Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP > Bristol, England > Firm Profile

‘Punching above their weight – City experience in the south-west.’

‘Andre Jurkiw is highly experienced, knowledgeable about the law but client-focused and commercial.’

‘Professional service by highly qualified solicitors.’

‘Emma Doble was a great help during the whole process of our case. I found her to be extremely professional, understanding and supportive throughout the procedure.’

‘I could always count on thorough analysis and the advice that will suit my business.’

‘The WBD team are our go to firm for all H&S matters. They are responsive, pragmatic and always available. Above all we value the team’s judgement and down-to-earth approach.’

‘We would give a special mention to Jon Cooper and Ashley Borthwick who have an excellent track record and unrivalled knowledge in this area of law. They always deliver clear and actionable advice in a cost effective and prompt manner. They are our go to lawyers in this space.’

‘Jon Cooper remains the guru regulatory lawyer, in particular in health and safety Law. He has recruited an exceptional team.’

‘Jon Cooper and Steve Panton’s ability to align legal advice to commercial operation of the business is unrivalled.’

‘Stephen Panton – excellent case knowledge with proactive approach to client management.’

‘One of the most experiences Health and Safety/Regulatory crime teams in the country. Would be one of my “go to” firms.’

‘Jon Cooper is undoubtedly one of the stars in this area of law. Hugely knowledgably and unrivalled experience.’

‘Tom Caplen – stand-out partner. Client focused, dedicated to excellence and delivers succinct legal advice in plain English.’

‘Very commercial and understand our business drivers, easy to deal with and able to get to the root of the issue in very straightforward terms.’

‘The firm structure, which includes a number of US offices, enables the firm to provide a breadth of knowledge and experience. Domestically, the team is first class and is my first port-of-call for any of my HNW clients.’

‘The team at WBD were simply impressive. Right from the start the service felt personal and the team were always on top of the brief.’

‘Suzy Pawsey was outstanding. A sharp mind, great attention to detail and a very personable style. A real pleasure to work with.’

‘Christopher Kerr-Smiley’s tax knowledge is formidable.’

‘WBD have a very skilled and experienced team who have guided us every step of the way and have gone above and beyond the call of duty many times.’

‘WBD’s partners are highly experienced and have provided excellent leadership in their respective fields.’

‘Responsive and knowledgeable.’

‘WBD have a depth of knowledge and expertise that has proved useful to our firm time and again.’

‘Samantha Orluta: commercially aware, prompt service and advice.

‘Jackie Gale: Thorough and efficiently gets residential sales across the line.’

‘They have a growing reputation in this field, dealing with some major and high profile environmental disputes for large companies. Practical and with good strength in depth.’

‘Stephen Panton: great technical knowledge, pragmatic and excellent with clients.’

‘Jon Cooper: enormous experience and gravitas.’

‘WBD managed sensitive negotiations, navigating a complicated legal process and developing a detailed understanding of the very technical issue under discussion.’

‘Stephen Panton – very technically strong on litigation process, project management and technical issues.’

‘Brilliant diverse team doing a range of work across planning and infrastructure projects.’

‘Jonathan Bower is brilliant to work with. Clearly a team player who is good at encouraging all members of the team.’

‘Womble Bond Dickinson has a very very strong planning practice and enormous strength in depth. The team is enormously focussed on delivering for the client and the size of the team means that no case is too big or too small. Certainly one of my favourite firms to work with.’

‘Victoria Redman – Hugely compentent and experienced, Victoria is a great team player and also a star individual.’

‘Richard Guyatt – A top planning partner who is very well respected throughout the profession.’

‘The WBD practice is uniquely placed due to its collaborative approach with clients.’

‘Kevin Gibbs and his team have been committed and responsive. Liaising with the client out of hours, and being highly responsive to acute deadlines. Their ability to work with the wider multi disciplinary team and with the associated council team is important to overall success.’

‘Jonathan Bower – One of the very leading lights in compulsory purchase and compensation law. Jonathan is vastly experienced and there is nothing on importance in this area of law that he doesn’t know.’

‘Sasha Hinton: is commercial, assured and has great tactical acuity. She is meticulous in the way she prepares cases and is rightly well thought of in the field of dilapidations.’

‘Very strong property litigation team with a lot of experience of infrastructure related disputes.’

‘James Rees is a very experienced and knowledgable solicitor.’

‘The team work well together, using counsel when and where appropriate.’

James Rees – knows how to direct his legal team, to ensure efficiency in terms of expenditure for the client.’

‘A strong team of partners and associates who bring different skill-sets to bear in a property-related dispute.’

‘Sasha Hinton – ready to think outside of the box. Works hard for her clients. James Rees – strong oversight of the property litigation department. Thinks strategically for his clients.’

‘The team brings a great depth of experience to bear across the property litigation spectrum. The telecoms team in particular is strong.’

‘Alastair Mitton runs a strong IT practice assisted by managing associate Georgie Morgan-Giles. Excellent client service.’

‘Managing associate Georgie Morgan-Giles has excellent technical knowledge, understood our queries and worked diligently and efficiently to turn around a large suite of MSA and SOW documents in good time. Georgie led calls on our behalf, challenging other party to ensure the best outcome. I highly recommend.’

‘WBD’s level of responsiveness is what sets them apart from other law firms. When a matter is urgent to the business, part of our role as in-house lawyers is expectation management. WBD are exemplary at acknowledging receipt of emails instantly (in the majority of instances) with the advice following in short order. WBD are great at scoping out the instructions so the client is completely clear on the output.’

‘Alastair Mitton provides efficient, effective and high-quality legal advice in a commercially-focused way. He is solutions-driven and always finds the time to brainstorm tricky or complex matters in a highly logical and articulate way.’

‘Alistair Mitton has provided excellent support and assistance.’

‘The team has fantastic expertise and understand technical concepts easily, which makes instructing them simple and means the outputs are exactly what we need. The team also has an in-depth knowledge of the business and this means we receive advice that’s been thought through and has been tailored to our specific needs. This is invaluable for an inhouse team and takes away a lot of the burden, which is key when outsourcing work.’

‘Alastair Mitton provides us with an excellent service and makes sure his team are on hand whenever needed. His technical expertise on IT related matters makes him stand out. He also takes the time to understand the business to make sure his advice is bespoke and practical. This makes life so much easier for a busy inhouse team and makes Alastair invaluable.’

‘The team advising us provide extremely commercial advice on our supplier contracts. They are able to explain complex legal issues in straightforward terms for the benefit of our operational managers. They are incredibly responsive, pragmatic and, overall, a pleasure to work with.’

‘Very strong practice, with a great team of Simon Watts, assisted by Stacey Hall.’

‘Very friendly, personable and able team. Easy to get along with. Open to challenge.’

‘The people I worked with were diligent, hard working and analytical. They focused on identifying the important issues and addressing them in ways which most benefitted the client.’

‘The partner I worked with was Paul Stewart. Paul managed his team with skill – ensuring they were approaching issues correctly. He was also good with the client – managing their expectations and giving sound advice throughout.’

‘We found the team’s response to be well-pitched to the query we had raised and appreciated their attitude to the issue, in that they brought lots of energy and support for us whilst understanding our business and needs very well.’

‘Jonny Gribben – pragmatic and commercial advice, available when needed, no query was too big or too small.’

‘Richard Collins was excellent and is a proactive, commercially minded lawyer.’

‘The team has good expertise and understand technical concepts easily, which makes instructing them simple. The team also has an in-depth knowledge of the business and this means we receive advice that’s been thought through and has been tailored to our specific needs. This is invaluable for an in-house team and takes away a lot of the burden, which is key when outsourcing work. The team are friendly and work well with the business. The team has good depth and deals easily with a variety of matters – from complex litigation to financial services litigation.’

‘Jonny Gribben makes dealing with litigation extremely easy. He has a great knowledge of the business – as well as great expertise – and he does all of the heavy lifting on our matters. This is exactly what you want in an external lawyers and it makes outsourcing litigation much easier for a very busy in-house team. His advice is well thought through and extremely practical.’

‘Richard Collins is superb and provides a stellar service. Has helped work through a number of very complex matters with a great sense of pragmatism. Digests matters comprehensively, great use of external counsel and efficient advice given swiftly and sensibly.’

‘For me personally, the team at WBD are very good at tailoring their services to our needs. We require the specialists we work with to have a good knowledge of our industry, org structure and roles to efficiently react and address specific issues. Their law updates and events are very useful and informative and demonstrate their progressiveness to current issues.’

‘Alan Kennedy is our advisor and he does an excellent job for us. When required he responds quickly and accurately to our needs, he has worked closely with us to form a trusted relationship with key stakeholders, to understand our business and our people challenges. He is personable and practical which really works for us.’

‘Sandy Duncanson is a solicitor who has particularly impressed me in a positive way from this firm. He prepared the cases excellently, despite huge cost pressures under the terms with the client, and gave an excellent service as a result.’

‘Lorraine Heard, Newcastle – a truly peerless lawyer with an unparalleled equal pay and discrimination specialism. A kindly and constructive manner belies this steely and highly strategically astute lawyer. A very hard worker and a highly effective leader of her team. Always thinking many steps ahead, Lorraine hits the ground running, even in highly complex matters.’

‘Alan Kennedy- a pragmatic and sensible lawyer who recognises the limits of what sensibly be acheived on behalf of a client and focusses his energies accordingly.’

‘Hilary du Randt is an extremely bright, diligent partner with a down to earth, easy to work with demeanour. She is incisive in her thinking and effective at communicating it.’

‘The team at WBD are professionals through and through. Very commercially minded and extremely well prepared.’

‘In depth knowledge of employment law. Practical and pragmatic approach. Excellent attention to detail in witness statements.’

‘Down to earth, commercial advice, which untangled a potentially complex set of issues surrounding the transition from a long standing company pension scheme with DB as well as DC elements to a Master Trust. The team were refreshing to deal with.’

‘I have worked with lawyers who see their technical understanding as a weapon to beat their clients with if questions are asked and challenges over advice are made. The refreshing style of the partner meant that it felt like a truly collaborative partnership, where her advice was shared discussed and agreed as she built up a trusting relationship with us.’

‘Very pro-active with the advice they give.’

‘Understand the pension scheme and what is required. Gavin Ellison is excellent.’

‘The practice is always available, has the correct level of services for our needs and is responsive to requests.’

‘Strength in depth and unrivalled local legal coverage.’

‘Julian Gill – dynamic, knowledgeable, questioning and wholly approachable.’

‘They tend to adopt a very collaborative approach to their work from which I feel fully informed at every stage of the cases I have with them.’

‘Peter Maxwell has a good grasp of the detail and is highly effective at communicating that to his clients. He is a very experienced insolvency lawyer who demonstrates a genuine passion for his work.’

‘Top class insolvency and restructuring team.’

‘Julian Gill – the region’s leading insolvency lawyer. Peter Maxwell – extremely effective insolvency litigator.’

‘Specialist area – best in field in North.’

‘Very good knowledge of Agricultural estates and the legal and management issues that arise from them.’

‘Simon Kirkup, in particular, has excellent personal skills and the ability to communicate complicated issues in a straightforward way.’

‘Simon Kirkup ability to grasp a situation swiftly and spot the risks and issues is impressive and then his ability to delegate the detailed work with an eye on the commercial goal of completing the transaction.’

‘Womble Bond Dickenson provide us with a truly excellent service on matters relating to charity governance. The team are knowledgeable and maintain a strong working knowledge of our organisation which enables them to quickly relate to and translate broader industry / sector issues for us. I particularly value their prompt response to our requests for assistance, the clear communication throughout their work and the fact that they not only always deliver what we need, but that they also challenge our thinking and help us consider other aspects that we may not have initially identified.’

‘I think the most important aspect of the way WBD work is their attention to detail and in depth knowledge and understanding of their clients. They are extremely sensitive to family circumstances. They work in a transparent, empathetic way to deliver well informed and individually focussed services and solutions.’

‘Good range of skills across the team with good internal administrative support. my wife and i like the ability to have a highly skilled and capable team with support in wealth management as well as probate practice; we are pleased with fund performance and confident that they can support our family in the long term’

‘The team involved have been working with this family for 25 years. Their prime focus is understanding and responding to our changing needs. They are aware and responsive to new and proposed legislation and are always focused on the long term – as we ask them to be. Limited experience with other firms has felt “boom or bust” Despite being naturally skeptical we keep continue to trust and respect their always carefully considered advise.’

‘Main contact / partner is Helen Tavroges. We meet every 6 months and she continues to keep up to date with all the family members and issues. Her daughter is of similar age to our children and is empathetic to our issues she is always easy to reach. Her support team is excellent.’

‘The Northern powerhouse. Their size and experience makes them a match for any firm in the country.’

‘The team inspire confidence, listen to our needs and respond with clarity, professionalism and integrity.’

‘The team lead by Kevin Robertson are exceptional in every way.’

‘High quality service and attention to detail. The work of WBD is always first class.’

‘The team are very hands on and always respond in a timely manner. They are able to cover all areas of the law and able to provide expertise both in the UK and abroad.’

‘The Team at WBD is extremely knowledgeable regarding education and the needs of a Trust when converting or sponsoring additional schools. Process is well supported and timely advise received. WBD is extremely responsive to the needs of their clients.’

‘The whole team at WBD is personable and approachable. They are able to support and guide clients to ensure risks are highlighted and mitigated.’

‘Good and approachable people who are good to work with and are dependable. Their ability is taken as a given.’

‘John Ralph is the stand-out partner who delivers the goods in a pragmatic, hands-on way to get work done.’

‘Response time and efficiency, going above and beyond.’

‘A wide range of fee earners with expertise across different fields.’

‘Always available to give high-quality advice which understands the commercial considerations that underpin our work.’

‘The team at WBD provide a friendly, efficient service. They are quick to respond and always willing to help.’

‘Nigel Emmerson has developed a deep understanding of our business over the years, and takes time to understand our needs. Where necessary, he is able to bring in subject-matter experts and ensures matters are dealt with in a timely manner.’

‘The legal team is very personable and works well in collaboration with other project team members.’

‘Simon Rowland specifically stands out and is an excellent team player, prepared to innovate and be involved in the whole project from inception to completion.’

‘Good knowledge of sector, responsive to our needs.’

‘Simon Lewis has been knowledgeable, responsive, able to explain legal issues concisely and in language understood by non legal people.’

‘The overall knowledge and experience of the team is unrivalled in my experience.’

‘Ian Atkinson has lead on the relationship for many years – he took the time to understand the business, the individuals and the approach to risk to ensure he was always able to offer appropriate advice at all times.’

‘WBD is a great firm with enormous strength in depth, able to provide the client with a complete service combining technical legal knowledge with tactical ability and exceptional service.’

Jen Smurthwaite is simply outstanding: very impressive both technically and tactically.’

‘A good mix of fee earners that are able to provide focused advice.’

‘They are always available to provide high-quality advice.’

‘Specialist litigators who are approachable, good value for money and attentive to client needs.’

‘Elspeth Moncrieff is excellent. She is attentive to detail and very commercially minded.’

‘Caroline Churchill – strongly recommended for tech contracts. Excellent subject matter knowledge.’

‘This team is our go-to for corporate M&A and restructuring. They’re pragmatic, thoughtful, commercial and competitive on fees.’

‘Stephen Pierce is pragmatic, commercial and always accessible.’

‘Commercial solutions at a reasonable cost.’

‘We work particularly closely with Sebastian Briggs who has become a trusted friend to my business and has the absolute confidence of my CEO and board. He is expert, unflappable and very effective.’

‘An excellent and well-rounded practice with very approachable and helpful team members.’

‘The team are great, they conduct work within the team at the right level to minimise costs where possible, there is a good level of oversight to ensure that this does not negatively impact the quality of the output. They keep in good contact, firstly to ensure that they obtain sufficiently detailed instructions at every stage of the process, but also to ensure that the client isn’t left second guessing as to what the current position is.’

‘Availability is the key one for me here. On several occasions I have had to request urgent calls with the partner who has overall supervision of the relevant matter. This always takes place quickly, sometimes within minutes, but certainly the same day.’

‘I have been working with the energy disputes team, who are a particularly user-friendly team with a degree of focus on the detail that is unusually strong. They are good at managing work streams, using counsel judiciously, and managing client expectations. I would consider them to be a highly attractive group for major corporates in particular in the energy sector to work with.’

‘Amy Prime was a real asset whilst working on this project; she was able to help on short notice and her patience was much appreciated. The support from the entire team was great; they got everything organised for us on very short notice and maintained contact throughout.’

‘The team is well resourced and placed to manage large clients, particularly in the retail sector – it has long experience with national companies with workforces measured in tens of thousands.’

‘The WBD Employment team in Hampshire provide an excellent, very timely and highly knowledgeable service.’

‘My main point of contact is Christina Tolvas-Vincent who is highly skilled, very personable, extremely efficient and responsive, but with the appropriate level of gravitas for the level she works at. Christina’s attention to detail is second to none, as is the level of interest she takes in our organisation. She is highly reliable and effective and her knowledge of employment law is exceptional.’

‘Dan Fawcett provided unique support insight – evidential and legal – during a long worker status case just successfully concluded in which he was a leading member of the instructing team.’

‘Christina Tolvas-Vincent is a calming and reassuring influence in particularly challenging or emotionally charged cases. Ben Duxbury has risen from his associate position to a deserved role as managing associate. Dan Fawcett has an encyclopaedic knowledge of all areas of statute and practice.’

‘Dan Fawcett, associate, would provide thoughtful, knowledgeable and deeply researched contributions on evidential and legal issues on demand at all hours. He showed extraordinary industry and excellent judgment (tactically and in every way) and worked superbly well with everyone in the team.’

‘Christina Tolvas-Vincent is able to offer expert advice and solutions for us and to hold our hands through the sometimes difficult process involved in dealing with employee issues.’

‘Charlotte Bloomfield is an excellent and very talented lawyer with impressive knowledge of trade union law.’

‘Very interested to understand what we do and to suggest solutions. Very responsive and diligent.’

‘Graham Jeffries is a trusted adviser. His team is also very joined up, committed and responsive.’

‘Innovative and experienced finance team who really take the time to understand the client’s requirements and work with them, not in silos, to create a bespoke solution.’

‘Graham Jeffries continues to skillfully advise on the asset finance market, and really is a superb contact who masterfully and quickly penetrates tricky and cumbersome issues as our partner, not teacher.’

‘The strength of this team is the consistently high standards which are maintained over a prolonged period irrespective of the make up of the team under the leadership of graham Jeffries.’

‘I have nearly 40 years experience of the legal profession and Graham Jeffries epitomises everything a great lawyer should be, namely technically excellent, commercially astute, personable and a good team leader. Emilie Gas worked with us and as ever with this team delivered a seamless service.’

‘Excellent service received from James Robins and Sarah Tivey. Their advice was measured, considered and pragmatic and resulted in the appropriate strategy being adopted and the right result achieved. They were also extremely supportive to their client throughout. An object lesson in the provision of dispassionate, expert and practical advice to guide their client through an unfamiliar and stressful process.’

‘Womble Bond Dickinson have a pragmatic and sensible approach to dealing with professional negligence matters. The team have the necessary technical expertise together with the relevant commercial acumen required to obtain great results for its clients. The team are friendly, approachable and a pleasure to deal with all the while maintaining high professional standards.’

‘James Robins in the Southampton office has an incredibly personable approach. He is friendly, calm under pressure and precise and his technical expertise really shines through.’

‘The people we have dealt with are genuinely bothered about the case progress and working with the insured for the best outcomes.’

‘The team works so well that individuals are not what counts, instead a collaborative approach is shown.’

‘They conducted my case entirely remotely and were flexible around my working hours. I had two named people to refer to, and there was a genuinely open discussion following their advice between both of my solicitors and me. It made the whole process feel inclusive and stronger than I had anticipated.’

‘Sarah Tivey and James Robins helped me through an extremely difficult and worrying period. They did it with great care and total professionalism. I felt fully involved at all times. and there was a free-flowing discussion with them at the appropriate times when considering my case.’

‘Very helpful and competent’

‘The team at WBD has a particularly strong commercial focus and at all stages seeks to understand the client’s key goals to achieve results-focused solutions. The team works collaboratively with others in the firm to deliver a seamless ‘full package’ service. WBD has real depth in the real estate sector with specialisms across all areas.’

‘Georgina Hook is highly proactive, pragmatic and consistently delivers. She is extremely client-focused and great at getting the deal done. Always a pleasure to deal with.’

‘Brittany Beaumont has a refreshingly direct communication style, free of legalese, and adopts a calm and flexible approach to deliver results under tight deadlines. She has been particularly effective in dealing with overage and other complex arrangements.’

‘Sheilah Mackie is tenacious, technically knowledgeable, and thorough.’

‘At every opportunity, I have found the WBD team to be experienced, capable, proactive and a delight to work with. Their collaborative approach to looking after our needs, whilst managing difficult and complex opportunities, complimented with their strong technical knowledge, and understanding of mutual outcomes really does differentiate the practice.’

‘No matter the sector, in my experience it is always people that make the difference and Howard Duckworth and Alastair Mitton are simply a joy to work with. Their easy, approachable style is reassuring, as is their knowledge of the law, and ability to offer practical, outcome-based advice is somewhat unique.’

‘Howard Duckworth has taken the time to understand what is important to us and what we are trying to achieve in IT contracts.’

‘I have found the team quick to understand the issues relevant to us and to steer us away from difficulties.’

‘Alistair Mitton has provided excellent support. Andrew Kimble has been very supportive on some complex data issues and has been very helpful during a difficult year. Emma Luscombe is worthy of special mention for her excellent, knowledgeable and very practical support during a difficult year.’

‘Alastair Mitton provides efficient, effective, and high-quality legal advice in a commercially-focused way. He is solutions-driven and always finds the time to brainstorm tricky or complex matters in a highly logical and articulate way. I find that Howard Duckworth demonstrates similar qualities to Alastair and they are an absolute pleasure to work with.’

‘Great people, offering clear and practical advice. They are responsive to my needs as a client, are easy to deal with and collaborate well with counsel and other professionals as circumstances require.’

‘We like and appreciate their attentiveness and business-oriented approach.’

‘Reliable and pragmatic advice.’

‘James Love is approachable, practical and insightful. A pleasure to work with.’

‘Excellent understanding of handling the sale of our company to a European purchaser. They were able to call on individual specialists as required. They inspired confidence right through the process and always gave very prompt responses.’

‘Sammy Hill has an amazing grasp of the complexities involved in the company sale process. She was able to talk us through each of many changes in the SPA as it progressed.’

‘The team is commercially minded and easy to deal with – the focus is on the client’s needs and objectives and tailoring the advice to our business. They are also willing to listen to constructive feedback and improve processes as required.’

‘Stephen Dilley – easy to deal with and commercial in approach.’

‘We have had the opportunity to build up a relationship with the practice over time. We therefore find the individuals we deal with well-briefed and capable.’

‘This firm has a diverse range of professional individuals all highly skilled in a wide range of practices. They are extremely helpful, informative and knowledgeable in their individual roles.’

‘David Brown has been exemplary in his assistance to me in fighting a personal injury claim against the business I work for. His attention to detail has been exceptional. He is extremely professional and leaves no stone unturned.’

‘Highly qualified staff who give a knowledgeable and personal service.’

‘Always happy to help and go the extra mile. Timely responses to requests.’

‘Very able individuals who have a real understanding of commercial issues affecting clients.’

‘The team advises a number of strategically relevant players on the UK Energy Market whether local or foreign stakeholders. This gives them a unique insight into the forces at play in the market. Their understanding of the multiple challenges faced by project developers is outstanding.’

‘Partner-led team who turn things around extremely quickly and can work on complex projects to a very demanding timeframe. Excellent quality of work and excellent value for money.’

‘Sebastian Briggs – is stand out. Brilliant on difficult M&A transactions and does whatever it takes to mete challenging deadlines. Truly fantastic to have him on your side/team.’

‘Have experience of property matters relating to renewable energy schemes from both landowner and developer sides, so they can provide sensible commercial advice on what the other side are likely to accept. Transparent billing.’

‘Katherine Douglas is particularly of note with a level of communication and availability that is consistently exceptional. Advice is commercial and pragmatic across a wide range of property issues and consistently delivers against tight timescales on complicated matters.’

‘Simon Hughes – very strong on legal issues and giving commercial advice. Excellent at forming and cementing long-standing relationships. Extremely capable.’

‘Strong technical knowledge in commercial property relating to real estate for energy developments. Commercial pricing, and collaborative negotiations.’

‘An excellent team that provides commercially minded and highly effective advice and support. Communication and availability are excellent across the team.’

‘Strong team who are excellent at working to tight deadlines and produce quality work. Good value for money. Partner attentiveness.’

‘First class offering, team willing to go above and beyond to help client, fast, pragmatic advice demonstrating a real understanding of not just the specialist area but also the business needs of the client. Willing to be flexible about needs including offering senior management training to the business. Recent increase in proportion of female lawyers in the team.’

‘Stand out partners: Jon Cooper and Stephen Panton – both incredibly responsive – we always feel with are in safe hands with them. Very approachable and supportive. Have always given us excellent advice – pragmatic, clear, to the point. Supported by a good team of more junior lawyers.’

‘Regulatory legal advice at the highest level is hard to find. This team are exceptional not only in their approachability and pragmatism but also the results achieved.’

‘Jon Cooper – Clearly knows his subject area but manages to deliver difficult advice in a client friendly manner. Has a result as opposed to fee based approach to the advice and managed third party relationships very sensitively.’

‘Kevin Elliot is a stand out partner. He has an all round set of skills at the highest level.. He has extensive legal knowledge, tactical nous, great strategic ability and inspires confidence in all around him. He is a great team player and l value his dynamic, informed and collaborative approach to legal problems.’

‘Jon Cooper is brilliant to work with. He knows health and safety law inside out and is an excellent team player.

‘Ashley Borthwick is hard working, responsive and provides very sound advice.’

‘Jon Cooper and Kevin Elliot are partners with a national reputation for Heath and Safety advice in particular in relation to the defence of companies and their directors for alleged breach of Health and Safety offences. In terms of experience and know-how they are unrivalled. Their team is inspired but the to provide a first class service to all clients.’

‘The WBD Transport Team is exceptionally knowledgeable in regards to the transport sector with particular reference to all issues regarding the railway sector. They understand our business and are able to support all our requirements thoroughly and efficiently’.

‘Paul Coleman is an outstanding individual. He has an uncanny skill of being able to navigate the most complex of negotiations and legal issues in a manner that completely reassures the client. Paul has an almost encyclopaedic knowledge of the railway’.

‘Joseph Causer is a frequently sought after lawyer from the transport team. Intelligent and articulate, he brings a clear sense of reassurance and confidence to any matter and is able to change complex subject matter into the simplest of words’.

‘Todd Rayner is a stand out lawyer. Todd is highly reliable, responsive and provides sound counsel. He is exceedingly personable and carries the right level of enthusiasm to see through the most tedious of client driven drafting requirements‘.

‘David Rewcastle was extremely focused on securing the optimal outcome for us as a client. Despite working with us for over a year on this project, at no time did we even feel that any other client or work was going on at the same time’.

‘I can honestly say that it has been a pleasure to work with Womble Bond Dickinson over the course of the last two years. David Rewcastle is an ultimate professional. He is extremely knowledgeable and has been integral to the success of our project’.

‘The Team at WBD is highly skilled, knowledgeable and always available to help. They have a wealth of knowledge in the rail and transport sector and have a broad set of capabilities within the team, so there is always a solution to hand’.

‘David Rewcastle, Kevin Bell and Paul Coleman each have a wealth of knowledge in the general commercial, commercial property and regulatory areas of railway and, together their capabilities in the rail and transport sector are unmatched’.

‘The team has a great range of experience throughout its members. They are familiar with dealing with issues arising in larger and complex estates. The contentious team appears relatively small in comparison to their non-contentious practice and other competitor firms.’

‘They are real market leaders. I cannot think of another firm in the North with as good a team, as good a set of clients, and as thorough a knowledge and understanding of the law. They get excellent cases, and they deliver excellent service. The cream of the crop.’

‘Richard Pike. He is approachable, down-to-earth, very clever, and knows a awful lot. Superb.’

‘Lovely responsive team.’

‘Sound legal advice based on strong industry knowledge.’

‘Kate Ashworth is accessible and provides information in a readily accessible form for non-legal parties.’

‘Technically reliable and good commercial balance.’

‘Approachable and commercially aware, and able to understand a brief and stick to it.’

‘Stands out for the range of work from routine to bespoke with all members of the larger team working and communicating well together.’

‘The team at Womble Bond Dickinson is very approachable and helpful. We have been dealing with them on a land and property acquisition and found the team very professional and proactive. The team has a great knowledge of our requirements and is able to provide advice and propose suitable solutions. The personalised approach makes working together much easier and efficient. The communication is very good and we are able to get response to queries promptly.’

‘The team is a serious player in the market with an impressive client base of large corporate clients in the UK and US across a number of sectors.’

‘Jess Tresham is an excellent leader of a team, a top lawyer and huge driver of a team offering inspiration and responsibility rather than remote delegation.’

‘Jess Tresham is very sound and knowledgeable on the law; impeccable commercial judgment; effective time management; an absolute pleasure to work with. A strategic mastermind that can see the wood for the trees and plot a way through.’

‘Hannah Gardiner is a rising star; incredibly bright and efficient.’

‘Mark Barley is an incredible lawyer. His advice is thorough and well thought out. He is responsive and has great commercial awareness. I am always confident that I can rely on his advice. His rates are also very competitive compared to other firms.’

‘Pragmatic, commercial and hands on team.’

‘Jake Unsworth, banking associate – heavily involved in leading the deal and prompt in moving the transaction forward.’

‘The practice has a broad set of strengths from direct client work to distressed funder advice that provide clients with an excellent service.

‘They demonstrate quality in the level of excellent associates supporting the delivery of the partner group.’

‘Andy Stirk and Sam Dixon are both prompt to responding to requests to discuss client issue and provide excellent advice, both at the pre, during and post-engagement, to enable the end to end service an Insolvency Practitioner needs to manage distressed clients.’

‘Sam Dixon provides commercially astute advice whilst balancing risk appropriately. He is extremely easy to work with and always makes himself available, especially if a matter is urgent.’

‘The team at WBD in Leeds are an excellent one. Their breadth of disciplines and wider resource pool provides a truly one stop shop for all property development and management needs.’

‘Claire Wilkinson is an enabler, her knowledge, commitment and ability to communicate inspires confidence when negotiating complex agreements. Claire responds in a timely manner.’

‘WBD provide a great level of service. Their advice is always thorough and clear with close attention to detail. Very friendly, personable and a pleasure to work with.’

‘Dave Cole is a very experienced and competent solicitor, with tremendous tenacity and attention to detail. His drive and will to succeed, including against tight deadlines and with challenging issues, is exceptional.’

‘Highly motivated and efficient. Clients have access to specialist disciplines when required.’

‘Excellent knowledge and good experience at all levels of seniority.’

‘Helen Robinsion has a fantastic eye for detail, great knowledge and a pleasure to work with.’

‘WBD has great strength in depth in professional negligence work, and is admired for its expertise by peers undertaking similar insurance-backed defendant work.’

‘Womble Bond Dickinson have a pragmatic and sensible approach to dealing with professional negligence matters. The team have the necessary technical expertise together with the relevant commercial acumen required to obtain great results for its clients.’

‘Have many in-house specialists/experts which are all coordinated seamlessly via the lead corporate partner and managing associate to deliver an exceptional service to the end user.’

‘Ben Butler – extremely pragmatic, with a can to attitude. Is always prepared to offer both options and his considered view/opinion – which is very helpful when acting at pace in a complex environment.’

‘Christina Tolvas-Vincent is pragmatic and responsive and always provides good counsel in the broadest sense.’

‘WBD bring a high quality approach for a sensible fee. Their use of technology when it comes to document storage and presentation is second to none. They are very sensitive to the client’s commercial needs and tailor their approach according to the sums at stake.’

‘Sushma MacGeoch is a tenacious litigator, who instils confidence in her team and fights ferociously to achieve the best outcome for the client. Sushma has unrivalled industry experience in the professional sector and speaks the client’s language.’

Hannah Cane – thoughtful, dynamic individual with a specialism in solicitors’ cases. Great team player and strategist.’

‘Excellent client handling skills. Willing to fight the right cases.’

‘James Robins: provides excellent leadership on cases.

Tim Barr: acutely aware of the commercial implications for clients of cases brought against them.’

‘Simon Beckwith is one of London’s leading experts in defending professional negligence claims. He has the strategic skills of a chess grandmaster in plotting his clients’ cases and leads a powerful team.’

‘Simon Beckwith has 30 years experience in acting for insurers on professional negligence matters. That kind of experience is hard to find.’

‘Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP has particular expertise in working with Charities and not for profit organisations. They have an in-depth knowledge of this area of practice and helped my Charity with a complex merger with another Charity’.

‘Responsive, knowledgeable and excellent communication skills across their team. They have been supportive and reassuring throughout their work easing through a complex merger in straightforward and uncomplicated language. Jo Coleman and Joseph Harris were exemplary in their help and support. I valued their extensive knowledge and understanding of the issues and the helpful explanations and communications throughout the process. Also the humour’.

‘Takes time up front to understand the organisation’s strategy and values. Very responsive’.

‘Jo Coleman has been a superb business partner as we have set up the charity’.

‘The team at WBD has a superb knowledge of charity law and regulation and almost as important, can suggest pragmatic and workable solutions to the many issues facing charities’.

‘Jo Coleman has an unrivalled knowledge of the charity sector and what makes good governance. She is adept at explaining matters to trustees and dealing with complex issues’.

‘Very good commercial knowledge of the energy sector leads to practical, realistic advice and suggestions. Broad team means they have specialists to call on when specialist advice is needed.’

‘Partners are approachable, get to know us and our matters and keep in regular contact. Gareth Miles is hard-working and very experienced in energy matters for both landlords and developers/tenants, so can give balanced, practical advice.’

‘Partner-led service. Willing to be flexible on different billing arrangements. Excellent on technology. Work very collaboratively and take on board feedback.’

‘Bright, passionate and diligent.’

‘WBD always provides high quality service and supported by excellent customer relationships. Other firms don’t have this dynamic combination.’

‘Attention to detail, all work and responses delivered in a timely fashion and high quality work.’

‘Considerable expertise in infrastructure projects.’

‘What makes the team at Womble Bond Dickinson unique is their pragmatic and can-do approach that works constructively with the client to provide a solution that fits the client’s requirements.’

‘Andrew Kimble is quick to grasp your requirements and thorough in providing a comprehensive response.’

‘Womble Bond Dickinson offer the full range of employment law services and have a real good client book.’

‘The HR advice we receive is excellent. Always providing an assessment of any risks involved and practical in gaining solutions.’

‘Responses are always prompt and availability of other team members is in place when our main contact is away. Advice is consistent and clear.’

‘Ed Duffield continues to provide outstanding advice and support. Ed is reliable, clear, and provides an assessment of any risks involved depending on the course of action being taken.’

‘Great team, with strength-in-depth and a range of practitioners who can deliver.’

‘Susan Maxey is diligent, knows her stuff and has great empathy.’

‘Really great team players with excellent knowledge of their subject matter.’

‘WBD is a fantastic firm with many talented lawyers, great strength in depth, and a lethal combination of technical expertise and tactical ability.’

‘Fiona Graham is an absolute pleasure to work with. Extremely astute, great legal knowledge and exceptional client skills.’

‘The litigation team at Womble Bond Dickinson provides clear and practical advice.’

‘Paul Joyce is probably the most approachable litigation partner I have come across. He clearly explains the options available and always provides a professional recommendation on the best course of action.’

‘They understand our business and needs very clearly and are almost an extension of our own in-house team.’

‘Paul Joyce is very easy to work with, provides solid advice, and is pragmatic and unflappable.’

‘The team have a deep understanding of the specific businesses. They have lawyers with strong knowledge in the different commercial areas.’

‘Outstanding knowledge of defence and government contracts as well as trade control matters. Strong presence in general commercial contracting.’

‘Stephen Anderson – excellent technically with a strong specialism in defence.’

‘Lucy Pringle is the partner that has assisted on commercial matters and she is extremely effective. She grasped the business and its complex operations very quickly for the projects that she has worked on. She identifies legal issues very clearly and is proactive in suggesting solutions. Also very proactive in moving transactions forward. Able to draft complex contracts very effectively and excellent in in person negotiations with customers legal representative.’

‘The practice offers a breadth of legal advise and experience that allows us as a client to be able to gain answers to the vast majority of legal questions we face. The practice has a clear network to allow us to access relevant resources via our single point of contact effectively.’

‘A deep sectoral knowledge and interest in our business allows the immediate team at WBD to add value beyond pure legal advice. Knowing our business allows them to question and challenge us as part of the engaged nature of our relationship as well as provide a legal context for our business activity and development.’

‘Womble Bond Dickinson provide top quality pensions advice that is both strategic and commercial. They work hard to understand our business and make sure that their advice is appropriate to our situation. They seek to solve problems and work collaboratively with co-advisers. Their fees are also very reasonable in comparison to other national firms.’

‘Tracy Walsh leads our advice team and provides clear, strategic advice that gets to the heart of the issue. Tracy is a trusted adviser for our business.’

‘The team was forensically precise in collecting research, information on the particulars of our case. They were honest, clearly communicated and explained the process and practice and explained approaches so that we could assess and be guided on how to prepare and be equipped to manage a complicated, difficult situation’.

‘I found them to be honest yet understanding, thoughtful and empathetic in their dealings with us. They felt somehow kinder than others but also highly efficient. I found Rosie Taylor and Richard Pike to be laser-like in their efficiency but personable and thoughtful in their dealings with us’.

‘Plugged into a huge legal network with strong professional liability and corporate trustee capabilities. Neil Long is clear-sighted and trusted by clients’.

‘Richard Pike and Rosie Taylor provide a high class, but reasonably priced and cost conscious service to individuals in the area of private client disputes – 1975 Act cases and other will disputes’.

‘Richard and Roise are both talented lawyers and practical operators, securing sensible and pragmatic results. They divide work between themselves and with counsel efficiently’.

‘The firm is a heavyweight one, but where the focus really is client-centric, rather than firm-centric. They go the extra mile to respond to, and indeed and stay ahead of the client’s requirements’.

‘Neil Long builds an excellent relationship with his clients, who place immense value on his guidance. Rosie Taylor carries huge case responsibilities very lightly, and is a remarkably calm figure in the storm of litigation’.

‘I find the WBD team one of the most efficient I have worked with, and they have great initiative – you don’t have to spell everything out. I work with Rosie Taylor and Richard Pike. Excellent, very thorough and very efficient’.

‘The team is very well led with the partner always available, engaged and able to provide excellent advice at short notice.’

‘Philip Knight is a standout individual. He is an excellent lawyer, very experienced, commercially minded, and very well liked by clients.’

‘Philip Knight is excellent at keeping on top of current events in the law, and in sharing that knowledge with clients and colleagues. He is well organised, considers carefully the issues which his clients face, and their objectives.’

‘Philip Knight is the clear standout here. Phil is smart, diligent, and incredibly capable.’

‘Philip Knight is the kind of commercial litigator everyone wants to have in their corner. He’s tenacious without fighting for the sake of it and is a really smart operator who knows which levers to pull and when.’

‘Philip Knight: Incredibly knowledgeable, exceptionally efficient.’

‘A genuine understanding of Family Wealth planning and the personal approach to dealing with all concerned’.

‘Alexander Dickinson – outstanding senior advisor with real empathy with the rural Estate Client. Excellent advice delivered in a straightforward and easily understood manner’.

‘Will Ford gets to the nub of the issue quickly, concisely and offering practical solutions’.

‘They offer all the relevant expertise, but on a cost efficient basis.’

‘The key partner is Will Fraser and he has provided useful commercial advice and support.’

‘A cohesive team, hard-working and committed to their clients. Jess Tresham leads with great skill, vision and tactical acuity.’

‘Jessica Tresham is impressive, dynamic and tactically astute. She looks after her clients well and gets great results.’

‘Alex Louch is a good litigator with a firm grasp of the issues.’

‘Very professional, helpful and competent.’

‘Hannah Gardiner and Hannah Cane have been very helpful and professional. They have a good grasp and understanding of technicalities.’

‘The WBD team get to grips with the technical aspects of claims quickly. They invest time and effort in understanding complex issues, and consequently give clear instructions to expert witnesses.’

‘Hannah Gardiner is friendly, diligent and thorough. She can cut through complex technical matters and ask the questions that get quickly to the heart of a matter.’

‘Good at planning ahead, anticipating tasks and resourcing them well.’

‘Personal contact/communication is excellent.’

‘James Love – Always available for discussion. I particularly appreciate the many strategic overviews of litigation progress and options. Couched in business terms, not legal language.’

‘Tim Barber – On top of the detail and always prompt replies. Accurate information provision and process management has made our litigation as stress-free as possible. It does help that we have won.’

‘Approachable team with great technical skills who take a commercial approach.’

‘James Love – clear, concise and grasps commercially important issues.’

‘Swift handling of cases sent to them. Cost-efficient and pragmatic recommendations and handling of cases.’

‘The partners we have had dealings with are very hands-on and easy to work with.’

‘Very down to earth, approachable and speak in layman’s terms.’

‘In our dealings with them, we genuinely feel that have worked with us to settle matters in the most cost-effective way. It has felt as if they are working with our best interests at heart and not in any way to generate unnecessary costs.’

‘Very approachable and knowledgable team with a great track record.’

‘James Love is wonderful and down to earth as well as pragmatic, besides being very versed in the practice area.’

‘Produce good quality work on projects and work as a team to solve complex problems. Good relationships formed with key individuals. Very willing and able to collaborate with our teams.’

‘Paul Mason – very approachable and skilled. Paul Kenneth – very diligent and skilled, friendly.’

‘Knowledgeable team which understands timeliness and urgency when needed, exceptional and informative with a broad understanding of our industry.’

‘Timeliness, organised and prompt in their dealings.’

‘The team is very efficient and professional. Their engagement and quality of service are exceptional. They will propose the right strategy with realistic timelines for its delivery and assist in every step of the way until its successful execution.’

‘Emma Radmore is a very experienced solicitor who we have had the pleasure to work with.’

‘The firm have real expertise in retail and business banking legal and regulatory matters. Their co-sourcing approach is tremendous and they really do feel like an extension to our legal team.’

‘Jonny Williams: real in-depth banking law and regulatory expert and in-house in his DNA so he thinks like us as a banking client and understands our risk appetite and triggers. A joy to work with and his pragmatic legal advice coupled with impressive industry and regulatory insight is invaluable.’

‘Good range of services with reasonable pricing – a one-stop shop for real estate finance requirements.’

‘Property and specialist rural sector knowledge.’

‘A very good team who were very proactive, very knowledgeable and excellent.’

‘The team were conscientious, proactive, and also excellent in the service they delivered and advice they gave.’

‘They tried to find practical and workable solutions, and not just “text book” answers.’

‘Will Fraser is commercial and pragmatic.’

‘Great service level, responsiveness, commercial sense and attention to detail.’

‘Caroline Churchill – strongly recommended for tech contracts. Excellent subject matter knowledge.’

‘Sheilah Mackie is tenacious, technically knowledgeable, and thorough.’

‘At every opportunity, I have found the WBD team to be experienced, capable, proactive and a delight to work with. Their collaborative approach to looking after our needs, whilst managing difficult and complex opportunities, complimented with their strong technical knowledge, and understanding of mutual outcomes really does differentiate the practice.’

‘No matter the sector, in my experience it is always people that make the difference and Howard Duckworth and Alastair Mitton are simply a joy to work with. Their easy, approachable style is reassuring, as is their knowledge of the law, and ability to offer practical, outcome-based advice is somewhat unique.’

‘Howard Duckworth has taken the time to understand what is important to us and what we are trying to achieve in IT contracts.’

‘I have found the team quick to understand the issues relevant to us and to steer us away from difficulties.’

‘Alistair Mitton has provided excellent support. Andrew Kimble has been very supportive on some complex data issues and has been very helpful during a difficult year. Emma Luscombe is worthy of special mention for her excellent, knowledgeable and very practical support during a difficult year.’

‘Alastair Mitton provides efficient, effective, and high-quality legal advice in a commercially-focused way. He is solutions-driven and always finds the time to brainstorm tricky or complex matters in a highly logical and articulate way. I find that Howard Duckworth demonstrates similar qualities to Alastair and they are an absolute pleasure to work with.’