The Chambers & Partners and Legal 500, both leading legal directories, recently published their 2022 guides to the UK’s top law firms. Fox & Partners receive positive feedback in the partnership and employment specialist areas and recognition for all of its partners and several associates as leading individuals.
In Chambers & Partners 2022, Fox & Partners has maintained its rankings and is recognised as a leading firm for both partnership and employment work in senior executives. Partners Caroline Field and Catriona Watt have both moved up to Band 1 for Partnership and are also ranked in the employment category, while partner Ivor Adair remains ranked for employment and founder Ronnie Fox is once again listed among the Senior Statespeople in partnership. Partner Dean Fuller has also been listed for the first time for contentious partnership, and Associate Shiv Raja and Eleanor Diamond are also listed as associates to watch for the first time in employment and partnership respectively.
The guide acknowledges the team’s “experience”, “speed of response” and the “quality of [its] advice”. Clients have also praised the team for their “strategic understanding and dedication to the wider relationship-based and professional-based concerns parties may have”.
The Chambers & Partners guide’s entries say:
Partnership – ranked: Band 2
What the team is known for:
Respected employment and partnership law boutique well known for its focus on contentious partnership matters. Advises partnerships and individual partners, often on complex and highly sensitive issues such as allegations of sexual harassment, discrimination claims and expulsions. Regularly acts for traditional professional services partnerships as well as those in the financial services sector, including private equity firms.
Strengths:
A client says: “The team met my expectations every time, so I knew where I was and what was next – it felt like my case was in good hands.”
One client reports: “Their advice was invaluable and we would definitely go to them again for complex matters.”
One source says: “The team at Fox & Partners demonstrates strategic understanding and dedication to the wider relationship-based and professional-based concerns parties may have.”
Notable practitioners:
Caroline Field is well known for her contentious partnership expertise, particularly in cases where there is crossover with employment law and issues of professional negligence.
“I have the greatest respect for Caroline – she is a partnership expert.” “She is a top operator.” “She’s really talented and a driving force at the firm.”
Catriona Watt handles a broad range of highly sensitive and contentious partnership matters, including compulsory retirements, partner exits and sexual harassment allegations.
“She’s good at developing strategy for litigation and is creative about identifying legal avenues we can use in addition to being very thorough with her preparation.” “Catriona is endlessly patient with clients and really takes her time to find out what they need or want to achieve in litigation, as well as being intelligent and creative in getting them to the position they need to be in.”
Dean Fuller primarily provides non-contentious partnership advice to clients including traditional partnerships and LLPs. He is noted for his work for firms in the financial services sector.
“He is great and really knowledgeable.” “Dean is an excellent technical lawyer who is very hands-on and client-friendly.” “He has a very pragmatic approach.”
Eleanor Diamond is an associate who regularly assists on partnership disputes concerning partner expulsions, discrimination claims and compulsory retirement, among other issues.
“Eleanor is very legally astute, and she is extremely savvy and very quickly understood our case.” “She is always thorough and diligent.”
Ronnie Fox provides clients with the benefit of his extensive experience and deep knowledge of a wide range of contentious partnership matters.
“Ronnie Fox is a legend in this area.”
Employment: Senior Executive – ranked: Band 2
What the team is known for:
Boutique employment law firm offering expert advice to senior executives, with noted expertise when it comes to restrictive covenants and boardroom disputes. Capabilities also extend to whistle-blowing and discrimination claims. Regularly instructed by high-profile individuals from financial and professional services firms.
Strengths:
Clients say: “They are outstanding in terms of their experience, the speed of their response, their depth of understanding and the quality of their advice.”
Another adds: “It is a collaborative team. I felt very secure and very reassured in their advice as they are clearly experts in their field.”
Notable practitioners:
Caroline Field is recognised for her work representing employees in employment disputes before the Employment Tribunal and High Court. Restrictive covenants are a notable area of strength, as are whistle-blowing claims.
“She inspires trust, she clearly understands the field of employment law, she has a good grip on what is within the realms of possibility and she has a strength in getting a commercially acceptable deal done in challenging conditions.” “She was warm in dealing with my situation while also being practical and realistic.”
Catriona Watt is noted for her astute advice to senior executives. She regularly advises clients on cases involving discrimination, whistle-blowing and restrictive covenants.
“She is very calm, sees the bigger picture and takes strategic oversight of the matter.” “She is dedicated, insightful and cost-effective.” “She is on the ball, diligent, a good team leader and a good communicator.”
Ivor Adair is an experienced litigator who is comfortable before the Employment Tribunal and the High Court. He regularly assists clients with whistle-blowing, discrimination and TUPE matters.
“He is excellent at acting for individuals in tricky cases and he has a warm character.” “He provides crisp and definitive commercial advice. He is quick to respond and evaluate a situation and sets out a clear case management strategy, which proves highly successful.” “He is incredibly personable, he is collaborative and it is a joy to work with him.”
Shiv Raja has notable experience negotiating exit agreements and other non-contentious matters. His practice also sees him handle employment disputes.
“He is dedicated, he gets good results for clients, he is thorough and he is on the ball.” “He is smart, very organised, effective and courteous and I can rely on him to get things done.
In The Legal 500 2022, the firm was described as a ‘genuinely outstanding‘ name for partner-side litigation and arbitration, with ‘razor-sharp and strategically gifted‘ joint team heads. The Fox & Partners team was also being recognised for their work with the comments of being “compassionate, hugely motivated and very knowledgeable”. Ranked as a leading firm for both partnership and employment work, its partners are also listed as leading individuals and more lawyers than ever are listed as key lawyers, while founder Ronnie Fox is once again listed in The Legal 500 UK Hall of Fame.
The Legal 500 guide’s entries say:
Partnership – ranked: Tier 2
Fox & Partners is a ‘genuinely outstanding‘ name for partner-side litigation and arbitration, with ‘razor-sharp and strategically gifted‘ joint team heads Catriona Watt and Caroline Field receiving instructions from senior individuals in global LLPs. As well as acting for high-profile professional services clients, the team is retained by a suite of financial services institutions, for which Dean Fuller provides robust regulatory and corporate governance advice. Ivor Adair and senior associate Shoshana Bacall advise on matters of restrictive covenants, whistleblowing and compulsory retirement. While he has retired from the equity partnership, founding partner Ronnie Fox continues to contribute his market-leading knowledge.
Hall of Fame: Ronnie Fox
Rising stars: Shoshana Bacall
Next Generation Partners; Caroline Field, Catriona Watt
Practice head(s): Catriona Watt; Caroline Field
Other key lawyers: Dean Fuller; Ivor Adair; Shoshana Bacall; Ronnie Fox; Eleanor Diamond
Testimonials
‘Genuinely outstanding. Technically at the top of their game with exceptional strategic nous.‘
‘Caroline Field and Catriona Watt are both outstanding. They have built an exceptional practice and an exceptional relationship in the marketplace. Both are razor sharp, strategically gifted, and a true pleasure to work with.‘
‘Catriona Watt is highly impressive in an understated way and has the ability to condense large quantities of wisdom into a few words. She is particularly good at dealing with demanding clients.‘
‘They can mobilise resources at short notice to assist with urgent issues. The team is knowledgeable both of the law and of the niche regulatory aspects that could impact different sectors, which means they can highlight issues that may not have been considered elsewhere. This gives them a particular advantage with complex knotty cases.‘
‘Dean Fuller is an exceptionally experienced solicitor who guides his clients through difficult matters to achieve exceptional outcomes. He is one of the few partnership solicitors able to give advice on the corporate governance aspects of financial services firms, which is invaluable to his clients.‘
Senior Executives – ranked: Tier 3
Praised as ‘commercial, tenacious and effective, Fox & Partners is home to a strong team that assists clients in senior positions across many sectors including the professional services, insurance and financial services industries. It provides comprehensive expertise, handling investigations, discrimination claims, bullying issues and whistleblowing work together with negotiating large team moves and other complex senior exits which frequently involve disputes over share retention. As ‘a master of his craft‘, Ivor Adair and Caroline Field head up the team while ‘extremely experienced and savvy adviser’ Catriona Watt is one of the recognised senior partners. Senior associates of note are Shoshana Bacall and Remziye Ozcan while associate Shiv Raja is also highlighted by clients as ‘technically gifted‘.
Rising stars: Remziye Ozcan
Next Generation Partners: Catriona Watt
Practice head(s): Ivor Adair; Caroline Field
Other key lawyers: Catriona Watt; Shoshana Bacall; Remziye Ozcan; Shiv Raja
Testimonials
‘Commercial, tenacious and effective – they pursued my case doggedly over more than a year and got me the outcome I needed in the face of a difficult counterparty.’
‘This firm has provided me with excellent service – responding promptly at a time of crisis and providing balanced and clear advice. Ivor Adair is engaged, committed, available when needed and he provides advice with clarity and empathy. He remembers detail, he can see the big picture and the detail at the same time and shows judgment. He advises on the array of options, the pros and cons of each and he shows an awareness of cost-consciousness that is appreciated. A master of his craft.’
‘Highly effective at litigation in employment law, with a reputation for robust negotiations. Ivor Adair is very good at succinctly explaining the level of risk with each potential course of action in an employment situation enabling the client to more easily weigh risks and make judgements.‘
‘They handle cutting-edge senior executive cases frequently involving very senior people facing career ruining or changing dismissals. The cases often raise novel legal issues and complexities. The practice collaborates well across the partners and associates to provide cost-effective and responsive client representation.’
‘Catriona Watt – extremely experienced and savvy adviser. Trusted by very senior clients to steer a steady course across tricky legal landscapes and rapidly evolving situations. Shiv Raja – technically gifted associate who is exceptionally good at drafting.’
