- 22 Oct 2019
- Firm News
Sills & Betteridge LLP is a firm with a lot to celebrate this month as it enters for the first time, The Lawyer UK 200 Annual Report, and once again receives recognition in the latest Legal 500 Guide.
Both publications are impartially researched based on collection of data and interviews.
The Lawyer UK 200 is a list of the UK’s largest firms by revenue, where Sills & Betteridge were ranked 186.
https://www.thelawyer.com/top-200-uk-law-firms/
The Legal 500 is the leading directory of law firms in the UK. It recognises firms that have real expertise and are able to provide high level advice. Corporate and general counsel, companies and individuals use the guide as an important referencing source when appointing a lawyer. The firm’s Corporate and Commercial, Family Law and Contentious Trusts and Probate teams received recommendations in the guide with 15 lawyers named individually. https://www.legal500.com/firms/3052-sills-betteridge-llp/1604-lincoln-england/#firm_profiles
The Legal 500 acknowledges the firm for its “strength in depth of good lawyers, including an excellent bunch of young lawyers progressing through the ranks”. It goes on to say that “Sills & Betteridge LLP offers a rare combination of commitment to the client, excellent knowledge of the law, and an ‘impressive work rate.”
Andrew Payne is the firm’s Senior Partner. Commenting he said, “Achieving a recommendation in The Legal 500 is always extremely satisfying because the research is completely independent and based on feedback from clients. The comments we have received this year are especially pleasing as they acknowledge not just our technical expertise but our exceptional delivery of service.”
CEO Martyn Hall, who has overall responsibility for the firm’s financial strategy said “Our growth over the last 5 years is now reflected in our annual turnover. Our financial position is strong, so we are able to plan ahead, investing in the recruitment and development of the best new legal talent, technology and other infrastructure, and further expansion. We are however committed to keeping our fees competitive to ensure we do not lose our current and future market share across the region.”
The firm has expanded significantly over the last 12 months, having opened offices in Grimsby, Doncaster and Northampton and completed two mergers to expand its presence in North Lincolnshire and South Yorkshire. The Nottingham team are relocating to larger premises on George Street in the Hockley area of the city in January 2020.
Sills & Betteridge LLP is now one of the largest independently owned firms in the region and employs over 300 people across 14 offices.
Some of the highlighted quotes from the Legal 500 Guide include:
Corporate & Commercial
Sills & Betteridge LLP's growing practice was boosted by the promotion of Euan McLaughlin and James Conduit to the equity in July 2018. Team head Andrew Payne has been a stalwart at the firm since the mid-1970s and is a leading name in the Lincolnshire market. The group also includes Martin Walsh, whose transactional experience includes deals with a nexus to the renewable energy and telecoms sectors, and also matters with cross-border elements. The firm also generates work from clients in industries such as agribusiness, healthcare, gaming machines, energy and retail. It is particularly strong acting for SMEs, as well as national and international businesses with operations in the Midlands. Tax expert Gary Phillips, who has been a partner at the firm since 1991, is another notable practitioner.
Contentious Trusts & Probate
Praised for its ‘strong level of knowledge’ and ‘impressive work rate’, the team at Sills & Betteridge LLP is well-regarded for proprietary estoppel and financial provision claims, will disputes, applications to remove executors and trust-related litigation. The ‘excellent’ David John co-heads the practice alongside Karen Bower-Brown. Also integral to the team is recently promoted partner Robert Pearson, who handles a number of Inheritance Act claims.
Family
Sills & Betteridge LLP offers ‘a rare combination of commitment to the client, excellent knowledge of the law and imagination’. The matrimonial and finance department is active in pre- and post-nuptial agreements, cases involving public service pensions, matters with cross-border elements and private children law proceedings. The firm is also home to an emergency injunction and care team, which works to obtain protective injunctions for domestic abuse victims. The group grew substantially over the past year, most notably with the arrival of new partner Siobhan Thompson.
'Sills and Betteridge is one of the top firms in Lincolnshire for dealing with complex financial remedies cases. With offices across Lincolnshire, and now Nottingham, it attracts some of the most complex divorce cases in the area'.
Also recognised: Helen Derry, Chrystal Theofanous, Mo Hayes, Nick Flatt, John Mitchell