The Legal 500: 2020 Listing
27-09-2019
Our legal experts have managed to secure their positions in the 2020 The Legal 500 listing once again as a Leading Firm with 11 practice areas recommended in the Legal 500 tables, 2 Leading Individuals and 21 Recommended Lawyers in their respective practice areas. Read through the links below to find out more details about the listings from each practice area.
- Corporate Commercial
- Commercial litigation
- Employment
- Health and safety
- Clinical negligence: claimant
- Charities and not-for-profit
- Contentious trusts and probate
- Family
- Personal tax, trusts and probate
- Commercial property
- Property litigation
Corporate and commercial
The team handles a broad range of corporate and commercial matters on behalf of start-ups, owner-managed businesses and investors. Recent matters include advising on cross-border sales and acquisitions, shareholder agreements and commercial arrangements.
Recommended Lawyers: Greg Humphreys and Diane Yarrow
- “Gardner Leader are always very responsive and understanding of issues presented to them.”
- “The corporate team are responsive, smart, thorough and go the extra mile for their clients.”
- “Diane Yarrow takes the time to understand the client’s business, products and customers with a genuine desire to uphold the clients values and ethics.”
Commercial litigation
The dispute resolution practice ‘punches well above its weight‘ and regularly acts in multi-jurisdictional commercial litigation for a mix of private and corporate clients. Practice head Chris Felton is ‘a safe pair of hands‘.
Recommended Lawyers: Chris Felton, Michelle Di Gioia and Hilary Messer
Employment
Cross-departmental expertise and support in all areas of employment. The group has a strong focus on contentious matters, acting on behalf of senior executives and employers in negotiating settlement agreements and Tribunal representation.
Recommended Lawyers: Julie Taylor and Michelle Morgan
- “Visible and supportive presence in the local community. Excellent customer service, friendly, expert and approachable team.”
- “Julie Taylor consistently provides expert, pragmatic advice and an excellent, responsive service.”
Health and Safety
Headed by Michelle Di Gioia, the team handles all matters related to health and safety, including compliance, risk management and litigation. The full-service practice is well placed to advise on regulatory issues as well representing client in investigations and prosecutions by the Health and Safety Executives. The team is particularly experienced in handling risks and health and safety offences in the manufacturing and construction sectors.
Leading Individual: Michelle Di Gioia
Clinical negligence: claimant
Our ‘sensible and practical‘ clinical negligence group covers the full range of medical negligence matters, with a particular emphasis on fatalities and inquest claims. Practice head Alastair Goggins, who is noted for his ‘whip-sharp advice‘, has expertise in maternal and infant birth complications and injuries. Senior associate Andrew Shipp handles complex claims involving mental health.
Recommended Lawyers: Alastair Goggins and Andrew Shipp
- “Alastair Goggins is very efficient, very competent, very knowledgeable, and has good judgement and charming people skills.”
- “Alastair Goggins reflects the strengths of his team, delivering cogent advice and practical solutions that put the client first.”
Charities and not-for-profit
The team’s expertise covers charity formations and registrations, governance and constitutional advice, corporate and commercial matters, regulatory and Charity Act compliance. From the Newbury office, Alistair Goggins leads a team which includes Penny Wright and Maidenhead-based Diane Yarrow.
Recommended Lawyers: Alastair Goggins, Penny Wright and Diane Yarrow
- “The team at Gardner Leader are head and shoulders above the other Berkshire-based firms in terms of response and track record in handling issues related to charity law.”
- “We found Gardner Leader to be efficient, knowledgeable, polite and understanding at all times. The partner responds to queries promptly, is patient in explaining things to us, and has taken the time to understand our needs.”
Contentious trusts and probate
The team ‘combines friendliness with astuteness and a sensible approach to dispute resolution‘. The group is sought out for advice on High Court and Court of Protection cases, with disputes involving capacity-related issues being a notable area of growth. Practice head Alastair Goggins is ‘exceptional in his honesty‘.
Leading Individuals: Alastair Goggins
- “Gardner Leader has a strong and efficient private client team; it has been involved in a number of high-profile and technically complex contentious probate and trust cases.”
- ‘”What makes the team different is the way it interacts with the client; no problem is too silly or remote and the lawyers work hard to find a balanced solution. They also have excellent communication skills in this regard.”
- “Alastair Goggins was determined to ensure justice was served; his diligence, tenacity, honesty and integrity throughout the process was the key factor in winning the case.”
Family
The team has a ‘solid reputation’ for divorce, financial settlements and matrimonial work.
Recommended Lawyers: Seona Myerscough, Jenny Buchanan, Suzy Hamshaw, Simon Fisher
- “Suzy and Jenny are a formidable team – they are exceptionally professional whilst being empathetic and patient.”
- “The team are meticulous about matching clients’ needs with the right path to desired outcomes, such as mediation, court applications, ADR or conciliation meaning better client satisfaction.”
- “Seona Myerscough – I value her professionalism and ability to remain balanced and calm during very complex proceedings. Gives good balanced advice.”
Personal tax, trusts and probate
Our ‘vastly experienced’ private client team have notable strengths in helping high-net-worth clients in tax planning, often with a cross-border element and utilising its experience negotiating with HM Revenue & Customs. Other areas of expertise include inheritance tax, international estate planning and powers of attorney and Court of Protection work.
Recommended Lawyers: Jolyon Barton, Robert Jobson, Penny Wright, Niamh Minihane, Richard Mead, Kathryn Tarry
- “The private client team has a good reputation and gives a good, personal service to its clients.”
- “Penny Wright always offers good, sympathetic service often in situations that require sensitivity- she makes every client feel understood and cared about.”
- “Jo Barton, Robert Jobson and Richard Mead in the private client team are highly recommended. They are all vastly experienced, give a personal service and are excellent at communicating with their clients in a way they can understand without diluting any technical issues.”
Commercial Property
We act for a mix of developers, landlords and tenants in commercial, residential, retail and mixed-use developments.
Recommended Lawyers: Greg Humphreys, Suki Hardy, Richard Buckeridge
- “The team are recommended for their ability to respond quickly with a depth of experience and enthusiasm. Excellent local knowledge and pragmatic advice provided by all advisers.”
- “Greg Humphreys handles all matters in a very professional way and is very engaged and knowledgeable.”
Property Litigation
The practitioners in our property litigation group demonstrate a ‘high degree of competence and understanding‘. We have recently had a notable increase in mandates from large companies, trusts and town councils. First Tier Tribunal claims and adverse possession claims are other areas of growth. The team also specialises in mortgage repossession work.
Recommended Lawyers: Alastair Goggins, Michelle Di Gioia
- “Gardner Leader is a local firm with a national outlook; it is very well respected.”
- “The team was easily accessible and always exhibited a timely responsiveness to case developments; its knowledge of statute and case law was truly impressive.”
