Birketts LLP > Chelmsford, England > Firm Profile

‘Everyone I have dealt with has taken the time to understand our business, our individual needs and the outcomes we desire from the negotiations we are involved in. The advice is useful to the non legal mind to help with understanding even the most complex of issues.’

‘Rafael Ruiz understands the dynamics of our individual shareholders as well as the needs of the business. He is personally very interested in our progress and makes a great partner as a result.’

‘The history and experience shared through the years is a strong factor in continuing to choose their professional expertise. Good interaction across range of team and encouraging that they have specialist expertise in multiple areas.’

‘The strength and depth of the team’s capabilities, especially with regard to private equity transactions, sets the team apart in the local market.’

‘Their history and experience over the years is a strong factor in continuing to choose their professional expertise. They have specialist expertise in multiple areas.’

‘We have had many dealings with Alex Forwood and Daden Hunt and they both merit special mention due to their professional approach at all times. As it’s an area of required detailed technical expertise, Alex and Daden bring clarity and understanding to each decision point and this we really value.’

‘The team has a wide array of services and expertise to cover all requirements needed for a business.’

‘Daden Hunt is very knowledgeable in his field and gives clear and concise explanations. He was always available.’

‘William Arran was helpful, approachable and attentive.’

‘An elite team that punches well above its weight. The team have a strong group of commercial litigation associates who are switched on and who you can trust can do a job well. Quality of work is strong with a range of clients from consumers to multinationals. Makes for a strong team who always has someone available to deal with any issue that arises.’

‘Nicholas Phillips provides comprehensive instructions which set out all the arguments in advance. Leaves no stone unturned which means clients feel and know they are getting the gold standard service. No job is too big or small for him. An excellent recent addition to an already exceptional Commercial Litigation Team.’

‘Daden Hunt is held in high regard by mediators. He is very calm and unflappable under pressure.’

‘Speed of information. Transparency. Understanding of the subject. Easily approachable despite that the subject can being highly technical.’

‘Good depth of knowledge and can also advise from a balanced perspective. Good industry knowledge. Alex Forwood stands out for our business as an individual who embraces collaboration whilst fully understanding the subject. His historical knowledge provides added value through the ability to move the subject forward at a better pace.’

‘Excellent service and good client relationships.’

‘Pragmatic clear advice. Very responsive and practical.’

‘What makes this team really stand out is the number of high quality diligent lawyers they have in the employment team. They don’t just have one or two really excellent partners and solicitors – their quality of work across the board is really impressive.’

‘The team are extremely knowledgeable, which was delivered in the manner in which one would like to receive such advice. Really helpful and great people to work with.’

‘We had the pleasure of working with Clare Barlow and Nicholas West, both of whom delivered the project in a pragmatic and helpful manner.’

‘Birketts are extremely professional, responsive, and helpful. They are experts in immigration law. I have complete confidence in them. I feel safe in their hands. I trust them implicitly. Over the years, they have helped me with my immigration applications in extremely challenging situations (e.g. obtaining work visas in very short periods of time). Birketts’ legal advice is top-notch and cost-effective; it represents excellent value for money. Birketts bring a humane approach and a personal touch to the practice of immigration law.’

‘I was particularly impressed by Sacha Wooldridge.’

‘Very recently, I had to secure my Indefinite Leave to Remain visa in order to take up a post at a different university. I had only about a month in which to obtain my ILR visa. This was in January, 2022, a time of unprecedented uncertainty and change, a time when the Home Office had a crushing backlog due to COVID-related shortage of staff. Thus, obtaining the ILR visa in time seemed like a very challenging undertaking. However, true to form, Janice Leggett at Birketts got the job done, and helped me secure my ILR visa in near record time. I cannot express my gratitude warmly enough to Janice and Birketts. My life would be very different if it weren’t for them. I owe them a massive debt of gratitude. They are performing a great service for foreigners like me who have chosen to live and work in the UK.’

‘They are unique because of the efficiency and dedication they showed to their client.’

‘There are 2 things this practice does that makes them stand out 1. Simplifying the Complex: Immigration applications can be a complex and intimidating process, but Birketts’ team (led by Janice) has always made the entire process very simple for me. Their accompanying documentation and emails always make things a breeze for me. 2. Approachability: No question to small or big, no matter what I have on my mind, I can ask them for clarification, confirmation etc. Other firms that I have worked with before do not offer such care and attention to detail.’

‘Janice Leggett is a gem of a human being, she has always been there for me throughout the years as an immigration adviser. Even when I was almost scammed in an immigration fraud and I reached out to her out of the blue for advice, she was there to answer my questions, and even gave me advice. This makes her a rare breed. I am so grateful that I have had the distinct pleasure of working with her (and her wonderful team) who are approachable and ever so helpful.’

‘Very approachable, so helpful, could not fault.’

‘Birketts are able to call on a wide range of expertise.’

‘The private client team at Birketts in Chelmsford stands out from its competitors for the superb speed of its service and fantastic client service, as well as excellent technical knowledge.’

‘Susan Young is incredibly knowledgeable but also brilliantly organised and communicative.’

‘Penny Wotton is exceptional, giving great advice and paying attention to detail. She is always on top of potential issues and keeps pressure on others to deliver. She also has a good strategic eye on the wider issues. She is conscious of the impact of the cost of her time and strives to keep costs low.’

‘Good size and breadth of expertise – definitely one of the most complete and well respected corporate teams in Cambridge’

‘James Allen is experienced, commercial and bright.’

‘Birketts represents the best of what you can get in London, but represented in the Eastern region. They have built a great team of highly professional and experienced lawyers which has resulted in them establishing one of the best market profiles in the region.’

‘I’ve worked with the the Cambridge corporate team on a number of transaction over several years including some deals in the past 12 months. James Allen and Simona Gruodyte work well as a team and both are excellent. The advice they given clients is very direct and straight forward makes it easy for clients to understand the consider commercially. They fight hard on key issues but are willing to be more pragmatic on items that have less of a commercial downside.’

‘Nick Burt, Simona Gruodyte and all the team are friendly and helpful 24/7.’

‘Projected costings were correct and stuck to.’

‘My dealings across the firm have always been positive and when our main contact is unavailable, we have received a response in quick timely manner. The advice we are given is good at the level we need and has been adapted to our needs and requirements within our business, especially when looking at new commercial contracts. Birketts came up with a feedback template which helped our business for new contracts, understanding the risks by entering into them.’

‘We have dealt with Mark Gipson for a number of years. He has been an excellent working partner with us, always available for advice and when there is an urgent request, makes himself available. He will also go that extra mile, having responses when he should be on holiday. The responses and advice he gives us is easily understandable and this is something that differs from a previous firm that we dealt with before Birketts.’

‘The Corporate Team at Birketts is a highly experienced and focussed team They are highly credible and professional. As far as East Anglia law firms are concerned, there is simply no comparison with any other team. Choosing Birketts’ Corporate Team is a very easy choice.’

‘Andrew Tubb is highly professional, dedicated and takes the right approach to get deals done. It is the commercial awareness and understanding of business which sets him apart.’

‘Solution-driven and proactive solutions for sensible value.’

‘Commitment to conclude work – in and out of hours.’

‘The Birketts team provides us with in-depth corporate and commercial knowledge and vast amounts of experience to enable us to conduct key commercial transactions.’

‘The team consists of very knowledgeable individuals who understand our needs and are always able to respond to the needs of the transaction.’

‘Birketts Norwich office have a well rounded team of differing experience and expertise. They work collaboratively together to ensure the right people in the organisation are dealing with the right work. More junior staff always show good aptitude and attention to detail whilst senior staff can deliver great advice to their clients from the experiences they have had as one of the most active corporate legal advisory teams in the region.’

‘Ed Savory is very strong commercially. He has the art of understanding a complex legal situation and being able to break it down for a client to understand, digest and act on.’

‘The team was very personable and collaborative. They did an exceptional job at solving every issue that was thrown at them during the transaction. In one particular instance, they solved a legal/tax problem that removed significant liability.’

‘Ed Savory is a fantastic corporate lawyer. He is very personable and is always organised, calm, understanding and delivers on time. He seems to integrate well with others in the team and always works seamlessly with other advisors involved in the transaction.’

‘The team at Birketts quickly understood the challenge we had and provided a workable solution in a timely manner.’

‘Karl Pocock and Ben Clarke drafted a practical and succinct covering letter which got to the root of the issue with HMRC and clarified our position leading to a successful result.’

‘Based on two decades of dealings with Birketts LLP, I consider its law practice of excellent quality, backed by professional leadership at partner level, an unique capacity and distinguished reputation in providing top-class legal services at extremely competitive costs to clients. Staff are well trained and exhibit a consistent corporate culture of attentiveness. The depth-of-team strengths is impressive.’

‘They are very responsive and knowledgeable. The quality of their services have consistently been so high at regional hourly rates that I sometimes pinched myself when comparing their billing levels with that of another London City law firm of comparable quality. For the same costs, I am able to gain far more frequent and greater depth of analytical consultation with a Birketts partner than an equivalent London law partner.’

‘Karl Pocock is a standout with a strong capacity in dissecting details and complexity, a solid knowledge base, and good writing skills in the delivery of precise advice on UK corporation tax to his clients. You can count on his timeliness and accuracy, particularly crucial elements in tax area. Highly sensitive of our need as international clients.’

‘I have had a good experience – very caring and supportive.’

‘The litigation team is always very good, working to your end goal and informing you of the likely outcome/steps that are required.’

‘Lawrence Weeks – exceptionally talented and skilled individual in getting litigation matters resolved to the client’s satisfaction.’

‘Having used Birketts for 20 years, as predominantly a debt recovery operation, I have always had confidence in the advice received, and the ability to draw on the expertise of other individuals within the firm, allows for any complication to be swiftly delt with.’

‘Easy to deal with, simple billing structure, highly responsive team giving good advice on a timely basis’

‘Pleasant to deal with and clear communication given. They make you feel like they care about the issues and are on our side. This is important for debt recovery situations as invariably the situation feels like there is an immovable block preventing payment. Birketts make you feel that there is a way round this block.’

‘We have only ever used Birketts LLP for our debt recovery management – we have always been happy with the service that they have provided. The staff are friendly and are very good at explaining and communicating all of the legal terms so that we fully understand and are up to date with our cases.’

‘For over 12 years now, we have a continued working relationship with the firm. We can safely say that we cannot fault them in the professional service that they provide. No matter what the issue has been, they have always advised and guided us in order for us to achieve the best result and outcome in all of our debt recovery management cases.’

‘Birketts brings all the expertise and level of service I would expect from a London firm, but with local rates and a friendliness and approachability that makes them great to work with, whatever the requirement. Overall, the team has a vast array of experience that can be quickly and easily applied to bring a broad perspective and problem-solving approach.’

‘I deal primarily with Lucy Churchill. Lucy is always available to deal with urgent matters, is efficient and cclear in her handling of complex HR issues. Extremely efficient which keeps the bills at a manageable level.’

‘Tom Sharpe acted recently in relation to a high value claim. His advice, as always, was pragmatic and responsive and he delivered a good outcome for the business.’

‘Mat Newnham is exceptional. Always up to date and customises his advice for your organisations culture’

‘Very responsive advice delivered in an easily understood manner, with optional follow up. Excellent listening skills and ability to grasp the real issue They value my time and look to make best use of it Inspire confidence Excellent in their roles and delegate to colleagues with specialisms where needed. Highly recommend Catherine Hepworth.’

‘Legal issues surrounding people, and the emotional response that this inevitably brings, can be one of the most difficult legal challenges we face. Mat Newnham and Tom Sharpe are always at the end of a phone to give support, guidance and options which are based on a wealth of knowledge and experience to enable us to calmly and carefully navigate any situation we may be faced with. The personal service and regular check ins are always really helpful.’

‘We work closely with Mat Newnham and Tom Sharpe from the Norwich office. Both Mat and Tom were incredibly supportive, knowledgeable and guided us carefully through a process which was fraught with potential pitfalls throughout the height of a global pandemic. No question ever felt ‘silly’ or situation that arose where a solution couldn’t be found.’

‘Clear communication and ability to explain complex law matters to business people like myself. good at listening and thought gathering as part of any process.’

‘Very capable team, strength in depth. Particular stand out locations are Chelmsford and Ipswich where I would say they are the best firm in each location.’

‘Birketts has acted for us on multiple deals over the past 2 years. These have often been complex and protracted due to unexpected external factors (including those under the CBILS scheme) and the Birketts team have been excellent in overcoming these difficulties.’

‘Alex Schaafsma as partner overseeing the banking team has proven herself to be highly experienced and able to cut through the legal challenges in a timely manner. She has always made herself available for calls outside of the usual process. Within Alex’s team, Kathryn Palmer in particular has been excellent in driving the process over the line, always maintaining suitable communications of status or action points.’

‘High integrity and cooperation.’

‘Lottie Fletcher and Elizabeth Lee, both are reliable and consistently expert in what they do.’

‘James Dinwiddy and Rachel McKillop-Wilkin understand the issues and have been highly effective. Katy Moss is extremely efficient and has turned round work very quickly’

‘The agricultural team is exceptionally hard working and conscientious. The team apply a commercial pragmatic approach. They are well respected across the whole industry and have strength and depth right through the firm.’

‘Tom Verrill is highly experienced and sensible, with sound judgement and is extremely professional and efficient.’

‘Great level of communication with Client and other professionals and have a pragmatic approach’

‘Good and broad depth of knowledge and resources. Practical and rounded advice give. Excellent position in the marketplace as dominant East Anglia rural property and agriculture team’

‘Sophia Key is exceptional in giving sound and practical advice that meets the clients’ objectives and is commercial in outlook.’

‘All Birketts’ professionals are just that – very professional. They have in depth knowledge and experience which has been invaluable to us as clients. They provide very clear advice and guidance – both on the telephone, in emails and documents too. They also provide good support to other members of their Birketts’ team when they are called upon to add their specialist expertise.’

‘Our point of contact and primary professional advisor has been Liz Brownsell who has provided exceptional work, is totally reliable and makes herself available beyond normal working hours – all of which we value very highly.’

‘There are a range of subject matter experts across all of the key areas of our operations but they do not work in isolation and we feel we are being supported by a single entity, rather than a group of loosely connected individuals as can be the case elsehwere.’

‘Staff are relaxed and approachable, very responsive, knowledgeable and highly skilled in communicating to a broad audience. Liz Brownsell and Frances Godden are our go-to people and opitimise these qualities.’

‘The team meet the needs of our organisation by adapting to what we need rather than thrust what they want to do or think we want. They use various IT to support them which is straightforward and logical.’

‘I find each member of the team effective. I appreciated Liz Brownsell meeting me in person to find out what our vision is. She is good at communicating and thorough in her role. Also, I found Frances Godden helpful if I had a query and efficient in dealing with it.’

‘Being based in Ipswich, the team are competitively priced but provide a service comparable with any in London, or elsewhere. Service is excellent, focused through a main contact but with quick and easy access across all the skill-sets available in the wider team, and with all fully briefed and up-to-speed with our requirements. We have been able to call on a diverse range of skills from IP, DP, HR, commercial, public procurement, charity and governance. We worked entirely remotely (due to the pandemic) but always felt they were part of our team and always on hand when needed.’

‘It’s a very solid regional firm, with a strong pedigree in contentious trusts and estates and an excellent team led by Bernadette Baker and with first-rate support from stand-out individuals, such as Kate Harris. One of the firm’s strengths is that it is able to draw on expertise in other fields of law where cases require cross-over input, from private client or from corporate angles. This allows a composite approach to the litigation and resolution of cases.’

‘I have worked with Kate Harris in particular and been hugely impressed by her robust and common-sense approach to difficult litigation. She is utterly reliable and will forge ahead to find a resolution.’

‘It is a considerable team which is growing steadily. They have breadth and depth, as well as knowledge and capacity.’

‘Bernadette Baker is tenacious and clever. She will fight very hard for her clients but recognises the need to resolve differences and reach a negotiated settlement. She is a skilful practitioner and she ably leads her team. I have no hesitation in recommending her.’

‘Birketts has so far provided a greater level of expertise, communication and holistic advice than has been my experience from other legal firms. I would say that their strengths are taking the time to understand and consider all the relevant facts/details, and provide advice appropriate to the context. This contrasts greatly to my experience of other legal firms who often fail to grasp the complexities and often lack the necessary knowledge and expertise to provide relevant probate advice.’

‘I feel that we have a relationship based on mutual trust which is vital when choosing legal representation. My previous experience of law firms in this field left me doubting the advice they were giving, and this was often borne out by the consequences of their actions. It’s important that your legal representatives trust the information and decisions you provide, and that you can in turn trust them to provide accurate and informed advice based on that. Bernadette Baker and her team have been excellent at listening, understanding and trusting the information we’ve provided, and in acting accordingly.’

‘Good team with strength in depth, and good links to litigation department for more contentious work. Needed to be prodded a little to find an alternative dispute resolution rather than confrontational litigation.’

‘Marie McMahon is very supportive and explains things very well is great at saying what needs to be added to correspondence and what isn’t going to be helpful. Her team are very good at being abreast of all the tangled twists and turns in our case. All are supportive and kind.’

‘The team at Birketts is crammed full of talented individuals, who are excellent at what they do. The care to clients is first class.’

‘Special mention must go to Juliet Harvey and Katie Beaven for the way in which they deal with clients. Their knowledge is right up there with the best.’

‘Juliet Harvey – very experienced and has great judgment’

‘Birketts is able to offer London quality at regional rates.’

‘Lisa Cornish and Denise Findlay bring complementary qualities to the team. Their calmness under pressure and dealing with complex issues is a very important quality.’

‘The team have a flowing high standard of working. By that I mean from the secretaries to the assistants to the lawyers. They make for a reliable and easy and efficient service’

‘Ivana Radovic is exceptional at case preparation. She is incredibly diligent and ensures that the link between client and counsel is smooth.’

‘Exceptionaly knowledgeable, thorough, understood the issues within a very short space of time, worked to pressing deadlines. Detailed knowledge of probate and inheritance tax law and process. Absolute transparency on costing.’

‘Kimberly Sayward dealt with the application for probate and inheritance tax/final tax on my late mother’s estate. With a firm of the quality of Birketts I would expect outstanding service. This was delivered with an absolutely exceptional level of personal care and regular communication such that I felt valued and confident at every stage.’

‘I moved to Birketts following issues with another firm in Cambridge. The difference is service has been astonishing. I was basically ignored by the other firm, who did nothing for three weeks. I asked a friend for a recommendation and she suggested James Marsh of Birketts. James had been brilliant so far and I have no reason to think this will not continue until the settlement of my grandmother’s estate. James is efficient, professional, friendly and inspires confidence.’

‘James Marsh has been such a help to me. He is extremely knowledgeable, updates you continually and keeps to his promises. He does not mind how many questions you ask, or how many emails you send. He gives you his time and is happy to chat anything through.’

‘Birketts LLP have served my clients to the highest of standards. They demonstrate a good level of personal service along with appropriate allocation of resources that ensures the efficient and cost effective resolutions.’

‘The individuals have a can do attitude to resolving a situation rather than presenting hurdles. Friendly, approachable and efficient.’

‘Birketts have a strong tax, trusts and probate team – Kimberly Sayward has strong technical ability, is clear and concise in her advice to clients and always willing to the extra mile.’

‘Kimberly Sayward has worked with many of my clients over the years and I’ve always had fantastic feedback. Kim stands out because she is highly responsive, thorough in her preparation and her technical expertise is very strong.’

‘An extremely knowledgeable and friendly team. Compares very well to peers.’

‘Rhiannon Russell and Jessica Godfrey-Withey stand out for their client care and easy to explain manner with clients.’

‘Birketts looked outside of the box at our business, giving diverse, plus expert tax and estate planning which will stand the business in good stead, not just now, but for the next generation.’

‘Emily O’Donnell is very knowledgeable.’

‘Practical, knowledgeable, efficient.’

‘Well informed, helpful, responsive.’

‘Lisa Cornish is always on the end of phone with valuable up-to-date advice. Always listens to what sometimes can be quite in depth personal information. The same goes for Helen Cordingley. Both Lisa and Helen worked hand in hand to sort out a number of things that where time critical and done in order which the target was reached at all times.’

‘Hayley Pettitt was very concerned to provide the best assistance.’

‘Birketts has an unusually strong Administrative and Public Law team for a regional firm, with regular appearances for public bodies and private parties in the Administrative Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. The firm has proved particularly adept at using IT and innovative technologies to maintain and improve client and lawyer contact during the pandemic.’

‘The team meet the needs of our organisation by adapting to what we need rather than thrust what they want to do or think we want. They use various IT to support them which is straightforward and logical.’

‘I find each member of the team effective. Liz Brownsell is good at communicating and thorough in her role. Also, I found Hannah Harbottle and Frances Godden both helpful if I had a query and efficient in dealing with it.’

‘Birketts provide excellent customer service and are confident in giving advice on complex legal issues. One of their major strengths is their ability to view an issue from a local standpoint; this is a significant advantage for us as a public authority.’

‘Working with Birketts has been fantastic. From my first meeting with Ruth Neave, everything ran smoothly and Ruth is always available for advice on our account. The team provide excellent legal advice and are very responsive to our particular needs.’

‘We have rather specialist legal requirements being in effect a national park navigation and port authority. The team at Birketts has the breadth of expertise to meet our needs. We also have a heavily constrained budget and the monthly reports on the progress of our work and the costs are very useful in tracking what is happening.’

‘Our main contact is Ruth Neave who has proved to provide outstanding service. She coordinates all our tasks and reports regularly on progress. I have a monthly catch-up with her which is really helpful in checking on where the more difficult cases have got to. Her attitude flows down to the solicitors doing the work who listen carefully to the brief and in our experience have provided sound legal advice.’

‘Their experience and knowledge of the independent education sector. Also their local knowledge. They also manage a networking service of independent schools in the local area.’

‘The sense that they are a very safe pair of hands looking after our business. The partners are very approachable and happy to explain difficult issues. The resourcing within the firm and back up for younger members of the team appears to be thorough and very professional.’

‘Claudia Haisman-Green is a standout partner whose straightforward knowledge and advice is excellent. Corinne Smith is a standout associate whose attention to her client and overall performance is also excellent, even exceptional!’

‘We have a long-term relationship with Birketts Commercial Property team. Our long term relationship is built upon trust and we know we can rely upon Birketts to bring innovative and pragmatic solutions to commercial real estate problems. The extensive number of legal disciplines available within the Cambridge office mean that all our needs, from finance to construction, can all be dealt with locally with super efficiency.’

‘Birketts have a clear staff hierarchy and our key contact Gemma Goddard has been outstanding. Gemma is always made available at her earliest opportunity and will direct other relevant personnel that need to get involved with transactions.’

‘We have been supported by an incredibly skilled and capable team at Birketts. We approached them on the recommendation of a friend and our expectations have been exceeded over and over again.’

‘Claudia Haisman Green has done the lion’s share of the work for us. I would recommend her to anyone! She has been firm and held ground on our behalf, she has explained complicated legal positions incredibly effectively and walked us through the potential consequences of different courses of action. She has given us access to other partner specialists in the firm when it is required, giving us confidence in our plan, and in all the decision making. Her communication both face to face and written is exemplary, both in content and tone.’

‘Total confidence in their capacity to represent us as clients. Prompt referral to specialists within company where necessary. Seamless liaison between departments to our benefit. Approachable at all times, prompt return of calls when busy. Client-centred, collaborative approach: we felt valued and respected.’

‘Helen Stewart was outstanding. She was central to everything working so smoothly. At the very end, on the final day of signing contracts, when the going got very tough and barrier after barrier kept being presented by the other parties, Helen just got tougher and calmly and systematically sorted everything out. Amazing.’

‘The team are always contactable and willing to help. They are willing to go that extra mile and explain legislation to us numerous times. The fees are extremely competitive and for pensions they are unbeatable in the market.’

‘We have worked with Sam Froud for years now; he is a credit to the Birketts team. He is always there for us know matter how big all small the query may be. The helpful and efficient service he provides is second to none. Everyone enjoys working with him.’

‘Birketts’ commercial property team is proactive and understands the client needs. They work to agreed timescales and understand their clients objectives.’

‘Oliver Crichton is cool, calm and collected. We completed a transaction with Oliver personally late on 24 December last year after many people had finished work for Christmas days earlier.’

‘Birketts’ commercial property team offer service and expertise on a par with the best, and benefit from sitting within a full service practice, providing depth of knowledge for more unusual situations requiring a co-ordinated approach. They are commercial, pragmatic, responsive, and with excellent access to partners and senior associates. They compare very favourably to the top Tier 1 London practices, but at a realistic fee level.’

‘We have worked with Stuart Raven for many years and remain firm fans of his. His prompt, detailed, commercial, problem solving, and sensible approach gets things done as quickly as possible, but without unnecessary compromise. We have also been very pleased to work with Hannah Meara and Amanda Timcke this year, who we are also notable for their clear advice, commercial approach, attention to detail, and tenacious attitudes.’

‘Birketts have been exceptional in their services. Our purchases often come with complex issues and tight deadlines but the team have expert knowledge in our field meaning we have full trust that we are fully protected.’

‘Over the years, we have worked with a number of different solicitors, all of who have been thorough, professional and dedicated. Keith Andrews is our key contact at Birketts who reviews all the purchases and will always take on those he feels require extra assistance to ensure that the quality of service we receive never falters.’

‘Very prompt, efficient and knowledgeable team, with London service but at regional rates.’

‘Bhargav Trivedi: always available, utterly reliable, hugely knowledgeable, highly experienced and commercial.’

‘The team is extremely approachable. The team has a wealth of knowledge but can explain it in a practical way. They are very flexible and have a team who have a shared ambition of customer service.’

‘There are some very capable individuals within the team. Their attitude is always positive and they approach tasks with energy and determination.’

‘Its the personal touch, the team are very experienced but they know there clients and are able to offer us support tailored to our needs including training.’

‘Stefan Harris-Wright is a true professional, always calm, thoughtful and really understands our business.’

‘The people put onto our case were very knowledgeable and went all out to win for us when we decided as a matter of principle not to agree a settlement. Costs were estimated at the start and came in close to the original figure. No idea how diverse they are, and neither do I care. There was no collaboration required with other organisations.’

‘We worked with Catherine Andrews who was a star and even though she strongly advised us not to fight it, when we did she nevertheless put absolutely every effort into backing us and winning against three separate attempts by the other side.’

‘Birketts give you the confidence that when you do face a issue, there will be someone within their practice who will be able offer you the advice you require to make the appropriate decision.’

‘Deborah Sharples has the ability to review the technical planning matters put before her and offers well-considered advice in a timely manner.’

‘Tom Newcombe is great with clients. A strategic thinker.’

‘I have worked closely with Deborah Sharples on numerous occasions. She is the most hardworking and professional person that I have ever had the pleasure to work with. She has always ensured that she is fully conversant with all aspects of the specialist field in which I am involved.’

‘The environmental practice team are diligent, professional, courteous and friendly taking the time to truly understand the needs of clients. keeping them fully informed of risk, options and costs.’

‘Deborah Sharples is an exceptionally competent and experienced planning and environmental law practitioner. She has great depth of experience in agricultural planning cases and is jsut as impressive in wider aspects of environmental regulation and law. She has a perceptive appreciation of the “wider picture” and she is a powerful advocate in negotiations and hearings.’

‘Extensive experience of all land use planning issues, working for public and private sector clients. Thus, great awareness of motivations and objectives of both. Very attentive and highly competent.’

‘Nicola Doole – exceptional manner, availability and efficiency. Tom Newcombe is very commercially aware.’

‘John Scannell is clever, knowledgeable, very thorough, easy to deal with and cares about his clients.’

‘Birketts has a specialist property team that would not look out of place in a London city firm: it has committed, clever individuals who work closely with their clients, providing astute advice at regional rather than London prices.’

‘Simon Woodhead: an ex-barrister who knows property litigation through and through, thinks of everything, and provides a calm and reassuring presence. John Scannell: a terrifically engaging and thoughtful individual, who is there in the hour of need.’

‘There is no better firm in East Anglia for property litigation. They are rare in providing a level of genuine specialist expertise which is usually only found in big commercial centres.’

‘Richard Eaton is the stand-out individual. He manages to combine serious expert knowledge with a practical focus for his clients.’

‘John Scannell is second to none as a property litigator. He cares about his clients and their disputes and really seeks to understand the details to offer the best advice. His knowledge of the law is superb. A determined litigator. Simon Woodhead is very academically gifted and is able to translate that into offering good, practical advice to his clients.’

‘There is a real team ethos, as distinct from individuals working within a team, thereby ensuring the client gets the best service.’

‘Laura Tanguay – has a real passion and in depth knowledge of the law relating to constructive trusts and proprietary estoppel. This sets her aside from other partners who work in this area but lack her specialisation.’

‘Good value for money. Disrepair experts.’

‘Clive Adams and Jonathan Hulley are proactive and provide good advice.’

‘They have the personal touch and always go the extra mile to support and offer solutions to complex and difficult cases.’

‘Jonathan Hulley is a very respected and committed individual who has both the interest of the client and corporate at heart. He has excellent interpersonal skills, knowledgeable and is well respected.’

‘Excellent service. Deep knowledge of our clients’ business and needs.’

‘Excellent service. Quick and clear advice.’

‘Big firm clout with local accessibility, demonstrating a keen interest and understanding of the quirks of my business. No job too big or too small. Flexible billing on collective or individual instructions and happy to accommodate split invoicing for non-VAT overseas insurers.’

‘Tom Hodges fully understands the flexibility of my remit, and is happy to promtly involve colleagues at higher or lower levels as necessary.’

‘Great team! Always available at any time – working day or weekend or holiday! Excellent understanding of the problems at hand and great response time.’

‘Henry Adams and Sarah Holsgrove are an excellent team with excellent knowledge in shipping, contractual matters, arbitration and litigation.’

‘The team is always ready to assist, timely, on the spot, particularly in cases of urgency they are always there. Their advice is generally rigorous but very pragmatic and useful at the same time.’

‘Henry Adams is one of our preferred lawyers in the UK. Particularly in complex multijurisdictional cases, c/p, bills of lading disputes, as well as major accidents. he is very rigorous, a very clever lawyer. Paul Haworth is fantastic – he explains complex matters very easily and deals with all disputes in a very pragmatic manner.’

‘A resource with a wide knowledge and experience in many different areas of law and business.’

‘Matthew Weston is also on hand, methodical, knowledgeable, flexible and quick to respond.’

‘They are vastly experienced lawyers who provide excellent technical advice and are commercial. All round excellent lawyers.’

‘I was impressed with Will Arran’s attention to details. The case was basically handled by him with little partner involvement.’

‘This practice is particularly responsive and efficient.’

‘Samantha Barnes – sensible, pragmatic approach and speedy. Always called back promptly which is useful in a fast paced situation.’

‘The practice demonstrates a wide ranging knowledge of agriculture and estates legal matters, including some of the more obscure points relating to; tenancy arrangements, livestock and insurance related risk exposures.’

‘Adam Burden has been my main point of contact. He has consistently managed our commercial relationship to a very high standard, including rapid response to questions raised and a comprehensive knowledge of the case itself and the matters in hand.’

‘Very knowledgeable. they appear to be committed throughout the organization to high levels of professionalism and a firm customer focus. Billing was efficient and accurate and payment facilitated easily through an automated process.’

‘Simon Green is my main contact. He is professional, very courteous and helpful. He demonstrates a very good knowledge of the law in his particular field I would highly recommend his services to any one buying country or agricultural property. His written reports were clear, covering the issues fully, but concise and easily understood.’

‘They cover all fields of law with an expert knowledgeable and professional team who are always on hand. I have regularly recommended them to friends and family without hesitation’

‘The team is one of, if not the, leading contentious probate team in the region. It has real depth and each one of the team is knowledgeable.’

‘The team are a delight. They adopt a sensible approach to each dispute and whilst fighting hard for their client, they do so sensibly and do not take silly points for the sake of it.’

‘Strong all round’

‘Rachel Leech: talented, meticulous, very bright, caring.’

‘This team benefits from a wealth of experience across the board. In particular, Rachel Leech and Kate Harris make brilliant recent additions to the team.’

‘Rachel Leech is a most impressive solicitor. She is wise beyond her years and is certainly one to watch. I have worked with Rachel on complex contentious probate litigation and have always been impressed by the control she displays over her cases and her insight.’

‘Robust team with ability to deputise as required.’

‘Emma Brunning gives approachable, pragmatic and commercially orientated advice.’

‘Birketts are an absolutely fantastic firm of solicitors, with a small but effective family team in Chelmsford who punch way above their weight.’

‘Emma Brunning is incredibly hardworking, efficient and knowledgeable. Emma is strategically astute and has great judgement.’

‘A well-organised and very proactive firm.’

‘Dharshica Thanarajasingham was very proactive and diligent.’

‘Tom Wright is diligent, hard-working, has good attention to detail, and is client-focused. Tom will go the extra mile.’

‘The Birketts practice as a team has shown its uniqueness in its fairness of billing practices. They are very precise and thoughtful in preparation of their scoping letters and we are never surprised about the bills with respect to time spent working on our matters. This is also a result of periodic and unsolicited updates on time billed to date.’

‘Extremely good team, very technically skilled. great to work with.’

‘Maria Peyman – technically excellent.’

‘Birketts have provided us with great industry knowledge in this specialised area and advised us on some complex telecoms matters, the service provided has been first class.’

‘The individuals involved go the extra mile to look beneath the surface and understand our requirements, the document preparation and finished product are excellent.’

‘The team is involved and hands on, all the way to the end. They don’t waste time and focus on the solution. Pleasure to work with them.’

‘I like that I can work with the people that have the knowledge and experience, no time is wasted.’

‘The experience of working with Birketts’ shipping team is very friendly and supportive.’

‘Openness in personality and seniority in working experience are impressive.’

‘The team is the ideal size and structure to handle cases from the largest and most complex to the more modest. You receive a personal service, with the capacity to draw on greater numbers and specialist expertise where required.’

‘Birketts’ team has had the massive boost of two partners, Jonathan Hulley and Clive Adams, joining from Capsticks. They are really forging the march to put Birketts firmly on the map when it comes to providing a full, one-stop service to social housing clients.’

‘The firm have strong IT and case management processes ensuring key snippets of important information do not get buried in an electronic jungle or mass of paper on a file.’

‘Jonathan Hulley’s client care is outstanding: clients appreciate that they are receiving a truly tailored service from trusted professionals at competitive rates.’

‘Clive Adams heads up the Housing and Asset Management team sitting under Jonathan. He is the rarest of things in social housing – a true expert in service charge. He has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the case law and statutory provisions of relevance, and there is no safer pair of hands to be on a service charge dispute.’

‘I’m very impressed by Clive Adams’ knowledge of civil procedure and especially its application to social housing. He is a very enthusiastic and energetic fighter against the plague of CFA disrepair claims that social landlords suffer.’

‘Birketts has an unusually strong Administrative and Public Law team for a regional firm, with regular appearances for public bodies and private parties in the Administrative Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. The firm has proved particularly adept at using IT and innovative technologies to maintain and improve client and lawyer contact during the pandemic.’

‘The team meet the needs of our organisation by adapting to what we need rather than thrust what they want to do or think we want. They use various IT to support them which is straightforward and logical.’

‘I find each member of the team effective. Liz Brownsell is good at communicating and thorough in her role. Also, I found Hannah Harbottle and Frances Godden both helpful if I had a query and efficient in dealing with it.’

‘Birketts provide excellent customer service and are confident in giving advice on complex legal issues. One of their major strengths is their ability to view an issue from a local standpoint; this is a significant advantage for us as a public authority.’

‘Working with Birketts has been fantastic. From my first meeting with Ruth Neave, everything ran smoothly and Ruth is always available for advice on our account. The team provide excellent legal advice and are very responsive to our particular needs.’

‘We have rather specialist legal requirements being in effect a national park navigation and port authority. The team at Birketts has the breadth of expertise to meet our needs. We also have a heavily constrained budget and the monthly reports on the progress of our work and the costs are very useful in tracking what is happening.’

‘Our main contact is Ruth Neave who has proved to provide outstanding service. She coordinates all our tasks and reports regularly on progress. I have a monthly catch-up with her which is really helpful in checking on where the more difficult cases have got to. Her attitude flows down to the solicitors doing the work who listen carefully to the brief and in our experience have provided sound legal advice.’

‘Their experience and knowledge of the independent education sector. Also their local knowledge. They also manage a networking service of independent schools in the local area.’