Harrison Drury gains further recognition in prestigious Legal 500

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Harrison Drury has been named in an influential annual guide to the UK’s top legal firms – with even more of its lawyers being recommended.

The Lancashire and Cumbria-based firm has placed in the 2023 edition of the prestigious Legal 500 publication for five of its specialisms – commercial property, commercial litigation, property litigation, corporate and commercial law, and insolvency.

As well as its 18 ‘Recommended Lawyers’, Malcolm Ireland, partner and head of the firm’s leisure and licensing team is cited as a ‘Leading Individual’ for licensing while the firm is also noted as a ‘Firm to Watch’ for its licensing specialism – a new category in the 2023 Legal 500 listings.

For the second year in a row, Helen Griffin, from the firm’s commercial litigation team, has been named as a ‘Rising Star’. Samantha Faud, who joined the firm earlier this year, is also listed as a Rising Star for licensing.

The Legal 500 has acted as a guide to clients on the best law firms, lawyers, solicitors and barristers in over 150 jurisdictions around the world for over three decades.

To be included in the Legal 500, firms undergo rigorous analysis which includes interviews and feedback from clients and professional peers which is reviewed by a panel of experts.

John Chesworth, executive chairman at Harrison Drury, said: “This is the fourth year running we’ve been listed in the Legal 500 and each year we are gaining more recognition for both our specialisms and the quality of our individuals.

“It shows just how established we have become for these specialisms and the quality of the advice and projects we are delivering for our clients. It important to say that it’s not just the lawyers named in the Legal 500 that make us successful – all our lawyers and support staff play a vital role.

“We also could not have achieved any of this without the support of our clients and the wider professional community that recommend us for the Legal 500 and act as referees for our submission – a huge thank you to them.”

In Harrison Drury’s 2023 Legal 500 directory listing, the firm’s commercial litigation team is noted for its expertise in “agricultural disputes and sports disciplinary matters...alongside contractual, partnership and professional negligence mandates”. Client testimonials describe a firm that “punches above its weight in commercial litigation” and is “very cost-effective, but with great delivery of results”.

The commercial property team is described as having “a passion for client outcomes” and “a genuine feeling they care”. The team’s lawyers are “extremely dedicated to their work and consistently contactable”.

The corporate and commercial team is recognised for its “transactional expertise that spans the software development, manufacturing, leisure, agricultural, and retail sectors”. It is noted that the team “is extremely approachable and explain complicated issues in a user-friendly way for clients.”

The firm’s listing for its insolvency and corporate recovery work praises the “excellent level of service” and lists James Robbins, a dual qualified solicitor and insolvency practitioner, as possessing “a wealth of knowledge that is second-to-none.”

Harrison Drury’s property litigation team is praised as “enthusiastic and collaborative” with a “a fresh can-do attitude” as well as having “true expertise in property related matters”.

The firm’s ‘Recommended Lawyers’ in the Legal 500 are Jack Stephenson, Tim Grover and Kerry Southworth (corporate and commercial); Nick Booth, Matt Astley and Sean Gibbs (commercial litigation); James Robbins (insolvency); Amanda Marwood, Naomi Fell, Lara Watts, Simon England, Wendy Newbury, Mike Fetherstone and Hannah Hughes (commercial property); and Colin Fenny, Hasin Amin, Joe Mitchell and Alex Walmsley (property litigation).