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We are delighted to have been recognised once again in The Legal 500, with seven of our departments ranked in the 2025/26 guide.
The Legal 500 is one of the leading independent guides to law firms in the UK. For us, being recognised across so many areas is important because it provides independent reassurance about the quality of our advice, our people and the service we provide to our clients.
The headlines
Frettens is ranked across seven areas of law:
- Commercial Litigation
- Commercial Property
- Contentious Trusts & Probate
- Employment
- Corporate & Commercial
- Family
- Personal Tax, Trusts & Probate
The importance of independent feedback
“To have seven departments recognised in this year’s Legal 500 is something we’re incredibly proud of. It’s a strong reflection of the quality of our teams and the expertise we have across the firm” said Managing Partner Matthew Fretten.
“What makes the recognition particularly meaningful is that so much of it is based on feedback from our clients and other professionals we work with. Their comments about the quality of our advice, our responsiveness and the way we work with people are exactly what we want Frettens to be known for.
Thank you to everyone who took the time to provide feedback, and to all our teams for the hard work that has gone into achieving these results.”
Commercial Litigation
Our Commercial Litigation team is highlighted for their work with SMEs and owner-managed businesses, including shareholder disputes and unfair prejudice claims, as well as its experience in specialist residential leasehold, construction and insolvency disputes.
Michelle Hayter, Anna Curtis and Kerri Hunter are all recommended once again.
“Michelle Hayter has exemplary knowledge and service and will always provide a balanced and informative perspective to the client, not just tell a client what they want to hear.”
Commercial Property
Our Commercial Property team, headed up by Ben cobb, was recognised once again this year.
The team is recognised for its work across property finance and landlord and tenant matters, as well as advising developers and clients in the financial sector.
"The professional, friendly manner of the entire team and the willingness to support our business are the key reasons for working with Frettens, but at every opportunity, they have sought to use technology to make the process smoother for the client."
Contentious Trusts & Probate
Our contentious trusts & probate team led by Michelle Hayter, has been recognised for advising on a broad range of disputes, including TOLATA claims, contentious probate and trust litigation.
Michelle is joined in the rankings by Anna Curtis and Olivia Parkinson, who both became ACTAPS qualified in 2025.
Employment
Our Employment team, headed up by Michelle Kemp, has been recognised for its work across a wide range of sectors, including education, manufacturing, financial services, construction and charities.
Michelle Kemp is individually recognised for her expertise in complex Employment Tribunal litigation.
“Michelle is very in tune with the mindset and challenges of SME businesses and offers pragmatic support and advice. I particularly appreciate how Michelle is always quick to respond and flexible.”
Corporate & Commercial
Led by Karen Edwards, our Corporate & Commercial team is recognised for its work with owner-managed businesses and SMEs, with particular experience across leisure, tourism, engineering and digital businesses.
Karen is individually recognised in the guide, with feedback praising both her approach and the wider strength of the team.
“The individuals I have worked with take a real personalized approach, ensuring the client is treated as an individual and not treated generically.”
Another professional who refers clients to Frettens highlighted the team’s “strength in depth”, as well as its “pragmatic and modern” approach.
Family
Our Family department was also recommended in this year’s rankings. With Andrew Stynes, Simon Immins and Rosemary Sharp all being individually recognised.
Their expertise covers a range of approaches to separation and family matters. Andrew specialises in collaborative separation, Simon is a registered family mediator, and Rosemary has extensive experience in negotiating financial settlements.
Rosemary was particularly praised for making complicated matters easier to understand:
“She is lovely to deal with, very easy to get on with, but what I liked most was that she was to the point, no waffle, straightforward bullet point actions making everything easy to understand.
Personal Tax, Trusts & Probate
Our Personal Tax, Trusts & Probate team led by James Hammersley was recognised in this year’s rankings.
Holly Munro was also recognised in this year’s rankings following her arrival to the firm in September 2025.
Feedback in the guide praises both the expertise and efficiency of the team:
“The ability to do skilled work promptly and efficiently at a reasonable cost is a hallmark of Frettens.”
Lee Young is also described as "One of the most straightforward and pragmatic lawyers I have dealt with".
