Travers Smith LLP > London, England > Firm Profile

‘Richard Offord is sharp, intelligent and commercial, focused on providing practical advice tailored to the specific commercial context. James Longster is pragmatic, intelligent and client-focused.’

‘Advice is always practical and to the point. Lawyers are able to see the “big picture” and contextualise legal risk within the commercial reality of a deal/negotiation.’

‘Richard Brown stands out for his responsiveness and client focus.’

‘Very professional with a strong commercial sense. Gets the job done.’

‘The whole team is good at keeping the big picture in mind while not missing the important details.’

‘We have worked with Richard Brown. His ability to retain knowledge of previous transactions and contracts ensures they are able to move quickly when new requirements emerge.’

‘Richard Brown is the epitome of high-quality, experienced advice. Thinks quickly and effectively.’

‘This practice is unique whereby the team will push out all the stops in order to meet any deadlines and are only too happy to explain the technical terms or any exposures to you or your organisation in simple terms every party understands and have practical suitable solutions.’

‘The team really seeks to work with the client as partner, rather than an arm’s-length adviser.’

‘Quality of associates is stellar; no shying away from giving good, real-time advice where they can.’

‘Deep expertise and a pragmatic approach. Very professional and diligent. They have a history of working with us and I trust them and their judgement.’

‘A well-balanced mix of listed share scheme clients and private equity-backed companies. Commercially-reasonable positions on complex issues. A friendly, diverse team.’

‘Elissavet Grout is a real expert in her field. Her advice is always highly commercial, with a great depth of understanding for our business and goals.’

‘A great team with considerable experience across share schemes – very pragmatic and commercial and works well with other teams advising the company.’

‘Travers Smith provide a dedicated team of specialists who are thorough, articulate and pragmatic. They are mindful of client strategy whilst advising appropriately.’

‘David James goes even beyond the extra mile to make sure we get the attention we need. We are a small client for Travers Smith but we are always made to feel we are a very important client.’

‘The best pensions team in London.’

‘David James is the best pensions lawyer in London – smart, commercial and thoughtful.’

‘Daniel Gerring is a stand-out partner and lawyer. His knowledge of DB Pensions and regulation runs deep and broad. He is also an individual who offers exceptional advice always with a dose of pragmatism.’

‘Travers Smith have leading experts in this sector. They are deeply committed and very client focused.’

‘Attentiveness. Breath of knowledge and ability to communicate complex/technical information in such a way it can be understood by those with no knowledge of the topic.’

‘The team at Travers Smith is highly responsive, knowledgeable and professional. The most obscure of queries is dealt with quickly and efficiently, and it is clear that the team have a huge breadth of knowledge and experience. I like the fact that the advice is practical, giving examples of other companies’ disclosures, best practice, common themes and market intelligence.’

‘Aisling Arthur and Klem Zastawniak are approachable, hugely knowledgeable and always respond within timescales, despite sometimes being extremely tight. Their advice is well researched and practical and within scope. I have complete confidence in them and their ability to deal with whatever query or matter I send their way.’

‘The team have outstanding technical knowledge in this area and a great sense of what current market practice is. They proactively update us on relevant developments and have supported us with bespoke training throughout the year. The team are always responsive and a real pleasure to work with.’

‘Aisling Arthur is outstanding. She has a real understanding of our business and always provides highly commercial advice.’

‘A highly respected team with exceptional depth and experience. By acting for a range of enterprises and not just “mega-corporations”, Travers remains accessible to mid- and small-cap companies without compromising on the quality of advice.’

‘Very strong practice across a number of sectors and products.’

‘Adrian West is a great operator, unflustered and very commercial.’

‘Exceptionally knowledgeable and able to give quick, effective support and guidance. A trusted partner to the business guiding on strategic matters.’

‘Adrian West is a standout in terms of his knowledge and applicability – we are lucky to have him in our corner.’

‘Samuel Brewer is practical and commercial.’

‘Both Phil Bartram and Henriika Hara are our trusted advisers. They are there to help when needed.’

‘The team at Travers Smith are wonderful; thoughtful, responsive and practical.’

‘Michael Raymond is an excellent attorney; extremely responsive, practical in his advice and business minded.’

‘Great team with a deep understanding of our business and structures.’

‘Phil Bartram and Danny Riding are top-quality advisers.’

‘Responsive and easy to contact. It’s a pleasure to work with the team and I find their advice commercial and pragmatic.’

‘They are grounded and understand the business.’

‘A truly outstanding group, handling mammoth cases with real flair and a very special firm culture.’

‘This is one of the best litigation departments in the City. Brilliant lawyers with technical expertise and commercial nous – always delivering the best for their clients.’

‘Travers Smith regularly punch well above their weight. They regularly feature in the very largest litigation, going head to head with Magic Circle firms. They have a stellar reputation – a class outfit.’

‘Rob Fell is a commanding, confidence-inspiring team leader and superb with clients.’

‘Toby Robinson is a very safe pair of hands indeed.’

‘John Lee is a first-rate lawyer in the crypto area.’

‘Jan-Jaap Baer is a first-class litigator – tremendously smart and very detailed in his thinking.’

‘Stephanie Lee is superb – incisive and effective.’

‘The Travers Smith commercial dispute resolution practice punches well above its weight. The team is stacked with outstanding litigators whose attention to detail is second to none. They are all devoted to their clients and their cases whilst remaining wonderful people to work with. ’

‘Huw Jenkin – a fantastic lawyer, hugely able and with a work ethic that cannot be surpassed. His dedication is legendary, and he remains an extremely easy person to work with. Quite brilliant. You would always want him in your corner. Alexa Day – a very bright and able lawyer who has a keen eye for detail and is excellent with clients. Jan-Jaap Baer – intelligent and charming, he can work with anyone, and will never let a good point pass him by.’

‘Stephanie Lee is a star. She’s knowledgeable and is very good with working both with other lawyers and with business executives.’

‘I consider Travers Smith litigators to be some of the best litigators in the market. They combine legal expertise, commercial nous; creativity, and are the consummate team players, making everyone feel valued and achieving great results for their clients.’

‘Heather Gagen is a total star litigator, who is already a big name in the market but will go far. She is razor sharp, steely when needed, commands the total confidence of her clients and a complete delight to work with. There is no one better. Other star partners are Alice Childs (unparalleled commitment to her clients), Polly Richards, Stephanie Lee and Caroline Edwards. The department is crammed full of brilliant female partners. But excellent male litigators too – Rob Fell and John Lee being 2 of them. ’

‘Caroline Edwards and Rob Fell are undisputed leaders, each deserving of their places in the Hall of Fame. Under the capable leadership of Heather Gagen, the Commercial litigation team continues to flourish. With her expanded role encompassing both Head of Disputes and ESG, Heather’s impact on the firm’s success is undeniable. We have worked extensively with Alexa Day and feel that she very much deserves her ranking as a Next Generation Partner. We have also worked with Polly Richard who is not yet ranked, but we feel should be for her ability to deal with the most complex and high value commercial disputes with skill and precision. Collectively, the team demonstrates an unwavering commitment to excellence in Commercial litigation and are a pleasure to work with.’

‘Heather Gagen has substantial experience in ESG-related litigation. Her leadership is felt all over the firm. Stephanie Lee, Partner is an experienced commercial litigator who goes out of her way to make sure clients are looked after. Alice Childs, partner dispute resolution is often in engaged in parental company liability disputes and knows her stuff.’

‘John Lee is an exceptional partner – highly intelligent, hard-working, calm, measured and practical, with excellent client-handling skills, even with the most difficult clients. He is more involved and hands on than most partners and certainly one to watch.’

‘Travers Smith is simply outstanding in this space. Their innovative and strategic brilliance in this sector was underlined by the epic victory the firm achieved in the Supreme Court in the leapfrog appeal to the Supreme Court in the Trucks litigation (the PACCAR appeal), which rocked the litigation funding sector.’ 

‘Huw Jenkin is a fabulous competition lawyer and one of the City of London’s outstanding litigators. He has incredible client care skills and strategic vision coupled with a sophisticated legal brain.’ 

‘Super-smooth, Caroline Edwards is an enormously experienced litigator who brings a unique perspective to competition litigation with highly sophisticated analysis and strategic vision. She has unparalleled knowledge of the market and clients adore her.’

‘Huw Jenkin is intelligent, great to work with, sees the bigger picture. Caroline Edwards is intelligent, great to work with, pragmatic and commercial. Joseph Moore is intelligent, great to work with, and has an excellent command of the detail.’

‘Very good in competition litigation, thoughtful and proactive.’

‘Nigel Seay is sharp, straight to the point, and very responsive.’

‘Ingrid Hodgkiss is easy to work with, pragmatic, and collegiate.’

‘The work that I have done with Travers Smith has predominantly been in relation to investigations conducted on behalf of employers, particularly in the financial services industry. Ed Mills is a supremo in this field. He has impeccable judgment and is highly sensitive to clients’ needs.’

‘Ailie Murray and Tim Gilbert are superstars in the employment law space. They are both extremely responsive and practical in their approaches to legal problems, and distil complex legal advice into proposed solutions that are easy for business colleagues to digest and act upon.’

‘Siân Keall: an excellent lawyer and adviser to our business. She understands us as a client, is unafraid to challenge and give unpopular advice, and is really thoughtful in her counsel. We have a strong relationship with Travers’ employment team, through Siân.’

‘Siân Keall and Ailie Murray are wonderful partners – I recommend them all the time without hesitation. They embody all that is great about the practice as a whole.’

‘Siân Keall is the best employment partner I have worked with across many different firms, she delivers clear advice, isn’t afraid to explain why your reaction is the wrong one and never loses sight of the big picture.’

‘Great commercial acumen and excellent communication skills. Always ready to find the most cost-effective and efficient solution for the clients. Ed Mills – proactive and commercially astute. Siân Keall – thought leader. Tim Gilbert – extremely insightful. Adam Wyman – very competent.’

‘Adam Wyman is a pleasure to work with. He has an in depth understanding of our business and has expertly provided advice direct to senior stakeholders. He always maintains a calm, caring and commercial approach.’

‘Ed Mills is “on it”. As his client, he inspires confidence that the advice you receive is excellent and well thought through, both legally and practically. He is always available, but has an outstanding team around him.’

‘The derivatives team at Travers Smith is a pleasure to work with. We worked with them on multiple FX solutions and each time received exceptional service. The team is clearly very knowledgeable and have the ability to translate complex legal and regulatory frameworks into easily digestible language.’

‘Jonathan Gilmour is very responsive and available. Technically very sound, provides clear advice. Elinor Samuel is responsive and thorough. Provides strong associate support.’

‘Last year, Travers Smith assisted us with a complex structured product transaction. We appreciated their professionalism, deep understanding of products and market practices, as well as their ability to assist swiftly and provide the highest quality legal documentation that we can always fully rely on.’

‘We very much enjoyed working together with Joseph Wren. His professionalism, great organisational and negotiations skills, as well as a deep knowledge of financial products are truly remarkable.’

‘Very collaborative, become part of the team. Specialist skills, the very best in their field.’

‘Attention to detail, excellent communication at all times, very sensitive to the needs of the client. Jonathan Gilmour is very approachable, highly responsive, a true expert in his field, highly professional, and a pleasure to work with.’

‘I always enjoy working with Joseph Wren and the team – they are highly professional, responsive, and I always feel like I’m in “safe hands” – the team is very commercial and able to give good advice on whether to push points or accept, based on terms our peer firms have and what we can reasonably expect.’

‘Joseph Wren and Nick Baines are both fantastic to work with. They are both highly commercial, flexible, and have helped me get some very last minute things over the line in a very short timeframe.’

‘A strong grasp of crypto and digital asset regulation and policy which is invaluable to our organisation.’

‘Natalie Lewis – very adept at the legal matters, but they are also very engaging and warm, and are quick to put one at ease. Their insights on recent matters we brought to them reflected both a legal expertise and a graciousness in assisting us in a timely and thorough manner.’

‘John Lee and James Turner are valuable contributors to the work of our trade association and provide regulatory support and clarity to our industry.’

‘The team is well versed in the specific areas of concern to us – namely, emerging technologies and innovations that require a quick learning curve at times, and a fast turnaround on answers whilst not sacrificing quality in their responses. We have found the team very well-attuned to and competent in both the technicalities and the fast pace of our areas of interest. ’

‘The individuals are very adept at the legal matters, but they are also very engaging and warm, and are quick to put one at ease. Their insights on recent matters we brought to them reflected both a legal expertise and a graciousness in assisting us in a timely and thorough manner.’

‘A state-of-the-art law firm providing commercial advice within financial services.’

‘A winning combination of experience, ability and client engagement. They know their stuff, but also make working with them an enjoyable and collegiate experience.’

‘Danny Riding and Phil Bartram are both exceptionally good at providing hands-on, commercial advice. They know our business very well and have for a very long time and is therefore very good at putting the question into context. ’

‘Toby Robinson is smart, pragmatic and engaging and has great client management skills.’

‘Toby Robinson is a tremendously experienced, clever, tough and respected litigator with excellent judgement.’

‘Excellent, high-quality team that superbly conducts difficult, complex, international investigations with care, thought, determination and commercial nous.’

‘Danny Peel is commercial and pragmatic and hugely helpful in negotiating favourable terms with our lenders.’ 

‘Incredible mid-market funds practice and understanding of what mid-market PE needs, and how that can be delivered across the different strands of their practice. Good understanding of what we needed to be done, and how that fitted into the wider picture.’

‘Personal service, partner involvement, clear arguments on key points.’

‘The team has always proven to be up-to-date on market changes and innovations.’

‘Travers Smith are experts in our sector, so we receive the very best advice combined with sensible commerciality. They are highly responsive and always on hand to answer complex queries or basic questions.’ 

‘Danny Peel is hugely experienced in subscription line finance and I have worked closely with him for over 15 years. Danny always ensures that our risks are fully covered whilst still displaying a commercial attitude that also ensures we remain competitive in our market. Danny is also backed by an experienced team.’

‘The team have good embedded knowledge of our business and the way we approach risk and acceptable contract terms. Always highly focused, brief and to the point communications, and commercially able to put themselves into the clients shoes. Very easy to work with.’

‘James Longster and the team are very quick to respond, they give you very sound and solid legal advice.’

‘James Longster offers solutions, and follows up when asked. He does a great job of making the client feel special.’

‘Louisa Chambers is brilliant to work with, she really knows her stuff, and always manages to be friendly and down to earth.’

‘Expert knowledge of existing laws, both regulations and case laws, practices and key gaps and issues to address. Great expertise with industry and ability to explain complex issues succintly and clearly. ’

‘I worked mostly with  Jonathan Gilmour and Simon Whitney, who provided excellent input for our work, reviewing technical documents and supporting the dissemination of our key findings in their spare time. Despite not being a client, they always responded to me in a timely and helpful manner, and the quality of their work has been hugely appreciated.’

‘A top-notch practice and one we go to for pragmatic, market-enabled advice on ESG regulatory matters. We have complete faith that the team’s highly commercial approach to delivering advice is grounded in excellent technical knowledge. ’

‘Michael Raymond is highly responsive and has a finely-tuned radar for the practical solutions clients need to complex ESG regulatory issues.’

‘A very approachable, knowledgeable team who show genuine interest in the industry we operate in.’

‘Tom Davies is very responsive and displays a commercial and pragmatic approach. Stephen Whitfield is also available to share his experience and knowledge whenever needed.’

‘Excellent legal advice, team members are always responsive, delivering reliable solutions quickly.’

‘We have worked with Stephen Whitfield and Ingrid Hodgskiss – both have a deep understanding of competition law and deliver outstanding legal advice while keeping commercial aspects in focus. Both are very approachable and always available, very uncomplicated and pleasant to work with.’

‘Stephen Whitfield is very commercial and really good at balancing short and long term priorities to work out the best overall advice for the client. Ingrid Hodgskiss has incredibly impressive knowledge.’

‘The quality of the team is first rate across the board. Technically excellent but also commercial, pragmatic, and personable.’

‘Stephen Whitfield is technically excellent but also commercial, pragmatic, and personable.’

‘Travers Smith are simply outstanding in this space.’

‘Deep technical expertise and an ability to get the job done, no matter how big.’

‘Under the leadership of the new head of disputes, Heather Gagen, the Banking litigation team thrives. Rob Fell, Stephanie Lee, and Huw Jenkin consistently deliver outstanding results for their clients. Their ability to collaborate seamlessly, leverage their respective strengths, and devise innovative legal strategies sets them apart from their competitors.’

‘Rob Fell – Partner – a natural leader, with excellent client skills. Heather Gagen – Partner – now head of the practice, a highly intelligent and empathetic lawyer, with unlimited energy and an expert communicator.’

‘Travers field a very strong banking litigation team, with a high level of technical ability and commercial acumen. We have been very impressed by the team’s quality, depth and ability to deal with complex and fast-moving litigation proceedings. They are also great to deal with on a personal level and ease the burden on in-house counsel. It is very helpful that they are not conflicted and can act against major financial institutions.’

‘Rob Fell is the senior partner on the matter. He has excellent commercial and strategic sense and brings great value to the team.’

‘John Lee is the more junior partner and brings a very high level of technical rigour to the case; he can really engage with the detail and is clearly highly intellectual.’

‘Lovely people to work with – perfect balance of clever and hard working but with great judgement.’

‘Rob Fell (partner), Alice Childs (partner) and Natalie Puddicombe – all excellent in their own right.’

‘Travers Smith team has very kind and attentive people. They allocate enough time to listen to our problem and efficiently propose a viable solution. ’

‘We can reach out to Travers Smith team members easily by email or phone. If this is a request that they cannot directly help, they always find the right person to engage with. We never felt a barrier between us and them in terms of communication and we feel that our time is valued. ’

‘The team worked quickly and efficiently to deliver our complex pre-let. They took our continually shifting goal posts in their stride and made the process much smoother for us.’

‘Sarah Walker led the transaction for us, she was actively involved at all stages and always available. Sarah had great market insights and was able to offer us commercially focused solutions to some tricky problems. Sarah coordinated her team expertly.’

‘Travers Smith is extremely responsive, practical and well versed in the subject matter.’

‘Both James Longster and Sarah Robinson are experts in their field and are fantastic to work with.’

‘Reassuring across all aspects of the relationship: top quality partners, very strong associates, more than pleasant to work alongside.’

‘Jon Reddington provides a strong combination of calmness, expertise and market experience.’

‘Jonathan Walters combines incredible responsiveness with considered advice.’

‘Adrian West is consummate; knows the market well and adds deep equity capital market knowledge to the public deals.’

‘I genuinely could not be happier with the legal team at Travers. They are so responsive and always find sensible and practical solutions to any issues that come . The quality of service we have had from this law firm compared to our previous one is exponential.’ 

‘I really like how the junior team rotate but this never impacts on delivery which just goes to show how much they invest in their junior team members making sure they are up to speed. I would not hesitate to recommend Jeremy Elmore and Jonathan Trent as a dream team to any other Funds in the mid-market space looking for lawyers.’

‘Jonathan Trent is a superstar. I genuinely would have been lost without him during our fundraising process. He is so calm. I have never seen him get flustered or overwhelmed. I think this is a real sign of someone that has confidence because they are great at their job.’ 

‘Solutions oriented, great client dedication, commercial understanding.’ 

‘Jeremy Elmore is solutions oriented.’ 

‘They are technically strong but pragmatic in their approach – quite simply they work hard to get deals done and get those deals done quickly.’

‘Gareth Wynne is technically very strong whilst working openly and collaboratively to complete transactions.’

‘Helpful, pragmatic and commercially aware.’

‘Sarah Walker provides clear and consistent advice.’

‘Alex Millar combines technical expertise and commercial awareness to help find solutions and move transactions forward.’

‘I have always found Travers Smith to be very collaborative and easy to deal with. They are technically strong but pragmatic in their approach – quite simply they work hard to get deals done and get those deals done quickly.’

‘Pragmatic, responsive and knowledgeable. I have not yet managed to ask a question they cannot answer.’

‘Very wide ranging commercial experience, able to deploy it in pragmatic ways.’