing the true picture, presenting the case thoroughly‘.

‘Dean Parnell gives a friendly and efficient service to his clients; he is one of the go-to employment lawyers in the City. A very tough negotiator on his client’s behalf. If you want the best representation at all levels he is the man to instruct‘.

‘The employment law practice at Syndey Mitchell is first-class, with a focus on client service and succinct advice’.

‘Their knowledge and expertise of employment law is a real strength. Friendly and calming. Took time to explain the process‘.

‘Julia Woodhouse  is incredibly comfortable to deal with and I have come to rely on her thorough and professional approach and advice. Reassuring, warm and above all knowledgeable, I can’t recommend her highly enough‘.

‘The employment team at Sydney Mitchell, for a firm of its size, is very well balanced and has the impact of a much larger team. The team is not afraid of stepping up to the plate and nothing is too much trouble for them. I have no hesitation in recommending them to claimants and respondents. The admin staff will go the extra mile to make things run smoothly at hearing’.

‘Dean Parnell stands out as being very much a ‘can do’ person who has a very sound grasp of the legal and commercial elements of employment litigation. He is astute, and a reassuring presence to have alongside you whilst going through litigation‘.

‘Thorough grasps of fact, procedure and law – absolutely on the ball, and very responsive to enquiries. Emma Louise Hewitt is extremely bright, friendly, dedicated, and responsive. Exactly who you want on the team for a difficult fight’.

‘Sundeep Bilkhu is extremely knowledgeable compared to competitors. He’s honest with us. We stated what we wanted to achieve and he got it for us. Very happy.’

‘They are prepared to go the extra mile.’