Harrison Drury has more teams recognised by prestigious Legal 500
Harrison Drury has grown its presence within an independent guide to the UK’s top law firms and lawyers, with more of our services and specialists being ranked than ever before.
Our corporate and commercial, licensing, commercial litigation, commercial property, property litigation, insolvency, and family law teams have all been ranked again in the prestigious Legal 500, with the corporate team moving up a tier.
In addition, we have also been ranked as a ‘Firm to Watch’ for our specialisms in construction law, agriculture and estates, and employment law.
A total of 42 Harrison Drury solicitors have been individually recognised as leaders in their fields with Simon England (real estate), Malcolm Ireland (licensing), James Robbins (insolvency) and David Vayro (construction) identified as ‘Leading Partners’.
Emma Butterworth (employment) and Hannah Hughes (real estate) have been listed as ‘Next Generation Partners’, while Samantha Faud (licensing), Helen Griffin (litigation), Lara Watts and Lucy Benton (real estate) have been noted as ‘Leading Associates’.
John Chesworth, executive chairman at Harrison Drury, said: “It’s fantastic to see the investment we’ve made in people leading to success for our clients, which in turn has resulted in further recognition by the Legal 500.
“Our strategy of recruiting highly-specialist lawyers and continuing to diversify our offering to meet the needs of our clients has been key to our success. Our construction law, agriculture and employment teams being highlighted in the Legal 500 for the first time is clear evidence of this.
“It’s also pleasing to see us moving up the rankings for our corporate specialism, thanks in part to our expansion into the Manchester market and recruitment of leading specialists in mergers and acquisitions.”
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, firms undergo rigorous analysis which includes interviews and feedback from clients and professional peers which is reviewed by a panel of experts.
What our clients said about us in the Legal 500
In Harrison Drury’s 2025 Legal 500 listings, our commercial litigation team is described as being “able to compete on capability and legal prowess with the best in the business” and for having “first rate litigators”.
Clients describe our commercial property team as being “extremely welcoming and professional” with the directory stating “the team is well equipped to advise on multi-million-pound developments, sales, leases, acquisitions and disposals”.
The corporate and commercial team is praised for its “tireless work ethic” and noted for its experience of advising on M&A, private equity, and venture capital transactions. Clients commented on the teams “sector knowledge and client-centred approach”.
The firm’s licensing team is noted for its “fast and efficient service” and for being an “experienced, well established, and respected practice that are always willing to listen and work with clients to resolve issues”.
Our family law team is recognised for its expertise in high value divorces and experience in children matters, including cases with a cross-border element. The team is described as “kind, knowledgeable and highly professional” and “100% committed to their clients”.
Clients describe our insolvency and corporate recovery team as having “a wealth of knowledge and an ability to provide relevant and easy to understand information to clients”.
Harrison Drury’s property litigation team is noted for its “vast experience” and for being “able to deal with complex litigation effectively, including when urgent application is needed”.
Our ‘Recommended Lawyers’
Our ‘Recommended Lawyers’ and other ranked individuals in the Legal 500 are:
Corporate and commercial – Mark Traynor, Jack Stephenson, Richard Life, Kerry Southworth, Timothy Grover
Licensing – Malcolm Ireland and Samantha Faud
Commercial litigation – Nick Booth, Sean Gibbs, Helen Griffin, Martin Stafford
Commercial property – Simon England, Naomi Fell, Hannah Hughes, Lara Watts, Wendy Newbury, Lucy Benton, Nicola Beneduce, Danielle Leeming, Lucy Beachell, Jackie Bate, Amanda Marwood, Jane Fillis
Insolvency and corporate recovery – James Robbins, Peter Barlow
Property litigation – Colin Fenny, Ros Monk, Alex Walmsley, Zoe Taylor, Joseph Mitchell, Luke Holden
Family law – John Osborne, Rebecca Patience, Emma Panchal, Jenna Atkinson
Construction – David Vayro, Katherine Sibley
Agriculture and estates – Joseph Mitchell
Employment – Roger Spence, Jamie Campbell, David Carmichael, Emma Butterworth