Chambers and Partners 2026: Clarkslegal’s continued commitment to excellence

Clarkslegal is delighted to announce that we have once again been recognised by Chambers and Partners as a leading firm in the following practice areas: Employment, Litigation, Real Estate, and Construction.

This prestigious recognition reflects our commitment to excellence and the hard work of our dedicated team. We our proud to highlight the outstanding contributions of our eight highly recommended lawyers: Ashan Arif, Antony Morris, Chris Tayton, Emma Butcher, Helen Beech, Kate Glendinning, Monica Atwal and Simon Ralphs.

Chambers and Partners is an independent legal research company that operates across 200 jurisdictions. They produce international rankings of the world’s leading lawyers and law firms, helping organisations make informed decisions in the legal industry.

This recognition is a testament to the outstanding client and peer feedback that endorses our strong rankings. Please see below extracts from the editorial:

Corporate/M&A

Ashan Arif – Band 2

Ashan Arif acts as the head of Clarkslegal’s corporate and M&A team. He has a wealth of corporate expertise that covers everything from private equity investments to business restructures.

“Ashan Arif is most attentive.”

“Ashan is always a pleasure to work with.”

“Our longstanding relationship partner and team lead on all acquisition projects, Ash is technically very competent and especially keen to ‘know the client’.”

“Ashan is an excellent partner with a great commercial sense with regard to advice, and he is always very responsive.”

“Ash provided outstanding guidance, demonstrating deep expertise and strategic clarity throughout the advisory process. His professionalism and commitment ensured a smooth and successful outcome.”

Employment

Clarkslegal advises on the full range of issues affecting employers and employees, with notable strength in restructures, TUPE transfers and senior executive matters. It also handles large-scale litigation, tribunals and problems with regard to industrial relations. The team acts for a range of clients from small businesses to large employers in the automotive, technology, pharmaceutical and gambling sectors.

“I know that whatever the problem we face we have a partner in this firm who will unquestionably guide us towards good outcomes.”

“The clearly set out robust, commercial options to consider.”

“They have a great understanding of the commercial aspects of our business and wider industry as a whole, which always proves beneficial.”

Monica Atwal – Eminent Practitioners

Monica Atwal is the managing partner of Clarkslegal. She has considerable employment expertise, including in GDPR and gender pay gap matters. She is experienced in advising clients on sexual harassment allegations and TUPE issues, and is particularly adept at assisting clients with immigration matters.

“Monica is direct and clear, with a strong understanding of our business and a good sense of humour.”

“Monica is without doubt a force to be reckoned with. Her expertise and counsel are second to none.”

“Monica is unquestionably excellent.”

“Monica is excellent in every way. She consistently helps us strengthen and understand our legal obligations while being a trusted partner and sounding board.”

Helen Beech – Band 1

Helen Beech maintains an extensive practice encompassing industrial relations and discrimination claims. She frequently advises her clients on HR issues, including disability grievances and restructuring matters.

“Helen is awesome – an extremely safe pair of hands, great depth and breadth of expertise, and an absolute pleasure to work with.”

“Helen always provides clear, concise, pragmatic advice and will always make time for us wherever possible.”

“She’s fantastic – calm under pressure and fully committed to supporting the clients.”

“She goes the extra mile in her support.”

Katie Glendinning – Up and Coming

Katie Glendinning acts for a range of clients and is especially recognised for her work advising independent schools on their employment issues. She works on both contentious and non-contentious matters, including whistle-blowing, disability discrimination, TUPE and data protection.

“She is a trusted adviser.”

“She provides excellent advice on the options available to us aligned with our organisation’s values.”

Litigation

Clarkslegal is regularly involved in high-profile disputes on behalf of clients in a variety of sectors, including the energy and automotive industries. The team’s expertise covers a wide range of commercial and corporate disputes, including contractual terminations, unfair prejudice petitions and breaches of directors’ duties.

“They are professional and always quick to respond.”

“They are extremely diligent and provide comprehensive advice throughout the legal process.”

“They are a very professional, diverse and closely knit team.”

Antony Morris – Band 1

Antony Morris is a highly regarded practitioner active in a range of litigation, including contractual cases and disputes concerning directors’ duties.

“Antony has a good technical grasp of the matter and excellent client skills.”

“He is very good at communication, calm and supportive, maintaining a rapport with the client.”

Chris Tayton – Band 2

Christopher Tayton is experienced in a wide range of commercial and contractual disputes, including procurement cases. He has particular expertise handling data protection and product defect-related disputes.

“Chris has a wealth of experience and is great with clients.”

“Chris understands our business and delivers great results for us.”

Emma Butcher – Up and Coming

Emma Butcher represents corporate clients in contract, public procurement and product liability disputes.

“Emma was superb when we worked with her.”

“Emma thinks strategically and can manage a case that is both complex and has considerable cross-border aspects.”

“Emma is great to work with; approachable, knowledgeable and responsive.”

Commercial Real Estate

Clarkslegal advises on major commercial and residential property transactions and development projects. The firm is also equipped to assist with complex investment and portfolio management matters. It regularly handles public sector work, including assisting education and healthcare clients. Its strong client base consists of notable regional and national organisations. The team has further strength in advising clients in the hotel and leisure sector.

“They offer timely help and advice provided at a reasonable price. We have always received good service from them.”

“The department has excellent industry knowledge, good client relationship-building and good attention to detail. They always find a way to get the deal done.”

“I’ve always found their advice to be super reliable and thoughtful, always considering our business and what would work best for us. They are knowledgeable and able to communicate complex issues.”

“They are fantastic and there is a real element of trust there. The team provide good responsiveness and a good level of expertise.”

Simon Ralphs – Band 2

Simon Ralphs is head of the Clarkslegal real estate team and splits his time between the firm’s London and Reading offices. His practice sees him acting for clients within the retail and hospitality sectors, and he has significant experience in development and investment work.

“Simon is a very responsive and straightforward lawyer. He is helpful for our daily operations.”

“I’ve always found Simon trustworthy, approachable and above all really professional in his approach.”

“He is always a pleasure to deal with.”

“Simon is an excellent solicitor and my go-to recommendation.”

Construction

Clarkslegal has an accomplished team with the experience to handle an array of local, national and international matters. The firm advises a range of industry players, including contractors, developers and purchasers of construction services. The team provides significant expertise in procurement and contract matters for major development projects, while additionally representing clients in disputes, including arbitrations and adjudications.

You can view Clarkslegal’s rankings on the Chambers and Partners website.