Wilkin Chapman delighted with rankings and commendations in top UK legal guides

Des Mannion - delighted.

WILKIN Chapman solicitors has received praise in two of the UK’s most comprehensive guides to law firms, which have been released this autumn.

Published annually, The Legal 500 is a thorough assessment of legal firms, which judges them against a list of strict criteria with research based on interviews with clients, barristers and other professionals.

This year the firm has seen improvements, with its Employment, Commercial Litigation, and Wills, Estates, Tax and trust departments being ranked as Tier 2 firms in the East Midlands region, which incorporates the firm’s Lincoln, Grimsby and Wolds offices.

The highest Tier 1 rankings are awarded to the firm’s Family, Commercial Property, Debt Recovery and Agriculture teams in the East Midlands, with a host of accolades for individuals in Lincolnshire and East Riding of Yorkshire.

Wilkin Chapman now has 14 practice areas ranked in the guide with 38 individuals highlighted for their expertise.

Singled out in the Family team are former senior partner Mark Carlton and head of department Lisa Boileau who ‘handle cases with the utmost efficient and expertise’ and are part of a team that provides ‘excellent advice’.

Similar praise went to Mark’s successor as the firm’s Senior Partner and Litigation solicitor Andrew Holt, for being ‘unstinting and meticulous in his work’.

Head of the Agriculture and Food sector Catherine Harris and colleague Jonty Pearson show ‘genuine commitment in terms of skills, knowledge and availability’, says the guide.

Meanwhile, the firm’s Employment Law specialists are noted as providing advice that ‘always hits the nail on the head and is timely and of the highest quality’.

The Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence team also receives well-deserved praise, being referred to as an ‘outstanding team’ with clinical negligence senior solicitor, Jonathan Baker being noted as ‘tactically astute and procedurally brilliant’.

In a second major rankings report, Wilkin Chapman teams and individuals also receive high praise.

Leading the individual accolades in the 2018 edition of Chambers and Partners UK, is Imogen Holmes. A Partner and member of the Private Client team, Imogen has seen her recognition raise to Band 1. In the report, Imogen is described as “very knowledgeable, efficient and friendly’.

Partner and head of the Wills, estates, tax and trusts department Lisa-Jane Howes, joins Imogen in the Band 1 rankings, as does Partner and Head of Agricultural Catherine Harris.

Band 2 rankings go to Partner and Head of Family Lisa Boileau and fellow Partner and Head of Corporate and Commercial Russell Eke.

Meanwhile Head of Commercial Property, Partner Ruth Brewin receives a Band 2 ranking and is described by one client as having “a brain the size of a planet!”

The specialist teams within Wilkin Chapman also feature highly, with a Band 1 ranking for the Family and Private Client teams, a Band 2 for the Agricultural and Corporate teams and a Band 3 for Real Estate (Commercial Property). And its Family department has entered the guide as a recognised practitioner in the highly competitive York, Hull and Surrounds region.

Delighted by the rankings, Wilkin Chapman Chief Executive Des Mannion, said: “A law firm is only as good as its people, and is nothing without their skills and expertise.

“Our senior solicitors lead the teams and inspire and mentor the next talented generation of solicitors within Wilkin Chapman. These rankings are a reflection of the dedicated and highly skilled people we have working across a wide range of practice areas and we are very proud of them.”