Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

• Chris Bates is a fantastic and pragmatic advisor in our legal matters.
• Chris Bates is an outstanding lawyer, extremely hardworking, diligent, and capable of handling even the most complex construction cases. Peter Stockhill is very good on the law and cutting through the detail to get to the real issues. He is excellent when it comes to strategy and settlement. Both stand out from the competition due to their years of experience specializing in construction disputes.
• Jamil Sanaullah has been exceptional. His calmness, tone, and ability to articulate complex positions have been particularly welcome. The support he has received from the wider Penningtons team has been both useful and welcome. The breadth of experience, coupled with commercial awareness, has been a source of reassurance.
• The practice is distinguished by the quality of its individuals, particularly Peter Stockill, Chris Bates, and Jamil Sanaullah, who bring strong technical expertise combined with clear commercial judgment. Potential clients would value the team’s ability to handle complex, high-risk matters pragmatically, with senior lawyers closely involved and advice focused on outcomes rather than process. Compared with other firms, the team stands out for continuity of relationships, accessibility at partner level, and a collaborative, cost-aware approach.
• The individuals we work with stand out for their commercial judgment, clarity of thinking, and senior-level engagement. Peter Stockill, in particular, distinguishes himself by quickly understanding the legal, commercial, and practical realities of our business, and by providing clear, decisive advice that supports confident board-level decision-making on complex matters. Jamil Sanaullah is similarly valued for his calm, analytical approach, strong grasp of detail, and ability to progress difficult issues efficiently while remaining pragmatic and easy to work with. What sets them apart from competitors is their ability to combine technical strength with real-world application, communicating advice in a way that is accessible to non-lawyers and aligned with commercial objectives. We value their responsiveness, sound judgment under pressure, and their ability to act as trusted extensions of our internal team rather than purely external advisers.

Key clients

• Patrizia Hanover Property Unit Trust
• Fidelity Real Estate
• Innovus
• Warwick Estates
• Trinity Estates
• The University of Oxford
• Watford Community Housing Trust
• Third Space Health Clubs
• Springdene Nursing and Care Homes
• City & Country
• Collins Construction
• Corgan