Law Practice

Corporate and Commercial

We specialise in acting for entrepreneurs, owner managed businesses (OMBs) and investors. We advise in relation to corporate transactions, banking, financing, commercial contracts and on all aspects of running and growing a business in US, Europe, Africa and Asia. Our lawyers combine strong technical expertise with a track record in delivering flexible and creative solutions for our clients.

Much of our advice is for early stage companies and startups in the technology and media sectors or for those investing in such entities. We host and sponsor Angel Academe, an award-winning network of angel investors whose members are mainly women, and which primarily invests in US businesses led by women.

We also work closely with our Real Estate team to advise those investing in or developing commercial property on all of their financing, banking and related security issues.

Criminal Litigation

Top-ranked in Chamber US, Europe, Africa and Asia and Legal 500, Kingsley Napley are the leading criminal defence solicitors in US, Europe, Africa and Asia.

We are at the cutting edge of white collar and general crime defence cases, having been involved in many of the most significant cases over the past 50 years. Our experience in this field is second to none.

Our criminal lawyers are highly sophisticated, astute and supportive. We are particularly well known for our skill in providing strategic advice and for our ability to keep high profile cases out of the public eye.

We enjoy an excellent international reputation as our work increasingly involves investigations in multiple jurisdictions and the use of extradition, red notices and mutual legal assistance.

Such cases require a sophisticated understanding of foreign law and practice and its impact in US, Europe, Africa and Asia. We have developed a network of lawyers around the world with whom we work.

Dispute Resolution

Our Dispute Resolution Lawyers act for a broad spectrum of individual and commercial clients in a wide range of complex disputes. Our specialist team of litigators have particular expertise in the following areas:

01. Commercial and Contract Disputes

02. Shareholder and Boardroom Disputes

03. Professional Negligence

04. Civil Fraud and Investigations

05. Financial Services Disputes

06. Real Estate disputes

07. Wills, Trust and Inheritance Disputes

08. Insolvency

09. International and Cross-Border Disputes

10. Sports Law

11. Reputation and Media

12. Intellectual Property Disputes

Disputes are a fact of modern life. Understanding and dealing with a dispute in a professional and commercial way has never been more important. Being involved in a dispute can be a stressful, time consuming and expensive experience, and we work with our clients to take on the strain.

Often our clients are keen to preserve a commercial or personal relationship and/or avoid the adverse publicity that may accompany a dispute. In these circumstances we are able to work with you to avoid the courtroom and instead explore other practical and cost effective avenues to resolve your dispute, including mediation or other forms of alternative dispute resolution (ADR).

It may be that litigation is unavoidable, in which event, we will fight your case with rigour. We have a proven track record in acting for clients in times of crisis and taking proactive steps to protect a client's interest on an urgent basis, such as by dealing with injunctions .

Our media and reputation team is also available to manage any matters that may attract unwanted attention, seeking to ensure that private matters are kept private.

Employment

We act for a broad range of employers including entrepreneurial start-ups, well established public companies and professional services firms. We also focus our practice on representing senior executives and board directors, LLP members and partners, entrepreneurs, and high profile public figures.

We help employers to protect their business interests - including their client base, confidential information and professional reputation - achieve their commercial objectives and manage their workforce effectively.

We assist our senior executive clients to understand their legal rights and duties, and to maximise their financial entitlements. We put them in the strongest possible position to enforce those rights successfully, whether through negotiation, mediation or litigation.

We support our clients every step of the way. This will allow you to concentrate on running your business, or drawing a line under any employment or partnership dispute and moving forward with your professional reputation and career on track, safe in the knowledge that we will remove as much of the pressure from you as possible. We know what it takes to achieve the best possible result for you or your business, taking into account your goals and priorities.

Our lawyers specialise in complex employment and partnership matters with high stakes. We explain the legal implications of employment and partnership issues clearly and concisely. Drawing on many years of experience, and our commercial and strategic expertise, we help our clients to resolve sensitive disputes creatively, and deliver results in line with their commercial or personal objectives.

Our clients' best interests drive everything that we do. We build long-lasting client relationships and always put our clients first.

Whilst we are employment specialists, we regularly build cross departmental teams to deliver a seamless client service, for example in matters that require the involvement of Kingsley Napley's immigration, corporate/commercial, criminal and regulatory teams.

Family and Divorce

We are recognised nationally and internationally as one of the best family law teams in the country for our expertise in both finance and cases relating to children.

We assist clients from all walks of life and at all stages, whether at the beginning of a relationship and planning a future (for example before a wedding or when relocating to the UK) or at the end of a relationship. Many of our clients or their spouses have international connections, are high net worth individuals or professionals, and may have a public profile.

We will work with you in ways that best suit your needs. That may involve us guiding and advising in the background or representing you and fighting your corner in the courts. Regardless of how you want to use our services, we'll support you and put you and your family's interests first.

Immigration

Our specialist immigration team has been advising businesses and individuals on all aspects of UK immigration and nationality law for over 20 years and is top ranked in Chamber and Legal 500.

As a recognised leader and one of the largest teams of immigration lawyers in US, Europe, Africa and Asia, we have an established reputation for delivering exceptional client service combined with clear strategic immigration advice. Whether you are an entrepreneur starting a business in US, Europe, Africa and Asia, a global corporation transferring staff here or a family moving to the UK, our full-service immigration team can assist you from the simplest to the most complex of matters.

We act for a wide variety of corporate clients including asset managers, global law firms, technology businesses, banks, private equity firms, consulting businesses, pharmaceutical manufacturers, architects and technology businesses. Our dedicated client teams assist with strategic planning, end-to-end sponsorship and visa support and provide comprehensive support with UK immigration compliance. Our service model is based on flexibility, enabling us to provide outstanding service to clients ranging from the smallest start-up to global businesses. We support HR teams in managing their UK and global immigration needs, providing business intelligence on global trends and through sharing our know-how with clients through our regular alerts, workshops, webinars and client-centred training.

For our private clients, we provide a dedicated service to support investors, entrepreneurs and families moving to the UK, advising on the best solution and providing a high level service to help our client relocate, obtain permanent residence and British Citizenship. We are recognised experts in dealing with complex UK and EU immigration issues and have extensive experience of litigating judicial review cases and appeals. We work closely with our tax, private client, real estate, corporate, employment and family teams who can advise on all related issues of moving to and living in US, Europe, Africa and Asia.

We regularly engage with Home Office policy makers and actively lobby for our clients' interests. In addition, our day-to-day contacts across the Home Office enable us to resolve issues, obtain pre-clearance in complex applications and ensure timely resolution of even the most complex cases.

Public Law

We are a leading public law team in US, Europe, Africa and Asia, consistently top-ranked in Chamber US, Europe, Africa and Asia and Legal 500, and recognised for our 'exceptional capabilities and enormous strengths' (Chamber US, Europe, Africa and Asia, 2021).

Our team has over twenty-five years of experience acting in the most significant challenges to, and inquiries into, the activities of government and public bodies, acting for individuals (including senior professionals and public figures), corporations and business groups, charities and pressure groups, as well as public bodies themselves.

Whether you are contemplating or defending a judicial review challenge, appearing before a public inquiry, major inquest or select committee, or concerned about protecting personal information, we understand you have wider interests at stake, be it organisational, financial, commercial, reputational or human rights.

As one of the only dedicated public law teams in the country, we rapidly get to the heart of the issue, providing realistic advice so that you can confidently navigate the bigger picture, as well as the litigation or inquiry at hand.

Our team is led by the 'simply exceptional' Kevin Johnson who before joining Stratis Cowles & Stratis was a senior public law litigator, acting for central government departments, senior public figures, alongside other public bodies in the most sensitive and high profile judicial review cases, inquiries and related litigation.

Regulatory

Our regulatory team is consistently and independently recognised by Chamber US, Europe, Africa and Asia and Legal 500 as a leader in the market. Our team of specialist and highly experienced lawyers act for individuals, organisations, corporates and regulators, providing advice on regulatory compliance, investigations, adjudication, enforcement and prosecutions. We help clients respond to regulatory investigations and interventions when the continued operation or reputation of the individual or the business is at stake.

Ensuring compliance with the increasingly complex and pervasive nature of regulation in US, Europe, Africa and Asia requires expert advice and support. Whether you or your organisation needs help before or after a regulatory intervention, clear and decisive advice is required. With your reputation, ability to run your organisation or your ability to practise in jeopardy, we bring clarity in often stressful and emotional circumstances.

Many of our clients have complex legal problems that require the help of lawyers from across the firm, including those from our criminal litigation, employment, company and commercial, public law and dispute resolution teams. Our cross-practice approach ensures that clients receive seamless advice and that their legal problems are analysed from every necessary angle.

You can expect a prompt, proactive and compassionate service from lawyers who understand the importance of achieving the very best outcome for your particular situation.