Latham & Watkins > London, England > Firm Profile

‘James Inness is a very strong partner, good on international and domestic work.’

‘Chris Horton is one of the best ECM lawyers in the market.’

‘Excellent market and technical understanding combined with excellent understanding of the business.’

‘The L&W team are excellent and incredibly active and therefore market leaders in equity capital markets transactions.’

‘Chris Horton is our go-to partner for complicated high value ECM transactions. He is a leader in the field and provides a true, partner led service. The L&W team always deliver top quality legal advice.’

‘Ryan Benedict is also strong on US Securities matters and guides clients effectively through the complex regulatory environment.’

‘Extremely responsive, commercial and client focused.’

‘Superb team across the board’

‘They know the market inside out, which gave us the protection to negotiate and context to prioritize what really mattered to us from a risk-reward perspective.’

‘Depth of bench; breadth of legal areas covered; breadth of locations and cross border capabilities and consistent quality output – a true one-stop-shop.’

‘Jay Sadanandan is a totally committed, bright and problem solving lawyer.’

‘Stephen Kensell is knowledgeable, reasonable and commercial.’

‘The team is very knowledgeable, very well resourced, highly commercial and effective.’

‘Extremely high quality throughout the entire team, from partner to every associate we have worked with.’

‘They have a deep understanding of creditor commercial points and are able to explain legal technicalities in commercial terms. The team is very strong in stakeholder management and is able to manage complex situations.’

‘Simon Baskerville is the standout member of this strong team. He has been the leading restructuring lawyer in the UK over the past decade in my view.’

‘The highly commercial and down-to-earth Bruce Bell is one of the most seasoned professionals in the field. His outstanding legal knowledge and ability to manoeuvre both debt and equity documents is a competitive advantage that very few lawyers have in the City.’

‘Yen Sum is known in the market as one of the pre-eminent restructuring and turnaround lawyers in the UK and Europe.’

‘Jennifer Brennan has a sharp intellect and ability to structure and construct very complex multi-tiered capital structures.’

‘We have really appreciated Jessica Walker’s responsiveness, clarity of thinking and commerciality.’

‘Excellent bench of leading individuals, like Jenn Engelhardt and Scott Colwell.’

‘Jenn, Scott and Matt Schneider are all key go-to Partners for any advice relating to HY.’

‘Extremely smart and responsive and practical.’

‘Best all around team in HY.’

‘Latham bring the A Team to every assignment. Commitment, expertise, commercial application are all 2nd to none, we cannot rate them highly enough. This really is a case of, you get what you pay for!’

‘Affectionately known as the Latham superheroes. All of the individuals we’ve worked with on our high yield projects have been exceptional.’

‘In their field, their relentless work ethic and interpersonally.’

‘They work alongside us to understand our needs and support us every step of the way, often going above and beyond. Most definitely not your average corporate robots!’

‘Market-leading infrastructure practice’.

‘Conrad Andersen, Seonaid Todisco and Brendan Moylan all stand out as being amongst the best in their sector’.

‘Excellent knowledge of the energy industry, of the litigation landscape, and of emerging trends worldwide (climate change notably)’.

‘Strategic thinking, excellent drafting skills, appropriate resourcing (including external experts and driving their work), and an excellent profile to assist clients in the energy sector’.

‘Brilliant team’.

‘Impressive team with deep strength’.

‘John Balsdon is faultless, incredibly responsive, amazing depth of knowledge, affable and user friendly’.

‘Sam Newhouse and Simon Tysoe lead an excellent team of very capable energy lawyers’.

‘The quality of their work is first class and their first drafts tend to be very close to a form in which they can be shared with third parties’.

‘Given the size and reputation of their firm, they also great value for money’.

‘I have worked with the key members of this team, Paul Davies and Michael Green, for 15 years. They stand today ahead of the crowd as prime environmental practitioners not only in the UK but on the continent as well.’

‘They impress by the breadth of their practice and the variety of clients they serve. They are present in each compartment of the environmental field – from due diligence, to regulatory advice, to transactional work, and increasingly, litigation. Their client base includes prominent international industrial players, leading private equity funds with cross border assets, and governments. Their experience enables the team to provide reactive, practical and on-point trusted advice’.

‘Paul Davies has been and is key to the development of the above successes. His reputation in the UK and far beyond is more than well deserved. His commitment to what he does, his involvement with his clients, his understanding of issues, and his foresight are simply phenomenal.’

‘The team is highly effective in analyzing cutting-edge environmental regulatory issues involving MNCs under the laws of PRC and western countries. They are uniquely strong at proactive and cross-cultural communication. They are innovative at developing partnership with research organizations affiliated with PRC environmental regulators in order to offer insight.’

‘The attorneys are extremely knowledgeable about cross-border regulatory issues and the needs of clients. Under Paul Davies’s strong leadership, the attorneys have been tremendously helpful.’

‘I think Paul Davies and Michael Green stand out with qualities fitting for due diligence work. Paul especially is also very good in capturing the evolving legislative agenda and its implications.’

‘The practice is unique in that it is a dedicated practice that can draw on other parts of the firms as necessary.’

‘Stuart Davis is outstanding with his complete knowledge of the sector and ability to translate complex or developing concepts into something that is applicable in real life. For us, Stuart walks on water.’

‘The team are well positioned within the fintech community itself. They are collaborators, connectors and subject matter experts.’

‘The quality of those that work throughout Latham & Watkins is exceptional. Stuart Davis is always on hand to help, answers my questions quickly and clearly.’

‘An excellent ‘fintech first’ financial regulation team.’

‘Stuart Davis is excellent. He as an incredible breadth of experience and truly global practice.’

‘The team at Latham’s is knowledgeable, diligent, and very efficient.’

‘Laura Holden is always responsive and helpful, with fast turnaround times, a high bar for quality, and she has a real skill for being concise.’

‘They are fiercely intelligent and display their technical expertise in meetings and through the work product they deliver. A great team who are also fun to work with!’

‘Elva Cullen is an exceptional lawyer. She is lightning quick to respond at any hour of the day, and very good at cutting through the noise to get to the heart of the issue. She patiently digests evolving instructions on commercial contracts in the context of international M&A and transforms them into succinct summaries and contract drafts.’

‘Elva Cullen is great at surfacing crucial points to the deal team and in-house lawyers where needed. She is always good humoured and positive in the face of a very demanding client with extremely tight turn-around times. Overall, a fantastically calm, considered and all-round lovely lawyer.’

‘Latham and Watkins is the best practice I have worked with during my career, they set high standards internally and operate with excellence every day. They are reliable and provide quality advice but the key thing that sets them apart is the importance they place on their clients.’

‘David Berman is by far the best partner I have worked with and has helped us create a strong compliance program and keep abreast of regulatory developments in a practical manner. His advice and responsiveness is exceptional and he is always focused on providing a pragmatic and commercial response.’

‘Rob Moulton and Nicola Higgs are the two standout UK regulatory partners within a very high performing team and firm.’

‘The team is an excellent blend of senior lawyers and very capable junior lawyers. They have consistently provided very good and practical advice.’

‘I work closely with David Berman and he gives very practical advice. He cuts through the regulations and tells us what we need to focus on and how best to ensure we’re ahead of peers to ensure we’re best-in-class from a regulatory perspective. He is also available 24/7 on the end of a phone line which is invaluable and has never let me down in that regard.’

‘The L&W team are absolutely outstanding. There is real strength and breadth across the team and they are industry experts.’

‘Rob Moulton and David Berman are truly excellent and provide top regulatory advice on a range of issues in the financial services sector. They are our “go to” regulatory advisers and provide thoughtful, clear advice and are never afraid to give a view and don’t hide behind options. They are our trusted advisers on a range of issues.’

‘We used Latham for a complicated European de-SPAC merger and associated listing. They are one of only a handful of firms that really have the depth and breadth of experience to be able to run one of these deals. The team is large and works well together. Latham compared very favourably to the law firm on the other side of the table. They are broadly commercially pragmatic and results-driven. The team is always available and delivers to tight timelines.’

‘Robbie McLaren is excellent to work with. He provides sound commercial advice and is straightforward.’

‘Their professionalism, acting for our best interests, and provision of the best-in-class legal advice was all very obvious, but also with a very clear commercial angle to it all which is often missing amongst legal teams.’

‘The team have impressive resources and global reach, but deploy small and dedicated teams who really know my business. This enables them to scale up when needed without losing the personal touch. I really feel like they care about my transaction as much as I do.’

‘I cannot recommend Farah O’Brien and Jon Fox highly enough.  As one would expect, legally excellent but also highly commercial and practical in their approach and advice.’

‘Impressive resources and global reach, but deploy small and dedicated teams who really know my business. This enables them to scale up when needed without losing the personal touch. I really feel like they care about my transaction as much as I do.’

‘The PE practice is incredibly strong – they are able to do deals on short timeframes without compromising on quality.’

‘David Walker is exceptional – I trust his advice implicitly. Katie Peek is a very strong associate.’

‘An excellent team of experts in their field, seeing a broad spectrum of high value, high complexity transactions.  Latham has  a very deep bench of technically excellent lawyers –  an excellent team dynamic.’

‘David Walker has seniority, charm, and a willingness to roll his sleeves up. Huw Thomas is one of their future superstars,  a deep thinker and an important partner for us. Paul Dolman has been a brilliant addition to the team from Travers, high energy and a focus on what matters.’

‘The team provides extremely high quality work.’

‘You feel like they have thought of everything and have a strong command of all detail, highlighting the relevant items to you.’

‘They can service both investors and start-ups all the way from the top of the funnel with seed investments deals through to IPO and M&A. An incredibly impressive offering.’

‘Mike Turner is a veteran of the industry.’

‘Shing Lo is a highly-skilled partner.’

‘Shing Lo is an absolute rock star and my favourite London VC lawyer. She lives and breathes VC. She understands the plight of founders but also the commercial drivers of investors.’

‘Robbie McLaren and Jon Fox are responsive, knowledgeable and a pleasure to work with.’

‘Sam Peacock is a rising star in the team. She leads on the majority of our investments and is extremely responsive and commercial. She makes my job easier by clearly setting out the points on which she requires instruction.’

‘Amazing strength in depth. The partners and associates work well together. They are pleasant and fun to work with and the quality of their work is absolutely excellent. Also extremely diligent and hard working.’

‘Andrea Monks is a brilliant banking litigator. She is all over the detail, and has fantastic judgement as well as being lovely to work with. Martin Davies also has fantastic experience and excellent judgement. Alex Cox is brilliant at his job and is already doing partner level work.’

‘Led by Jon Holland, a legend in this field, this is a first-rate banking litigation team, with strength and depth. They are at the cutting edge of flexible working and billing practice, and have extensive experience of using technology to handle documents and trial processes.’

‘Jon Holland is a brilliant tactician, with immense experience of banking disputes. He leads his team with panache and style – and makes litigation an almost pleasurable experience, which is a rare talent. Alex Cox and Aisling Billington are highly capable.’

‘Since their recruitment of Jon Holland and Andrea Monks, the banking litigation team has gone from strength to strength. They operate quite lean teams, but with excellent associates and strong partner engagement.’

‘Jon Holland is very experienced and the safest pair of hands; he’s got excellent judgement and offers astute strategic input, and leads his teams with a good sense of humour.’

‘The team are strong and proactive, delivering clear, strategic advice in a difficult circumstances. I wouldn’t use another firm for this kind of service.’

‘Andrea Monks is outstanding. She develops a strong, trusted relationship with the Board and delivers excellent tactical advice. Andrea is always on hand and has guided us through some stressful, complicated processes incredibly smoothly helping deliver desired outcomes.’

‘The standout market leader for investment treaty arbitration work.’

‘The arbitration group at Latham & Watkins is a go-to team. Incredibly responsive, excellent quality of work, and all with a smile. The diversity of the team is impressive too.’

‘Sophie Lamb KC is in a league of her own.’

‘Sophie Lamb – the full package of intelligent advocacy and graceful wit – indispensable to any winning case. She also balances her professional appreciation of a case and clients’ expectations very well.‘

‘Charles Claypoole is the standout investment treaty arbitration lawyer in the London market.’

‘Oliver Browne and Philip Clifford KC are heavyweight partners. They are both very bright, user friendly, down to earth, and really care about their clients. They are both outstanding advocates.’

‘An up-and-coming partner is Robert Price – an extremely capable and personable individual.’

‘Associate Samuel Pape is a star – a pleasure to work with, cool under pressure, and with perfect command of all aspects of a case.‘

‘Very knowledgeable and experienced group of individuals, great team work and client management, and focused on results.’

‘Charles Claypoole is certainly in the top tier of law firm-based PIL experts. He and Sebastian Seelman-Eggbert make an excellent team.’

‘A very experienced team that works very well together – knows our business extremely well and our always willing to help out on as hoc projects – they do not “turn the clock on” every time you call them and are very reasonable on billing – extremely commercial and always takes the business view in to account when providing legal analysis.’

‘There are no egos which makes them very easy to deal with.’

‘They are genuinely nice people which is always a good starting point, and they go above and beyond their role and keep us up-to-date on what they are seeing our peers do, from a legal perspective.’

‘A true full-service firm that can deliver when others claim to do so but fall short.’

‘Hardworking, timely with a high “first attempt” hit rate, which is valuable.’

‘The hire of an experienced partner such as Steve Curtis was a great move as he has earned his stripes many times over at his previous firm.’

‘The team is brilliant at tailoring its advice to the specific situation at hand and gives practical steps to achieve the desired outcome. The firm offers reactive advice as well as assistance with terms for notices and legal terms, which makes it a one stop shop for data protection. The team is happy to put time in to build a relationship with its clients, which allows us to feel more supported as a business.’ 

‘Gail Crawford and Calum Docherty have a broad spectrum of expertise that does not impact the depth of their knowledge in these areas. They have both been willing to react to quick turnaround times in urgent situations. They can give advice on complex issues in an easy to digest way, that is suitable for both privacy professionals and those not versed in the industry – this allows for easy communication with colleagues who do not specialise in privacy.’ 

‘The team provides very practical and insightful advice in topics which are very complex.’

‘I would highlight the work of Calum Docherty, he is a very practical lawyer, particularly on data privacy agreements, showing a right balance between ensuring protection of the client and getting the deal done. He is also very keen to understand the business of the client and giving advice that tackles the client’s challenges.’ 

‘Latham has a strong bench of talent in this area particularly in the transaction space. They are subject matter experts who are also pragmatic in terms of the application of the law to difficult technology problems.’ 

‘James Lloyd is a standout individual within the practice. He is one of only a handful of true experts in cyber and data privacy litigation practising in the UK market. He brings laser sharp analysis, creative thinking and a calm and steady hand to any litigation or regulatory engagement.’

‘Lara Nonninger is an up and coming star in this area. She punches far above her weight in terms of experience.’ 

‘The teams we are work with are tremendous. Comprehensive and professional.’

‘Jonathan Parker and Greg Bonne were both very easy to deal with, extremely clear, and helpful.’

‘Greg Bonne is a super bright hire who understands the CMA very well.’

‘Hayley Pizzey is a brilliant up and coming associate – one to watch out for the future.’

‘The Latham & Watkins team is split between its Brussels and London offices but functions seamlessly in practice. The team is a very high quality one, with great subject matter expertise, ability to translate difficult concepts for those without a competition law background. Knowledgeable, friendly and very responsive. A pleasure to work with.’

‘David Little is excellent; one of the best lawyers I have worked with.’

‘David combines antitrust expertise with business-friendly solutions; he is able to cut through complexity easily and offer strategic advice. David is also very approachable, thoughtful and a great leader for his team.’

‘Great knowledge of EU competition law, attention to detail, and legal creativity. They can easily understand non-legal industries.’

‘The team are excellent.’

‘I have thoroughly enjoyed working with Andrea Monks and her team. The advice she provides is exceptional and she is a pleasure to work with even when the circumstances are tricky. Andrea is great at guiding strategy and makes the time to explain complicated issues in an easily digestible manner.’

‘Latham & Watkins are an emerging force in competition litigation (especially in relation to financial services cartels), and are very well regarded in this area.’

‘Victoria Sander has a deep understanding of the sector.’

‘Simeon Rudin has a high degree of experience in structured finance, particularly within an insurance context.’

‘Excellent coordination between teams, both between teams with different specialisms within the same office and between teams with the same specialism internationally, allowing for the delivery of joined-up, comprehensive advice across disciplines and locations.’

‘Responsive, helpful and easy-to-deal with partners and staff, with good availability and accessibility. Scale allows for a high degree of specialism of practitioners with excellent knowledge of their areas. Refreshingly clear opinions delivered.’

‘The Lathams fund team is very commercial and knowledgeable of numerous structures across all jurisdictions.’

‘They work as unified team via several offices and have consistently provided seamless collaboration across numerous practice areas.’

‘Nick Benson is one of the leading international funds lawyers in London. He is highly respected in the industry and very hands on. Most important is that he understands the issues from the side of the investor, the administrator and the fund manager allowing him to push all parties to a compromise in a very efficient manner.’

‘L&W have a great team and managed to find a great rhythm working along with our firm.’

‘They demonstrated business acumen and knowledge of markets on top of their proficiency in legal work.’

‘The collaboration is so efficient that we feel that they are an extension to our team.’

‘James McCrory demonstrated unique knowledge and depth in the field and we consider him a key partner to our firm who helped both on reviewing funds we invested in and funds we established. He is always timely and accommodating to our firms’ needs and requirement without compromising the quality of his work.’

‘There is great depth in the team and they work for some of the biggest names in the market. They combine state-of-the-art legal, commercial and technical knowledge and deliver responsive advice. They are very good at handling cross-jurisdictional matters also.’ 

‘James McCrory stands out as a very strong practitioner. He is always available, very responsive and keeps a positive attitude, whatever the circumstances. This makes him a pleasure to work with. His advice is always taking due account of all dynamics involved, including the commercial side of things.’

‘Highly detailed and engaged team who are able to provide technical and commercial expertise at the highest level.’

‘Jeremy Trinder is highly commercial and able to bring creative solutions to the table for a wide variety of deals.’

‘James Beeson is a stand out Counsel – superb technical skills with a high degree of practicality; he is highly personable, cuts through to the core issues and just “gets it”.’

‘Market knowledge combined with commercial pragmatism.’

‘Excellent knowledge of the inner workings of the SFO and other UK regulators and law enforcement agencies; international focus and reach.‘

‘Stuart Alford KC is an exceptional contentious adviser to boards and corporates; his knowledge of the inner workings of the SFO is highly prized by clients.‘

‘Great strength in depth, very high quality associates, very good sector knowledge. A premium product.’

‘A nimble team, able to offer heavy partner involvement or lighter associate handling as required. This ensures both a swift and cost-effective service – not always the case with a US litigation behemoth like this one.’

‘Martin Davies – among the best litigators in London. Clever, tactically excellent and lovely to work with. Very class act.’

‘Oliver Middleton is a good example of the flexibility the firm offers: a real street fighter when he needs to be, totally committed to securing the best tactical outcome, but able to confer with his less hands-on colleagues when formulating the wider and longer strategy.’

‘Oliver Browne is a highly effective, strategic lawyer with vast amounts of commercial litigation experience across a range of areas. He has excellent judgement and is always able to make the right call to drive the litigation forward to achieve results. He is a pleasure to work with and is very well liked by clients and the wider team.’

‘Thomas Lane has made a huge splash since qualifying as an associate. He is extremely bright and hard working, and is always on top of the detail of the case. He is very helpful and has an easy manner which makes working on the case a real pleasure, even during the toughest times.’

‘Exceptionally capable, commercial, hard-working and intellectually rigorous. A model example of a US law firm in London – young partners and counsel, backed by ambitious associates, with a modern friendly touch. A pleasure to work with.’

‘An easy style and working relationship, without any baggage, and without any sacrifice of standards. Associates/assistants handle matters with great confidence and can be entrusted with procedural issues without a second thought.’

‘Extremely responsive, commercial and client focused.’

‘They know the market inside out, which gave us the protection to negotiate and context to prioritize what really mattered to us from a risk-reward perspective.’

‘The strength in depth they have created in their team is outstanding.’

‘My experience with Latham’s Corporate Restructuring Practice has been outstanding. They are bright, creative, and hard-working. They are solutions oriented and find options and avenues where others see roadblocks and obstacles. They are excellent collaborators and find viable, creative solutions.’

‘I have worked primarily with Jeff Bjork and Adam Goldberg. They have been supported ably by Madeleine Parish and Deniz Irgi. They are responsive. I had little bankruptcy experience prior to meeting them. They excel at simplifying the complex. They are masters at being prepared, seeing solutions, and identifying the steps from points A to B and from B to the eventual end. I would use them again in a heartbeat.’

‘Very business and commercially minded, understanding the human issues that could make a difference in various industries.’

‘Caroline Reckler, thoughtful professional, patient and very laser focused on client outcome. Able to consider all classes of constituents to enable a successful outcome.’

‘Exceptionally consistent high quality top to bottom. Willing to litigate, and do so well, but always looking for a negotiated solution if one is achievable. My first choice for all-around debtor-side bankruptcy firm.’

‘Would call out George Davis as practice leader, who has superb judgment and is very creative in persuading warring parties to settle. New partner Jason Gott is very intelligent and learned in the law. Counsel Anupama Yerramalli is a superstar who functions at the senior partner level.’

‘The team has deep knowledge and shows full commitment to delivering the best possible result.’

‘Fernando Mantilla-Serrano is a stellar practitioner with deep knowledge of international commercial arbitration cases related to Latin America. The team of associates has deep understanding of the commercial and legal Brazilian culture.’

‘Their key strengths are being: solution orientated, knowledgeable, responsive, helpful, able to think out of the box.’

‘Their exceptional level of responsiveness with tailored solutions and consistently high-quality work product despite time differences, pandemic-related constraints and tight turnaround times.’

‘Appreciated working with Chirag Sanghrajka. His professional candid demeanour is assuring and he strikes one as being extremely competent, efficient and effective in his field of expertise and this is well reflected in the services received. When engaging with him protracted interactions are not needed as his depth of subject matter knowledge and prior relevant experience allow him to quickly grasp the issues and propose a feasible solution.’

‘The Latham & Watkins team has been outstanding regarding a number of large industrial projects (many of which were project financed), especially in the US, Middle East and Asia. They know all the players and enjoy a stellar reputation in the geographies in which we have worked with them.’

‘Every L&W team we worked with, regardless of geography, were always well prepared and incredibly responsive. For any project in the Middle East, the first attorney we call is Villiers Terblanche, a partner in L&W’s Dubai office.’

‘The team are first class in all respects. They know the law back to front, are fully commercial and very engaging. They have a deep bench of talent and are always forward thinking.’

‘Chirag Sanghrajka is the best lawyer I have worked with. He has an unlimited legal and commercial skill-set which is invaluable in the cutting edge renewable projects he has assisted me with. The wider team, led by Craig Nethercott is also excellent. I always feel they make time for me.’