Swindon’s top lawyers and legal firms have been praised in the UK’s leading independent guide to the sector.
Regional law firms Thrings and Royds Withy King, both of which have large offices in the town, are ranked among the South West’s ‘regional heavyweights’ by the Legal 500, which was published yesterday, while a number of their partners and specialists – and those from rival firms – are singled out for their expertise. 
Thrings, which has the largest of its four main offices in Swindon, handles a wide range of matters, according to the guide, whicis h once again dominated by large Bristol firms.
Royds Withy King – the result of a recent merger between Withy King and London firm Royds and which employs around 60 people in its Swindon and Marlborough offices – stands out for its private client and commercial property expertise, according to the Legal 500.
Thrings, Royds Withy King and single-office Swindon firm Clark Holt are ranked in the second tier of M4 Corridor firms for their corporate and commercial work – Clark Holt rising up the rankings from third tier last year.
At Thrings, senior corporate partner and Swindon office head John Davies, pictured below, is described as well-regarded. John assisted the shareholders of Mainline Employment with the sale of the company to First Holdings. 
Jonathan Payne, the firm's senior partner and a leading partner in its commercial team, is also recommended.
Clients of Royds Withy King praise its ‘effective, one-team approach’, ‘understanding of client’s requirements and objectives’, and ‘tailored solutions’. The team, which acts for owner-managed businesses, and public and private equity owned companies, is particularly strong in handling transactions between £2m and £15m.
Clark Holt is noted for its ‘good knowledge of the client’s industry’. The team, which includes corporate finance specialist Richard Clark and commercial practitioner Jeremy Holt, pictured left, advises on a wide range of matters including data protection and IP rights.
Royds Withy King and Thrings are rated in the second tier for commercial litigation on the M4 Corridor.
At Royds Withy King, Chris Kane, who heads the highly regarded team, and Philip Banks-Welsh are ‘a dream team’ that provides ‘advice which is legally and commercially sound coupled with a robust approach towards litigation’. Clients include Bath Rugby, Clever Digit Media and Horseworld Trust.
Thrings advises clients in the defence, manufacturing and financial services sectors. Key contacts include mediator Ramona Derbyshire and David Patterson.
In employment, Royds Withy King is placed in the M4 Corridor top tier and, according to Legal 500, head Malcolm Gregory handles employee shareholder schemes, restructuring, pension cap applications and TUPE matters, while Richard White predominantly acts for employers and has strength in tribunal claims. Clients include PerkinElmer, Churchill Investments and Lorne Stewart.
Thrings appears in the regional top tier for its agriculture and estates work, with Royds Withy King in the third.
At Thrings, newly promoted partner Russell Reeves represented high net worth individuals in a High Court farm ownership and inheritance dispute. Other clients include the National Farmers Union (NFU) and The Badminton Estate. Duncan Sigournay heads the department following Peter Cusick’s departure to Roythornes Solicitors.
Royds Withy King advises lender clients on tenancy and financing matters. Angus Williams is noted for his knowledge of rural property.
Devizes firm Wansbrough appears in the third tier of the regional rankings for their personal injury: defendant work.
Wansbroughs, which also has an office in Melksham, ‘knows the local authority market inside out’. Robert Hams heads the practice, which acts for leading insurers. Newly promoted partner Cynthia Watts, pictured right, is experienced on the social care side. Sarah Beresford-Smith has retired.
Royds Withy King is placed among the region’s best firms for personal injury: claimant work, with Novum Law – Thrings’s rebranded personal injury operation – in the fourth tier.
Royds Withy King sits on the panels for the United Kingdom Acquired Brain Injury Forum and Headway. Department head Louise Hart handles amputation, orthopaedic injuries, chronic pain, PTSD and facial injury matters. Stuart Brazington is also recommended.
Royds Withy King is given a top placing for its contentious trusts and probate expertise and, according to the guide, ‘achieves good results for its clients time and time again’. Amanda Noyce ‘is unflappable’ in Court of Protection applications involving mental capacity issues, as well as Inheritance Act, tax and professional negligence matters.
Royds Withy King is also among the top regional firms in family law. Department head Richard Ellis has ‘a fantastic reputation’ in care proceedings. Also recommended are Sharon MacDonald and Jon Toogood, and newly promoted senior associates Katherine Lauder and Rebecca Stevens.
Thrings, in the second tier, handles high net worth matrimonial finance and children law, including international child abduction. Fiona Kellow and Matthew Kellow head the department, which includes James Myatt.
Both Thrings and Royds Withy King take top billing on the M4 Corridor for commercial property.
Alex Pinhey leads the team at Thrings. Edward Jackman acted for a landowner on the grant of an option agreement to a commercial developer. Royds Withy King’s ‘knowledgeable’ five-partner team is led by Paul Daniels and ‘provides commercial advice’. Edward Cooke is ‘an expert at negotiating complex land deals’. Peter Foskett is also recommended
Thrings gains a third place ranking in the Planning section with Alex Madden having notable experience in the rural planning sector. Highlights included advising Castletown Estates on the negotiation of a Section 106 agreement with Carmarthenshire County Council concerning a mixed-use development.
In property litigation, Thrings is placed in the third grouping of regional firms with Royds Withy King in the fourth.
Warren Reid at Thrings advises a broad range of clients such as Waitrose, Matchesfashion.com and Countrywide Estate Agents. Michael Tatters is ‘excellent and is very prompt in his response to queries’
At Royds Withy King, Caroline Preist is praised for her ‘good core knowledge of real estate litigation’. She regularly handles boundary, access and drainage rights disputes.
Thrings and Royds Withy King are both in the third tier for their IT and telecoms work. Owner-managed businesses regularly instruct Thrings for IP, systems implementation, IT services and outsourcing matters. Andy Braithwaite leads the practice, which also acts for clients including Teleperformance and Juicy Couture.
Jessica Bent leads Royds Withy King’s ‘exceptional’ practice, which represents clients including Bath Rugby in IP litigation and internet-based defamation cases.
Thrings is in the fourth tier and Royds Withy King the fifth for their intellectual property work.
Thrings advises Uniform Wares on its global brand protection strategy. Andrew Braithwaite and practice head Graeme Fearon are recommended. In addition to handling trade mark matters, Royds Withy King advises on patent licensing and infringement. Jessica Bent is ‘a very safe pair of hands’.
Royds Withy King and Thrings both feature along third-tier regional firms for their work in the media and entertainment sectors.
Thrings’ Graeme Fearon advises creative and media sector clients on international rights exploitation, enforcing rights and negotiating agreements. Bristol Media is a client. In addition to handling IP-related matters, Royds Withy King is active in branding, digital and social media contracts, licensing and defamation cases. Experienced department head Jessica Bent is recommended.
