Collyer Bristow LLP

Senior Partner: Daniel Simon
Chief Executive: Phillip Palmer
Partners: 38
Associates/Senior Associates: 20
Other fee-earners: 18

CONTACTS
Banking & Financial Disputes: Stephen Rosen
Construction: Ian Chappell
Corporate & Commercial: Sharon Fryer
Data Protection: Patrick Wheeler
Dispute Resolution: Robin Henry
Employment: Tania Goodman
Family: Toby Yerburgh
Financial Services: Stephen Rosen
Fintech & Crypto: Nigel Brahams
Immigration: Charles Avens
Insolvency: Robin Henry
Intellectual Property: Patrick Wheeler
International: Stephen Rosen
Media & Privacy: Steven Heffer
Media, Arts & Culture: Nichola Leach
Real Estate: Michael Grace
Real Estate Litigation: Michael Grace
Tax & Estate Planning: Peter Daniel
Tax Disputes: James Austen

THE FIRM
Collyer Bristow LLP is a long-established central London law firm. The firm provides high quality, individually tailored legal advice, often with a cross-border aspect, to a portfolio of international and domestic clients including commercial businesses, wealthy individuals and families, and ambitious entrepreneurs. The firm has a particular reputation for its private wealth, real estate and dispute resolution services.

Clients choose Collyer Bristow because they, like those at the firm, appreciate individuality, creativity and collaboration. The firm recognises that clients’ needs may be unique and more complex, or that in progressing with their legal issue they value a more engaged and personalised service from their lawyers. The firm recognises that the Collyer Bristow approach is one of building understanding, trust and relationships with clients; the firm takes time to build relationships and to understand the commercial objectives behind every transaction or dispute. Key clients include Philip Morris International, Crest Nicholson, Middlesex University, Jon Moulton and Twickenham Film Studios.

PRINCIPAL AREAS OF WORK  

Private Wealth:  

• Tax & Estate Planning: The private client services department includes a strong tax and estate planning team which advises on wills, tax planning and structuring, tax disputes, trusts and charities. It has particular expertise in residence, non-domicile and offshore matters, powers of attorney and Court of Protection work, and trust and probate litigation.
• Family: The firm’s leading family team handles the full range of issues including divorce, separation, civil partnership and cohabitation, the preparation of pre and post nuptial agreements and complex disputes involving financial issues or those concerning children.
• Media & Privacy: The team is a leader in the media and privacy field having been involved in high-profile defamation and privacy claims, including acting for over 200 clients with claims arising from the phone hacking scandal. The team has represented prominent figures including Sarah Lancashire and Caroline Nokes MP. It also handles disputes relating to harassment and cyber-stalking.
• Residential Conveyancing: The residential conveyancing team guides buyers and sellers through the entire conveyancing process ensuring as smooth and tax efficient a transaction as possible. The team advises on new-build, off-plan purchases, buy-to-let investments, leasehold enfranchisement and lease extension, and the full range of landlord and tenant issues.

Mid-Sized Businesses:  

• Commercial Dispute Resolution: The commercial dispute resolutions team has substantial experience advising organisations on issues regarding breach of contract, partnership and shareholder disputes, professional negligence claims, civil fraud and trade disputes. It is known for its strategic and tactical excellence. Clients include Manolete Partners plc and Greensphere Capital LLP.
• Banking & Financial Disputes: The banking and financial disputes team deals with all aspects of financial mis-selling, with FOREX and LIBOR manipulation and claims arising from the mis-selling of derivatives, including interest rate swaps, as recent areas of focus. Its clients include UK and offshore companies, financial institutions, hedge funds, finance industry professionals, and high net worth individuals. Secure Capital SA is a key client.
• Real Estate: The real estate team acts for property owners, investors, developers, funders, landlords, and tenants dealing with all real estate transactions, from multi-million pound portfolio acquisitions to individual sales, commercial lettings, property management and real estate disputes. Clients include GMS Estates Ltd and The Deltic Group.
• Construction: The construction team advises on building contracts, funding transactions, and development projects and property. It also has extensive experience in court proceedings, arbitration, adjudication, and all forms of alternative dispute resolution.
• Intellectual Property & Data Protection: The firm has a strong reputation for intellectual property and has acted in high profile cases which have gone to trial or interlocutory hearings. Its work covers protection of brands, negotiating commercial agreements, resolving disputes concerning patent, design rights, trade mark and copyright infringement. The team is also experienced in advising businesses on data protection, GDPR compliance and data breach response. Clients include Sanrio UK Ltd and Wirth Research.
• Employment: The employment team provides commercial advice to companies in managing their everyday HR issues and dealing with disputes, which can involve employment tribunal and High Court litigation. The team deals with matters involving unfair dismissal, discrimination, TUPE, breach of contract, whistleblowing, flexible working, equal pay, and business immigration.
• Corporate & Commercial: The corporate and commercial team acts for UK and international organisations across a wide range of industry sectors. It has expertise in mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and shareholder agreements, company reconstructions, insolvency and corporate recovery. Clients include Better Capital Group and Aldo UK. The team also covers a wide range of activities related to art and culture, dealing with commercial agreements, sponsorship agreements, recording and publishing, film financing, and production and distribution agreements. The team has worked with film composers David Arnold and David Julyan and INTO Film.