A total of nine lawyers are mentioned by name in the Legal 500 UK commentary for their standout contribution. Kitsons Partner Jayme Nicholson, is listed as a ‘Leading Individual’ for a second year for receiving constant praise by clients and continued excellence. Associate Rory Wakeling, has been listed in the ‘Rising Stars’ group after building up a varied client base and, David Turner, has been listed in the directory’s elite ‘Leading Lawyers’ group.

A further six lawyers have achieved recommendations as leaders in their fields: Rhodri Davey, Stuart Mathews, Corri Pedrick, James Cross, Nicholas Johnson and Tony Hunt.

Employment

Kitsons has a strong track record advising clients on the employment aspects of corporate transactions. Practice head Jayme Nicholson, who is based in Exeter, specialises in employment status issues and is particularly known for her work in the security, construction and sales sectors. Other strengths of the team include the enforcement of confidentiality and post-termination restrictions, and handling TUPE transfers. In addition, employment tribunal cases are also on the increase at the firm. In Plymouth, Managing Partner Rhodri Davey, is active in a broad cross-section of employment law matters. Associate Rory Wakeling, has built up a varied client base.

Commenting on the rankings, Partner and Head of Department, Jayme Nicholson said: “We are delighted with our ranking in the Legal 500 again this year, the recognition across the department reflects the time we invest in developing relationships with our clients, our high level of service and our straightforward approach. To have maintained our Tier Two standing and to have two individual awards, given the large geographic area covered, is a real accolade.”

Commercial Litigation

Kitsons’ Dispute Resolution group is split across Torquay, Exeter and Plymouth and counts property, leisure, financial services and insurance sector litigation among its areas of expertise. Exeter-based David Turner focuses on financial services litigation, insurance disputes and mis-selling claims, and jointly leads the practice with James Cross in Torquay, whose experience ranges from multiparty disputes to debt recovery and real estate litigation. For professional negligence claims, Nicholas Johnson in Exeter is a key contact.

Corporate and Commercial

Kitsons brought in the former Managing Partner of Ashfords LLP’s Torquay office, Stuart Mathews, who brings with him substantial corporate experience. The team includes Corri Pedrick, whose practice spans commercial contracts and corporate transactions.

Family

Kitsons has a strong client base across Devon and Cornwall. The Family team’s work includes divorce, cohabitation agreements, collaborative law and domestic violence cases. The highly experienced Tony Hunt head up the team from Plymouth and specialises in financial proceedings on divorce and cohabitation disputes.