Charles Russell Speechlys’ Guildford office has received outstanding endorsements in the Chambers High Net Worth Guide 2023 – a prestigious directory which ranks the very best lawyers, accountants, private banks, wealth managers, trust companies and other professional advisers for private wealth work globally.
Significantly, Charles Russell Speechlys is the only law firm in Surrey with two Band 1 rankings, which it achieved for private wealth law and private wealth disputes. In addition, it is the only Surrey-based law firm to have two Band 1 ranked partners.
Sally Ashford, who is Head of the Guildford Office, retained her Band 1 ranking for the seventh consecutive year and is the only private wealth lawyer in Guildford and the Surrounds to be ranked Band 1. Duncan Elson is ranked a Band 1 lawyer in private wealth disputes for the eighth time – more than any other lawyer in the region.
The Guildford office also excelled by receiving a Band 2 ranking for Real Estate: High Value Residential – a new category created to recognise National Leaders outside London.
A High Calibre Team
In addition to Sally Ashford and Duncan Elson’s rankings, other Guildford partners and fee earners who retained their rankings in this year’s report include Shona Alexander (Family/ Matrimonial: ultra-high net worth) in Band 3 and Oliver Auld (Private Wealth Disputes) in Band 4. Rebecca Piper, an associate specialising in Private Wealth Disputes remained an Associate to Watch.
Partner William Marriott who acts for high-net-worth individuals on the sale and purchase of residential property, was included in the new ‘National Leaders outside London’ category in Band 2, having previously ranked Band 4 in London.
Senior Associates, Katelyn Silver (Private Wealth Disputes) and Natalie Butler (Private Wealth Law), were recognised in the Chambers High Net Worth 2023 guide for the first time, both as Associates to Watch.
Sally Ashford, Head of the Guildford Office at Charles Russell Speechlys comments, “This is a strong external endorsement of our significant expertise in the high-net-worth sector. I am incredibly proud of our Guildford team’s rankings in this hugely respected Chambers directory and of the record numbers of rankings we received across the firm, from our London, Cheltenham and International offices.
“These fantastic results reflect our dedication to building deep and trusted relationships that deliver meaningful value to our clients”.
Chambers High Net Worth recognises leading practices and individuals from across the UK, with different regionalised sections depending on the specialism. Charles Russell Speechlys’ Guildford office was included in the Private Wealth Law section for Guildford and Surrounds, Private Wealth Disputes for The South, and Real Estate High Value Residential for Outside London.
Firmwide success
As a firm, Charles Russell Speechlys received fourteen practice group rankings, seven of which were in the highest possible band, for categories including Private Wealth Law, Private Wealth Disputes and Family Offices & Funds Structuring. The firm was also amongst the top ranked firms for categories such as Family/Matrimonial: Ultra High Net Worth, Real Estate: High Value Residential and Immigration and saw two new listings this year for Real Estate: High Value Residential (national leaders) and Tax: Private Client (contentious tax). The firm also had a record number of individual rankings with promotions and new listings across multiple practice areas.
The Chambers rankings are based on the findings of the in-depth research and analysis carried out by their dedicated research team all year round. The Chambers High Net Worth team research more than 55 countries around the world, including every major private wealth market across six continents. Chambers High Net Worth also has rankings and editorial for every US state and region-by-region coverage of the United Kingdom as well as London.
Feedback
The feedback received from clients and other professional advisers highlighted Charles Russell Speechlys’ ability to provide a collaborative approach to complex cross-disciplinary matters and also emphasised the firm’s technical excellence at all levels.
Guildford office feedback included:
“Charles Russell Speechlys routinely handles a range of contentious and non-contentious tax, trust and estate matters. The firm receives praises for its ability to handle complex matters as well as the breadth of their expertise.”
“Charles Russell Speechlys is always sensible and practical. They are quick, polite, friendly and supportive. I would even go as far as to say they are some of my favourite lawyers in the field.”
“Charles Russell Speechlys has a diverse team with experience in all aspects of property.”
Firm-wide feedback included:
“Charles Russell Speechlys is a really slick operation that knows what they are doing. The team has the advantage of being a multi-service firm, and they have a really good crop of associates and senior associates.”
“Charles Russell Speechlys is first-rate at both the partner and associates level, their service is at the Rolls-Royce end of the spectrum.”
For more information on Charles Russell Speechlys’ rankings, please click here.
Charles Russell Speechlys is an international law firm with a Guildford office and a focus on private capital, at the intersection of personal, family and business. The firm employs over 130 staff in Guildford and provides a full range of legal services to businesses and private clients in the region. For further information, please visit www.charlesrussellspeechlys.com
