SA Law has once again been recognised as a top law firm by two of the world’s leading legal market researchers, Chambers & Partners and The Legal 500.
Both directories ranked the Corporate & Commercial, Litigation, Family, Employment and Real Estate practice areas within their top tiers. In addition, 10 individual lawyers are ranked by Chambers and Partners, and 6 in The Legal 500 for their exceptional level of service and technical expertise on multiple matters.
Chambers and Partners and The Legal 500 legal directories deliver detailed rankings and insight into the global legal market, assessing the performance, calibre and competence of law firms. Through independent and rigorous research processes, they rank firms, legal departments and their lawyers. To be ranked in either of these directories is a prestigious accolade.
Once again, the Family and Litigation teams achieved tier 1 status – the highest possible ranking - in The Legal 500, with Marilyn Bell, head of family being rated by clients as “outstanding in every way”, and Litigation recognised for combining “strong knowledge with practical expertise”. SA Law’s co-head of Litigation, Tracy Lacey-Smith, “always goes the extra mile”, and her counterpart Robert Ryall is “calm and experienced” when handling claims of alleged wrongdoing.
The Legal 500 also regarded Marilyn Bell and Robert Ryall as Leading Individuals, the top-ranking in the directory, recognising lawyers who are ‘true market leaders’. Head of Real Estate Gary Dunger, Kiran Beeharry (Family), Clare Mackay and Simon Walsh (Litigation) were recognised as Next Generation Partners – lawyers who have ‘significant recognition from clients and peers’ in the legal market.
The Family team received Band 1 rankings from Chambers and Partners – the best rating possible - for the 12th year running. Marilyn Bell was once again ranked Band 1, with Chris Cook, Head of Employment, achieving a Band 1 ranking for the first time. His team were championed for providing “pragmatic, commercial and…sensible advice”.
The following individuals were also ranked in the top tiers by Chambers and Partners: Kiran Beeharry, Tracy Lacey Smith, Robert Ryall, Clare Mackay, Gary Dunger, and Vincent Billings, Head of Corporate and Commercial. “Star individual” Beth Leng, an Employment Partner was also distinguished as an ‘up-and-coming’ lawyer, bestowed to lawyers who play a significant role in driving their firm’s growth. Christine Caffrey (Employment) was also ranked as an ‘associate to watch’, due to her strong work on major deals and cases.
Chambers and Partners also highlighted Vincent Billings as providing “excellent levels of client service and commerciality” and being “a pleasure to work with” for clients. The Real Estate team was also recognised for being a “strong team with a range of competencies” and the impressive “quality of advice and service received”.
Managing Partner Steve Ryan commented: “I am proud that clients and our industry peers recognise the outstanding service we provide. We take a holistic ‘one firm’ approach, working across departments to ensure our clients receive a comprehensive service, whether it’s for a commercial or personal need, or both. We really believe that this, coupled with the excellent technical expertise and experience of our lawyers, provides assurance to clients that we see and understand the bigger picture of every legal issue.
“It’s evident from the individual lawyer rankings that we have exceptional legal experts who go above and beyond to uphold our values in client service. It’s gratifying to see the true impact of their work and the respect garnered across their clients and the wider legal sector.
“My congratulations go to all of the team at SA Law for their continued hard work and success, and the recognition from these prestigious rankings.”
