Addleshaw Goddard

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

• Rachel Uttley is really impressive and underrated - she is a calm presence even in fast-paced transactions. Rachel is always on top of the details and well prepared, which gives us confidence in her and her team. She is able to clearly explain detailed and complex matters. We value Rachel's negotiating style, which is calm, collaborative, and sensible but not shy about dealing with trickier issues head-on. Adam Lees is great as senior support. We value Adam's attention to detail. His work on policy drafting and due diligence is stellar. Similarly, Rich Williams is really valued support. On complex due diligence matters, Rich demonstrated he understood the issues and the commercial impact. On one transaction, a difficult issue arose late in the process; Rich was able to confidently and methodically explain the issue to all parties through a non-confrontational manner - in other hands, with a different approach, this could have prompted problems in the transaction, but it was handled brilliantly.
• A really strong team of experts. Rachel Uttley is excellent as the partner - she engages in the detail and takes an active role in transactions for us. Rachel is assisted by a number of senior lawyers including Adam Lees and Rich Williams, who are both top quality. They are all detail-oriented people and work as a close-knit team, which really adds value when project managing a transaction. They are engaging, enjoyable to work with, and have the ability to deliver large complex matters as effectively as some of the larger London pensions teams. The team has really taken their time to understand us, our business, and our values, and now operates seamlessly as an extension of our in-house function on transactions. They have delivered some of our most complex and challenging transactions.
• Jade Murray is our "go to". It's great to have her on our side. She is straight-talking, clear, and doesn't sit on the fence. She's very able to deliver tough messages in a way that does not offend. Technically extremely good, with a very good "feel" for the issues, for how issues are likely to land with trustees, advisors, and the Pensions Regulator. First class, and I wouldn't use anyone else by choice.
• We have a wealth of experienced people in the team and adjust the team to suit the main focus and activities, so that the right skills at the right levels are always available. Professional, ethical, supportive, available, communicative, and knowledgeable are some of the words I would use to describe the firm and team.
• The team has considerable collective experience, combined with a strong team ethos and good communication within the group. The result is that each individual is capable of acting effectively, but as a group, they work coherently to provide excellent service to clients. They are clear and transparent about fees and communicate well.
• Jade Murray is not only technically good but is straightforward in her advice and pragmatic. She is able to calibrate the risk within decisions very effectively.
• Rachel Uttley is exceptional - with Rachel in your corner, you know that your back is covered. Alex Fricke is a very capable number two to Rachel and strong in her own right.
• Rachel is great to have on your team. She may be a very detailed person, but she will always produce a condensed version when needed. Nothing falls through the cracks on her watch.
• Jade Murray, partner, and Richard Williams, managing associate, complement each other and work well together. They both provide the scheme with great service and always enable the Trustee to make informed decisions on legal and regulatory matters.
• The team, as well as being pension experts, is pragmatic and proportionate. They explain complex issues clearly and facilitate decision-making.

Key clients

• Scottish Widows
• McCormick (UK) Limited
• JCB Finance Limited
• Pension Insurance Corporation PLC
• The Kraft Heinz Company (KHC)
• Whitbread plc
• Trustees of the Ibstock Pension Scheme
• Saga Group
• Trustee of the Asda Pension Plan
• Michelin Plc
• Trustee of the AETC pension scheme
• Anglian Water
• Daily Mail & General Trust Plc
• Trustee of the Kellogg GB Pension Fund
• Trustee of the Cambridge University Press Contributory Pension Fund
• Barclays Bank plc
• De Beers Plc
• Element Six group
• Trustee of the Tioxide Pension Fund
• FNZ Group

Work highlights

Lawyers

Leading partners

The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.

Jade Murray

Rachel Uttley