Our 2027 Legal500 rankings have been announced. These can be viewed in full here.
We have a total of 11 Recommended Practice Areas, 2 Leading Partners Alastair Goggins, Chris Felton, 1 Hall of Fame Michelle Di Gioia and 24 Key Lawyers.
Commercial Litigation
Gardner Leader’s team in Newbury provides comprehensive services to a diverse range of clients. Chris Felton is at the helm, and exemplifies the team’s expertise in handling complex, multi-jurisdictional litigation, with notable experience acting in arbitration-related litigation and fraud disputes. Michelle Di Gioia frequently handles professional negligence claims, shareholder disputes, and insolvency and arbitration matters.
Practice head(s): Chris Felton
Other key lawyers: Michelle Di Gioia, Katie Dyson
Testimonials
“Chris Felton is an outstanding partner, experienced with good instincts and a strong client focus. Will Castledine has just been made partner; he is sensible and a safe pair of hands.”
“Good market knowledge. High-profile cases. Hardworking and good attitude.”
“Michael Axe is a brilliant partner. He is warm and empathetic with clients and reasonable at all times, but he is also someone willing to take the fight to the other side when needed. He is an excellent tactician who remains cool under pressure and is certainly someone you want in your corner. He is an outstanding litigator.”
“William Castledine is hard-working, diligent, and organized. He delivers on high-profile assignments.”
“Andrew Shipp is an excellent all-around litigator.”
Commercial property
Gardner Leader’s team advises on acquisitions, financings, development projects, and landlord and tenant issues. Exemplifying this expertise is practice head Greg Humphreys in Newbury, who assists investors and developers with acquisitions and disposals. Maidenhead-based Tim Blackman handles a range of mandates, including landlord and tenant work. Joanna Bullard is another key team member.
Practice head(s): Greg Humphreys
Other key lawyers: Joanna Bullard, Tim Blackman
Testimonials
“The Commercial Property team takes the time to understand their clients’ business needs so that they can ensure those requirements are addressed when negotiating transactions. They expertly combine legal expertise with approachability and commerciality.”
“The team has good communication skills – both IT and face to face. Their commitment is 100%. Any reviews that are requested by us as clients are considered carefully and without delay, and advice is given with the options available that relate to the project. The way that their business is run and organized allows us as clients to feel confident in the way Gardner Leader handles things.”
“We feel we can communicate with our firm’s contact at any time generally by email – so that responses can be allocated to the correct section in the firm – which in our experience is without delay. Communications happen by mobile or face to face – with “teams” or in person. Emails from our day-to-day contact which generally relate to property matters are carefully written and understandable. If we have a query then the firm is easily contactable.”
“Greg Humphreys is very responsive and goes above and beyond to ensure deadlines are met. He has a calm and confident approach, which is critical when dealing with difficult and complex negotiations.”
“Tim Blackman is a huge part of the Maxted Farms team; we value his input enormously.”
Contentious trusts and probate
Led by Newbury-based Alastair Goggins, Gardner Leader is a key port of call for beneficiaries, charities, and trustees. Goggins is noted for his range of experience before the High Court and the Court of Protection, while Hilary Messer is knowledgeable of the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975. Amanda Collins is often engaged in trust disputes and Lauren Gale is skilled in dealing with disputes relating to the administration of trusts and estates.
Practice head(s): Alastair Goggins
Other key lawyers: Hilary Messer, Amanda Collins, Lauren Gale
Testimonials
“Alastair Goggins is an approachable and practical litigator. He is a pleasure to work with, and clients can trust him to adopt a firm but sensible approach.”
“Amanda Collins is an excellent solicitor. She is calm, efficient, and knows this area of law well. She stands her ground and fights for her clients. I would recommend her. Lauren Gale is also very efficient and capable.”
“Alastair Goggins has always had my back; he is always prepared to listen. During this very protracted case, he is always patient, and I feel he looks after me.”
“High-level specialist expertise outside of London.”
Corporate and Commercial – South West
The corporate and commercial specialists at Gardner Leader advise clients on a wide variety of transactions across sectors, and also excel in non-contentious commercial matters, including commercial contracts with issues relating to IT, intellectual property, and data protection. A trusted advisor to entrepreneurs and businesses, practice head Joe Lewis is experienced in M&A, shareholders’ agreements, and reorganisations. The team also includes Philip Humphreys, a transactional M&A lawyer who largely acts for vendors on share and asset deals; Peter James, a key lawyer for IP, IT, and commercial issues; and Diane Yarrow, who advises businesses, charities, and social enterprises on a wide range of corporate and commercial matters.
Practice head(s): Joe Lewis
Other key lawyers: Philip Humprheys, Peter James, Diane Yarrow, James Thorpe, Gail Vallis
Testimonials
“Gardner Leader’s Corporate and Commercial team combines deep technical expertise with a genuinely personal approach. What distinguishes the team is their ability to provide commercially focused advice rather than simply legal analysis. They take the time to understand the business, its objectives, and the people involved, allowing them to anticipate issues and provide practical solutions. The team is highly responsive, collaborative, and consistently delivers clear guidance, even during complex and time-sensitive transactions.”
“We’ve worked closely with Gardner Leader both for general commercial contracts and transactions. The partners are all exceptional and work directly with us on a broad range of briefs. Their pragmatic advice helps us close deals quickly, minimizing back and forth.”
“Philip Humphreys has been my trusted adviser for over a decade. His calm judgment, commercial awareness, and ability to navigate complex situations with clarity and confidence make him an exceptional lawyer. He takes the time to understand the business and provides advice that is practical, strategic, and focused on achieving the right outcome. Gail Vallis led our company’s sale transaction and was outstanding throughout. She combined technical excellence with remarkable responsiveness and commitment under significant time pressure. Her commercial approach, attention to detail, and ability to keep even the most complex negotiations moving forward made her invaluable to the success of the transaction.”
“We’ve worked with James Thorpe on two key transactions and he’s been excellent both times. He’s provided balanced, pragmatic advice which has helped us reach an agreement quickly and we trust him to help us close deals as rapidly as possible whilst ensuring our interests are protected.”
Health & Safety
Operating out of Newbury, Gardner Leader LLP’s health and safety practice is overseen by Michelle Di Gioia. With in-depth expertise in regulatory investigations, Gioia’s key strengths lie in compliance, litigation, and risk management work.
Practice head(s): Michelle Di Gioia
Personal Tax, Trusts and Probate
Proficient in handling mental capacity issues, Gardner Leader’s team assists clients with wills and inheritance tax planning, trusts and trust administration, powers of attorney, probate, and estate administration. The team advises on the establishment and administration of family trusts, and assists clients with significant agricultural estates or business interests. Penny Wright leads the team and has experience advising on high-value mandates, often with international elements. Hannah Wallbridge has expertise advising on affairs planning for those living with dementia.
Practice head(s): Penny Wright
Other key lawyers: Hannah Walbridge
Testimonials
“The team is very friendly and approachable, which would put any new client at ease. They have a few offices in the southeast, making it easy for a client to access an office if needed. They seem to work seamlessly across the offices and within the teams, which again is exactly what you want as a client. One of the things that stands out for me is their leadership team and how they have expanded but still maintained a personal feel and the good relationships the people seem to have with each other.”
“Penny Wright is very experienced in her field and has the right balance of being professional while having a high degree of empathy. She takes the time to listen and offers practical guidance and solutions to her clients. Everyone who deals with her speaks very highly of her.”
“Hannah Wallbridge – an excellent private client lawyer. Hannah is fantastic, friendly, and overall an extremely competent lawyer. She breaks down complex issues into simple terms, especially when dealing with elderly or vulnerable clients.”
“Experts in Property & Finance LPA applications and Wills. Traditional legal values combined with sensitive support for elderly and vulnerable clients. Dependable.”
Family
Led by Simon Fisher from Maidenhead, Gardner Leader‘s team assists with a wide range of family mandates, including divorces, financial arrangements, and private children disputes, often involving complexities such as domestic abuse and international elements. Fisher often represents mid to high-net-worth individuals. Mediator and collaborative lawyer Suzy Hamshaw in Newbury has experience preparing pre-nuptial, post-nuptial and cohabitation agreements. Elizabeth Saunders has notable expertise in disputes related to business and farming assets.
Practice head(s): Simon Fisher
Other key lawyers: Suzy Hamshaw; Elizabeth Saunders; Stephanie Buckeridge; Amy Wilson Weymouth; Rosie Deller
Testimonials
“Key strengths include the ability to collaborate, extensive knowledge of handling financial settlements, as well as compassion when dealing with clients in vulnerable situations.”
“I often refer clients to Suzy Hamshaw, having dealt with her myself personally. She is great at explaining complex matters and taking the ‘fear’ out of the divorce process. She is very reassuring to talk to and deals with clients with a great deal of compassion at what can be a very fraught time for them.”
“I recently worked closely on a case with Stephanie Buckeridge. She was excellent and she is hugely experienced. She had a great eye for detail and really good client skills – providing support alongside realistic and pragmatic advice. She was also very confident in her.”
Property litigation
Gardner Leader’s team handles complex disputes relating to title, lease interpretation, possession, rent and service charges, trespass, and rights of way. Michelle Di Gioia spearheads the offering and has experience in mortgage repossession claims, dilapidations, liability, and professional negligence mandates. Daniel Smith is a key contact whose broad workload encompasses equitable charge cases and mobile phone mast disputes.
Practice head(s): Michelle Di Gioia
Other key lawyers: Daniel Smith
Testimonials
“Gardner Leader is a top-quality outfit. They have great people and a great culture. These are solicitors who work hard and think laterally, and can handle complex cases in new areas without flinching. They really invest in their people and have a happy atmosphere with very committed people. They just do great work.”
“Michelle Di Gioia will fight for clients tooth and nail while being commercial and pragmatic.”
“The team is experienced, tactically dynamic, and provides really solid client care. From working with them, I believe they genuinely care about their clients’ commercial and, where relevant, personal/reputational interests and will go the extra mile to make sure their output for them is of the highest quality. They are also well prepared when it comes to realistically appraising the merits of a case and relaying advice. There is a good range in the team too, meaning that the clients get the benefit of the experienced partners (Michelle, Andrew, and Sam I have worked with) but appropriate support from their more junior colleagues too. Daniel Smith is also worth a mention – great strategically.”
“Michelle Di Gioia is a superb litigator. She is hands-on, experienced, and strategic. She has a quiet determination to get the best for her clients. She doesn’t stint and works brilliantly with her team. She has a wide level of competence and can get to grips with anything.”
“They have a real commitment to delivering for their clients. Their instructions are clear and focused, and you always know that they have their client’s interests front and center in what they do. Hilary Messer stands out as the key player in the team.”
Employment
Advising across the full employment lifecycle, Gardner Leader ‘s offering is noted for its contentious work. The team has experience handling complex unfair dismissal, discrimination, whistleblowing, and breach of contract mandates. Vicky Schollar is noted for her experience advising on collective redundancies and restrictive covenants. Michelle Morgan joined the team in December 2025 bolsters the group’s expertise in advising on TUPE and workforce due diligence cases.
Practice head(s): Michelle Morgan
Other key lawyers: Vicky Schollar
Testimonials
“Gardner Leader has a very strong employment law offering with an excellent reputation. They act for employees and employers alike.”
“The team at Gardner Leader are very responsive and communicate very well.”
“Vicky Schollar is a star individual. She is a highly experienced and respected employment lawyer, who has excellent knowledge of her area and very sound commercial and strategic judgment. Having worked with her on several cases, I have always been impressed with her input on a case and her dedication to securing a good outcome for her client.”
Corporate and Commercial – South East
Gardner Leader‘s team assists with cross-border M&A and investment mandates, as well as complex IT framework arrangements. Joe Lewis has particular experience in equity capital markets. Philip Humphreys has capabilities in M&A matters, and share and asset deals. Peter James advises on commercial contracts, data protection, and IP issues.
Practice head(s): Joe Lewis
Other key lawyers: Philip Humphreys, Peter James, Diane Yarrow
Testimonials
“Diversity of people with great experience and skills. Rare to find a transaction team outside of London with people, property, etc. all part of the Deal Team – i.e. not in separate silos.”
“Philip Humphreys has been consistently responsive, always coming back swiftly on queries and being generous with his time to advise and share his experiences. His manner is empathetic and practical, ensuring I fully understand the legalities of an approach and explaining complex concepts with clarity. James Fox has also been very supportive and pragmatic when putting together a partnering agreement for my company. Both Philip and James were exceptional at striking a balance between legal risk and maintaining a strong relationship with the counterparties involved.”
“They listen and give practical, experience-based advice. Gail Vallis and Philip Humphreys are particularly mentioned as they go out of their way to help. They are very easy to get on with too.”
“Very easy to work with. The team has experience in our sector (life sciences) and understands our specific needs. They are practical and not unrealistic in fee structures. The people are their strong point. Also, they work very well on deadlines with 24/7 access to advisors.”