LEADING Dorset solicitors Steele Raymond have once again been recognised as one of Dorset and the South West’s leading law firms in the latest edition of independent industry bible The Legal 500 for the 13th consecutive year.
The firm has been awarded the highest possible “Top Tier” ranking that the Guide awards in its key legal areas of Company and Commercial, Commercial Property and Dispute Resolution, which it has achieved for the 13th consecutive year. Additionally the Steele Raymond team is celebrating with the addition of Employment Law as a further ‘Top Tier’ ranking.
The guide also provided positive comments and recommended lawyers in the areas of Family, Private Client, Education and Property Litigation.
This latest ‘Top Tier’ ranking comes less than 12 months after the expansion of the team in a number of key legal areas such as employment law, family, commercial property and property litigation. The last four years has also seen the growth of the firm’s turnover by over 25% underlining its continuing dominance across the region.
In the commercial property team four of the firm’s partners are recommended. Partner Chris Twaits is recognised as a Leading Individual described as ‘thorough, pleasant and always provides first-class, pragmatic advice’. Partner Jennifer Rogerson is ‘the group’s ‘diligent and commercially focused’ retail specialist’. Development partner Emma Stainwright ‘is ‘prepared to put in the extra mile’ for her developer clients and Partner Carol Elliott is ‘highly regarded in Dorset, and has a regional track record spanning more than 20 years advising large property developers, as well as commercial landlords’.
The four partner company and commercial team ‘specialises in acting for regional corporate clients’ with Chairman Tim Stone, recognised as a Leading Individual.
This year has also seen an increase in the number of Steele Raymond’s solicitors receiving special recognition including Senior Associate Lindsay Halliwell who was recommended in Family Law across the South West and described as possessing ‘a wealth of experience and knowledge in dealing with matters relating to children’.
Property litigation specialist Simone Ritchie was described as someone ‘whose experience runs the gamut of contentious property issues, and who is ‘a truly ace litigator’’ also received special recognition.
Partner John Andrews received special recognition for his work in Private Client, Education, Court of Protection litigation and inheritance disputes.
Partner and Head of Private Client Sue Adams and consultant Paul Causton were also recommended as ‘dual qualified as solicitors and chartered tax advisers’ covering a range of tax planning work.
Within the employment law field, and just 12 months after joining the firm, solicitor Amy Cousineau Massey has been recognised as one of the top Next Generation Lawyers who ‘specialises in discrimination and whistleblowing matters’. Managing Partner Peter Rolph is recommended within dispute resolution as someone who ‘has developed a specialised practice in professional negligence’ as well as ‘particular experience in advising on exit packages and the enforcement of post termination restrictions’ within the field of employment law.
The Legal 500 has been published for over twenty years, providing the most comprehensive coverage currently available on legal service providers. Used by commercial and private clients, corporate counsel, CEOs, Financial Directors and professional advisers – both nationally and internationally – the series is widely regarded as offering the definitive reference work on UK law firms.
Rankings are determined by the Legal 500 through a combination of submissions made by solicitors demonstrating the quality and depth of their work and client base, as well as independent interviews carried out with clients themselves.
Commenting on the latest rankings, Chairman Tim Stone said: “We are delighted by these results which have coincided with a sustained period of growth for the firm. We are once again delighted to see this independent recognition of Steele Raymond’s dominant position at the heart of law in Dorset and the South Coast. Achieving a ‘Top Tier’ ranking for the 13th consecutive year in our three core practice areas is pleasing, but to see our employment law team achieving top tier status is just reward for the quality of work we have provided in this area for a number of years. It is also pleasing to see the proper recognition going to many other areas of expertise including Family, Private Client and Property Litigation, something I am immensely proud of. The rankings are the result of a great team effort across the entire firm and reflect the huge effort that everyone puts in, day after day in looking after and representing the very best interests of our clients.”