With a roster of clients consisting of accountancy firms, banks, finance companies, HNWIs and company directors, JMW Solicitors LLP covers a wide range of advisory, transactional and recovery mandates in the insolvency and restructuring space. Practice head Graham Small covers various insolvency, company law and civil fraud matters as part of his commercial litigation specialism. Simon Gerrard excels on contentious matters, including multi-jurisdictional liquidation and recovery disputes, while James Williams offers non-contentious advisory services in the property insolvency sector. Julie Agnew is a further key insolvency partner, as is associate Sam Baines. Matthew Rice joined the restructuring and insolvency team from AMB Law in July 2024 and David Vernon joined in December 2024 from Slater Heelis (Part of Lawfront), while former practice head Gavin Jones departed the firm in March 2025.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'Great commerciality in their legal work and good insolvency knowledge, led by Simon Gerrard.'
- 'Great technical knowledge.'
- 'A forward looking, dynamic team that are great to work with.'
- 'Simon Gerrard is simply excellent - sound grounding in the law, commercial and astute tactician.'
- 'Extensive lending documentation, security understanding along with exceptional insolvency law knowledge and experience. The team is a good size and well mixed. Commercial in approach.'
- 'James Williams and the team are very knowledgeable and experienced in this complicated area, but also responsive and commercial. A pleasure to deal with.'
- 'JMW's insolvency and corporate recovery practice has gone from strength to strength in the past couple of years. They are adding solicitors at a phenomenal rate to deal with the workload. Yet, their quality of work and availability does not dip. This is a truly phenomenal team that has become a leading player in the marketplace.'
- 'Simon Gerrard has led JMW 's insolvency and corporate recovery practice into a new era. Simon appears to have brought in a new class of solicitors who are hungry to learn from him and replicate his quality of work. Simon is one of a few solicitors I am aware of who can deal with the most complex of legal issues. It is also rare that he does not achieve a result on an instruction. It is why I go back to him time and again.'
- 'James Williams and Samuel Baines are excellent operators - imaginative, commercial, responsive and straightforward.'
Key clients
- Castle Trust Capital PLC
- Tosca Debt Capital
- Begbies Traynor
- Alvarez & Marsal
- Quantuma Advisory Limited
- Moorfields Advisory LLP
- Geoffrey Martin PKF
- FRP Advisory LLP
- Watling Real Estate Limited
- Interpath Advisory
- EY Parthenon
- Assetz Capital Trust Company Limited
- HJS Recovery (UK)
- Manolete Partners PLC
- Azets
- Hampshire Trust Bank PLC
- Metro Bank PLC
- Bibby Financial Services Limited
- BDO LLP
- Xeinadin Corporate Recovery Limited
Work highlights
Acting for Big Help Homes CIC in resisting an application for the making of a court-appointed administration order.
Acted for RSM UK Restructuring as administrators of Island Steel Limited, in relation to its £2m sale of assets.
Acted for Meddyg Care (Y Felinheli) Ltd in relation to the acquisition of four care homes, with a value of £3m.
Practice head
Graham Small
Other key lawyers
Simon Gerrard; James Williams; Julie Agnew; Sam Baines; Matthew Rice; David Vernon