Thomson Snell & Passmore achieves uplift in UK Legal 500 Guide

01/09/2009

Thomson Snell & Passmore has achieved outstanding rankings in this year's UK Legal 500 Guide - maintaining its position as one of Kent's leading law firms. The UK Legal 500 Guide is one of the foremost independent guides to the legal profession and this year Thomson Snell & Passmore has built upon its strong reputation across all practice areas.

The Legal 500 is used by commercial and private clients, corporate counsel, CEOs, FDs and professional advisers – as well as by other referrers of work both nationally and internationally. 

This year, the firm's Clinical Negligence and Planning teams rose in the rankings. 12 other departments including Corporate and Commercial, Commercial Litigation, Construction, Charities, Employment, Environment, Family, Health and Safety, Personal Injury, Professional Negligence, Personal Tax, Trusts and Probate and Property Litigation maintained their 2008 rankings. 

Patricia Fearnley, who jointly leads Thomson Snell & Passmore's tier one ranked Clinical Negligence department, is described as “warm, knowledgeable and efficient”. Partner Graham Bell is noted as a “clever, practical lawyer”. With 11 fee-earners the department is the largest in the region and a particular highlight this year was Partner Fiona Mills settling a catastrophic brain injury clinical negligence claim for £6.3 million. 

The Planning team, led by Partner Nick Horton, has also increased its rank this year from tier five to tier four. In the last year, the Planning team has seen an increase in instructions. 

Other highlights include the tier one ranked Employment team led by the “highly professional” Nick Hobden and including the “all round star” Susanna Gilmartin. Also tier one is the Personal Tax, Trusts and Probate team who, it is noted, “work in a timely manner to the highest standard”. Tier two ranked Health and Safety is described as providing “an outstanding level of service” where Partner  Nick Horton  “works hard and efficiently”.

Senior Partner James Partridge said: 

“This is great news for the firm and we are very proud of these achievements, especially because the rankings reflect the opinions of both our peer group and our clients. Thomson Snell & Passmore has performed consistently well across all departments to maintain our rankings in the UK Legal 500 Guide. The strength of our rankings across such a diverse range of teams is testament to our abilities to provide expert legal advice to businesses and private individuals alike. I would like to congratulate my colleagues for all their hard work and continued dedication to their clients and the firm and I am particularly pleased that Clinical Negligence and Planning teams have, quite rightly, risen in the rankings.”