Berry Smith is pleased to announce another strong year of recognition in The Legal 500 2027, with the firm ranked across 11 practice areas in Wales.
The latest results see Berry Smith achieve Tier 1 rankings in Corporate & Commercial, Professional Negligence and Property Litigation, with Corporate & Commercial moving up from Tier 2 to Tier 1 for the first time.
The rankings recognise the breadth of expertise across the firm, with teams acknowledged for their work advising businesses, public-sector organisations, individuals and families across Wales and beyond.
Alongside the practice area rankings, 17 Berry Smith lawyers have received individual recognition, including a place in the Hall of Fame, Leading Partner and Next Generation Partner distinctions, and several new and improved individual rankings.
Corporate & Commercial achieves Tier 1 for the first time
One of the standout results this year is the Corporate & Commercial team’s move from Tier 2 to Tier 1, recognising its work advising SMEs, growing businesses, corporate groups, investors and international counterparties.
The team advises across the business lifecycle, from start-up funding and commercialisation to mergers and acquisitions, business restructuring, commercial contracts, IT and intellectual property matters.
Andrew Bound retains his place in The Legal 500 Hall of Fame, while Paul Evans continues to be recognised as a Next Generation Partner.
The ranking marks an important milestone for the team and reflects its continued commitment to providing clear, practical and commercially focused advice.
Continued Tier 1 recognition for Professional Negligence and Property Litigation
Berry Smith’s Professional Negligence team has retained its Tier 1 ranking, reflecting its expertise in complex claims against solicitors and other professional advisers. The team also advises insurers on high-value claims and increasingly supports clients with advisory work alongside contentious disputes.
Iwan Doull continues to be recognised as a Leading Partner in Professional Negligence.
The Property Litigation team has also retained its Tier 1 ranking, recognising its work for private clients, public authorities and developers across a broad range of property disputes, including easements, restrictive covenants and dilapidations.
Simon Care and Iwan Doull are recognised as Leading Partners in Property Litigation, while Lauren Parsons continues to be recognised as a Leading Associate.
Recognition across dispute resolution
Berry Smith’s dispute resolution teams continue to receive recognition across Commercial Litigation, Construction, Contentious Trusts & Probate and Debt Recovery.
The Commercial Litigation team retains its Tier 2 ranking, advising on contractual and shareholder disputes and complex matters involving public-sector clients. Iwan Doull has been elevated to the Hall of Fame for Commercial Litigation, while Nick Parker continues to be recognised as a Leading Partner.
The Construction team retains its Tier 3 ranking, with Antony Gibbons receiving a new individual ranking as a Recommended Lawyer. The team advises on contentious construction matters, including disputes involving defective works, multi-party claims and professional negligence.
The Contentious Trusts & Probate team retains its Tier 2 ranking, advising executors and beneficiaries on disputed wills, Inheritance Act claims, estate disputes and cross-border matters. Emma-Jayne Scullion has progressed to Leading Associate, recognising her expertise in contentious probate.
The Debt Recovery team also retains its Tier 2 ranking, supporting clients across a range of sectors with recoveries ranging from smaller claims to substantial and bulk debt recovery matters.
Employment & HR
Berry Smith’s Employment & HR team retains its Tier 3 ranking, continuing to advise employers across sectors including construction, education, manufacturing and healthcare.
The team supports clients on a wide range of employment matters, including corporate transactions, business reorganisations, senior management negotiations, TUPE, redundancies and employment disputes.
Sarah Alford has progressed from Next Generation Partner to Leading Partner, while Caitlin Rees has received a new individual ranking as a Recommended Lawyer. Michael Shutt also retains his Recommended Lawyer recognition.
Commercial Property
The Commercial Property team retains its Tier 3 ranking, reflecting its work across development, commercial lending and property transactions.
The team advises a broad range of clients, including local authorities, government bodies, lenders, developers and housing associations.
Chris Jones and Martin Pursall continue to be recognised as Leading Partners, highlighting the depth of experience within the team.
Private Client: Personal Tax, Trusts & Probate
Berry Smith’s Personal Tax, Trusts & Probate team retains its Tier 4 ranking, advising individuals and families on wills, estate planning, estate administration and powers of attorney, including matters involving agricultural estates and cross-border issues.
Nia Evans has received a new individual ranking as a Recommended Lawyer, recognising her work across the team’s private client practice.
Family
The Family team retains its Tier 2 ranking, reflecting its work across financial disputes, cohabitation and TOLATA matters, and domestic and international children proceedings.
The team also has experience in alternative dispute resolution, including mediation and family arbitration.
Katie McColgan continues to be recognised as a Leading Partner, while Ben Delve has progressed from Leading Associate to Next Generation Partner. Conor Lynn retains his Recommended Lawyer recognition.
A strong year for individual recognition
The 2027 results include 17 individually ranked Berry Smith lawyers, with three new individual rankings and four improved rankings compared with the previous year.
Alongside Andrew Bound’s continued recognition in the Hall of Fame and Paul Evans’s Next Generation Partner distinction, the results highlight the continued development and expertise of individuals across the firm’s practice areas.
The new individual rankings for Antony Gibbons, Caitlin Rees and Nia Evans, together with the improved rankings for Iwan Doull, Emma-Jayne Scullion, Sarah Alford and Ben Delve, represent important achievements for the individuals and their respective teams.
Looking ahead
Berry Smith is proud to see such broad recognition across its practice areas in The Legal 500 2027. The first-time Tier 1 ranking for Corporate & Commercial, alongside continued Tier 1 recognition for Professional Negligence and Property Litigation, marks a significant achievement for the firm.
We would like to thank our clients and professional contacts who continue to recommend our services and contribute feedback to The Legal 500. Their support is valued by our teams and plays an important part in recognising the quality of the advice and service we provide.
These results reflect the expertise, dedication and commitment of our people to delivering practical, commercially focused legal advice to clients across Wales and the wider UK.