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

The ‘first-class team’ at Burges Salmon LLP remains ‘highly experienced in commercial litigation’, acting for high-profile clients, including major corporations, organisations and government entities, in domestic and cross-border disputes. Practice leader Andrew Burnette ‘knows everything there is to know about professional negligence claims’, while ‘experienced and canny litigator’ Michael Ward acts for corporates and high-net-worth individuals in civil fraud and shareholder disputes. Matthew Kaltsas-Walker is ‘technically brilliant’ in financial services litigation, and Ian Tucker specialises in transport disputes and contentious procurement mandates. Other key contacts in the group include David Hall, Brian Wong, Caroline Brown and Richard Binns, who is ‘the epitome of an astute and approachable lawyer’.

Fielding a team spread across London and Bristol, Burges Salmon LLP‘s corporate crime and investigations team excels in its representation of corporates in a range of complex and often national financial crime cases, criminal cases surrounding environmental and health and safety legislation including corporate manslaughter issues, and cross-border sanctions matters. The corporate crime team is headed up by Guy Bastable, who has extensive experience in crisis management and internal investigations as well as areas such as anti-money laundering compliance, insider trading and market abuse. David Hall, who is head of the disputes, planning and construction department, is also active in the space, advising on matters including cases relating to cyber-fraud attacks, data protection issues and asset recovery. Covering regulatory enforcement and corporate crime work, senior associate Sam Aldous is another key member of the team.

With ‘a wide range of expertise and strength in depth’, Burges Salmon LLP covers shareholder, financial services, professional negligence, and energy and natural resources disputes. The Bristol-based litigation practice also comprises sector specialists in pensions, IP, transport and procurement, and corporate and financial crime. Commercial disputes expert Andrew Burnette ‘leads the dispute resolution team very well’. Matthew Kaltsas-Walker acts in financial services, insurance, corporate and commercial disputes, while Ian Tucker specialises in transport litigation. Michael Ward is praised by clients as ‘a very fine litigator’. Other key practitioners are Richard Binns, Brian Wong and David Hall. Former disputes head Ann Metherall retired in May 2024.