Clarkslegal celebrate success in Legal 500 rankings 2022

Clarkslegal are delighted to announce that Legal 500 has recognised the firm for the following practice areas; Construction, Commercial Litigation, Commercial Property, Corporate & Commercial, Employment and Immigration.

The Legal 500 is an independent guide that reviews and recognises the strengths of law firms and their lawyers based on extensive research and feedback from clients and peers.

Along with the recognition of our practice areas, four of our outstanding solicitors have been recommended by the directory; Antony Morris, Emma Butcher, Michael Sippitt and Monica Atwal.

The strong rankings are further endorsed by highly complementary client and peer feedback.

Please see below a selection of client quote extracts from the editorial:

Commercial Litigation

Clarkslegal LLP is one of the leading dispute resolution practices in the Thames Valley. Led by the ‘outstanding’ Antony Morris, the team advises on a wide range of matters, including international trade, commercial fraud, professional negligence and regulatory matters. The practice is particularly strong in the automotive sector, acting for major clients such as BMW and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. Christopher Tayton and Emma Butcher are skilled in handling high-value commercial disputes, procurement challenges and product liability claims.

‘Clarkslegal has a strong partner presence, meaning that the quality of the legal and tactical advice is exceptional. They have some truly excellent fee earners that are not just lawyers, but experts in the sectors that they practise in. The firm focuses its efforts on what it does best.’

‘We really appreciated the speed with which our matter was addressed, and with the immediate involvement of a specific subject matter expert. It is apparent that they foster a strong culture of team collaboration. The lead partner was compassionate and realistic, whilst giving us optimism. We always felt well advised. ’

Construction

Clarkslegal LLP’s Reading construction practice has seen an uptick in contentious instructions, with the team acting in a number of adjudications and liability rulings for private and public sector contractors alike. Major urban regeneration projects, mixed-use developments, and comprehensive contract reviews and negotiations are also core competencies. Practice head Stephen James is a key contact for developments, disputes and insolvency matters, acting on behalf of the firm’s employer, developer and contractor clients.

‘Clarkslegal are a “user-friendly” practice, always willing to go the extra mile to assist with any legal issue. They have a good working knowledge of construction, in addition to their contractual knowledge, which makes working on a technical dispute much easier than with some other practices.’

‘I have worked with Stephen James on a number of issues and have always found him to be helpful, knowledgeable and proactive in reaching a satisfactory conclusion. He tends to grasp the details of a claim quickly and insightfully.’

‘A good, strong team that works hard for clients.’

Employment

The employment team at Clarkslegal LLP is ‘thorough and pragmatic’ and provides advice to large national and international clients on a wide range of employment issues. It regularly handles major projects including restructurings and TUPE transfers, redundancies and industrial relations/employee engagement projects. Practice co-head Michael Sippitt is a specialist in the field of industrial relations strategies which includes working with trade unions and handling labour restructurings, collective disputes and industrial actions. Fellow co-head Helen Beech’s work is diverse, ranging from complex restructurings and TUPE to acting for individuals negotiating settlement packages. Monica Atwal has experience in discrimination cases, in particular disability claims.

‘Expert whilst being approachable. Swift and commercial. Thorough and pragmatic.’

‘Take time to develop client relationship and understand business context. Helen Beech is a trusted source of expertise.’

‘A great team of professionals that genuinely get to know your business and the key stakeholders which enables them to provide appropriate advice and risk analysis.’

Immigration

Recognised for its ‘excellent support and commitment’, Clarkslegal LLP has expertise in all forms of business immigration, ranging from securing employer sponsorship licenses to handling immigration enforcement notices. Also of note is the firm’s work for investors, entrepreneurs and businesses seeking to enter markets through various different routes, including the use of start-up and innovator visas. Monica Atwal advises businesses on the global transfer of employees, particularly at director level, and their families.

‘Excellent support and commitment. Provide good and practical advice.’

‘The individuals I have worked with at Clarkslegal are very knowledgeable and helpful.’

‘Commitment, knowledge, timely and sincere are the hallmark of the individuals who worked with us.’

‘I am impressed by the professionalism and proactive approach demonstrated by the team. They have always delivered helpful, practical and positive outcomes.’

‘Monica Atwal delivers practical solutions and demonstrates empathy.’

‘I have always had a good experience working with Clarkslegal. Answers are prompt and concise and I appreciate working with the same people throughout the process so that I can avoid having to explain the same situation to a number of lawyers. The advice given is commercial and pragmatic, and with the immigration practice in particular I have been offered plenty of opportunities to walk through processes onscreen together to ensure the correct process is followed.’

Corporate & Commercial

Clarkslegal LLP assists a wide range of corporate and commercial clients and has developed a niche client base in the start-up/early-stage technology space. In this area, practice head Ashan Arif and his team advise on everything from initial corporate structuring, SEIS/EIS investments to complex equity investments and commercial arrangements. Arif also has experience acting for clients in the media, technology, hotel and automotive sectors.

‘Ashan Arif is central to our working relationship – we have a high degree of trust and confidence in his work. He was interested in our business from the outset, clear about the firm’s capability and focus, and has provided high-value and cost-effective support.’

‘We deal with the M&A personnel as well as other teams. They are always readily available and respond very quickly to queries. Always happy to go the extra mile whatever the situation and can be contacted at all times. Their advice has proved very valuable and they work collaboratively with other legal teams from other firms around the globe on our acquisitions. They are always professional and rated in high regard by other law firms we use. ’

Commercial Property

Clarkslegal LLP provides the full spectrum of real estate advice, with specialist expertise in the areas of public procurement, charity and property finance matters, including Islamic finance mandates. The team is well-known for its work in the education, healthcare and motor retail sectors, and is growing its hotel and leisure practice as well as its public sector client base. Simon Ralphs took over from consultant Rachel Krol as head of department and has extensive experience in real estate development and investment work, acting for institutional investors, large retailers and property funds.

‘The current property commercial construction and ligation partners of this firm are in my recent experience prompt, efficient, competent and very pleasant people to deal with – they have maintained the service we need and expect well in the current difficult circumstances. Their charges are not cheap but we feel we get value for money – they understand that often commercial considerations in transactions can be as important as the legal. They have worked well when we need to close down deals quickly. Few practices are “unique” but their combination of attributes puts them in the “rare” category.’

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