Devonshires Solicitors LLP > London, England > Firm Profile

‘Robert Edge is excellent in getting the job done, thoroughly knowledgable in his field with partner Jim Varley bringing a wealth of experience and knowledge.’

‘Robert Edge has excellent knowledge and listens to clients.’

‘The debt recovery team provide an excellent end to end service for their clients, working tirelessly to ensure their needs are met and the desired results achieved. The team have the ability to provide a commercially orientated fast, efficient and effective service enabling clients to focus on the running of their own business rather than spending excessive time and money pursuing outstanding debts.’

‘Robert Edge stands out from his peers because he is approachable, efficient and always pragmatic when negotiating costs. He understands that the client’s view is most important. Everything is explained in detail and options are discussed to ensure his clients are able to make a fully informed decision.’

‘Of the numerous qualities which I valued in Ann Dixon’s handling of my case, two were of particular note: 1) The rapidity and quality of Mrs. Dixon’s correspondence; my many written queries and request for updates were reliably replied to in a notably expeditious manner and with exceeding thoroughness, 2) The quality of advice; her understanding of the psychological elements of my case and its relevant individuals was outstanding and enabled a successful resolution of the matter.

‘Excellent communication – there was thorough attention to detail and extensive clarity was provided in all written communication. Verbal communication was, at all times, professional with demonstrably good listening skills shown and always exceedingly courteous and polite.’

‘The team as a whole are very welcoming and down to earth. I specifically work with the securitisation team who have a wealth of knowledge and so easy to work with. They don’t converse in jargon, it’s plain text for those of us not legally trained, which is so helpful in understanding difficult exercises and for training new team members too. Deovnshires also consistently keep up with any legislative change or Social Housing changes and are always on hand to answer any queries we might have.’

‘Fantastic profile, trusted by funders, dependable and trustworthy in delivering fair fees.’

‘The Devonshires team is highly responsive with an in depth knowledge in their areas of expertise. That knowledge is then translated with a commercial focus into easy to understand explanations and instructions for their clients. The team has an excellent understanding of when to raise points of detail that need to be addressed and when to focus on the commercial big picture that their clients are trying to achieve.’

‘Gary Grigor is extremely knowledgeable and always readily available to discuss matters, whether it be the commercial big picture or an intricate point of detail. He is a strong negotiator, achieving excellent results in negotiations with minimal client input required. Natalie Swales is a steady hand, overseeing and managing projects from start to finish with a cool head. She is adept at giving sound advice and is always contactable to explain points of process or legal detail.’

‘Devonshires not only understand the legal side of the transactions, they also demonstrate a keen understanding of the commercial side too. They deal with issues taking a positive approach and always try to find workable solutions where possible. They listen to suggestions of how information flows could work better, and continuously update and improve their ways of working to fit with modern ways of working.’

‘The property team deliver a first-rate service, understanding that there are hard deadlines and targets to meet. They work hard to ensure momentum is maintained, and always take time to explain things in a way that non-legal people can understand. Chris Drabble stands out for me in his ability to get things “across the line”. He understands the sector, and all its quirks, and his extensive experience and knowledge undoubtedly contribute to his ability to find solutions and workarounds.’

‘For Corporate finance, Julian Barker and Alice Overton always make time to speak to you and know the various agreements in detail. They have the respect of peers from other firms and lenders. On the charging side, Sharon Kirkham and colleagues form a formidable team and are able to deliver large charging exercises in a timely manner.’

‘Despite the process of listing homes for securitisation purposes being predominantly technology based there remains, with Devonshires, appropriate human contact (and reassurance) too! The entire team worked seamlessly together, on the agreement drafting side as well as the securitisation element. We were made to feel part of that team which was appreciated. All of the work was completed to our satisfaction, the advice was frank and not at all vague, and everything was on time.’

‘Devonshires’ team has excellent social housing and regulated sector experience. This gives confidence that the advice will be focussed around a strong understanding of that operating environment. This sets them above other lawyer practices for me – they are my ‘go to’.’

‘The Devonshires team has great strength in terms of areas of expertise and levels of experience. It means that work can be allocated to someone with the right area of expertise and the right level of experience. The Devonshires team is the best in these respects in the sector. If I was in a management role in a social housing provider, Devonshires would be my first point of call for legal issues.’

‘Donna McCarthy has fantastic communication skills with her clients. She makes sure that she understands what their needs are. Lee Russell has really strong analytical skills and is comfortable with complex multi faceted cases. He recently managed a case in which the whole of a recent development had to be vacated. He secured great results for his client.’

‘Devonshires have a wide range of experienced partners who can assist with matters that arise across the affordable housing and RP sectors.’

‘Neil Toner is an excellent head of real estate. He is able to communicate complex points with clarity and has wide experience within the sector. He has successfully guided us through a number of complex transactions over recent years.’

‘They have a very diverse team, that allows any legal problem to be handled by the team, this means we can have certainty when we ask a question we will get a whole answer.’

‘The Devonshires team have a solid, gold plated reputation in the social housing sector. I have worked with them over a period of 30 years and always found the team professional, diligent, accurate, and thorough in the work and advice they give.’

‘Kirsty Thompson is always available to resolve issues, by coming up with practical solutions.’

‘Most recently I have worked closely with Elad Yasdi and his team. Elad always makes time for his clients. He listens, shares his thinking and offers solutions and problem-solving ideas.’

‘The level of experience and knowledge this practice holds is well respected within the construction and social housing sectors.’

‘Gary Grigor is the standout partner for me. His industry knowledge and insight is second to none and gives robust advice with a friendly demeanour. He takes the time to know our entire loan portfolio so that when negotiating something new, he knows immediately whether it is a good fit and can highlight any variations from the ‘norm’ so that our time as the client can be spent focused on the points we need to understand and commercially negotiate.’

‘The social housing team at Devonshires in Leeds are just fantastic, both in the banking space and on the property securitisation side.’

‘Chris Drabble heads up a first-class securitisation team. He leads his team by example demonstrating the qualities of being approachable, helpful and understanding whilst at all times maintaining a high level of professionalism. He takes time to understand the purpose and desired outcome of the transaction and drives a strong team to ensure both are met.’

‘The team have extensive knowledge of the housing sector and deal with potential issues in a very proactive and innovative manner. From the top down, all members of the team are approachable and friendly and they work hard to build strong relationships with all areas of our team.’

‘Wide-ranging practice areas. Very easy to deal with.’

‘The firm is a medium-sized firm which delivers a high quality service and reasonable cost.’

‘Philip Barden is exceptional. He is the go-to person for this area.’

‘Mark London and Matthew Cocklin are backed up by excellent partners and associates. There are quality people from the top to the bottom of the team who produce first-class work that is “court ready”. It is unusual to have that kind of uniformity of quality.’

‘Matthew Cocklin is a star in the field. He has a excellent understanding of the construction industry, deep knowledge of the law, great commercial and litigation instincts and an eye for detail.’

‘Mark London has seen everything in the business. He combines encyclopaedic knowledge of the field with ruthless commercial nous to provide straightforward advice clients can follow.’

‘A leading team for local authority construction work, and has a deep knowledge of cladding-related claims.’

‘Mark London is fantastic with clients, can predict the other side’s next move with ease, and is a man you want on your side.’

‘Very committed and very professional.’

‘Very attentive to clients needs. Great communication.’

‘Mathew Cocklin and Adam Mathewson are a great team. Both bring considerable experience of construction issues.’

‘Excellent responsive service, completes tasks in line with agreed timescales, excellent advice provided, and looks for solutions to suit all.’

‘Asif Patel is very personable, makes everything simple to understand, delivers on promises, responds quickly, and makes the whole process very straight forward.’

‘Sasha Pirbhai is very professional, commercial and pragmatic in her approach. She is engaging and consistent with her advice and manner.’

‘Asif Patel and Mark London give essential support.’

‘Asif Patel has a highly pragmatic approach to contract drafting. He has a highly measured and engaging approach.’

‘The Devonshires team are always highly responsive, particularly in the area of procurement. Their advice is always well thought out with explained rationale.’

‘A very competent, commercial litigation team.’

‘A fantastic and knowledgeable team that is well versed across many sectors that we have to deal with.’

‘Always available, forthright and direct, which saves a lot of time and ensures we act effectively.’

‘If one is looking for practical advice and a competent firm that will bill you fairly and not go over the top, this is the ideal law firm.’

‘I appreciate the exceptional service that the team provides to clients, with cases from medium to large – and it always holds its own.’

‘A pleasure to work with; and what impresses me is the common sense approach it adopts, rather than fighting and arguing everything, which is so often the case.’

‘Prompt attention, excellent focus on issues, simple but easily-understandable presentations, and available at short notice.‘

‘Philip Barden stands out as outstanding. He cares, works hard, is a tough negotiator and pragmatic. I have no hesitation in recommending him to clients, and he has always come good.’