Bristows LLP > London, England > Firm Profile

‘Very on the ball and proactive.’

‘Louise Eldridge offers a stellar service. Always on hand to assist and can get to grips with technical legal issues but dovetail that with commercial acumen.’

‘Louise Eldridge is exceptional and brings commercial sense to the table as well as good advice.’

‘Louise Eldridge is the personification of calm assuredness.’

‘The team is excellent and capable at dealing with complex transactions.’

‘Louise Eldridge is technically able and excellent at managing large complex transactions with many lawyers and third parties involved.’

‘Richard Swaine is very highly recommended and a first choice for mid-level M&A and insolvency advice.’

‘Justified reputation as one of, if not the, leading firms for IP life sciences. Excellent reputation in the UK and beyond – widely respected throughout Europe for coordinating multi-jurisdictional disputes.’

‘Brian Cordery – Quite simply the leading solicitor in the UK for pharmaceutical litigation.’

‘Liz Cohen – Excellent litigator, commercially savvy, great team leader/management, unflappable and charming.’

‘Rob Burrows – Excellent litigator, technically brilliant.’

‘The team has exceptional knowledge of the life sciences space. It acts for a broad range of industry players and has a deep understanding of market practice. It is credible with the big pharma companies we deal with.’

‘Matthew Warren leads the team we work with. Matthew is thorough and dependable. He is generally available which is helpful. Matthew has worked on most of the innovative projects we have undertaken in the last few years.’

‘The Bristows team members are not only exceptionally good at a professional level, but, at the same time, very easy to talk to and discuss with. They always have an open ear for the client’s needs and are happy to brainstorm.’

‘Not only is Bristows’ advice first rate (technically and commercially), but the teams are a pleasure to work with and they are continually making my life easier as the client. They have a team of amazing professionals and are constantly looking for new ways to provide the best service for their clients – whether it is staffing, billing, information sharing etc.’

‘Mark Watts is a real superstar. His deep technical expertise pared with a very commercial and pragmatic approach and calm and reassuring delivery are a great combination.’

‘I use Bristows for its expertise in the pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors and for its unrivalled knowledge of topics, responsiveness and timeliness of its pragmatic and client-focused advice. Its lawyers take the time to get to know and understand the client’s business so they can tailor their advice to the client’s particular circumstances. They think long term and not simply about the immediate challenges. 

‘Bristows’ willingness to engage and work with us to understand our organsation’s aims and objectives makes it a fantastic partner to work with. Its pragmatic and commercially-focused advice provides confidence that we can make the best commercial decisions.’

‘Hannah Crowther is a real rising star.’ 

‘Mark Watts is one, if not the, best solicitors in the industry. Working in the space of privacy for 20 years, it’s refreshing to get insights from Mark on complex data processing arrangements and guidance on domestic challenges that are culturally driven rather than DPA or objective focused.’ 

‘The team is the complete package – they are technically excellent, but also very engaging and really make the effort to get to know the business and tailor advice accordingly.’ 

‘We have been working with Marc Dautlich for a number of years and simply cannot fault his approach to complex legal issues or the quality of his advice.’

‘We have been extremely impressed by Jamie Drucker responsiveness and the clarity with which he has advised the business on some complex matters.’ 

‘Bristows remains one of the top UK-based patent litigation firms. Hugely experienced partners and associates, based in a full-service firm, provide a personal first class service in a friendly and cost-effective manner.

‘A law firm that sees its team members as a family and could teach bigger international firms a great deal about how law should be practised.’

‘Myles Jelf goes from strength to strength as one of the most experienced patent litigators in the UK – with first class legal skills and an amazing ability to embrace all aspects of technology, he knows how to get the very best out of his team – and delivers fantastic results from it.’

‘Richard Pinckney has carved a real niche in the consumer products/electro-mechanical patent litigation field. Highly sought-after, he delivers on his advice.’

‘Naomi Hazenberg is fantastic and an undoubted partner and leading light of the future.’

‘They are competent, efficient and very supportive.’

‘Competency and attention to the client.’

‘Excellent overall performance: perfect combination of legal knowledge, commercial savvy, and litigation strategy.’

‘Jeremy Blum has a wealth of experience behind him. An excellent lawyer with an extraordinary knowledge of EU/UK law.’

‘Sean Ibbetson is one of the best Senior Associates in trade mark/copyright/design right law.’

‘The practice has developed probably unequalled experience, notably in specific questions of IP law, such as litigating three-dimensional trade marks in different jurisdictions.’

‘Jeremy Blum has deep knowledge in specific areas of IP law and great organisational skills to coordinate multi-jurisdictional projects and litigation.’

‘Overall very pragmatic and knowledgeable.’

‘The team at Bristows is second to none in the UK technology law space. They are accessible, responsive, highly knowledgeable and experienced and are a go-to team for any complex, high value or innovative IT deal.’

‘Their understanding of the industry and therefore ability to provide tailored advice is great. They also take a pragmatic view, such that in negotiation with providers they focus on what is important and likely, rather than focusing on theoretical, pedantic legal points that have no probability of happening in practice.’

‘The team at Bristows strike the perfect balance between excellent technical legal knowledge and industry insight and experience. They are able to distil often complex legal positions into easy to digest and practical advice. The strategic value they are able to add sets them apart from their competitors.’

‘Anna Cook is one of the stars of this sector. She is always on top of client and legal issues, is always good humoured, and is a real team player with a rare skill at explaining complex technical matters.’

‘Angela Fouracre is a very good lawyer, with a keen sense for commercial and legal issues. She is a good communicator and is a joy to work with.’

‘Toby Crick is extremely knowledgeable, accessible, responsive and a pleasure to work with. He is both extremely tenacious and pragmatic when the demands of the deal necessitate it and brings a very sharp intellect and great sense of humour to his work.’

‘Adrian Sim is superb at managing complex transactions. He works tirelessly and fully invests in the whole view (not just the legal), adding real value to a transaction.’

‘Adrian Sim and Charlie Hawes are quite simply excellent. They are open, approachable, accessible and clearly have excellent market experience which is invaluable. Always a pleasure working with them.’

‘The team at Bristows is second to none in the UK technology law space. They are accessible, responsive, highly knowledgeable and experienced and are our go-to team for any complex, high-value or innovative IT deals.’

‘Great expertise, very approachable.’

‘Toby Crick is extremely knowledgeable, accessible, responsive and a pleasure to work with. He is both extremely tenacious and pragmatic when the demands of the deal necessitate it and brings a very sharp intellect and great sense of humour to his work with our company.’

‘Adrian Sim is superb at managing complex transactions. He works tirelessly and fully invests in the whole view (not just the legal), adding real value to a transaction.’

‘The team were very helpful and responsive at all times.’

‘They were experts in their field and keen to help drive the deals through completion – they demonstrated great commercial awareness!’

‘They were really approachable – fast and reliable, while demonstrating pragmatism at all times. They were able to swiftly solve problems that arose in a simple manner to expedite deals.’

‘The media and entertainment team at Bristows combines the best of in-depth practice area knowledge with pragmatic, client-focused advice. They are a fantastic extension of our in-house legal team, and whenever I reach out to them, it always makes life easier.’

‘I value the practical nature of the advice the team gives (Paul Jordan, Andrew Butcher and Sean Ibbetson). With their wealth of experience, most questions can be handled with a quick call.’

‘Excellent knowledge of trade mark law and how that applies to practical commercial situations.’

‘Lead partner Jeremy Blum is an astute and very practical partner, who understood the commercial landscape and gave useful advice.’

‘Excellent knowledge in the life sciences and technology space. Team is reliable and strong at all levels. I enjoy working with the team.’

‘Matthew Warren knows his stuff and is involved in a wide variety of life science transactions. He is very reliable.’

‘Bristows stands out as a high-end, mid-market litigation firm determined to add value for clients. From the point of view of a barrister instructed by them, it provides some of the best, most focused sets of instructions that I see – and this has happened often enough for it not to be a one-off. The team is also very outcome-driven, and sensitive to clients’ commercial goals and needs.’

‘Mark Brown and Angela Fouracre are both excellent.’

‘Mark Brown gets the very best from his excellent associates.’

‘Angela Fouracre has a huge wealth of knowledge in IT disputes. She thinks around all aspects of a dispute, and is an important adviser not only on the law but also on wider strategic and commercial considerations.’

‘Anna Cook is a highly experienced IT disputes lawyer, who knows the implementation, outsourcing and software licensing markets extremely well. Anna has a very engaging manner, is great with clients, and often disarms opponents.

‘Anna Cook thinks deeply about strategy, and offers very clear and sound advice on why we should take certain actions. She is able to gain a good understanding of complex issues quickly and presents the arguments effectively in court documents. Like her colleagues at Bristows, she is very easy to work with.’

‘Of counsel Robert Graham is one to watch – exceptionally bright, very knowledgeable on technology and related IP rights, and pragmatic and focused.’

‘Westley Walker is an outstanding senior associate, who has an exceptional eye for detail, strong communication skills and sound judgement.’

‘The Bristows team is probably the best in the business when it comes to competition litigation in a pharmaceutical or broader IP space. The patent and competition lawyers work seamlessly together. The competition litigators are experienced, thoughtful and brilliant. These are the people you want on the most difficult or important cases.’

‘Sophie Lawrance is one of the finest competition lawyers in the City. Her analysis is always spot on. She is a fine advocate – both in writing and orally in regulatory hearings. And she can always be relied on to give accurate advice, which she then distils into the right tactical move for the clients to achieve their aims.’

‘Bristows have a particular understanding of both competition and litigation matters which give them an edge when engaging in litigation. They understand the complexities of the relationship between competition law and judicial review which is rare in the field.’

‘Steve Smith is an exceptional competition litigator. He has a wealth of experience which he brings to bear in litigation, quickly understanding both the legal issues and client needs. Steve is honest and pragmatic in his assessments, allowing clients to understand the risks as well as providing high quality analysis and drafting.’

‘As well as its core competition litigation expertise, Bristows brings a deep sectoral knowledge to bear on all issues it advises on. Very attuned to market developments, the team is able to provide highly tailored and insightful advice. Its long-term relationships with clients is a testament to how highly regarded the team is.’

‘Sophie Lawrance has a fantastic understanding of all issues on the competition law/intellectual property interface. Always a pleasure to deal with.’

‘Sophie Lawrance gives excellent concise advice. She and her team are very responsive and user friendly.’

‘Exceptional practice, well motivated, and proactive.’

‘Louise Eldridge is exceptional, really on top of her game.’

‘Toby Crick is the perfect blend of technology geek, legal expert, genuine understanding of commercial interest of the business, delivery of advice in a form which I need.’

‘One of the very few firms able to offer legal advice across the entire reputation management spectrum, from defamation to data privacy. An established player in the data protection sector, the addition of Alex Keenlyside as a partner gives them real weight in the reputation management field.’

‘Alex Keenlyside has rapidly established himself as a star partner in this sector. He has unparalleled experience of acting for both major tech companies and is also trusted and admired by major clients and actors in the media sector. Hugely liked by clients, he gives impeccably judged and commercially savvy advice across the board’

‘An outstanding team led by Alex Keenlyside. Outstanding technical ability coupled with first rate people skills and exceptional practical outcomes. This is a rare team with quality from top to bottom. The associates and trainees are as outstanding as the partners at the very top. This means cases can be run practically and sensibly leading to excellent results. Definitely one of the go to firms for organisations in the media and tech field facing complex and challenging litigation in the reputation management area.’

‘Alex Keenlyside is a brilliant leader who is always popular with clients. Very clear, very precise, very calm, he has brilliantly astute knowledge and always thinks 360 degrees through a problem. Highly recommended.’

‘Victoria Baron is an outstanding associate. Switched on, very focussed and strong attention to detail. Always a plesaure to work with. Definitely one to watch.’

‘Excellent depth of technical and market knowledge in relation to new media eg online platforms, search engines etc make Bristows an obvious choice for online reputation management issues.’

‘The Bristows reputation management team is small but experienced and has the advantage of being able to offer cross-expertise to other Bristows specialist departments such as data protection, copyright and IT generally. In the internet age that is very valuable.’

‘The two members of Bristows I dealt with, Toby Headdon and Alex Keenlyside, were very experienced, professional and very calm (without being detached). They gave clear analysis of the facts and always offered solutions. They were very quick with any required follow up work.’

‘Highly approachable team who can break down complex legal concepts into plain English. Very responsive. You feel you are in safe hands.’

‘Stephen Smith is simply excellent. He just gets it and gets on with it.

‘As well as its core EU and competition expertise, Bristows brings a deep sectoral knowledge to bear on all issues it advises on. Very attuned to market developments, the team is able to provide highly tailored and insightful advice. Its long-term relationships with clients is a testament to how highly regarded the team is.’

‘Sophie Lawrance has a fantastic understanding of all issues on the competition law/intellectual property interface. Always a pleasure to deal with. Steve Smith is a great asset to the Bristows team: approachable, knowledgeable and always willing to spend time to get to know his clients’ businesses. Sean-Paul Brankin has a solid understanding of merger control, and is able to deliver very pragmatic advice.’

‘Matthew Hunt is really smart and super helpful.’

‘Hugely user-friendly and hands-on.’

‘Miranda Cass offers practical and honest advice. Technically excellent and a wonderful person to boot!’

‘They combine a strong grasp of the relevant substantive law with the pragmatic and business-focused advice critical for successful venture capital transactions.’

‘They have a strong understanding of the market trends for deal structure and terms, which is extremely important in negotiating venture deals.’

‘Exceptionally pragmatic, thorough and a delight to work with.’

‘Marek Petecki – hands-on, commercial outlook, knows the VC and life sciences industry inside out.’

‘The fantastic David Horner is very approachable and speedy with appropriate, well thought out solutions.’

‘Nick Cross provides an exceptional service and value for money.’

‘Informed, pragmatic advice based on quick and effective resolution rather than prolonged attack or defence and tribunals.’

‘Justin Costley aims to achieve simple, practical solutions that enable both business and employee to move forward. He’s communicative but keeps to the point and there has never been any sense that things are being done for the sake of it or for additional billing.’