Firm Profile > Collyer Bristow LLP > London, England
Collyer Bristow LLP Offices
140 Brompton Road
Knightsbridge
LONDON
SW3 1HY
England
Collyer Bristow LLP > The Legal 500 Rankings
Commercial property: corporate occupiers Tier 3
Collyer Bristow LLP’s ‘very professional and supportive’ commercial property department is acclaimed for its mixed-use and residential development work, acting on projects from inception to completion including finance, site assembly and planning permission. In addition, the team has a track record of handling commercial headquarter developments, also supporting its corporate occupier clients in relation to relocations. Headed by Michael Grace, the group's investment offering sees it undertake commercial lettings, property management and transactions involving both portfolios and individual assets.
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Testimonials
‘Very professional and supportive legal firm, explaining all angles and options to each situation clearly.’
‘Stephen Gawne is exceptionally supportive and efficient.’
Key clients
Aldersgate Investments Ltd / Motcomb Estates Ltd (Reuben brothers)
Bewley Homes plc
Chase New Homes Ltd
Crest Nicholson plc
EDHEC Business School
Equus Software
GMS Estates Ltd
Ipsus Developments Ltd
Lochailort Investments Ltd
Willmott Dixon Holdings Ltd / Be Living Ltd
Workman LLP
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 fully advise wealthy individuals. The department is best known for its divorce and matrimonial finance work, advising on pre and post-nuptial agreements as well as private law children disputes with an international dimension. It regularly deals with international relocation cases and extremely complicated children disputes that skirt the border between private, public and criminal law issues. Toby Yerburgh heads the department.Practice head(s):
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Testimonials
‘Collyer Bristow takes a universally sensible, pragmatic approach to its cases. We particularly rate Michael Drake and Philippa Dolan‘
‘It is a small family team in a well-established and well-respected firm. Toby Yerburgh is extremely experienced and likeable. He is an old-fashioned litigator but willing to settle in the client’s interests‘
‘Toby Yerburgh leads a strong, empathetic and commercially minded team that impresses and keeps its clients happy with the overall service it provides‘
‘There are many larger family practices in the City but this one is as good as any and better than most. Toby has to be in the top rank of divorce lawyers’
‘Toby Yerburgh, Philippa Dolan, Michael Drake and associates Laura Burrows and Bethany Meyrick are all solution based, pragmatic and tactically astute. Cases are well managed from the outset, with a clear eye on the strategic trajectory of each case and on what evidence is needed to ensure a case can be successfully argued at trial, whilst always maintaining an emphasis on settlement at every stage’
‘Toby Yerburgh’s team is able to engage with also other professionals of the firm to solve complex situations‘
‘Toby Yerburgh and his team offer the whole range of family law services. They are client focused and personable. They will litigate but also look at settling‘
‘An excellent firm. The team has great depth and enormous experience. Phillipa Dolan is superb. Her eye is always on the ball and she delivers excellent value for money. Her clients are always amazed by the extra mile she is willing to travel to give them a great service. She knows the law inside out and never flags’
‘Tanya Roberts is pragmatic in her approach and always keen to find a way through the seemingly opaque.’
Commercial litigation: mid-market Tier 4
In addition to Collyer Bristow LLP's standalone banking disputes practice, the firm has a substantial commercial disputes team that focuses on complex, high-value disputes, frequently involving international elements. Richard Viegas heads the team, which also includes Jeff Roberts, who acts in shareholder and boardroom disputes for HNW individuals and sizeable corporates; and Janine Alexander, who has significant experience in disputes that involve interest rate and credit derivatives, investment mis-selling, LIBOR fixing, and property and development finance.
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Testimonials
Exceptionally well-informed about the market, intelligent and able to learn new areas of business very quickly. They are also commercial and pragmatic.
Rich Viegas in particular is excellent. He is fiercely bright, endlessly hardworking and knows that what I care about is a sensible, commercial settlement, not a point-scoring competition. There is no lawyer I’d rather use for this kind of work. Cannot rate him highly enough.
Technical and tactical expertise and a great ethic of client communication, which is regular and clear.
Richard Viegas is excellent in his clear and incisive thinking and superb at presenting relevant information to the client in a clear and digestible manner.
Lucy Waddicor has exceptional attention to detail and stand out work ethic.
Unlike other law firms we previously used, Collyer Bristow LLP have shown nimbleness and out of the box thinking we had not previously experienced, nor appreciated. The firm’s commitment to our case has pro-actively been on the front foot, and their counsel clear with conscience legal correspondence that is elegant, cost effective and coherent; on the whole we are very impressed by the firms offering!
We are extremely impressed and grateful to Richard Viegas for his total 24/7 commitment to our claim; we changed law firms midway and hence Richard essentially inherited our claim. The team at Collyers quickly got into the minutiae of matters, took control of, drove complex litigation and provided us tremendous comfort they fully understood the dynamics of our claim.
It is clear to us Richard Viegas has created a litigation practice that is a cut above the rest in London and the nicest thing is Richard, Ryan Lynch and Lucy Waddicor are wonderful people to work with.
Key clients
Musst Holdings Limited
Mr Sami Wadi Sidawi
Harrington Scott Limited
Bench Walk Advisers
Vald Nielsen Holding A/S
Newwatch Limited
ChapelGate Credit Opportunity Master Fund Limited
Personal tax, trusts and probate Tier 4
Collyer Bristow LLP advises a broad array of private clients from landed estates through to entrepreneurs. It frequently advises on wills, trusts and probate matters, as well as on other complex issues relating to personal tax and structuring. The team has particular strength in specific jurisdictions such as Switzerland, the US, the Nordics, Russia and the Middle East. Peter Daniel is a name to note. Tulin Hamit recently joined the team from RadcliffesLeBrasseur LLP.
Reputation management Tier 4
High profile individuals seek Collyer Bristow LLP's legal representation on a range of reputation management matters, including litigation arising from privacy and libel claims, as well as breach of confidence matters. Steven Heffer has significant experience in the field, having acted for several claimants in the phone hacking High Court proceedings against News Group Newspapers.
Banking litigation: investment and retail Tier 5
Collyer Bristow LLP has a strong claimant banking litigation practice and counts disputes relating to benchmark manipulation, investments, structured finance, derivatives, loans, guarantees and other forms of security among its areas of expertise. Stephen Rosen leads the banking and financial disputes practice and has experience in contractual disputes, fraud, bank and financial market disputes and investor disputes. Other names to note include Robin Henry and Richard Viegas, who respectively head the dispute resolution group and commercial litigation team, while Janine Alexander focuses on financial markets disputes.
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Commercial property: development Tier 5
Collyer Bristow LLP’s ‘very professional and supportive’ commercial property department is acclaimed for its mixed-use and residential development work, acting on projects from inception to completion including finance, site assembly and planning permission. In addition, the team has a track record of handling commercial headquarter developments, also supporting its corporate occupier clients in relation to relocations. Headed by Michael Grace, the group’s investment offering sees it undertake commercial lettings, property management and transactions involving both portfolios and individual assets.
Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Very professional and supportive legal firm, explaining all angles and options to each situation clearly.’
‘Stephen Gawne is exceptionally supportive and efficient.’
Key clients
Aldersgate Investments Ltd / Motcomb Estates Ltd (Reuben brothers)
Bewley Homes plc
Chase New Homes Ltd
Crest Nicholson plc
The Deltic Group
EcoWorld London Holdings Limited
GMS Estates Ltd
Ipsus Developments Ltd
Lochailort Investments Ltd
Sutton Harbour Holdings plc
Willmott Dixon Holdings Ltd / Be Living Ltd
Media and entertainment (including media finance) Tier 5
Collyer Bristow LLP handles a range of contentious and non-contentious issues across the art, antiques, cultural and heritage property sectors and music and publishing industries. Steven Heffer is a key contact.
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Property finance Tier 5
Collyer Bristow LLP primarily acts on the lender side on the acquisition and development financing of properties in London and the Home Counties, with a strong background in advising financial institutions from the Middle East and East Asia. Alex O’Connor, who advises on mixed-use developments, and Rory Macpherson, who focuses on residential developments, are highly recommended.
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Key clients
Arab National Bank
Bangkok Bank PCL
Hampden & Co. PLC
Handelsbanken PLC
Weatherbys Private Bank Limited
Aldersgate Investments Limited
Bewley Homes plc
Chase New Homes Ltd
Crest Nicholson plc
Ipsus Developments Ltd
Lochailort Investments Ltd
Willmott Dixon Holdings Ltd / Be Living Ltd
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 |
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Janine Alexander | Partner: Janine is a commercial disputes lawyer and primarily acts for investors,… | View Profile |
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Ragavan Arunachalam | Ragavan is a Senior Associate in our Corporate and Commercial team with… | View Profile |
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Tim Bamford | Partner: All aspects of contentious intellectual property work including patents, trademarks and… | View Profile |
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Charles Braithwaite | Partner: Charles’ main areas of expertise are corporate and commercial, intellectual property… | View Profile |
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Peter Daniel | Partner: Peter’s work covers a broad range of tax and estate planning… | View Profile |
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Philippa Dolan | Philippa Dolan is a partner in the family department. She is a… | View Profile |
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Michael Drake | Partner and Senior family lawyer. Handles all areas of matrimonial and family… | View Profile |
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Tania Goodman | Partner, Head of Employment & Dispute Resolution | View Profile |
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Mr Michael Grace | Head of Real estate | View Profile |
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William Hancock | William is a partner in the Tax and Estate Planning team. He… | View Profile |
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Robin Henry | Partner: Robin’s main areas of expertise are financial services, financial disputes and… | View Profile |
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Alex O’Connor | Partner – specialising in developments, secured financing, energy centre leases, joint ventures,… | View Profile |
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Jonathan Pawlowski | Partner and Head of Construction | View Profile |
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Howard Ricklow | Partner: Howard is a member of our Corporate and commercial team. He… | View Profile |
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Rhory Robertson | Dispute Resolution Consultant with over 30 years experience as a Commercial Litigator.… | View Profile |
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John Saner | Partner in Tax & Estate Planning Department specialising in wills, trusts, probate,… | View Profile |
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Paul Sillis | Partner: Paul is a member of our Corporate and Commercial team. He… | View Profile |
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Daniel Simon | Senior Partner of Collyer Bristow and a partner in the Tax and… | View Profile |
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Richard Viegas | Partner and Head of Commercial Disputes practice. Rich’s practice covers a wide… | View Profile |
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Patrick Wheeler | Partner and Head of Intellectual Property, specialising in contentious and non-contentious IP… | View Profile |
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Toby Yerburgh | Partner and Head of the Family team. Toby specialises in family and… | 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.