Delight as Rogers & Norton wins acclaim in top UK legal guide

Rogers & Norton has won praise for its quality service and expertise in this year’s edition of the Legal 500 – the UK’s foremost guide to leading law firms.

The Legal 500 is the most widely used legal directory in the country and is considered to be "the bible of the legal business", ranking law firms in terms of their skills and performance.

The 2010 edition (published online at www.legal500.com) highlights Norwich-based Rogers & Norton’s continued ethos of providing expert legal advice to clients – regionally, nationally and internationally.

Richard Etheridge, Managing Partner and Head of the firm’s Commercial Department, says: “We are delighted that Rogers & Norton has once again won acclaim and recognition for its first-rate work through the Legal 500, which is widely regarded as offering the definitive judgment of law firms. We are proud to have built up such a talented team and it’s very satisfying that their expertise has been both applauded and highlighted in the latest Legal 500.”

He adds: “It has certainly been a notable year for Rogers & Norton. We have strengthened our operation by bringing additional specialist expertise into the firm and promoting internally, which has led to significant gains and entries into sectors that are core to our future development. In 2011 we intend to ensure that we continue our excellent levels of service to clients both old and new, while also developing these important new sectors.

“Above all, the Rogers & Norton ethos of providing quality legal advice, delivered at a sensible cost, remains crucial to all existing and new business sectors.”

Founded in 1982, Rogers & Norton has grown from two partners to 12 partners – and now has more than 60 fee-earners and support staff.

Notable inclusions in this year’s Legal 500 see the elevation of the Rogers & Norton Dispute Resolution Team from a Tier 3 to a Tier 2 firm. The elevation recognises the excellent work done by Phil Kerridge and John Cadywould – and the arrival of Peter Hastings earlier this year.

Phil Kerridge, who continues to provide commercial dispute resolution advice to a wide variety of clients, including national companies, is also recognised for his employer-based employment law expertise. He has advised many local businesses over the last 12 months on redundancy and cost-saving matters, as well as dealing with Health & Safety prosecutions.

John Cadywould is praised in Legal 500 for his excellent reputation in commercial and contractual matters, breaches of confidentiality and defamation cases. His expertise has undoubtedly helped Rogers & Norton to ascend the rankings within the section.

This year saw the arrival of Peter Hastings, one of the region’s most prominent and experienced commercial litigators, as a new Partner at Rogers & Norton. Through his deep specialist knowledge, enthusiasm and energy, Peter has added weight to the firm’s commercial, construction and insolvency practice in addition to his HM Revenue and Customs work.

In the six months since Peter’s appointment, the practice has seen significant additions to its client database – including instructions from a national finance company, a major leisure company, international and local businesses and insolvency practitioners.

New instructions have included several multi-million pound claims from the offshore, construction and insolvency sectors, and various claims and disputes with HM Revenue Customs, including acting and advising on injunctions, appeals and judicial reviews.

The Dispute Resolution Team has seen notable success in 2010, which highlights the quality of the advice from Rogers & Norton’s experienced lawyers and has led to further strengthening of the team by way of internal promotions.

Richard Etheridge’s Commercial Department is recognised in Legal 500 for its good work ethic, delivered in a personable manner. The department continues to enjoy a wealth of instructions from the medical sector, as well as advising on local business, sales and acquisitions.

Richard works in conjunction with Partner Bruce Faulkner, who is also recognised for his licensing expertise, and the Dispute Resolution Team provides a ‘one-stop shop’ to commercial clients, whatever their business needs.

The Rogers & Norton Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence practice has in 2010 continued to maintain its excellent reputation for providing advice on a multitude of complex, multi-track personal injury and clinical negligence litigation.

Tim Nobbs has led the Clinical Negligence Department to its first year of recognition in the Legal 500’s ‘Tiers for Clinical Negligence’, following a succession of significant cases – including multi-million pound claims. His expertise and perseverance in investigating cases where many others have given up have brought this well-deserved recognition.

In the firm’s Personal Injury Department, Mark Hambling, a member of the Law Society Personal Injury Panel and recognised by the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers as a Senior Litigator, continues to thrive – with instructions on a range of multi-track personal injury cases.

Mark’s expertise has seen him succeed in a variety of cases, including instructions on cases turned down by other lawyers and where a client instructs the firm for a second opinion in cases which, on review, are undervalued.

Marc Greig, the Head of Residential Conveyancing, has continued to develop an enviable reputation with a network of local builders and developers, from whom the firm continues to enjoy and appreciate instruction.

Steve Clarke’s promotion to Partner has reinforced his reputation for providing clear and concise advice to a variety of private individuals and developers, with continued instructions from both local clients and introducers.

The Private Client Department progresses well under Catherine Hawdon and Tom Lawrence, both recognised in Legal 500 as good people to deal with and who provide advice on a variety of personal tax, trust and probate matters. They are recognised as members of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners.

Colin Grooms and Amy Walpole, in the Rogers & Norton Family Department, are again recognised for their experience and advocacy – as well as a growing reputation for being able to undertake high net worth ancillary relief matters. Colin, a Law Society Family Law Panel Member, and Amy manage the team, which acts for a variety of clients on cases of varying value.

ROGERS & NORTON PERSONAL INJURY LITIGATORS REACCREDITED

We are delighted to announce that Tina Myhill and Mark Hambling in our Personal Injury Department have successfully been re accredited by the Law Society as Members of the Law Society’s Accredited Personal Injury Panel.

This Accreditation demonstrates the practices commitment to ensuring the highest level of expertise in their lawyers. It also provides clients with the assurance that both Tina and Mark have been assessed independently as experts in the field of personal injury law.

At a time when there are many possible opportunities to seek advice in relation to  a potential personal injury claim, it is important to ensure the person being instructed is an expert and recognized as such by an independent body.  This accreditation provides reassurance to both clients and potential clients of the practice of the expertise and ability that Rogers & Norton has and sets us apart from many of our competitors.

In relation to Mark Hambling the Law Society Accreditation accompanies his Accreditation with the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers as a senior Personal Injury Litigator.