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Legal 500 & Chambers

Hewitsons celebrates another strong showing in latest edition of Legal 500

Hewitsons has once again been named as a regional heavyweight in the latest edition of the Legal 500, further cementing its authoritative and respected standing within the region.  

In total, the leading law firm has notched up eleven Tier 1 rankings for the Cambridge office, with both the Commercial Litigation and Education teams joining the top tier this year. One client said of the Education team ‘all partners listen carefully, and they give holistic support on all fronts’.

Other teams retaining their Tier 1 positions in Cambridge include the ‘buoyant’Agriculture and Estates team, which is described by clients as having an ‘excellent’ level of service and the Charities team, which is ‘really involved in clients’ decision-making’ and is ‘excellent value for money’. The EU and Competition team also remains in the top tier, as well as the Insolvency & Corporate Recovery, Employment, Personal Tax, Trusts and Probate, Environment, Local Government and Sport teams.

The Banking team was a new entry for Cambridge in 2010 and this year has once again been ranked in the industry ‘bible’ with the team being described by clients as ‘proactive, with extraordinary depth of experience’.

The Northampton office has received six top tier ranks, with Agriculture & Estates and Commercial Litigation teams both retaining Tier 1 rankings. While the ‘first class’ Employment team, which is described by satisfied clients as ‘well led and directed’ by Partner Nick Hall, has kept its Tier 2 ranking. The Northampton Charities, Personal Tax, Trusts and Probate, and Commercial Property teams have also retained their Tier 1 rankings.

The Milton Keynes office was once again mentioned by the Legal 500 with the commercial property and construction teams both listed.

Managing partner John Dix and senior partner Charles Hewitson, are joined by the ‘always well prepared and professional’ Deborah Sharples and the ‘sage, pragmatic and never afraid to give an opinion’ Jason Williams on the list of leading individuals.

Commenting on the latest edition of the Legal 500, John Dix said: “We are delighted with this year’s results. We have continued to retain our prestigious top ranking positions and we are making significant progress in all three of our offices. The results clearly show we are recognised as a major player in central and eastern England.”

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Chambers 2011 shows Hewitsons remains a leading player in the region

Hewitsons has once again received high acclamation in the latest edition of the respected legal directory, Chambers, across a broad range of sector disciplines.

John Dix, managing partner, said: “Once again we have received recognition across a broad range of practice areas, which shows the real strength in depth we have. The high quality of our team is also reflected with the firm’s 21 leading individuals praised within the directory. Client satisfaction is one of our key aims, so it is extremely rewarding to read the positive feedback contained in the latest edition of Chambers.”

The Cambridge charities team remains ranked in the top tier of firms regionally, with Denise Wilkinson recognised as a leading individual within the team. The Northampton charities team is described by satisfied clients as being “specialists in what they do” and is also ranked highly in band 2.  Head of the charities team, Chris Knight is commended for his work.

Meanwhile, the private client team is praised for understanding “the pressures facing owner-managed businesses” and is ranked in tier 2 for both the Cambridge and Northampton offices. Noted key individuals include head of the private client team, Clare Colacicchi, and partners Daniel Curtis and David Bradley.

Deborah Sharples is highly praised by clients and described as a “robust advocate who gets things done”. She is named as a key individual in both environment and planning. Hewitsons’ environment team is classed in the top tier regionally with one client saying the team is “always acting in our absolute best interests”.

According to the guide, Hewitsons’ agricultural practice is best known for its flair in the sale and purchasing of large landed estates and farm property. Partner Gareth Williams is considered an "affable and practical" all-rounder, with a specialism in options development agreements. Charles Hewitson and Denise Wilkinson, who is commended for her "dedication to fighting the client's corner", are both named as key individuals within the Cambridge agriculture team. Both the Northampton and Cambridge agricultural teams are ranked highly in tier 2.

Meanwhile, head of the Cambridge construction team, Colin Jones, is also highlighted as a leading individual. The Cambridge corporate finance team is noted as “a solid team with a strong focus on the local market", with partners James Lawrence and Helen Drayton picked out for special praise. The Northampton corporate team is described as acting for a broad spectrum of clients, with partner David Browne highlighted as a key individual.

The Northampton dispute resolution team has a well-established presence in the local dispute resolution market, while partner Dominic Hopkins is noted as a key individual for his considerable expertise in insolvency and corporate recovery matters, as well as his commercial disputes experience.

The ‘highly regarded’ Cambridge commercial property team is described by clients as a "solid, professional, steady practice" with a "personal client-focused service." Key individuals who receive special praise are head of team, Elizabeth Jones, who sources describe as a "top-class lawyer who is always in control of a deal", and Graeme Sampson, who is commended for his “thorough and diligent" approach. Tim Richards is also named as a key individual in the Northampton commercial property team.

According to the guide, key individual Robert McLellan is a highly visible presence in the region, with the commercial property litigation team ranked in tier 2. Meanwhile, Hewitsons’ ‘impressive’ IP team is praised by clients for its “sound legal advice and willingness to look at creative solutions.” Key individuals named in the team are Niel Ackermann, who is highly regarded by commentators for his sound commercial approach, and Mark Elmslie, who is described by clients as being "no-nonsense in his approach, cuts to the chase, and is good at compartmentalising problems and dealing with them efficiently." Bill Thatcher is also picked out as a key individual within the team, with interviewees saying he is "spectacularly good in terms of quality and service, and has the ability to be persuasive in the face of opposition".