Collyer Bristow LLP > London, England > Firm Profile
Collyer Bristow LLP Offices
St Martin’s Court
10 Paternoster Row
London
EC4M 7EJ
England
Collyer Bristow LLP > The Legal 500 Rankings
Private client > Family Tier 4
Collyer Bristow LLP fields a ‘fabulous team of dynamic, bright and engaged individuals', and the 'strengths in the team run from partner level all the way down to associate level’. Under the leadership of Toby Yerburgh, it acts primarily for high-net-worth clients, frequently advising on substantial matrimonial finance matters. Many of its cases have an international dimension. Michael Drake and Philippa Dolan are among the other key figures in the practice, and consultant Mark Harrop rejoined the team from Family Law Partners in early 2023. Through Tanya Roberts in particular, it also regularly handles international relocation and complicated children disputes.Practice head(s):
Toby Yerburgh
Other key lawyers:
Tanya Roberts; Michael Drake; Mark Harrop; Philippa Dolan; Laura Burrows; Bethany Wood
Testimonials
‘Tanya Roberts is an amazing family lawyer. She has a wonderful, calm manner, is tough when needed but not overly aggressive or provocative. Her aim is always to secure a fair settlement for her client whilst protecting the children needs also.’
‘Toby Yerburgh is superb and clients adore him. He writes the best letters. Laura Burrows is also brilliant and super sensible.’
‘Toby Yerburgh has energy which is not often seen from a Head of Department. He is very well respected and this shows in his ability to achieve the absolute best for clients, whether by negotiating with the other side or in litigation.’
‘Michael Drake is a senior statesman of the family law world. Hugely well respected, clients love his kind but intelligent approach and ability to think outside the box no matter how complex the situation. He has phenomenal commercial acumen.’
‘Mark Harrop is an incredibly welcome addition to this already thriving team. Mark is incredibly intelligent, sensible and pragmatic. He is calm and unflappable even in situations where many would crumble. His experience as a judge only widens the breadth of advice he provides to clients.’
‘Philippa Dolan has empathy, understanding and wisdom in equal and ample measure. She is liked and respected within the profession, and uses her market position to deliver good outcomes for her clients without the need for an expensive and risky fight in court. She is first rate.’
‘Mark Harrop is especially strong. His huge experience and pragmatic, sensitive and commercially aware advice is extremely reassuring to clients. A first-rate and happy team delivering top-quality legal advice in a cost-effective and outcome-focussed manner.’
’‘Toby Yerburgh and Philippa Dolan are standout partners based on the work they do and as opponents. Superb team in a boutique firm. All brilliant individually and collectively. Start strategic planning from the outset and give superb, competent and practical advice.’
Real estate > Commercial property: corporate occupiers Tier 4
Mixed-use and residential development work remains a cornerstone of the ‘exceptional’ practice at Collyer Bristow LLP. The team has know-how of the acquisition and development of build-to-rent schemes, joint ventures and planning agreements. Practice head Michael Grace’s practice encompasses business lease renewals and terminations, dilapidation claims, in addition to rent review issues. Stephen Gawne is experienced in advising landlords and tenants on the full array of commercial lettings and the management of large portfolios. Alex O’Connor is noted for his capability in property development financing and Rory Macpherson is well-informed on the funding of the residential work mandates. Anjana Dahya focuses on commercial landlord and tenant matters, while Mandeep Mattu has built a strong relationship with developer clients. Aimee Stevens advises on the sales of completed commercial and residential units.Practice head(s):
Michael Grace
Other key lawyers:
Stephen Gawne; Alex O’Connor; Anjana Dahya; Mandeep Mattu; Aimee Stevens; Dan McCarron
Testimonials
‘Collyer Bristow, and in particular, the truly exceptional Stephen Gawne, continue to provide outstanding support across a wide range of real estate activities.’
‘We have had a number of challenging matters, all of which were met with a refreshing sense of urgency, motivation to deliver successful outcomes, expert advice and brilliant client care and engagement.’
‘Time and time again, we are made to feel like their one and only client.’
‘Stephen and the broader team live and breathe our values of excellence, respect, collaboration, agility and empowerment.’
‘They take the time to understand the needs and complexities of our business, and ensure we receive the correct level of advice or counsel.’
Key clients
The Deltic Group
Ipsus Developments Ltd
EcoWorld London
Heatherwick Studio
Etro Fashion
Workman LLP
EDHEC Business School
Topham Guerin Limited
Arney Fender Katsalidis (international architects)
Plus500UK
Fountain Court Chambers
Falck UK/Community Ambulance Services
Westgreen Construction Ltd
Equus Software
Skills Training UK
April International
Real estate > Commercial property: development Tier 4
Mixed-use and residential development work remains a cornerstone of the ‘exceptional’ practice at Collyer Bristow LLP. The team has know-how of the acquisition and development of build-to-rent schemes, joint ventures and planning agreements. Practice head Michael Grace’s practice encompasses business lease renewals and terminations, dilapidation claims, in addition to rent review issues. Stephen Gawne is experienced in advising landlords and tenants on the full array of commercial lettings and the management of large portfolios. Alex O’Connor is noted for his capability in property development financing and Rory Macpherson is well-informed on the funding of the residential work mandates. Anjana Dahya focuses on commercial landlord and tenant matters, while Mandeep Mattu has built a strong relationship with developer clients. Aimee Stevens advises on the sales of completed commercial and residential units.Practice head(s):
Michael Grace
Other key lawyers:
Stephen Gawne; Alex O’Connor; Anjana Dahya; Mandeep Mattu; Aimee Stevens; Dan McCarron
Key clients
Aldersgate Investments Ltd / Motcomb Estates Ltd (Reuben brothers)
Bewley Homes plc
Chase New Homes Ltd
Crest Nicholson plc
The Deltic Group
GMS Estates Limited
Ipsus Developments Ltd
Lochailort Investments Ltd
Sutton Harbour Holdings plc
EcoWorld London
Heatherwick Studio
Etro Fashion
Workman LLP
EDHEC Business School
Topham Guerin Limited
Arney Fender Katsalidis
Plus500UK Ltd
Charterhouse Voice and Data plc
Fountain Court Chambers
Falck UK/Community Ambulance Services
Swallow Property Investments Limited
Westgreen Construction Ltd
Vincent Court Management Limited
Taggart Homes
Halls Victoria Limited
Betsy Capital Partners
Dispute resolution > Banking litigation: investment and retail Tier 5
The banking and financial disputes practice at Collyer Bristow LLP acts on a range of complex business disputes, ranging from high-value contract disputes and professional negligence claims, to contentious insolvency and trusts work. Fintech and crypto are key strengths of the team, as is competition. The team is ‘extremely good with clients’ and has ‘good domain knowledge’. Robin Henry, who specialises in complex FX derivative contracts and mis-selling claims mandates, chairs the practice.Practice head(s):
Robin Henry
Testimonials
‘Extremely good with clients and great members of the team’
‘The team was extremely professional and gave different options on how to solve my legal disputes.’
‘They were very compassionate with my personal situation and fair with the legal fees.’
‘Good domain knowledge.’
Key clients
Musst Holdings Limited
Work highlights
- Acted for Musst Holdings Ltd against Astra Asset Management Ltd in litigation and a trial regarding breach of contract in relation to the raising of capital.
- Acting for the London Borough of Newham making claims against Barclays Bank Plc in respect of LIBOR fixing for recission or damages of c. £300m plus interest.
- Acting for Custodium Ltd in a dispute with FCA in connection with the application to the FCA to become an authorised Electronic Money Institution.
Dispute resolution > Commercial litigation: mid-market Tier 5
Collyer Bristow LLP's wide-ranging expertise encompasses contract disputes, high-value tort claims, professional negligence, civil fraud, trusts-related claims, contentious insolvency, and cross-border matters. The team also comprises specialists in e-commerce, competition law, insolvency, and Fintech and crypto currency. Robin Henry's commercial disputes caseload frequently involves cross-border aspects, while Stephen Rosen's 'extensive commercial disputes experience gives him a real edge'. Former partners Janine Alexander and David Vaughan departed the firm for Taggart Homes and Irwin Mitchell, respectively.Practice head(s):
Robin Henry
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Stephen Rosen and Robin Henry are very pragmatic lawyers who understand clients’ business.‘
‘Stephen Rosen is hugely experienced, very wise, and a pleasure to deal with.’
‘Stephen Rosen impresses clients with his wide legal knowledge and well- honed ability to spot the weaknesses in opponents’ cases. He always brings an air of calmness to challenging situations.’
‘Stephen Rosen is a legend in commercial litigation – his extensive commercial disputes experience gives him a real edge. He is also a remarkable and inspirational team leader.‘
‘The service is first class, and the depth of knowledge and attention to detail are excellent.’
‘The personal attention and responsiveness exceeds client expectations.’
‘Outstanding ability to understand technical matters and coordinate highly complex cases.’
‘A mid-size firm that can complete with the big firms in important banking, financial services and commercial cases.’
Key clients
FIAMM Energy Technology
Sui Northern Gas Pipelines
Manolete Partners
Work highlights
- Acting for global automotive product manufacturer FIAMM Energy Technology, in litigation brought by car maker Nissan over the supply of 1.6m car batteries, which involved approximately 900,000 separate claims and a total claim value of about €120m.
- Acting for Sui Northern Gas Pipelines in a High Court application to set aside arbitral awards, which relate to the sale of gas in Pakistan.
- Acting for Manolete Partners in a claim against a truck manufacturing cartel, following European Commission decisions.
Private client > Personal tax, trusts and probate Tier 5
Peter Daniel leads an excellent team at Collyer Bristow LLP, which receives a steady flow of instructions from primarily UK and international entrepreneurs and business owners as well as the owners of UK landed estates. The skilled team covers the full gamut of wills, trusts, probate and wealth structuring work. There is also frequently an international dimension to its advice. Senior partner Daniel Simon has particular expertise in UK/US cross-border planning matters. Tulin Hamit focusses on work with Turkish HNW and UNHW clients. James Austen is another key figure.Practice head(s):
Peter Daniel
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Communication is excellent, reply to emails promptly. James Austen is kind and thoughtful and very meticulous. All work well researched’.
‘Collyer Bristow have a well established team in the personal tax, trust and probate space, and have been particularly successful at bringing on trainees and retaining team members over time’.
‘Peter Daniel continues to stand out; a calm demeanour combined with a sharp mind making him an excellent advocate for his clients and trustworthy and knowledgeable source of advice’.
‘The bottom line is that this team cares deeply for its clients. That is what I have come to appreciate and what makes this firm stand out for me’.
‘Collyer Bristow is as solid a pair of hands as you are going to get. I think what distinguishes this firm from others is the high quality of each member of staff. They are all trained and expected to act with utmost attention to detail. This is very much a hallmark of a Collyer Bristow lawyer – an exceptional standard of service, across the board’.
‘Daniel Simon is the Senior Partner of the firm and he leads by example. He runs an extremely tight ship and is behind the firm’s unrelenting standards on all of its lawyers. Daniel has an ability to draw big clients whilst staying under the radar’.
‘The team are efficient, well qualified and attentive. Excellent qualities’.
Key clients
Jason Wilkes
Work highlights
- Represented Jason Wilkes pro-bono in his successful Upper Tribunal and Court of Appeal cases against HMRC concerning the “High Income Child Benefit Charge”.
- Advising a Singaporean-based billionaire, his family and the trustees of their family trust on all of their UK legal and tax matters.
- Acting in a domicile dispute in which the primary issue at stake is HMRC’s ability to “go behind” a previous domicile ruling, and issuing parallel proceedings for Judicial Review in the High Court and a statutory appeal in the FTT.
Real estate > Commercial property: investment Tier 5
Mixed-use and residential development work remains a cornerstone of the ‘exceptional’ practice at Collyer Bristow LLP. The team has know-how of the acquisition and development of build-to-rent schemes, joint ventures and planning agreements. Practice head Michael Grace’s practice encompasses business lease renewals and terminations, dilapidation claims, in addition to rent review issues. Stephen Gawne is experienced in advising landlords and tenants on the full array of commercial lettings and the management of large portfolios. Alex O’Connor is noted for his capability in property development financing and Rory Macpherson is well-informed on the funding of the residential work mandates. Anjana Dahya focuses on commercial landlord and tenant matters, while Mandeep Mattu has built a strong relationship with developer clients. Aimee Stevens advises on the sales of completed commercial and residential units.Practice head(s):
Michael Grace
Other key lawyers:
Stephen Gawne; Alex O’Connor; Anjana Dahya; Mandeep Mattu; Aimee Stevens; Dan McCarron
Testimonials
‘Very commercial, good all-round understanding of our requirements and how to achieve them.’
‘Committed and knowledgeable.’
Key clients
Aldersgate Investments Ltd / Motcomb Estates Ltd
Bewley Homes plc
Chase New Homes Ltd
Crest Nicholson plc
The Deltic Group
GMS Estates Limited
Ipsus Developments Ltd
Lochailort Investments Ltd
Sutton Harbour Holdings plc
EcoWorld London
Heatherwick Studio
Etro Fashion
Workman LLP
EDHEC Business School
Topham Guerin Limited
Arney Fender Katsalidis
Plus500UK Ltd
Charterhouse Voice and Data plc
Fountain Court Chambers
Falck UK/Community Ambulance Services
Swallow Property Investments Limited
Westgreen Construction Ltd
Real estate > Property finance Tier 5
Collyer Bristow LLP provides ‘excellent all round knowledge of the sector‘ and focuses on supporting clients in secured lending transactions, negotiating and drafting facility agreements and security packages, and negotiating forward funding arrangements for property developments. Mixed-use and residential development work are its best known areas of work. Michael Grace leads the team which includes Stephen Gawne, residential funding experts Rory Macpherson and Alex O’Connor.Practice head(s):
Michael Grace
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Excellent all round knowledge of the sector and what is required to meet our objectives.’
Key clients
Bangkok Bank Public Company Limited
First Rand Bank
Handelsbanken plc
Lochailort Investments Ltd
GMS Estates Ltd
Crest Nicholson plc
Chase New Homes
Sutton Harbour Holdings plc
Work highlights
- Acting for an entity within the Ipsus Development wider group on a joint venture with a pension fund in connection with the acquisition, funding and development of a site in Caversham for residential and mixed use redevelopment and the grant of a development agreement for a lease of part of the site to a social housing provider.
- Acting for Aberfeldy New Village LLP (a joint venture between EcoWorld London and Poplar Harca) in connection with continuing site assembly, funding, development and sales of phase 3 onwards at Aberfeldy New Village in East London.
- Advising Willmot Dixon on its funding, acquisition, development and sales at sites in Tower Hamlets, Reading, Sevenoaks and Cheshunt with a combined gross development value of over £300 million.
Dispute resolution > Tax litigation and investigations
Employment > Immigration
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
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, probate, 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. The nature of their work is cross jurisdictional as well as UK based.
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 David Tennant, Colin Jackson, Meg Mathews as well as many sports personalities. It also handles harassment and cyber-stalking disputes.
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 FIAMM Energy Technology S.p.A., Musst Holdings, and Pramod Mittal.
Banking and financial disputes: The team brings years of experience to dealing with complex disputes relating to financial instruments. Clients are often referred by domestic and foreign law firms with conflicts of interest. The work of the team includes benchmark manipulation, structured finance, FOREX, securitisation, and cryptocurrency as well as disputes over bank lending. Clients include Napier Park Global Capital and Salzgitter Mannessman GmbH.
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 EcoWorld London.
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 as well as litigation concerning patents, design rights, trade marks, copyright and confidential information. The team is also experienced in advising businesses on data protection and compliance with UK GDPR, as well as assisting with responses to subject access rights and data breaches. Clients include Sanrio UK, Stannah Stairlifts 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. Clients include Perrett Laver, Total Media, Asos.com, Cashplus Bank and Mercuri Urval.
Corporate and commercial: The corporate and commercial team has expertise in commercial contracts, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and shareholder agreements, funding, regulatory matters, company reconstructions, insolvency and corporate recovery. Clients cover a wide range of sectors and include Manolete Partners and the Moulton family office. The team’s work also includes activities related to art and culture.
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 | ||
| Construction | Ian Chappell | ||
| Corporate and commercial | Sharon Fryer | ||
| 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 | ||
| Immigration | Charles Avens |
Lawyer Profiles
| Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|
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Ragavan Arunachalam | Ragavan is a Partner in our Corporate and Commercial team with over… | View Profile |
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Mr James Austen | James is a Partner specialising in Trusts, tax and estate planning, specifically… | View Profile |
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Charles Avens | Charles is Head of Immigration, specialising in Personal and Corporate immigration to… | View Profile |
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Tim Bamford | Partner: All aspects of intellectual property disputes including patents, trademarks and copyright, media… | 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 law department. She is… | View Profile |
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Michael Drake | Partner and Senior family & divorce lawyer. He handles all areas of matrimonial… | View Profile |
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Charlie Fowler | Charlie is a Partner in our Trusts, tax and estate planning team,… | View Profile |
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Tania Goodman | Partner, Head of Employment Law & Dispute Resolution | View Profile |
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Mr Michael Grace | Head of Real estate | View Profile |
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Tulin Hamit | Tulin is a partner in our Tax and estate planning team, specialising… | 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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Tanya Roberts | Tanya has significant experience acting for both international and UK clients on… | View Profile |
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John Saner | Partner in the Trusts, Tax & Estate Planning team specifically acting for individuals,… | 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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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 : 38 Number of other UK fee-earners : 52Memberships
IBA (International Bar Association) Society of Trust & Estate Practitioners (STEP)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.
- Private client > Family
- Real estate > Commercial property: corporate occupiers
- Real estate > Commercial property: development