It’s Legal 500 Day!

The rankings are nice. The client feedback matters more. So before we get into the results, a simple thank you: to our clients, for trusting us and taking the time to tell the Legal 500 what it’s like to work with us. And to our teams, client-facing and behind the scenes, who make that feedback possible. 

More of the same (in a good way) 

We’ve held on to our Tier 1 rankings for Employment and Commercial Litigation in East Anglia, and we’re recognised again across Corporate & Commercial, Banking & Finance, Private Wealth, Public Sector, Intellectual Property, IT & Telecoms and Residential Property. 

It’s been a good year beyond the rankings too. In April we were named Firm of the Year at the Cambridgeshire Law Society’s Legal Excellence Awards, and since then we’ve welcomed nine senior hires across Employment, Intellectual Property, Real Estate and Tax. 

Employment: top of the table again 

Our Employment team is Tier 1 again. At this point, they’re starting to look quite comfortable there. 

John Macaulay, Keith Williams and Joanna Scally are recognised as Leading Partners, and Siobhan Thomson, promoted to partner earlier this year, as a Leading Associate. In September, Jennifer Nicol joined as Head of Employment, with more than 20 years of advising employers, boards and senior leaders behind her. 

“Excellent service providing balanced and practical advice.”

Disputes: calm heads when things get complicated 

Nobody wakes up hoping they’ll need a commercial litigator. But when they do, they want someone who’ll be honest with them. 

Our Disputes team is ranked in London’s crowded commercial litigation market and is Tier 1 in East Anglia once more. Huw Wallis keeps his place in the Hall of Fame, Jamie McConnell and Adele Whaley are recognised as Leading Partners, and Sam Baxter as a Leading Associate. Adele’s move from Next Generation Partner to Leading Partner is a particular highlight – well deserved, Adele. 

“Adele Whaley is a real pleasure to work with: she has total mastery of her cases, is very clear and methodical in her approach, and has great instincts and insights about litigation strategy.”

As Huw says: “Clients don’t remember the size of the firm that acted for them. They remember whether you picked up the phone when it mattered and told them straight where they stood.” 

“Greenwoods’ commercial litigation team stands out for its combination of technical strength, commercial judgment, and a pragmatic approach to disputes. The team is responsive, easy to work with, and good at identifying the issues that really matter.”

Corporate & Commercial: helping businesses get things done 

Clients tend to come to us when something important is happening in their business, whether that’s an acquisition, an investment, a shareholder issue or a major commercial contract. 

This year we’re particularly pleased to see Claire Banks recognised as a Next Generation Partner, up from Leading Associate last year. Anyone who works with Claire will know she’s unlikely to mention that herself, so we’re happy to do it for her. 

“They are friendly and approachable and seem to have a genuine interest in helping us.”

The team, led by Stephen Jarvis, was also Highly Commended in the business law category at the Cambridgeshire Legal Excellence Awards in April. 

“Greenwoods is a corporate firm with a friendly family feel. Their employees and partners are experts in their field.”

Residential Property: keeping things moving 

Buying or selling a home is stressful enough without your lawyer making it worse, so it’s good to see our Residential Property team keep its ranking in London. 

The team is led by Will Thomas, alongside Michael Taylor and Maria Corneli, and this year it has welcomed Amalie Raben-Levetzau and Poornima Andrews. Clients tell us they value lawyers who keep things moving and keep them informed. 

“Will Thomas, the Head of Residential Property, is exceptionally thorough and is supported by equally proactive individuals.”

Private Wealth: trusted with the important stuff 

We’ve kept our rankings in both Cambridge and London. Clients often come to the team at big moments in their lives, so technical expertise is only part of the job. Clear advice, good judgement and a bit of reassurance matter too. 

In July, Ingrid McCleave joined us as Head of Tax. She’s both a solicitor and a barrister, and has worked in private practice, at the Bar and at two Big Four accountancy firms. 

Intellectual Property: a very Cambridge story 

You can’t really work in Cambridge without bumping into innovation, a life sciences business or a founder – often all three at once. 

Our Intellectual Property practice is recognised again this year, in a year when Sarah Grant joined as Head of Intellectual Property and Abi Woolhouse as Head of Trademarks. 

As Sarah explains: “Cambridge is full of businesses built on ideas, and plenty of them are growing fast. Having run a business myself, I know founders don’t want a lecture on IP law. They want to know what’s worth protecting and when. At Greenwoods, I can give that advice with a full legal team behind me.” 

Looking ahead 

As well as the hires above, Richard Hughes, Callum Leary and Kieran Rodda joined our commercial Real Estate team together in September. 

As Rob puts it: “The last year has been about adding to what already works. The way we work with clients hasn’t changed – there’s even more expertise behind it.” 

You should expect your lawyer to pick up the phone. To explain things clearly. To set out your options, and tell you which one they’d choose. 

Thank you 

To everyone who has instructed, referred, recommended and trusted Greenwoods over the last year: thank you. 

Rankings come round once a year. Our clients need us every day, so that’s where we’ll be.