Ashton KCJ features strongly in the 2013 Chambers & Partners directory, which has just been published.
One of the leading directories of the legal profession, Chambers & Partners ranks law firms and individual lawyers on their technical ability, professional conduct and client service, along with other qualities which are most valued by clients.
For the firm overall, four of our teams have increased their rankings this year. These are our Agriculture and Estates team, which is described as “very professional with high standards of integrity”, our Real Estate team in Ipswich, which is described as “very much client-focused”, our Corporate team in Ipswich and our Real Estate Litigation teams in Ipswich and Cambridge.
Both our Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence teams achieved tier 1 status once again this year, a position they have held for over 10 years. For Clinical Negligence, we were described as “a quality firm with an excellent reputation”.
Our Dispute Resolution team was described as having “a superb reputation” and for Family Law, we were noted for our “approachability, and practical and pragmatic approach to problems to get the best result”.
In the individual rankings, 16 individuals have increased their rankings compared with last year, with eight of our partners being listed in tier 1. These are:
Rob Adam (Real Estate Litigation) Tom Cook (Clinical Negligence) Richard Foyster (Personal Injury) Michael Frape (Real Estate Litigation) Robert Gair (Personal Injury) Luke Hibbert (Dispute Resolution) Sandra Patton (Clinical Negligence) Hannah Rutterford (Personal Injury)
New Norwich-based Partner, Damian Humphrey, was described as an “extremely capable lawyer” and Ipswich-based Corporate lawyer, Petra Sharp was described as ‘up and coming’.
Here are a selection of the quotes attributed to our lawyers:
“A terrific guy who is good at sitting down with clients” (Alan Brown, Head of Individual Services) “An impressive operator and very confident” (Ruth Booy, Head of Injury Services) “Delightful to work with and very steely” (Hannah Rutterford, Partner, Personal Injury) “Capable, conscientious and quick to respond” (Geoff Hazlewood, Partner, Corporate & Commercial) “Combination of great client services and legal acumen” (Jeanette Dennis, Partner, Agriculture & Estates) “Highly recommended by clients for his patience and calm professionalism” (Luke Hibbert, Partner, Dispute Resolution) “He is clearly an expert in his field” (Charles Webb, Head of Commercial Property) “Noted for his ability to marshall a robust defence” (Julian Outen, Partner, Employment)
Simon Smith, CEO at Ashton KCJ, says: “We are delighted with these results, which have closely followed the strong endorsement we received from the Legal 500 guide, where we joined the shortlist of ‘regional heavyweight’ law firms for the first time. To have achieved this just one year after our merger was an incredible result. Endorsements from respected, independent sources such as the Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners demonstrate our commitment to providing exceptional client service across all areas of the firm.”
