This compact, ten-lawyer team is based in Crawley and is recommended for its in-depth travel expertise, especially relating to regulatory matters. The group's impressive client roster includes the Bland Group, the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA), easyJet and TUI.
KEY INDIVIDUALS Rebecca Thornley-Gibson heads the travel team.
This team is universally recognised as a top choice when it comes to travel regulatory matters, impressing with its "strong expertise in the travel industry, acting for tour operators, travel agents and airlines." Despite the recent retirement of Richard Venables, satisfied clients continue to describe the group as "the first port of call in relation to the licensing and regulatory framework" and "particularly for matters pertaining to" the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
KEY INDIVIDUALS Simon Chamberlain is lauded as "an all-round good bloke and a respected lawyer." He offers vast travel regulatory knowledge, especially in relation to the Air Travel Organisers' Licensing financial protection scheme and the CAA.
Interviewees are quick to praise this talented team for its "focus on international lawyers," citing its multilingual practitioners as a major bonus. The team is respected for its expertise in travel personal injury work for both claimants and defendants. Recent examples include acting for a claimant who is tetraplegic following an RTA in Spain, in what is one of the leading cases addressing the temporal scope of Rome II. Clients include DAS and ETI.
KEY INDIVIDUALS Team head Daniel Scognamiglio wins praise for his "client-focused, market-leading, clear and pragmatic advice." Described by clients as "honest, open and trustworthy," he is "quick to communicate with good experience and an eye for detail." New entrant to the rankings Eleanor Armstrong is a "very able assistant with an excellent understanding of the client's requirements." She is fluent in German, Spanish and French and is building a significant profile in travel litigation.
This "absolutely excellent" team is best known for its prowess in aviation, with recent work highlights including representing TUI and its insurers in relation to the Afriqiyah Airways crash in Tripoli. The practice is regularly instructed in high-value catastrophic injury claims and it frequently advises insurer clients on motor claims in foreign jurisdictions. Carnival UK, Thomas Cook and ABTA are just a few of names on its client roster. On November 1st, Barlow Lyde & Gilbert merged with Clyde & Co. The merged entity is trading under the Clyde & Co banner.
Commercial Awareness "These aviation specialists give sensible responses and have a great team."
KEY INDIVIDUALS Peter Walmsley is a key contact at the firm.
This group has a strong track record in travel regulatory matters, frequently acting for the International Air Transport Association and various airlines in connection with their relationship with travel agents. Clients praise the strong team for its "excellent knowledge, discretion and accommodating manner."
KEY INDIVIDUALS Head of the team Trevor Sears offers "unrivalled experience and expertise," according to impressed clients. He is applauded as an "extremely knowledgeable and respected authority within the travel community for issues relating to insolvency, fraud, money laundering and licensing."
Clients are quick to praise this team for its "ability to deal with a wide variety of claims in the travel sector." The growing group of travel law specialists advises travel insurer clients on a range of personal injury claims. Recent highlights include work for Longwood Holidays in relation to 2010's volcanic ash crisis, including advice on customers stranded abroad and Longwood's obligations in relation to this.
Commercial Awareness "They offer realistic advice on our prospects of successfully defending claims and adopt a defence strategy based on realistic prospects of how the claim will develop."
KEY INDIVIDUALS Managing partner Alex Padfield leads the team and impressed sources agree that he is "a true litigator’s litigator." They say he "knows the law inside out and has a good nose for where a case is likely to be won or lost and where then to focus his fire." Appreciative clients add that "he is extremely knowledgeable and ensures that he explains the finer points of law in a very clear manner."
This sizeable team is spread across the firm's London and Liverpool offices and it has a solid reputation in regulatory and personal injury work. The team regularly acts for tour operators, cruise lines, adventure travel and airline clients and has recently been involved in a claim alleging sexual assault during an expedition to Belize, as well as a claim relating to a fatality on a youth expedition in Spain.
Client Service "In addition to great energy, the team has a very clear and commercial strategic approach to cases."
Commercial Awareness "The full range of travel law work is covered: package holiday accidents, recovery actions by tour operators against foreign suppliers, and international convention work for air and sea carriers."
KEY INDIVIDUALS Matthew Davies is lauded as "a tactician, and an effective one at that." Market sources comment that he "is passionately interested and actively involved in expeditionary and extreme travel pursuits, bringing this enthusiasm and personal commitment to his work." Maria Pittordis is head of travel in London and interviewees praise her as "a doughty, well-informed and always courteous defender of her clients’ interests."
Irwin Mitchell's ample travel team wins applause for its "legal expertise, language skills and knowledge of overseas jurisdictions." The claimant travel litigation group is spread throughout offices in London, Birmingham and Málaga and it offers vast experience of handling injury and fatal accident cases, as well as holiday illness claims. Recent work includes representing a client who suffered severe injuries in an RTA in Italy and now requires 24-hour care.
KEY INDIVIDUALS Clive Garner heads the department and is widely respected among peers. He is said to be "stratospherically amazing" and offers long-standing expertise in all manner of travel litigation. The "professional and accessible" Demetrius Danas is "an extremely competent lawyer who gets on with people" and is an "expert in his field." He is particularly experienced in representing clients who have suffered severe injuries abroad and whilst travelling. Philip Banks wins praise as a "charismatic and very talented" individual. He focuses on injuries abroad, as well as acting for groups of clients who sustain illnesses whilst on holiday. Michael Zurbrugg "knows his stuff and is a super guy," according to admiring sources. Clients applaud his language skills and appreciate that he is "aware of his clients' requirements."
This strong group offers expertise across the full range of travel work, deftly handling both personal injury and regulatory matters, and clients agree that the firm's huge international network is of vast benefit. The team successfully represented Thomas Cook Tour Operators in a significant personal injury claim, as well as securing an acquittal for an employee of Thomas Cook who was charged with gross negligence manslaughter following the deaths of Robert and Christianne Shepherd at the Louis Corcyra Beach Hotel in Corfu. Other clients include BTA, Astraeus Airlines and Jet2.com.
KEY INDIVIDUALS Cynthia Barbor is highly rated as "proactive and pragmatic in the way she approaches cases." Sources say she is "at the top of her field" and "knows the industry inside out and has a sensible approach to dispute resolution."
This compact team impresses market commentators for punching above its weight and "being arguably more influential than might be expected from a firm of its size." The group regularly acts for defendants in both travel regulatory matters and personal injury claims. On the regulatory side, recent work includes advising a large number of tour operators and other travel businesses on the volcanic ash cloud crisis in 2010, as well as representing the Association of Independent Tour Operators in challenging certain aspects of guidance regarding occurrences such as the ash cloud. As far as personal injury work is concerned, it successfully defended Balkan Holidays against proceedings brought by a holidaymaker who slipped on a wet hotel floor.
KEY INDIVIDUALS Claire Ingleby is "extremely knowledgeable about the travel sector and is very thorough, always delivering on time and on budget." Impressed clients add that "her extensive knowledge means that she can be both constructive and creative in formulating solutions." She offers strong know-how in the travel regulatory sector. Robin Adams has a "rising reputation in the market" and is recommended for dealing with a wide range of international personal injury claims. Ian Hopkinson is hailed as a "truly sensible, pragmatic and commercially minded lawyer" and peers would "not hesitate to send him a client." He leads the international travel personal injury team and has long expertise in the field.
Norton Rose's travel group is an integral part of the firm's successful and much-praised transport practice. Clients of the team benefit from the firm's substantial global network across Australia, South Africa, China and Europe, with another office having opened recently in Hamburg. Work highlights include advising Etihad on its plan to offer holiday packages worldwide over the internet. The team is also respected for its expertise in airline-related work, recently advising on the UK aspects of the British Airways and Iberia merger.
KEY INDIVIDUALS Patrick Farrell leads the travel, tourism and leisure international business group and focuses on the aviation and travel industries. He advised Monarch Airlines on the volcanic ash crisis.
This team is "highly visible and has a very good reputation in travel law." It predominantly acts on the claimant side and interviewees recognise its litigation expertise, especially relating to large group actions. The team continues to advise large holiday groups on litigation in Turkey, Egypt, Tunisia, Bulgaria and Spain and peers describe the team as "tough cookies on the other side." Clients state that the team's "depth and breadth are hard to beat."
KEY INDIVIDUALS Andrew Morton heads the 22-lawyer strong holiday accident and travel department and he wins accolades for his "bright and practical" approach.
This Surrey-based group provides clients with expertise in claimant personal injury work. Clients praise the excellent service it provides: "There is always a team member available to speak to you if you need any advice or assistance."
Client Service "Their main attributes are their knowledge and experience. We are regularly updated on our cases and we never find ourselves having to chase them."
KEY INDIVIDUALS Mark Lee wins praise as an "approachable, professional and thorough" individual. Clients describe him as "extremely helpful" and add that "he is always on the end of the telephone when we need some advice."
This respected team comes highly recommended for personal injury defence work and is praised for its strong expertise in claims following accidents abroad. The group contains seven solicitors, many of whom are fluent in more than one European language, and it has strong links to France.
KEY INDIVIDUALS Simon Ball is fluent in French and specialises in advising European insurers on litigation in the UK and across the EU. He was involved in the leading Homawoo case, which relates to the temporal scope of the Rome II regulation. Julie Straughan is highly regarded as a "solid practitioner." Like Ball, she is fluent in French and she focuses on holiday claims and travel litigation.
Impressed market sources agree that this team "dominates the market in terms of caseload," and the recent arrival of Michael Gwilliam following the firm's merger with Everatt & Company only further strengthens an already sizeable group. It handles the full range of matters and is particularly recognised for its market-leading position in personal injury defence work. Clients include TUI UK, Royal Caribbean, Sandals Holidays and First Choice Holidays.
KEY INDIVIDUALS Sources report that department head Claire Mulligan is a "serious player," while clients highlight her as "wonderfully able and reliable." Michael Gwilliam recently joined the team and admiring interviewees assert that he "remains one of the most sensible lawyers in the field," whilst clients find him to be "very personable." Tim Oliver is another key figure in the team and sources recognise him as a "marvellous lawyer who is very much a wise head in travel law." He offers particularly strong expertise in class actions and cases relating to sickness outbreaks. Also part of the team is Nish Kanwar, who joined the firm from Hill Dickinson in 2010 and brings expertise across the full range of travel-related work.
This niche travel law firm comes highly recommended as an "excellent claimant group." The team has handled various complex and high-value claims, as well as group actions relating to accidents abroad that resulted in catastrophic injury or were other serious incidents. The practice recently represented a client who is paraplegic after a snowmobile accident in Italy.
KEY INDIVIDUALS Julian Chamberlayne heads the travel team and has a very good reputation for travel litigation know-how, with peers describing him as "excellent and very able." James Healy-Pratt heads the aviation department and handles aviation disaster claims across the globe. He is currently acting for approximately 30 families of victims in a damages claim following the crash of the Air France AF447 flight in the Atlantic Ocean.
This experienced group wins applause as a "great travel litigation team" for both claimant and defendant matters. The team is particularly highlighted for its work on skiing claims, but also has vast expertise in other types of accidents abroad and insurance claims.
Client Service "The team is highly flexible, efficient and commercial."
KEY INDIVIDUALS Bronwen Courtenay-Stamp receives strong client praise for her "super response times." She has strong expertise in travel litigation and market commentators describe her as "one of the best lawyers in this field for both claimants and defendants."
This respected travel firm handles a huge variety of work, providing "excellent and insightful legal advice." Its predominantly defendant client base includes insurers, tour operators, travel agents and hotel groups.
KEY INDIVIDUALS Managing partner Stephen Mason is a respected travel lawyer for both personal injury and regulatory matters. Clients describe him as "very experienced and highly respected," whilst market sources comment: "He's not afraid to push the boundaries and is a worthy opponent who fights hard for his clients." Kylie Mather is identified as a lawyer who is "building her career well and handling a broad spectrum of work." She is an experienced travel litigator who also advises on regulatory issues affecting the travel industry.
Laura Harcombe recently joined Hamlins LLP from Dawsons LLP. She leads the travel and leisure group and is described as
"a wonderful adviser on the regulatory side of things." She is well known and respected in the travel industry for her long-standing expertise and her clients include Virgin Holidays, Flybus, Hospitality Line and Shuttle Direct.
Katherine Allen of Fentons Solicitors LLP is recognised for her know-how in international personal injury work. According to impressed peers, she
"is a feisty and great opponent" and
"she is extremely clever and will always fight hard for her clients." Eric Gummers is a partner at Howard Kennedy who offers expertise in multi-jurisdictional work, especially in the hotel and leisure industry. He speaks fluent French.
Lee Hills leads the travel department at Mayo Wynne Baxter LLP and he impresses with his
"practical and professional approach and his quick understanding of business needs." Clients commend him for
"giving clear advice in a crisis" and appreciate his vast network of contacts in the field. His clients include AJP Adjusting, the Institute of Travel and Tourism, Fleetway Travel and TUI Travel.
Richard Gimblett recently joined Holman Fenwick Willan LLP from what was formerly Barlow Lyde & GIlbert LLP. He is described as "
a clever man and a pleasure to work with." He impresses with his travel law knowledge, especially in relation to regulatory matters.