Devonshires Solicitors LLP > London, England > Firm Profile

‘They deal with matters quickly and thoroughly. Very efficient and knowledgeable.’

‘Robert Edge deals with matters quickly, works tirelessly on your behalf and I believe he is a leader in his field.’

‘Jim Varley is superb at what he does.’

‘They are focussed. Their attention to detail is excellent and they are a very safe pair of hands.’

‘My contact is Robert Edge. He is knowledgeable, trustworthy and approachable. He is responsive and his sector knowledge and standing is second to none.’

‘Results are what we all want. We know we are with a safe pair of hands.’

‘Robert Edge is easy to work with. He makes clear recommendations and has picked up an understanding of the risk appetite of our business in a short period.’

‘The debt recovery team has a dynamic “can do” attitude, providing an excellent, transparent service from beginning to end. The team takes time to fully understand clients’ wishes and needs.’

‘The team has specialist knowledge of our sector and provides strong support.’

‘We have a great relationship with the Devonshires’ social housing finance team, led by Julian Barker. They are always available, responsive and pragmatic in guiding us through whatever comes up, and they know the lay of the land across the sector to help in guiding best practice.’

‘They fight our corner doggedly when needed, but also guide pragmatic and realistic compromise to maintain transaction momentum when it is acceptable to do so.’

‘Julian Barker is relaxed, pragmatic, deeply knowledgeable and willing to have a real conversation using normal language that leads to practical action rather than living in a world of caveats and legal jargon. Great to work with and always on speed dial when anything comes up.’

‘Carolyn Thomas is attentive, independent and able to work through the details of loan agreements, restatements, variations and such like to ensure everything is attended to.’

‘Great knowledge of the sector.’

‘Good availability of Julian Barker.’

‘Devonshires is one of the strongest firms I work with. The solicitors are extremely knowledgeable and client focused. Instructions are always clear, full and well-informed. It is very much a collegiate approach when I am instructed by them.’

‘Lee Russell works extremely hard and is on top of all developments regarding his specialisms. He is a dream to work with as it is always a team effort with everyone pulling in the same direction. He is available when you need to discuss something and has a great rapport with clients.’

‘The team is really strong across the range of subjects covered. I consider that Devonshires are the market-leading team in this sector. They also have access to other specialist teams at Devonshires, such as construction and regulatory, so they can cover most of the issues that arise.’

‘Donna McCarthy is excellent at understanding the perspective of the clients and the sector. That comes from a long time spent working in the sector and from having risen through the ranks of seniority.’

‘Samantha Grix has focused on a niche and complicated area of rent regulation and has mastered it.’

‘Lee Russell is a really good communicator.’

‘Devonshires are very well versed on the current and prevailing challenges in residential development, in particular the challenges in the delivery of affordable housing.’

‘Jonathan Corris has an excellent understanding of the market challenges, and is excellent at communicating the commerciality of the options available.’

‘They are a great social housing practice with lots of expertise spanning many different practice areas within social housing.’

‘A standout Partner for me is Elad Yasdi, who is one of the best lawyers I have dealt with, and an expert in his field. I find Elad very knowledgeable, responsive and capable of breaking down complex issues in an easy to understand manner, whilst at the same time coming up with pragmatic solutions.’

‘All of the interactions I have with Devonshire’s employees are professional and solution focused.’

‘Kirsty Thompson – Kirsty is brilliant with advice and her knowledge of the housing sector is exceptional. I haven’t worked with another law firm with this level of understanding, practical application and response times.’

‘Friendly, positive and solutions-based team focused on achieving best outcome for clients.’

‘Elad Yasdi is a commercially astute solicitor who is focused on ensuring the best outcome for his clients against the wider context of a transaction. He focuses on solutions to problems and explains where mitigations may be required in a clear and understandable manner.’

‘A professional, friendly and knowledgeable firm, they have been able to provide an all-round service that tackles even the most niche, specialist or left-field queries. I have great confidence in their work and will always hold Devonshires in high regard.’

‘Gary Grigor is simply a joy to work with. His knowledge and expertise keep us out of trouble, whilst also being a fierce negotiator when needed.’

‘A fantastic range of talent across the civil fraud sphere, particularly in the international context.’

‘A fairly small but industrious team, which leaves no stone unturned in fighting for the client. Able to devise imaginative funding solutions for distressed cases.’

‘Able to call on a wealth of criminal law experience for civil fraud cases.’

‘A good track record in civil fraud cases. Many commercial cases involve fraud and dishonesty and it is just these type of messy cases that the firm excels in.’

‘Philip Barden is the driving force and has a good feel for the strengths and weaknesses in a case. He is shrewd and worldly, as well as unflappable.’

‘David Pack is a proactive, responsive partner who mixes a collegial ease in his dealings with a doggedness to ensure matters are brought to conclusion.’

‘David Pack is a partner who exemplifies the qualities of the team. Indefatigable in fighting his clients’ corner, but able to keep costs down in the process. Very imaginative and resourceful in finding solutions for disputes.’

‘David Pack is brilliant. A very thoughtful lawyer who will go the extra mile for any client. Fantastic to work with. Extremely responsive.’

‘The team is genuinely partner-led: Mark London and Matthew Cocklin in particular make sure that they are properly involved in their cases. They have vast experience across the full range of construction disputes. The team as a whole is full of people who understand the construction industry and who work really hard. They are well resourced and turn things around quickly and accurately.’

‘Matthew Cocklin is a superb construction lawyer. He is intellectually first rate, knows construction law inside-out, is well-versed in the industry, and a great strategic thinker on cases, but he is also a real fighter for his clients and highly commercial. Someone you want in the trenches with you.’

‘Adam Matthewson is a real brain-box, he is also a robust and practical lawyer and he has a fearsome work rate.’

‘Mark London heads the construction team and is vastly experienced. He’s seen it all and done it all, is very commercial and clients love the way he cuts through the nonsense to resolve cases.’

‘Matthew Cocklin is an excellent lawyer. He is responsive and provides decisive, practical and comprehensive advice.’

‘Matthew Cocklin and Adam Mathewson bring that rare combination of commercial nous, teamwork, and client care. He can smell the right answer from the start.’

‘Passionate about what they do as individuals in obtaining a successful outcome for their client. Especially Matthew Cocklin and Mark London.’

‘Mark London is exemplary in his specific field. Highly expert but able to communicate complex issues in a straightforward and understandable way.’

‘The team are knowledgeable and commercially focussed.’

‘Mark London is down to earth and responsive, while Asif Patel pays attention to detail, and is responsive and pro-active.’

‘The Devonshires team is excellent and provides an incredibly strong service to me and my team.’

‘They are responsive, diligent and solution orientated, which is incredibly useful when trying to make progress on complex deals. Devonshires are my go-to solicitor for any development-related issue.’

‘Asif Patel has an ability to explain complex issues allowing them to be understood so that decisions can be made to protect the business. He is now our company’s go-to solicitor for anything linked to construction.’

‘The team is excellent, knowledgeable, helpful, forward thinking, and find solutions rather than simply raising concerns. They are a pleasure to work with.’  

‘Asif Patel is exceptional. He has such a good grasp of the construction and related contract matters and provides very good and clear advice which allows me to be able to feel confident in making an informed decision.’ 

‘Asif Patel was also able to adapt to emerging changes in regulations and amend the contract to suit to ensure it was fit for purpose despite uncertainty over future requirements.’

‘They have expertise in S106 agreements, along with wider planning issues.’

‘Excellent collaboration and communication.’

‘Hannah Langford was highly efficient and collaborative, responsive to our various communications; and her particular expertise in planning and nutrient neutrality was invaluable.’

‘All of the employees at Devonshire Solicitor’s that I’ve had contact with are highly professional, expertly knowledgeable and practical in their advice.’

‘Kirsty Thompson really understands the organisation I work for, the culture and history which really helps when discussing complex issues. Kirsty is extremely knowledgeable about employment law but also has excellent business acumen.’

‘The team includes leading housing sector experts. It has been a valued ‘go-to’ firm in our organisation.’

‘Kirsty Thompson is a trusted adviser to all and has always provided us with pragmatic, expert advice to support our decision-making. She is extremely responsive to requests for support and has always met deadlines that we have agreed with her, often pulling out the stops for us to respond at short notice.’

‘Devonshire’s provides a comprehensive one-stop shop for all matters legal and governance.’

‘Kirsty Thompson is knowledgeable and responsive.’

‘Their loyalty to clients, without losing objectivity or ethical independence, is truly exceptional.’

‘The firm has a good work and team ethic. It is capable of handling large high-profile cases (as well as mid-sized disputes).’

‘Very strong, great experience and a common-sense approach.’

‘Philip Barden is the key figure in the firm. He has a wealth of experience in commercial litigation and is unflappable.’

‘Philip Barden is one of the most outstanding lawyers around.’

‘Philip Barden is great at tactics and has a good feel for the strength and weakness in a case. He is also very good in getting cases settled on the right terms. Very practical.’

‘Philip Barden is very experienced, has excellent judgement, and really looks after his clients.’

‘Pauline Lépissier is very sensitive to the needs of clients and extremely hard- working. She is on top of the detail in a manner that puts her client in the best position.’

‘The team are always on hand to help in a variety of ways – as soon as we became a client they provided us with a system where we could easily upload information on cases, we have weekly team meetings and they have also done bespoke training and assisted us in the office on large case loads. Nothing is too much trouble.’

‘Donna McCarthy and Baljit Basra are all partners and extremely down-to-earth making the customer feel comfortable and not completely out of their depth when dealing with legal matters, no question is too silly and we feel very comfortable using them and their teams.’

‘The team, led by Gemma Bell, leads the market in quality and depth of experience and understanding of social housing. Working with organisations that are in distress, the team provides bespoke advice when speed if often the key.’

‘Gemma Bell has a deep understanding of social housing. Her advice is clear, relevant and timely. She is available when you need it which is extremely helpful when you are dealing with fast moving situations.’

‘Devonshire employs a team of experts with diverse backgrounds and skill sets, ensuring comprehensive coverage across the housing legal sector.’

‘Gemma is very clear and articulate in explaining pros of cons of major decisions – backed up clearly with legislation to improve ones’ understanding.’

‘Gemma is able to provide advice and guidance whether overall strategic guidance and leadership or the ability to deep dive into the details. Gemma’s dedication to quality is exemplified by her meticulous attention to detail and innovative problem-solving skills. She consistently goes above and beyond to ensure client satisfaction.’

‘Gemma tells it as it is and works with integrity and empathy. She approaches every interaction with honesty, transparency and a genuine desire to support our organisation.’