Frettens Recognised Again in Legal 500 Directory

Frettens has yet again been recognised as one of the leading law firms in the South West in the prestigious Legal 500 rankings.

The Legal 500 is an independently researched guide to law firms in the UK. It is generally recognised as the largest and most in-depth survey of the UK legal market and is compiled based on client feedback and the complexity of cases handled.

The firm was recognised in a total of six specialist areas, and thirteen lawyers received individual recommendations.

Depth of talent

Managing Partner, Matt Fretten said of the news, “We are delighted for so many of our lawyers to be recommended in this year’s Legal 500 Guide.

We are used to having all of our partners in the guide, but the volume of recommendations for our solicitors shows the depth of talent the firm now has.

It has been a busy year or so, with a lot of new faces and opening the new Ringwood office, so I am glad we have been able to maintain our level of excellent service.”

Our expertise being recognised is a reflection of our commitment to offering our clients the very best advice and service possible. The whole team contribute to this and are all very proud of the achievement.

Corporate & Commercial

Managing Partner, Matthew Fretten’s team were again recommended, and his ‘notable expertise in the sports sector’ was highlighted.

Karen Edwards was named as one of the regions ‘Rising Stars’ for heading up our Corporate and Commercial Team services in the Ringwood office. She was one of only three lawyers recognised in her field for Dorset and Wiltshire.

Real Estate

Partners Oonagh McKinney and Clare Hallett, were both recommended in the guide for their work on commercial property. Ben Cobb was listed as a key lawyer for the first time, and Niki Adkins, our resident leasehold specialist, was recognised once again.

Personal Tax, Trust and Probate

Partner Lee Young and his team were noted yet again for their expertise in estate and succession planning, high-value estates and local authority care funding.

Heather Varley and Julie Frampton were both listed in the Legal 500 for the first time, a sign of the strength of the team. Shauna Lines joined the growing team very recently, so was not at Frettens for the period being assessed.

Commercial Litigation

According to the guide, ‘Michelle Hayter has a strong reputation in the dispute resolution field, with her specialisms including insolvency litigation, directors' disputes and acting for social housing providers.’ Michelle and her team were recommended once more for their commercial and property litigation work.

Contentious Trusts and Probate

While Michelle’s commercial litigation expertise has been recognised in the guide for some years, her team’s work on contentious trusts and probate were recognised in the guide for the first time this year.

The firm’s expertise “in handling professional negligence claims against solicitors advising on the drafting of wills” was also noted. Sarah Nineham was also recommended as a key lawyer in this area.

Human Resources

The Head of our Employment Team, Paul Burton, was singled out for his “experience of unfair dismissal claims, whistleblowing matters, disability discrimination cases, TUPE advice and contract work”, as the team were recommended for another year.

Partner Kate Fretten was again listed as a key lawyer in the region.

All Frettens Partners Recommended

For yet another year, every partner was listed in the Legal 500 Guide, a feat we believe to be unique in the region.

Matthew Fretten, Michelle Hayter, Lee Young, Oonagh McKinney, Kate Fretten and Clare Hallett retained their individual recommendations and those of their teams.