Employee-owned, B Corp™ certified South West law firm Stephens Scown, has cemented its status as a regional heavyweight as it celebrates its successful results in the Chambers & Partners’ UK 2025 guide.
With a reputation for going above and beyond for its clients, people, and communities, Stephens Scown has ranked in 14 sections of the prestigious legal guide, with top rankings for the firm’s Family and Corporate teams. Five of the firm’s solicitors received the highest Band 1 ranking, and a total of 25 lawyers ranked individually.
Stephens Scown’s Family Law team, one of the largest in the South West, maintains its place as the only Band 1 ranked Family Law team in the South West. One client said of the team: “Stephens Scown has a clear understanding of the key issues in relation to the matter.” Lizzie Smith, who joined the firm’s new Somerset office, is heralded as an ‘Up and Coming’ partner. Client comments praised the team, with one saying, “Sarah Atkinson is an incredibly capable lawyer in this space. She will leave no stone unturned and she is very creative in thinking outside the box.” While Andrew Barton is described as being: “…very engaging to work with,” with another client saying: “Andrew is very calm and I’ve never seen him lose his patience or composure.”
Also retaining top ranking is the firm’s Corporate team, with one client stating: “Stephens Scown had good knowledge of the challenges we were facing and how our businesses worked. The team were patient, supportive and incredibly responsive. They were really helpful at all times.”
New rankings include Laurie Trounce, who is now ranked in Band 2 of the Corporate M&A category as well as being recognised for her work in the Charities sector, Robin Koolhoven, who is ranked for his expertise in the Insolvency and Restructuring category, and Steve Panton, who is newly ranked in the Environment category as well as for his work in the Health and Safety arena. Meanwhile, Jim Gorrod in the firm’s Real Estate team, celebrates a rise in rankings as he moves up to Band 2 in the Construction category.
Also highlighted as ‘Up and Coming’ individuals are Kate Westlake in the Social Housing sector team, who received high praise for being “… always very approachable and professional,” with “…a good mix of professionalism and looking practically at real-world problems,” and Ben Jones in the Property Litigation team, who is recognised for his specialism in disputes relating to mines and minerals and being “… very knowledgeable, hard-working and capable.”
Headed up by Helen Wallwork, the firm’s Healthcare team are also celebrating being ranked for the first time, with one client singing their praises, saying: “The team are inquisitive and open to ideas and new ways of working. They are willing to go the extra mile with clients and always come back quickly and with good content.”
Managing Partner, Richard Baker, says: “It’s fantastic to see the improvements we’ve made over the last year. That’s thanks to the hard work of everyone who ensures we provide outstanding client service, ensuring we remain their trusted legal advisors and first port of call for any issues. It is also thanks to some key new hires as we continue to grow in the South West.
“These results are based on feedback from those same clients, so we can be extremely proud of what we’ve achieved this year. I look forward to seeing how far we can grow in the year ahead.”