Blake Morgan LLP takes instructions across a range of disputes, representing both private and public sector bodies in commercial litigation concerning contractual, employment and insolvency matters, in addition to assisting with fraud-related issues. Practice head Chris Potts specialises in litigation centred on alleged breaches of duty and fraud claims, in addition to acting for parties in shareholder disputes. Hannah Clipston joined the team from Irwin Mitchell in November 2024, bringing with her expertise in breach of contract and confidence proceedings, while Thomas Middlehurst specialises in contentious trust and other private wealth disputes. Joe Cowles is also recommended for his wide-ranging litigation practice.
Commercial litigation: Thames Valley, Berks, Oxon, M4/M40 in South East
Blake Morgan LLP
Responsables de la pratique:
Chris Potts
Autres avocats clés:
Hannah Clipston; Thomas Middlehurst; Joe Cowles
Les références
‘From our experience, its key asset is its people. Those who represented us gave advice with our best interest at heart. All recommendations they gave took into consideration the nature of the situation and our overarching objectives.’
‘Tom Middlehurst is a good practitioner and fights hard for his clients.’
‘I have worked with Thomas Middlehurst. He is a strong opponent to have and always strives for the best for his client.’
Principaux clients
Miele Company Limited
Investec Asset Finance
KPMG
Huws Gray
NHS England
University of Reading
Grant Thornton
Hitachi Capital UK plc
Metro Bank
Begbies Traynor
IWG Group Services UK
Griffins
Walkers Global
Vale of Aylesbury Housing Trust
Attorney General of Trinidad & Tobago
Principaux dossiers
- Acted for Huws Gray in obtaining injunctive relief to enforce restrictive covenants against senior employees.
- Acted for Owl Limited and others in connected claims to recover c. £3m from a Caribbean bank related to VAT tax fraud.
- Acted for administrators (Griffins) of a company owning several petrol stations; realised assets of c. £3m in contested circumstances and defending injunction application.
Broadfield Law UK LLP
Broadfield Law UK LLP‘s Reading-based team works with teams across the firm’s English network of offices to take on a wide variety of disputes, including, inter alia, employment and shareholder matters, property litigation and IT-related issues. Phil Smith heads the firm’s national litigation practice and acts for both claimants and defendants in contractual disputes, with a particular focus on technology-centred matters. Tim Clark is an IT disputes veteran, handling breach of contract and other commercial claims in that sector, while also handling partnership, shareholder and earnout litigation. James Brice joined the team from IBB Law in February 2025, bringing expertise in construction, property and costs disputes. Sophie Squire took up an in-house post in January 2025.
Responsables de la pratique:
Phil Smith
Autres avocats clés:
Tim Clark; James Brice
Les références
‘Tim Clark is an absolutely excellent lawyer. Incredibly intelligent, with great analytical thinking skills. He is also extremely creative, not afraid to think outside the box, and possibly the most dedicated and hardest-working instructing solicitor I have ever had. On top of this, he is really good with clients. It was such a pleasure to work with him.’
‘Fantastic focus on clients and client outcomes. The firm offers realistic and commercial advice to clients throughout the course of a dispute. The team is populated by fiercely bright individuals who have a good eye for both detail and strategy.’
‘Tim Clark is a fantastic leader of the team. He has a reassuring and calm manner which instils confidence in clients and gives him breathing space to spot the appropriate strategy.’
Principaux clients
Portals Paper Ltd
XMA Ltd
Rock Engineering Limited
Thames Water Utilities Limited
CALA Group
The Childcare Corporation
Principaux dossiers
- Represented the Child Care Corporation Ltd in defending a private prosecution under s.82 EPA 1990, in respect of alleged statutory noise nuisance after a six-day trial in the Magistrates Court.
- Acting for Cliff and Jacqui Lay in bringing a claim for an earn-out payment under a share sale, who also face a counterclaim for breach of warranty by Independent Vet Care Limited.
- Act for Martin Helme in relation to a substantial claim for enforcement of employment agreement and commercial agreements to allot shares against Grosvenor Square Investments and others.
Clarkslegal LLP
The ‘really exceptional team of litigators’ fielded by Clarkslegal LLP handles matters ranging from IP/IT matters to issues of public procurement, professional negligence and more besides. Antony Morris heads up the group, utilising his ‘encyclopaedic grasp of commercial law’ when acting for clients engaged in tech-related disputes, professional negligence matters and fraud claims. Chris Tayton represents parties to company and shareholder disputes in addition to property issues, while Emma Butcher is noted for her expertise in public procurement litigation and product liability procedures. At associate level, Jack Hobbs acts for automotive, tech and insurance clients across shareholder, fraud and other disputes.
Responsables de la pratique:
Antony Morris
Autres avocats clés:
Christopher Tayton; Emma Butcher; Jack Hobbs
Les références
‘I worked with Antony Morris. He was organised, attentive and helpful.’
‘Clarkslegal has a really exceptional team of litigators, with a depth of experience that is impressive. They master the core of commercial litigation and, beyond that, have specialisms in less familiar areas. That means that they can provide a broader, specialist service all in-house.’
‘Antony Morris has an encyclopaedic grasp of commercial law, and distils it in a way that focuses on what is relevant and accessible for the client. His tactical abilities are really impressive. Chris Tayton and Emma Butcher are excellent at public procurement disputes, and deal with them with the speed and specialist knowledge that they require.’
Principaux clients
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited
Boehringer Ingelheim
Colt Telecom group
BMW (UK) Limited
JDM Technology Group
Willmott Dixon
Element Materials Technology Group
University of Reading
Crown Packaging Manufacturing UK Ltd
CAB Automotive Ltd
Veeam Software
InstaGroup Limited
OASIS
Canon (UK) Limited
Principaux dossiers
- Continued to act for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars in defending proceedings brought by Topalsson in relation to the termination of a contract for the supply of digital visualisation and other software to Rolls-Royce for use in its vehicles globally.
- Continued to represent BMW (UK) Limited in a substantial claim for damages brought by the family of a police officer who was killed in a road traffic accident on the M6 involving a BMW marked police vehicle while responding to an emergency call.
- Acting in a multi-million pound professional negligence claim arising out of advice given by BDO LLP and Stone King LLP.
Osborne Clarke LLP
Osborne Clarke LLP is adept at taking on both domestic and cross-border disputes, including broad commercial litigation, fraud matters and litigation revolving around tech sector clients. Jane Park-Weir took over leadership of the group following Peter Sheppard‘s January 2025 retirement, and continues to focus on representing life sciences and telecoms clients in commercial disputes and investigations. Dawn Troman acts for tech sector clients in licensing and outsourcing litigation, with Chris Parsons acting on matters pertaining to civil fraud, insolvency and where allegations of breaches of directors’ duties have arisen.
Responsables de la pratique:
Jane Park-Weir
Autres avocats clés:
Dawn Troman; Chris Parsons
Les références
‘Greatly experienced team, with extraordinary knowledge of English law, but also on the international aspects of disputes. Innovative approach in a multi-jurisdictional case, involving collaboration with firms.’
‘Jane Park-Weir is very experienced, reactive and approachable, with an extraordinary view to anticipate concerns and proactively propose solutions. Chris Parsons is extremely structured and always keeping the case details and timelines under control.’
‘Strong legal and commercial skills outside London. A class operation with great service.’
‘Very high-quality team for handling incident fallout and complex litigation.’
‘Dawn Troman is very smart, reliable and efficient.’
‘I have worked many times with Jane Park-Weir, who is a superb corporate litigator. She gives very firm and clear advice, while retaining the confidence of clients. She is also tremendous fun to work with.’
‘Jane Park-Weir is very experienced and has a fine instinct for effective decision-making. There is effective delegation to associates and a strong team ethic.’
Principaux clients
Vodafone Group
Medivet Group Limited
Starbucks
Police Federation of England & Wales
Lonza Group AG
Berry Bros & Rudd
De La Rue International Limited
Principaux dossiers
- Acting for Lonza Group AG in respect of a c. €55 million claim brought by a Tunisian pharmaceuticals company relating to the supply of allegedly defective capsule-filling and sealing machines.
- Acted for a high net worth individual and various related entities in relation to a derivative claim, which comprises allegations of breach of trust, breach of fiduciary duty, dishonest assistance and knowing receipt arising from the operation of a family Jersey trust.
Field Seymour Parkes LLP
The ‘strong all-round ability’ in Field Seymour Parkes LLP‘s disputes team covers commercial litigation, fraud and asset tracing procedures and professional negligence matters, and the arrival in April 2025 of employed barrister Christopher Pollard saw the firm expand its IP expertise, including both patent and trade mark disputes. Practice head Tom Maple is noted for his experience in automotive sector disputes, and he is also increasingly taking on professional negligence cases, while Bill Dixon is noted for his insolvency and asset tracing work.
Responsables de la pratique:
Tom Maple
Autres avocats clés:
Bill Dixon; James Palmer; Christopher Pollard
Les références
‘I work with James Palmer on a tricky case, with a difficult opponent. He has a very notable gift for brokering deals even where there is bad blood between the parties, which takes great skill.’
‘Strong all-round ability.’
‘Bill Dixon has an exceptional brain, is very approachable and has international expertise and experience.’
Principaux clients
Volvo
Whistl
Honda
Crown Agents
Freeths LLP
Freeths LLP leverages the firm’s presence across the UK to provide clients with a comprehensive offering, covering the full spectrum of commercial disputes as well as related areas such as employment, tax, and insolvency law. The team is particularly recommended for its proven knowledge of data protection, technology, and professional negligence disputes and is frequently sought after by both domestic and international clients. Leading the department, Caroline Watson’s broad practice includes advice on contractual, contract and supply disputes with a specialism in contract award challenges under the Public Procurement Regulations 2015. Will Richmond-Coggan is a port of call for disputes arising from data protection breaches.
Responsables de la pratique:
Caroline Watson
Autres avocats clés:
Will Richmond-Coggan; Paul Brown; Paul Wiggins
Les références
‘Understanding and friendly, with excellent and immediate grasp of our situation and specifics. Continuity of personnel dealing with our case, with prompt communication and updates. Caroline Watson is professional and knowledgeable at all times, but will always be aware that at times we may need reassurance and support.’
‘Caroline Watson has stood head and shoulders above the opposing solicitors, her correspondence is always factual and to the point. She is always professional and gives us confidence with her insight and depth of understanding with the matter in hand.’
‘They have been amazing in dealing with my dispute in an efficient and timely manner. They are great value for money and more importantly, put your mind at rest during a worrying time.’
Principaux clients
400 claimant postmasters
Paymaster (1836) Limited (t/a Equiniti)
Principaux dossiers
- Acting for IB in claims for the recovery of overcharges made by its energy company for the supply of gas to its manufacturing plants.
- Represented 400 of the original Group Litigation Order claimants in the submission and management of their claims to the government-funded compensation scheme.
- Struck out claims by all but 14 of what was originally 474 claimants brought against Equiniti in relation to alleged breaches of data protection law in the sending out of pension benefit statements.
Gardner Leader LLP
Gardner Leader LLP‘s ‘extremely skilled‘ litigators are called upon by clients engaged in the spectrum of commercial disputes, and offer additional expertise in a variety of arbitration systems and contentious insurance, IP and tax matters. Chris Felton spearheads the firm’s contentious work, focusing on multi-jurisdictional proceedings concerning breaches of directors’ duties, shareholder disputes and contentious trusts. Alongside her commercial disputes practice, Michelle Di Gioia is well versed in property litigation, including landlord and tenant issues, and health and safety-related matters.
Responsables de la pratique:
Chris Felton
Autres avocats clés:
Michelle Di Gioia; Katie Dyson
Les références
‘Christopher Felton is a master tactical analyst. If he had not been a solicitor he would have been a general in battle. He is always one step ahead of opponents. Michelle di Gioia stands out for being practical and tactical.’
‘They are extremely skilled, but also organised and able to lend their expertise to a large number of problems. They are coherent as a team with people able to step in when primary fee earners are away, as well as being prompt, which is crucial.’
‘The team at Gardner Leader stand out for its tenacity and strategic focus, pushing forward with determination, even when faced of the truly obnoxious opponents.’
Principaux clients
Mehta family/IIA Technologies PTE Limited
Hayat Otel/Bilgili Holding
Managed Legal Solutions
The Marble Workshop
Fazita Investment Limited
Principaux dossiers
- Represented the Mehta Family in an alleged $1bn cross-border fraud case spanning the UAE, Singapore, Hong Kong, the US and BVI, among others.
- Acting for Bilgili Holding in a high-value dispute concerning the mismanagement of an Istanbul hotel.
- Acting for Fazita Investments in a €100m claim involving English, Cypriot and Polish law, and pertaining to the alleged hijacking of a closed investment fund.
Shoosmiths LLP
Capable of ‘delivering a brilliant service to its clients,’ Shoosmiths LLP‘s litigation team acts for tech and energy sector clients involved in public procurement, breach of director’s duties and restrictive covenant claims and joint venture disputes, among others. Practice head Fleur Turrington ‘leaves no stone unturned’ when representing clients in contentious procurement or pensions matters, while ‘standout star’ Aimee Cook is sought out for her expertise in breach of contract, directors’ duties and share purchase agreements.
Responsables de la pratique:
Fleur Turrington
Autres avocats clés:
Aimee Cook
Les références
‘The team offers a very user-friendly service and is able to support on complex matters in an efficient manner. The team was capable and had good strategic insight on how to approach matters and was able to work well with our pre-selected counsel.’
‘They offer sound pragmatic advice and a great sounding board to share issues with. Aimee Cook was great in this regard and provided valuable support throughout the matter.’
‘Shoosmiths has a strong commercial litigation team with particular specialism in procurement and regulatory challenges.’
Principaux clients
BPP Holdings Limited
Henkel Limited
Ecolab Limited
Coloplast Limited
Tulip Trading Limited
Kuehne + Nagel Limited
Morgan Advanced Materials Plc
Prodrive Composites Limited
Gilling Dod Limited
The Student Energy Group Ltd
Capital Development Investments Ltd
Dr. Craig Wright
Zip UK Holdings Limited/Zip Co Limited
Principaux dossiers
- Acting for Tulip Trading Limited in its claim regarding ownership of digital assets worth circa £4.5bn.
- Acting for The Student Energy Group Ltd in its £4.1m commercial fraud claim.
- Acting for the defendant, Dr. Craig Wright, to determine whether our client is the person behind the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto, the creator of Bitcoin.
White & Black Limited
White & Black Limited takes instructions from international clients facing shareholder and joint venture disputes, among others, and is particularly noted for its expertise in IP litigation, representing notable tech and pharmaceutical clients. The team is headed by ‘very effective litigator’ Victoria Wright, a specialist in IP infringement claims who also handles breach of contract and restrictive covenant claims. Roxanne Selby focuses her efforts on disputes in the IP/IT sector.
Responsables de la pratique:
Victoria Wright
Autres avocats clés:
Roxanne Selby
Les références
‘Excellent legal skills, combined with very fine commercial judgment.’
‘Victoria Wright is exemplary: clever, a superb team-player and a very effective litigator.’
‘Niche commercial practice with good client relationships.’
Blandy & Blandy LLP
Commercial disputes, alongside those arising out of contractual issues, form the core of Blandy & Blandy LLP‘s contentious efforts, encompassing issues tied to, inter alia, insolvency, breach of directors’ duties and payment disputes. The ‘very solid’ David Murray leads the team, with particular expertise in acting for insolvency practitioners; Murray is also a qualified mediator.
Responsables de la pratique:
David Murray
Les références
‘David Murray is very solid. He gives commercial and practical advice and is reassuring.’
Principaux clients
Medispace Diagnostics Limited
Certikin International Limited
University of Oxford
Englefield Estate Trust Corporation Ltd
The Glass and Glazing Federation
Reading Transport Limited
Perfetti Van Melle UK Ltd
Marylebone Cricket Club
Work Wise Projecten BV
The Royal Town Planning Institute
Boyes Turner
Boyes Turner deals with a broad spectrum of commercial disputes, handling shareholder, construction and IT litigation, among others, often being instructed on disputes with a cross-border element. The team is led by Rowan Turrall, who's specialism in construction and technology-related disputes, form the core of her practice. Phillip Baldwin leverages his offshore experience to augment his commercial disputes work, while Rachel Brown is noted for her expertise in IT matters. Gary Parkinson re-joined the firm in December 2024 and serves as head of property disputes.
Responsables de la pratique:
Rowan Turrall
Autres avocats clés:
Phil Baldwin; Rachel Brown; Gary Parkinson
Les références
‘For a firm based outside of London/South West, I think clients would wish to know that it is equipped and services clients who have disputes with international elements. The team has strength and depth in terms of seniority and specialisms.’
‘Rachel Brown is experienced and commercial in her approach. She tackles disputes which have opponents abroad and clients in other jurisdictions in a prudent manner to ensure the longevity of any result achieved for the client.’
‘An out-of-the-City firm crewed by lawyers who have City law firm credentials and experience.’
Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP
Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP specialises in multi-party disputes, in particular those in the banking and finance sector, professional negligence claims and shareholder and partnership litigation, working closely with the firm’s London team, including practice head Kamran Rehman, to staff complex matters. ‘Thoughtful and assertive lawyer’ Charlie Shillito is sought after for his expertise in financial services and professional negligence disputes.
Responsables de la pratique:
Kamran Rehman
Autres avocats clés:
Charlie Shillito; Sophie Newman
Les références
‘They speak fluent human. In the legal world, in our experience, this is rare.’
‘The team stands out for its dynamism and assertiveness in driving forward the client’s case. Individuals from different disciplines pull together in complex multi-strand professional negligence claims.’
‘Charlie Shillito stands out as a thoughtful and assertive lawyer, who brings insight and a multi-move game plan to complex claims.’
Principaux clients
Grant Thornton
Anevay Stoves
Principaux dossiers
- Settled a multi-million pound claim for Grant Thornton, as liquidators of Privilege Wealth, against their payment services provider.
- Acted for a high net worth individual in proceedings against a national law firm for alleged negligent advice provided in relation to a share charge, securing a significant payment to our client.
- Defending a small claim brought against Anevay Stoves, of which the sole director is also the managing director of another of another company. The claimant, which is the exclusive distributor for the latter company, is engaged in a much larger, multi-jurisdictional dispute with the latter company.
Aston Bond
Aston Bond is a ‘very dynamic and innovative firm,’ which acts for HNWIs in shareholder disputes, contractual matters and insolvency matters, among a variety of others. The practice is headed by James Dyche, a qualified mediator who takes on commercial, construction and insolvency matters, and Stephen Puri, CEO and co-founder of the firm.
Responsables de la pratique:
Stephen Puri; James Dyche
Les références
‘This is a very dynamic and innovative firm, who have been moving from strength to strength in the last 2-3 years and making an increasing name for themselves in commercial litigation.’
‘James Dyche and his litigation team are excellent. James is a first class solicitor with excellent client skills.’
‘The Aston Bond commercial litigation team punches well above its weight. They are regularly instructed on multi-million domestic and international disputes with big City firms on the other side. The team is small but growing and is scared of nothing.’
Principaux dossiers
- Acted for the defendants in a professional negligence case against the defendants’ former solicitors.
- Acted for the first defendant in relation to a High Court claim relating to alleged breaches of a share purchase agreement.
- Acted for the first defendant in this multimillion-pound Contribution Act claim related to multi-million-pound claims against American law firm Baker Botts.
Howes Percival LLP
Howes Percival LLP offers ‘great legal advice’ to publishing, media and arts clients, representing them in IP and media law disputes, including trade mark and copyright disputes and breach of contract claims. Practice head James Howarth handles the spectrum of hard and soft IP litigation and also tackles defamation and privacy disputes, while Steven Maier maintains a broad practice that covers commercial and IP disputes.
Responsables de la pratique:
James Howarth
Autres avocats clés:
Steven Maier
Les références
‘Excellent attention to detail. They offer great legal advice coupled with a friendly, down-to-earth approach.’
Principaux clients
The Tolkein Estate
Agatha Christie Limited
Estate of Peter Mayle
Tabbers Limited
Welbeck Publishing Group
Owen Mumford Limited
Golf Holidays Direct Limited
DX Group
JUXT Limited
AFL Hyperscale
Security Alliance Limited
XPS Pensiobs
Bartington Instruments
Sounds Like Publishing
Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts Club
Massive Music
Raw Energy
Ocean on Land
SE-Solicitors
SE-Solicitors‘ litigation expertise spans everything from contentious wills and trusts to commercial, financial services and insolvency matters, acting for both HNWIs and multinationals. Practice head Chris Ozimic brings expertise in property litigation and related bankruptcy and insolvency matters, with Anis Waiz assisting lenders with the tracing and recovery of assets in addition to offering expertise in asset finance fraud.
Responsables de la pratique:
Chris Ozimic
Autres avocats clés:
Anis Waiz; Petra van Dijk
Les références
‘Personal attention. Chris Ozimic was available for calls during the day at a moment’s notice. Service level was unparalleled.’
‘Chris Ozimic was exceptional in service level. His calm thoughtful and pragmatic manner were exactly what was called for. And, knowing when to call in the barristers and chasing them to get the top level of service required.’
‘SE-Solicitors can be trusted to comply with our litigation needs in an efficient and timely manner. Their professional advice and attention to detail are crucial for us. Their large team can ensure that there is always someone to take on our numerous daily requests for recovery action.’