David Hall > Burges Salmon LLP > Bristol, England > Lawyer Profile

Singled out by clients as ‘the very best business crime group outside of London, by a considerable margin‘, Burges Salmon LLP‘s stellar track record of successes spans cases concerning proceeds of crime, money laundering, bribery and corruption, as well as complex fraud-related work. ‘Strategic mastermind‘ Guy Bastable heads up the corporate crime department, while David Hall oversees the broader disputes offering. The arrival of Andrew Matheson from Baker McKenzie in February 2022 further strengthened the team at senior associate level. Cross-border disputes make up a regular part of the firm’s workload, with recent highlights covering issues in India and Nigeria.

The ‘competent, diligent and dedicated’ team at Burges Salmon LLP provides ‘a standout offering of magic circle quality’ to its roster of high-profile clients, including multinational corporations, entrepreneurial businesses and high-net-worth individuals. David Hall, who has experience in financial services litigation, jointly leads the practice alongside Ann Metherall, while Andrew Burnette handles contractual disputes and professional negligence claims. Other key contacts in the group include transport and procurement specialist Chris Jackson, solicitor advocate Ian Tucker, Michael Ward, who focuses on shareholder disputes, and Brian Wong, who advises on procurement cases and was promoted to partner in May 2022. Matthew Walker has ‘excellent judgment’ and director Caroline Brown is commended as ‘responsive and knowledgeable’. Sian Edmunds left for an in-house role in January 2023.

The ‘quality of a London firm but at regional prices‘, Burges Salmon LLP‘s Bristol-based practice fields experts in disputes involving commercial contracts, reputation management, professional negligence, product liability, multi-jurisdictional scenarios, ADR, and arbitration. The group also acts in business crime and real estate disputes. David Hall handles mega-value cases;  Ann Metherall focuses on the transport and energy sectors; Andrew Burnette ‘has an excellent market reputation‘; Chris Jackson and Ian Tucker are transport and procurement specialists; Michael Ward ‘provides great client service‘; and Richard Binns is a commercial disputes expert. Former partner Sian Edmunds departed for Cargill in January 2023.

Burges Salmon LLP‘s banking litigation practice consists of ‘very capable litigators‘, acting for clients across the full spectrum of disputes related to financial institutions, including derivatives, securitisations, and acquisition finance. Mis-selling cases, and providing advice to financial service providers who are under investigation by the FCA are also strengths of the unit. Team leader Andrew Burnette has a practice focusing on company and shareholder litigation, with in-depth knowledge of the banking sector. Further key contacts include David Hall and Matthew Walker.