Firm Profile > Collyer Bristow LLP > London, England
Collyer Bristow LLP Offices
4 BEDFORD ROW
LONDON
WC1R 4TF
England
Collyer Bristow LLP > The Legal 500 Rankings
Commercial property: corporate occupiers Tier 2
Collyer Bristow LLP is highly rated in the hotels and leisure space, representing a client base of hotel owners, operators, restaurants, bars and sports clubs on matters such as extensions, sales and leases, refurbishment and licensing. A further key strength is development, with the group holding particular expertise in relation to mixed-use sites, joint ventures, profit sharing, planning agreements, overage agreements and renewable energy matters. Development-related finance is also a core focus, with a number of banks and financial institutions forming the client roster. In the corporate occupier space, the practice has recently represented a number of regulatory bodies in relation to office moves and is also engaged by banks for related matters.
Practice head(s):
John Rochman
Other key lawyers:
Alex O’Connor; Jonathan Wiese
Key clients
Aldersgate Investments Ltd / Motcomb Estates Ltd (Reuben brothers)
Arney Fender Katsalidis Limited (International architects)
Bewley Homes plc
Charterhouse Voice and Data Plc
Chase New Homes Ltd
Crest Nicholson plc
The Deltic Group
EDHEC Business School
GMS Estates Ltd
Ipsus Developments Ltd
Lochailort Investments Ltd
Sutton Harbour Holdings plc
Willmott Dixon Holdings Ltd / Be Living Ltd
Family: mediation Tier 2
Philippa Dolan at Collyer Bristow LLP is a trained civil mediator and excels at complicated matrimonial finance and children disputes.
Family Tier 3
Collyer Bristow LLP acts primarily for high-net-worth clients and works closely with the firm’s tax and estate planning teams as well as its commercial department to advise on diverse areas such as tax and reputation management. The team is best known for its divorce and matrimonial finance work such as pre- and post-nuptial agreements and private law children disputes. The majority of the team’s work is now international and the children team frequently deals with international relocation cases and other issues such as surrogacy, assisted reproduction as well as parentage disputes. Toby Yerburgh heads the team and Mark Harrop left the firm and has joined Family Law Partners.
Practice head(s):
Toby Yerburgh
Other key lawyers:
Tanya Roberts; Michael Drake; Philippa Dolan; Laura Burrows
Testimonials
‘The team is a very safe pair of hands, commercial, works tirelessly for its clients to achieve the best outcome. Although there is a very capable team here, the stand out partner in the firm for family in heavy financial disputes is Toby Yerburgh‘.
‘Toby Yerburgh is great with clients and fights their corner while being pragmatic and practical’.
‘Toby Yerburgh is great on international issues and appears to see through even tricky cases to the answer. He has a way with clients so they feel both protected‘.
‘At court, Toby is fantastic at managing clients – ensuring that they know exactly what to expect, answering their questions, talking them through each step of the process and assuaging any fears or anxieties they may have. He never appears rushed or impatient but always, always has time for his clients‘.
‘Tanya Roberts is excellent for children work and has first-class judgement especially in complicated children matters and private child abduction‘.
‘Michael Drake is an excellent lawyer and a real gentleman’.
‘Micheal Drake is outstanding. Peers respect him; clients adore him, judges listen to him. He has impressive business acumen and commercial knowledge‘.
‘Toby Yerburgh, Philippa Dolan and Michael Drake and associate Laura Burrows, all of whom I have found to be solution based, pragmatic, firm (but not unnecessarily aggressive – a rare quality in top family firms!) and extremely diligent in the management of their clients’ cases’.
Personal tax, trusts and probate Tier 3
Collyer Bristow LLP advises the full range of private clients, from landed estates through to entrepreneurs. It advises on wills, trusts and probate as well as on complex questions of personal taxation and structuring. The majority of its work is cross-border and it has a sophisticated understanding of offshore trust structures in specific jurisdictions, including Switzerland, the United States, the Nordics, Russia and the Middle East. Peter Daniel is now the head of department with effect from May 2019. James Badcock has left the firm.
Practice head(s):
Peter Daniel
Other key lawyers:
Dominic Cole; Daniel Simon
Testimonials
‘Fantastic team – highly technical and personal.’
‘Peter Daniel – a very engaged partner with excellent technical knowledge and great client relationship skill.‘
‘A well-sized team that benefits from high-calibre lawyers with a broad depth of knowledge and expertise.‘
‘Dominic Cole was particularly “stand out” on a recent matter. He was responsive and technically astute.‘
‘The team is first-class and is knowledgeable and approachable and offers excellent value for money.‘
Media and entertainment (including media finance) Tier 4
Collyer Bristow LLP handles commercial matters in the media and entertainment sphere, and it is noted for its fashion, arts and sports sector expertise. It has experience in events, marketing, publishing and sponsorship matters, while IP, copyright and data protection matters are also a key specialism. The firm also handles libel, privacy, reputation management, phone hacking and contractual disputes.
Reputation management Tier 4
Collyer Bristow LLP handles reputational issues for individuals, including clients seeking compensation for breach of privacy claims arising out of the misuse of private information. The team headed by Steven Heffer is also heavily involved in phone hacking litigation and acts for 9 claimants in High Court claims against News Group Newspapers. In addition, Heffer has acted in sexual harassment cases involving senior executives and assists charities with reputational threats. Associate Nichola Leach brings expertise in matters related to social media and the GDPR to the table.
Practice head(s):
Steven Heffer
Other key lawyers:
Key clients
David Tennant
Colin Jackson
Eddie Irvine
Jess Morris
Sophia Myles
Fran Cutler
Caroline Nokes MP
Meg Mathews
Joanne Lees
Nancy Dell’Olio
Paladin – National Stalking Advocacy Service
Phone hacking victims (200+)
Banking litigation: investment and retail Tier 5
Collyer Bristow LLP is primarily a claimant firm and conflict-free in relation to disputes with the major financial institutions. The team advises on disputes involving derivatives, Forex, assignment of bank debts, and distressed debt trading, along with syndicated lending, securitisation, and unregulated collective investment schemes. It has also expanded into aviation financing and crypto-currency disputes. Banking and financial disputes group head Stephen Rosen, commercial disputes head Richard Viegas, Janine Alexander and Robin Henry are the principal advisers.
Practice head(s):
Stephen Rosen; Richard Viegas
Other key lawyers:
Key clients
Napier Park Global Capital
Trattamento Rifiuti Metropolitani
Commercial property: development Tier 5
Collyer Bristow LLP is highly rated in the hotels and leisure space, representing a client base of hotel owners, operators, restaurants, bars and sports clubs on matters such as extensions, sales and leases, refurbishment and licensing. A further key strength is development, with the group holding particular expertise in relation to mixed-use sites, joint ventures, profit sharing, planning agreements, overage agreements and renewable energy matters. Development-related finance is also a core focus, with a number of banks and financial institutions forming the client roster. In the corporate occupier space, the practice has recently represented a number of regulatory bodies in relation to office moves and is also engaged by banks for related matters.
Practice head(s):
John Rochman
Other key lawyers:
Alex O’Connor; Rory Macpherson
Key clients
Aldersgate Investments Ltd / Motcomb Estates Ltd (Reuben brothers)
Bewley Homes plc
Chase New Homes Ltd
Crest Nicholson plc
The Deltic Group
EcoWorld International Limited
GMS Estates Ltd
Ipsus Developments Ltd
Lochailort Investments Ltd
Sutton Harbour Holdings plc
Willmott Dixon Holdings Ltd / Be Living Ltd
Property litigation Tier 5
Working closely with its construction team, Michael Grace heads the property litigation team at Collyer Bristow LLP, which is well versed in handling various landlord and tenant disputes, insolvency-related matters, property portfolio management issues, service charge arrears and litigation arising from business lease renewals. Clients include privately-owned property investment, development and management companies, high-net-worth individuals and companies in the retail and leisure industries.
Practice head(s):
Michael Grace
Other key lawyers:
Paul Henson
Key clients
Aldersgate Investments
BMC Properties and Management
Cheval Residences
Citylink Group
The Deltic Group
William Pears Group
FirstRand Bank
Crest Nicholson
IPSUS Developments
Commercial litigation Tier 6
Collyer Bristow LLP's team has wide experience of business and high-net-worth disputes, as well as internal disputes (including boardroom and partnership issues). Its team includes specialists in mining, Fintech, financial disputes, insolvency, IP, IT and e-commerce, and competition. Richard Viegas heads the commercial disputes team, which also includes Stephen Rosen, Jeff Roberts, Janine Alexander and media and privacy department head Steven Heffer.
Practice head(s):
Richard Viegas
Other key lawyers:
Key clients
Fraser Turner
Chapelgate Credit Opportunity Master Fund
Vald Nielsen Holdings and Newwatch
Benchwalk Advisors
Equatorial Congo Airlines
Learn to Trade
Baird & Co
Mazda
Intellectual property Tier 6
Collyer Bristow LLP's departent is comprised of commercial lawyers and 'excellent all-round IP litigators, with a particular strength in trade mark work'. The team is led by Patrick Wheeler, who has 'exceptional experience' in soft IP disputes, while Tim Bamford, who has 'encyclopaedic knowledge', focuses on patent litigation. Charles Braithwaite is a key contact for commercial IP matters including licensing issues.
Practice head(s):
Patrick Wheeler
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘The IP team has in-depth experience in IP litigation spanning decades, a can-do approach, and excellent client handling skills.‘
‘Tim Bamford knows what he is talking about and can guide clients through the maze of litigation.‘
‘With extensive experience in IP litigation, Tim Bamford has the ability to create innovative and effective strategies.‘
‘Tim Bamford is tenacious in achieving the best results for clients.‘
‘Chandni Rani is a star associate who is clearly going to be an effective partner.‘
‘Chandni Rani is extremely impressive; she is personable, efficient, effective and self-starting.’
‘Tim Bamford cuts through to the key issues like a legal Sabatier.‘
Key clients
Regen Laboratories SA
CS Medical Limited
UK Prosper Limited
Timesource Ltd
Global Design & Innovation Ltd
Takasho Co Ltd.
Property finance Tier 6
On the borrower side, Collyer Bristow LLP has extensive experience advising developers on mixed-use, residential and commercial projects; the team also acts for a range of lenders, including banks and a number of investors from the Far East and Middle East. The team handles acquisition, investment and development finance. Alex O’Connor specialises in the financing of complex mixed-use developments, while Rory Macpherson focuses on development finance in the residential sector.
Collyer Bristow LLP > Firm Profile
The firm: Collyer Bristow LLP is a long-established central London law firm. We provide high quality, individually tailored legal advice, often with a cross-border aspect, to a portfolio of international and domestic clients including commercial businesses, wealthy individuals and families, and ambitious entrepreneurs.
Clients choose Collyer Bristow because they appreciate individuality, creativity and collaboration. They recognise that their needs may be unique and more complex, or that in progressing with their legal issue they value a more engaged and personalised service from their lawyers. They recognise that the Collyer Bristow approach is one of building understanding, trust and relationships with clients; the firm takes time to build relationships and to understand the commercial objectives behind every transaction or dispute. This allows the firm to operate more strategically on behalf of its clients and to best support the achievement of the outcomes they desire.
The firm has a particular reputation for its business, dispute resolution, private wealth, and real estate services.
Types of work undertaken: Private wealth:Tax and estate planning: the private wealth department includes a strong tax and estate planning team which advises on wills, tax planning and structuring, trusts, and charities. It has particular expertise in residence, non-domicile and offshore matters, powers of attorney and Court of Protection work, and trust and probate litigation.
Family: the firm’s family team handles the full range of issues including divorce, separation, civil partnership and cohabitation, the preparation of pre- and post-nuptial agreements, and complex disputes involving financial issues or those concerning children.
Media and privacy: the team is a leader in the media and privacy field having been involved in high-profile defamation and privacy claims, including acting for over 200 victims of the phonehacking scandal. The team has represented prominent figures including Sarah Lancashire and Caroline Nokes MP. It also handles harassment and cyber-stalking disputes.
SMEs: Commercial dispute resolution: the innovative commercial dispute resolution team has substantial experience advising organisations on issues regarding breach of contract, partnership and shareholder disputes, professional negligence claims, civil fraud, and trade disputes. It is known for its strategic excellence. Clients include Manolete Partners and Greensphere Capital.
Banking and financial disputes: the banking and financial disputes team deals with all aspects of financial mis-selling, with FOREX and LIBOR manipulation and claims arising from the mis-selling of derivatives, as recent areas of focus. Its clients include UK and offshore companies, financial institutions, hedge funds, and high-net-worth individuals. Secure Capital SA is a key client.
Competition: the competition team acts in damages claims on behalf of those who have suffered loss from the anticompetitive behaviour of others. The team assists in actions, either as standalone claims or following a regulatory decision of infringement, including obtaining litigation funding. The team is working on compensation claims against the truck cartel and MasterCard, amongst others.
Real estate: the real estate team acts for property owners, investors, developers, funders, landlords, and tenants dealing with all real estate transactions, from multimillion-pound portfolio acquisitions to individual sales, commercial lettings, property management, and real estate disputes. Clients include GMS Estates and The Deltic Group.
Intellectual property and data protection: the firm has a strong reputation for intellectual property with work covering protection of brands, negotiating commercial agreements, resolving disputes concerning patent, design rights, trade mark and copyright infringement. The team is experienced in advising businesses on data protection and preparing to comply with the new regulations (GDPR). Clients include Sanrio UK and Wirth Research.
Employment: the employment team provides commercial advice to companies in managing their everyday HR issues and dealing with disputes, which can involve Employment Tribunal and High court litigation. The team deals with matters involving unfair dismissal, discrimination, TUPE, breach of contract, whistleblowing, flexible working, equal pay, and business immigration. Carluccio’s and Addison Lee are clients.
Corporate and commercial: the corporate and commercial team has expertise in mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and shareholder agreements, company reconstructions, insolvency, and corporate recovery. Clients cover a wide range of sectors and include Better Capital Group and Aldo UK. The team’s work also includes activities related to art and culture. Film composers David Arnold and David Julyan and INTO Film are clients.
Other offices: London, Geneva
Main Contacts
| Department | Name | Telephone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senior partner | Daniel Simon | ||
| Chief Executive | Phillip Palmer | ||
| Arbitration | Stephen Rosen | ||
| Banking and financial disputes | Stephen Rosen | ||
| Commercial disputes | Richard Viegas | ||
| Construction | Jonathan Pawlowski | ||
| Corporate and commercial | Jeff Roberts | ||
| Data protection | Patrick Wheeler | ||
| Dispute resolution | Robin Henry | ||
| Employment | Tania Goodman | ||
| Family | Toby Yerburgh | ||
| Fintech | Nigel Brahams | ||
| Financial services | Stephen Rosen | ||
| Insolvency | Steven Heffer | ||
| Intellectual property | Patrick Wheeler | ||
| Media and privacy | Steven Heffer | ||
| Private Wealth | Peter Daniel | ||
| Real estate | Michael Grace | ||
| Real estate litigation | Michael Grace | ||
Lawyer Profiles
| Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Janine Alexander | View Profile | |
 |
Ragavan Arunachalam | View Profile | |
 |
Tim Bamford | View Profile | |
 |
Charles Braithwaite | View Profile | |
 |
Peter Daniel | View Profile | |
 |
Philippa Dolan | View Profile | |
 |
Michael Drake | View Profile | |
 |
Tania Goodman | View Profile | |
 |
Mr Michael Grace | View Profile | |
 |
William Hancock | View Profile | |
 |
Robin Henry | View Profile | |
 |
Alex O’Connor | View Profile | |
 |
Jonathan Pawlowski | View Profile | |
 |
Howard Ricklow | View Profile | |
 |
Rhory Robertson | View Profile | |
 |
John Saner | View Profile | |
 |
Paul Sillis | View Profile | |
 |
Daniel Simon | View Profile | |
 |
Richard Viegas | View Profile | |
 |
Patrick Wheeler | View Profile | |
 |
Toby Yerburgh | View Profile |
Staff Figures
Number of UK partners : 34 Number of other UK fee-earners : 60Memberships
IBA (International Bar Association)Diversity/Community
The firm places great value on all of our employees. We celebrate diversity and respect the unique and distinctive qualities of our colleagues. We believe everyone has the right to enjoy an inclusive working environment which encourages professional and/or personal development free from discrimination or harassment. It is important for everyone to understand workplace behaviour and its implication on the working environment. Our Diversity and Inclusion policy details the firm’s approach to equal opportunities and covers discrimination, harassment/bullying and victimisation.
The firm is committed to promoting gender equality. We have established a professional network called Higher which elevates women and champions equality in the workplace. Its activity is driven by a diverse internal committee.
Top Tier Firm Rankings
Firm Rankings
- Commercial property: corporate occupiers
- Family: mediation
- Family
- Personal tax, trusts and probate
- Media and entertainment (including media finance)
- Reputation management
- Banking litigation: investment and retail
- Commercial property: development
- Property litigation
- Commercial litigation
- Intellectual property
- Property finance