Esther Woolford > Clarke Willmott LLP > Taunton, England > Lawyer Profile

Clarke Willmott LLP acts for a wide range of both regional and national clients. The team is well equipped to represent clients before courts, including before the Supreme Court in the proprietary estoppel case of Guest v Guest. The team is led by Esther Woolford, an expert in property matters. Polly Ridgway is an experienced litigator.

Clarke Willmott LLP focuses on claimant-side professional negligence work, handling high-value claims against a range of insured professionals. In addition to representing individuals and companies, the practice also stands out for its work handling group claims. The team is jointly led by Alex Jakubowski and Philippa Hann. Jakubowski has a notable specialism in handling claims on behalf of businesses against their energy brokers, while Hann has a strong track record in litigation related to financial services, with Stephen Searle also noted for his knowledge of this space. Esther Woolford offers additional expertise in negligence claims related to agricultural property.

At Clarke Willmott LLP, practice head Esther Woolford attracts praise as ‘a star individual – dedicated and hardworking, responsive and goes all out for her clients’; her practice primarily spans commercial and agricultural matters including property litigation and contentious probate work. The group also receives a high volume of agriculture-related instructions thanks to its position on the NFU panel and has additional regulatory expertise through the specialist practice led by Daniel Gill. At senior associate level, key names include Laura Mackain-Bremner and Victoria Howlett; Howlett joined from BDM Law LLP in early 2022.

The team at Clarke Willmott LLP utilises its multi-disciplinary practice when overseeing matters, making use of its agricultural litigation team as well as its private wealth team. Bonita Walters and Esther Woolford  lead the team. Walters is a reputable litigator, with over 20 years’ experience. Woolford specialises in agricultural and property litigation. Senior associate Sarah O’Grady ‘offers excellent advice with no pretence‘.