Firm Profile > Ashtons Legal > Cambridge CB5, England

Agriculture and estates Tier 1

The well-established agriculture and estates practice at Ashtons Legal has three vastly experienced partners handling the affairs of farm businesses and landed estates. Practice head Jonathan Long, rural property expert Simon Cunningham and Jeanette Dennis, who has 29 years' experience in farming and estate management matters, are the key contacts. Their client base ranges from local to national owners and occupiers of small farms through to regional and national institutions covering thousands of acres, including several Cambridge Colleges.

Clinical negligence: claimant Tier 1

At Ashtons Legal, injury services represent a core part of the firm's strategy and its large practice has a stellar track record in the highest-value and most complex cases of physical and psychological injury. Sandra Patton leads the medical injury team, which includes leading practitioners Tom Cook, who specialises in cerebral palsy and other complex and high-value birth or neonatal injury claims, and APIL senior litigator Sharon Allison, whose skills include advocacy at inquests. Rising star associates Ben Ward and Julie Crossley are also recommended.

Planning Tier 1

Planning Tier 1

Personal injury: claimant Tier 1

Ashtons Legal has a truly regional practice with experienced practitioners in many of its offices. Head of personal injury Richard Foyster leads the practice from the Ipswich office, where senior associate and APIL Senior Litigator Tom Ranson has more than 20 years' experience. In the Thetford office, key partner Hannah Clarke, senior associate Siobhan Thacker and highly regarded associate Mick Upton, who joined from Slater and Gordon, are the key contacts. Partner Michael Wangermann in Bury St Edmunds also plays a pivotal role in the practice. The firm is known for the quality of its client care, delivered partly through dedicated client liaison managers, and its stellar track record in complex cases involving, inter alia, serious brain injury, particularly in children, spinal injury, amputation and industrial disease.

Personal tax, trusts and probate: elsewhere in East Anglia Tier 1

Ashtons Legal's lifetime planning practice handles complex multi-jurisdictional tax and estate planning and probate, notably for the Suffolk and Cambridgeshire professional, academic and agricultural communities. STEP member, deputy CEO and firm-wide head of individual services Alan Brown is the key partner in Bury St Edmunds and he is best known for his capital tax planning work, which includes acting for clients with foreign assets and non-UK domiciles. Matthew Cameron heads the firm’s French legal services team from Bury St Edmunds.

Banking and finance Tier 2

Ashtons Legal focuses predominantly on advising lenders and is on numerous bank panels, though it is steadily extending its reach among major borrowers. The firm is 'a good regional practice with customer-facing partners and associates who are very capable and supportive'. Practice head Ron Clare is 'a man of high integrity'. The practice has specialist knowledge of secured lending, agricultural finance and corporate finance, with typical loan values between £2m and £12m. It has a strong client base in the industrial, retail warehousing, leisure and care homes sectors.

Commercial litigation: Cambridge Tier 2

The commercial litigation practice at Ashtons Legal works through all of the firm's East Anglia offices but is led from Cambridge by highly experienced practice head Michael Frape. A qualified mediator, he handles complex and high-value commercial disputes for both public companies and private individuals, notably shareholder disputes, directors’ duties cases, warranty claims, partnership disputes, contractual matters and professional negligence claims. The firm counts Cambridge colleges, housebuilders, property developers and a major regional lender among its clients.

Commercial litigation: elsewhere in East Anglia Tier 2

Ashtons Legal in Bury St Edmunds has a very experienced consultant in Mark Merriam and a talented associate in Annabel Mayer who work closely with the firm's larger litigation teams in Cambridge and Norwich. Mayer, who handles property litigation and debt recovery alongside business disptues, handled a number of contract disputes in 2018 with values in excess of £1m. One client describes the practice as 'knowledgeable, pragmatic and very easy to deal with'.

Commercial property: Cambridge Tier 2

Ashtons Legal has 'an excellent team of lawyers who provide excellent proactive advice', according to one client. The commercial property practice is led from Ipswich but the Cambridge office houses substantial expertise in partner Magnus McManus, senior associates Charlotte Vallins, Sophie McCadney and Rhian Brook, and associate Jenny Lewis. Together, they act for numerous Cambridge colleges in high-value property transactions. The practice also handles work for a leading regional estate agent, advises on major property development projects across the region, and assists a leading regional lender with high-profile matters.

Commercial property: elsewhere in East Anglia Tier 2

The Bury St Edmunds office of Ashtons Legal plays a pivotal role in the firm's region-wide commercial property practice, which acts for numerous Cambridge colleges and large estate agents, and handles portfolio management for major landowners. The firm's leading franchising practice also generates significant property matters. Ron Clare, who also handles finance and banking work, is the key local partner. He is also the lead lawyer for property matters for the firm's clients in the care home sector.

Commercial property: Ipswich Tier 2

Ashtons Legal has a large commercial property practice that operates across all of the firm's offices in East Anglia. James Griffiths is the lead partner in Ipswich for a practice that counts numerous Cambridge colleges, a regional estate agent, a major regional lender, large landowners and housebuilders, and substantial agricultural businesses among its clients. Griffiths leads the firm's portfolio management and property development work, as well as its support for the firm's leading franchising practice.

Corporate and commercial: elsewhere in East Anglia Tier 2

At Ashtons Legal, the corporate practice works as a single unit across all of the firm's regional offices, but key partner Geoff Hazlewood leads the practice from both Ipswich and Bury St Edmunds. He is specialises in banking, M&A deals and transactions in the  care home sector. He draws on the expertise of partners across the office network who handle franchising matters, technology sector transactions and deals for veterinary practices.

Corporate and commercial: Ipswich Tier 2

Ashtons Legal now has two highly respected partners based full-time in its Ipswich office. Practice head Geoff Hazlewood and the vastly experienced Paul Whittingham both specialise in M&A transactions, with notable expertise in the care homes and veterinary sectors. The practice is handling a growing stream of high-value and complex transactions, and calls upon the firms highly regarded franchising and technology practices to assist franchised businesses and high-growth companies throughout East Anglia.

Corporate and commercial: Norwich Tier 2

At Ashtons Legal, key partner James Tarling acts for a broad range of local businesses in corporate transactions, and has a specialist focus innovative high-growth technology companies. He is highly regarded for his advice on issues such as GDPR and regulatory compliance. The firm has a leading franchising practice in which John Chambers and Damian Humphrey are the driving forces. They act for both UK and overseas clients, and the firm is an adviser to around 15% of all domestic franchise networks.

Employment Tier 2

Ashtons Legal's employment practice is particularly strong in key industry sectors such as education, manufacturing, food and beverage, road transport, healthcare, and oil and gas. The firm also has a new HR consultancy for employer clients. It acts for employees in regard to transfers and terminations. The practice has an impressive client base that includes numerous Cambridge Colleges, as well as large regional and national businesses. Practice head Ross Strowger and partners Claire Sleep and Colin Makin are the key contacts.

Environment & planning Tier 2

'The firm demonstrates a winning combination of expert knowledge with practical application to complex situations', remarks a client of Ashtons Legal. Consultant Bob McGeady no longer resides in the region but is a vital part of the planning team led by Cambridge-based partner Amy Richardson who joined from Howes Percival LLP in 2018. The firm frequently acts for local authorities, local residents, Parish Councils, developers and private landowners in matters including planning appeals and inquiries, planning agreements and applications, Certificates of Lawfulness, judicial reviews, affordable housing requirements and environmental impact assessments.

Family Tier 2

Ashtons Legal has significant expertise in advising clients with very substantial assets and significant land and trust assets on family law matters, for which it is regarded as one of the best in East Anglia. Practice head Stephen Williams in Ipswich frequently handles family law matters with an international element for high-net-worth individuals, particularly those in the agricultural sector. Mary Pearce in Bury St Edmunds specialises in the financial aspects of breakdowns of marriages or cohabitation arrangements. Francesca Easter is also recommended.

Personal tax, trusts and probate: Cambridge Tier 2

Ashtons Legal handles complex multi-jurisdictional tax and estate planning and probate matters, with a niche in French legal affairs. Among its clients are professionals, academics and agricultural families in Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. It is also well known for its capability in the niche area of Vulnerable Client support and its Court of Protection case management team. Lynn Wicks leads the lifetime planning department and specialises in work for vulnerable and elderly clients. Jennie Pratt is a leading light for advice on wealth management and tax planning. Christina Duck is also recommended.

Personal tax, trusts and probate: Ipswich Tier 2

Ashtons Legal handles complex multi-jurisdictional tax and estate planning and probate, with a particular niche in French legal affairs. Senior associates Janette Wand and Louise Cardwell are the key practitioners in Ipswich and they work closely with the deep bench of private client lawyers in the firm's other offices to advise on tax, estate planning, trusts, powers of attorney and probate. Both are members of STEP and Solicitors for the Elderly.

Property litigation Tier 2

The property disputes team at Ashtons Legal, which is led by senior associate Nigel Maguire who is a solicitor advocate and member of the Property Litigation Association, acts for 12 Cambridge colleges. It also has a strong practice in portfolio management, including landlord and tenant matters, for grant-making trusts and other landlords. Its market-leading franchising group also generates significant amounts of disputes. The firm also  provides strategic advice to developers in regard to adverse claims and interests, restrictive covenants, adverse possession and easement claims.

Transport and shipping Tier 2

Two years ago, Ashtons Legal formed its regulatory practice, which focuses on road transport matters. It supports clients with both regulatory compliance and enforcement actions, as well as disciplinary matters. Among its clients are public listed companies, a major utility seeking niche advice, a national food and drink company, and a large construction company. Practice head Tim Ridyard is currently in a major truck cartel case, concerning the pricing of vehicles over a 14-year period. The practice also handles day-to-day advice on matters including trading standards, taxi licensing, data protection and police investigations. Specialist regulatory and road transport solicitor Tim Norris is also recommended.

Commercial litigation: Norwich Tier 3

Ashtons Legal joins the rankings having recruited respected partner and barrister Tom Bailey from Steeles Law in 2018. Bailey acts for clients in the public, private and commercial sectors including local authorities and charities, and has a strong track record in heavyweight civil and commercial litigation from County Court level through to the Court of Appeal. He works closely as part of a four-partner practice across all of the firm's regional offices, which counts among its clients numerous Cambridge colleges and a leading regional building society.

Commercial property: Norwich Tier 3

Ashtons Legal joins the ranking this year having formed its commercial property practice in Norwich in early 2019. The firm hired Sally Challinor from an independent legal consultancy but she was formerly a director at Howes Percival LLP. The practice has quickly generated a flow of local work including a large lease deal in the sports and leisure sector and the sale of land to a major retail chain. One client praises the firm's 'clear and concise thinking and balanced views on complex technical and business issues, and its knowledgeable and understanding approach'.

Construction Tier 3

Ashtons Legal focuses on non-contentious construction work, supporting the property team with their development and finance work, as well as drafting building contracts and other professional team documents for large-scale projects involving. The firm has particular expertise in the education and charity sectors. Senior associate Sarah Duncan leads the practice and has significant experience in drafting and advising on procurement, building and development contracts.

Contentious trusts and probate Tier 3

Partner and ACTAPS member Polly Stephenson leads the inheritance disputes practice at Ashtons Legal in Ipswich, which handles contentious trusts, Inheritance Act 1975 claims, wills and probate disputes, kin enquiries and related professional negligence claims on behalf of executors and trustees, claimants and defendants. The firm's caseload ranges from small to multimillion-pound estates. Solicitor Bee Belby has a particular focus on cases for clients in the agricultural sector.

Corporate and commercial: Cambridge Tier 3

The bulk of the corporate and commercial practice at Ashtons Legal is outside Cambridge in the firm's other regional offices, yet the Cambridge office is involved in some substantial work. Senior associate John Yatchisin is the key lawyer and is supported by capable solicitors including Paul Mitchell for work that includes share sales and company acquisitions for SME clients.

IT and telecoms Tier 3

Ashtons Legal joins the ranking due to partner James Tarling's growing workload for clients in the technology sector. Tarling has more than 20 years’ experience in data protection and information law, and he also acts for companies in the automotive and motorsport industries and for clients providing IT services in the public and private healthcare sectors. Among his clients are start-ups and high-profile established businesses providing new technologies such as machine learning and near-field communications.

Personal tax, trusts and probate: Norwich Tier 3

Ashtons Legal joins the ranking this year as it has a highly regarded solicitor in Norwich who works alongside the experienced partners in the firm's other regional offices, which includes a French legal services team and a Court of Protection practice. Louisa Bradberry is the local practitioner and one client remarks that she is 'extremely knowledgeable and has a real ability to explain complex matters in a way that clients understand'.

Court of protection Tier 3

Ashtons Legal deals with clients who have a mental incapacity for various reasons. It primarily acts for clients with complex needs and issues who have suffered a catastrophic acquired or birth-related brain injury. It also does some work for elderly clients. Adrian Mundell heads the team that acts as professional deputy for over 100 clients. In addition the department has a number of cases where it is supporting family members who are acting as lay deputy or where the team has been appointed as attorney or trustee.

Franchising Tier 3

The dedicated practice at Ashtons Legal advises a range of national and international clients (primarily franchisors, master licenses and franchise developers) with particular expertise in assisting clients expand overseas. The group also assists with the establishment of their franchise models, franchise agreements issues and renewals, franchise resales and contentious work. Damian Humphrey heads up the department, which also includes consultant John Chambers and Tom Bailey, who focuses on contentious mandates. Clients include Easygym and Bubbleology; the team acted for the latter on the establishment and expansion of its UK franchise operations including its Waffleology brand.