For the second year running, Longmores has been ranked in the Top Tier of The Legal 500 UK Solicitors 2027 edition.  Expertise has been recognised with a total of nine practice area rankings, eight individual rankings for solicitors and a further eleven recommended lawyers.

Private Client has been rewarded again with a Tier 1 ranking for Beds, Bucks, Herts and Middx, and two of the firm’s newer teams have been ranked for the first time in the south east region: Inheritance Disputes and Property Litigation and Management.  The Company Commercial, Dispute Resolution, Employment, Family and Commercial Property teams all hold their rankings again this year.

Bernard Flanagan has been awarded his first individual ranking as a Leading Associate in Private Client. Plus making their first appearances in the guide with recommended status are Polja Atkins in Property Litigation and Management, Annette Monthy in Commercial Property, Kirsty Adamson in Inheritance Disputes, and Ben Silver in Company Commercial.

Micheal Budd, Tracey Dargan, Richard Horwood and John Wiblin have all been ranked again as Leading Partner.  Alastair Liddiard and Nat Young retain their Next Generation Partner rankings.  Miranda Mulligan is again recognised with a Leading Associate ranking and a further six lawyers are Recommended: Hayley Grantham, Richard Gvero, Kerrie Hall, Lauren Mackenzie, Rachael Spalton and John Wagstaffe.

Commenting on the firm’s achievement in his first year as the firm’s Managing Partner, Richard Horwood said: “I am proud of the collective effort across the firm in caring for our clients in order to achieve these rankings and thankful to our clients and fellow professionals who give their time to contribute to the research”.

Here is what the Legal 500 says about Longmores.

Private Client | Personal tax, trusts and probate (Beds, Bucks, Herts, Middx): Tier 1

The Longmores’ Private Client team advises clients on a range of work, including inheritance tax planning strategies, the creation and ongoing management of lifetime trusts, updating and drafting wills, preparing lasting powers of attorney, grant of probate applications, and overseeing the distribution and administration of both domestic and international trust assets across jurisdictions. Richard Horwood leads the team, providing his extensive expertise on succession planning matters and the structuring and implementation of complex trusts. Alastair Liddiard administers and reorganises complex trusts, while Bernard Flanagan is a key member who is trusted by clients to advise on the management and administration of estates.

Richard Horwood: Leading Partner

Alastair Liddiard: Next Generation Partner

Bernard Flanagan: Leading Associate

Private Client | Contentious trusts and probate (south east): Tier 4

The Longmores’ Inheritance Disputes team counts high-net-worth individuals, landowners, and farming families on its client roster, and is adept at capacity issues, executor disputes, and undue influence mandates. Lauren Mackenzie leads the practice and is well versed in contentious matters surrounding executor misconduct, international estates, and vulnerable beneficiaries

Lauren Mackenzie: Recommended

Kirsty Adamson: Recommended

Real Estate | Property litigation (south east): Tier 4

The Longmores’ Property Litigation and Management team handles a range of contentious property matters, including landlord and tenant, and property management disputes. Based in Hertford, John Wagstaffe leads the team and has experience assisting a diverse client base, which features commercial and residential landlords, tenants and private individuals, as well as developers, management companies, and managing agents.

John Wagstaffe: Recommended

Hayley Grantham: Recommended

Polja Atkins: Recommended

Real Estate | Commercial property (Beds, Bucks, Herts, Middx): Tier 3

Private Client | Agriculture and estates (south east): Tier 3

The Longmores’ Commercial Property team is led by Rachael Spalton, who brings focused support to clients on transactional work, promotion agreements, and option agreements, among a range of other work. The team advises developers, portfolio investors, and family-owned businesses alike, with further support from Annette Monthy, who assists on landlord and tenant issues and secured lending matters.

Rachael Spalton: Recommended

Annette Monthy: Recommended

Private Client | Family (Beds, Bucks, Herts, Middx): Tier 3

The Longmores’ Family team assists clients with a range of financial and children work, including complex financial settlements involving trusts, tax issues, and businesses, and child relocation cases, with team lead Tracey Dargan leveraging key skills in nuptial agreements and high-net-worth financial disputes. Another key member of the team is Kerrie Hall, who advises on Children Act matters and TOLATA disputes.

Tracey Dargan: Leading Partner

Kerrie Hall: Recommended

Jessica Goozee: Recommended

Corporate and Commercial (Beds, Bucks, Herts, Middx): Tier 2

The Longmores’ Company and Commercial team provides the full spectrum of corporate and commercial advice, including handling restructurings and M&A matters. Michael Budd is highly regarded for his broad practice, frequently handling a range of capital reductions, purchase agreements, and group reorganisations for a diverse client base, including owner-managed businesses. Ben Silver is a key contact for commercial agreements.

Michael Budd: Leading Partner

Ben Silver: Recommended

Dispute Resolution | Commercial litigation (Beds, Bucks, Herts, Middx): Tier 2

The Longmores’ Dispute Resolution team acts for clients in the waste management, insolvency, and property matters, and practice head John Wiblin is well placed to handle general contractual disputes alongside shareholder action matters, including unfair prejudice claims and claims under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986. Nathanael Young brings expertise in commercial and insolvency law to the group, with experience in handling director duties disputes and statutory demand litigation. Lauren Mackenzie rounds out the team, working in contentious probate matters that involve commercial elements.

John Wiblin: Leading Partner

Nat Young: Next Generation Partner

Employment (Beds, Bucks, Herts, Middx): Tier 2

The Longmores’ Employment team advise on a broad range of employment matters and has expertise in handling matters for clients in the recruitment and education sectors. Key areas of strength for the team include advising on grievance and disciplinary processes and investigations, as well as employee competition matters. Leading the Hertford-based team is Richard Gvero, who is frequently instructed on large-scale reorganisations and redundancy exercises. Advising both businesses and individuals, Miranda Mulligan‘s experience ranges from acting in complex Employment Tribunal proceedings to whistleblowing complaints.

Miranda Mulligan: Leading Associate

Richard Gvero: Recommended

About the Legal 500

The Legal 500, founded in 1987, is a leading global benchmarking platform for the legal sector. Its rankings are based on extensive research, drawing on insights from hundreds of thousands of clients and tens of thousands of law firm submissions each year. Operating across more than 100 jurisdictions, Legal 500 provides trusted, data-driven evaluations that help clients and law firms make informed decisions.