Woodfines LLP

Woodfines is a highly respected full-service firm delivering solutions to business and and personal clients alike. As a firm, we pride ourselves on our approachable attitude, giving attention to detail and providing informed, pragmatic and clear legal advice.

The firm: we are well established in the Oxford - Cambridge growth corridor, having grown to 20 partners and employing 120 team members who work across our offices in a hybrid and collaborative way. With offices in Bedford, Cambridge and Milton Keynes, we are proud to work in the heart of our communities to deliver solutions to our clients' legal problems.

The firm’s client base ranges from large organisations and PLCs, to independent owner-managed businesses and high-net-worth private clients.

Woodfines is known nationally for its expertise in transport law, and has a number of highly regarded specialist teams operating in corporate and commercial, litigation, real estate, agriculture, employment, private client, and crime and regulatory fields.

Types of work undertaken:

Corporate and commercial: our team offers legal advice to all business types from owner-managed businesses to large organisations and PLCs. Our solicitors have specialist experience in serving organisations across a wide range of sectors including transport, recruitment, green energy and agriculture. We combine our corporate expertise with a gained knowledge of our client's business to deliver strategic and pragmatic legal advice. We believe in creating partnerships, taking time to understand the particular needs and objectives and tailoring our advice, services and fees accordingly.

Commercial property: the team provides advice ranging from assisting start-up businesses looking to acquire their first premises to helping substantial companies looking for new premises or development sites across the country. We deal with complex and large-scale property transactions involving acquisitions and/or disposals, joint ventures, property development or funding work. We act for both landlords and tenants on commercial leasehold transactions involving settling the terms of leases, advice on ongoing property issues, rent review, property portfolio management, insolvency and receivership.

Employment: the firm’s employment team has a reputation for being proactive and provides advice to both employers and employees. The experience of our Employment Law team helps ensure legal compliance to prevent disputes and, where this is not possible, to resolve employment issues effectively. The team offers a retained employment law service, known as the Employment Support Service, to lighten the workload of HR managers and business owners. The bespoke service is designed to meet the needs of the business, ensuring from the start that the right policies and procedures are in place and the steps needed in order to meet the standard the law requires.

Litigation and dispute resolution: the firm has long been known for its expertise in commercial litigation, in which it continues to grow. The team advises in a wide range of business disputes; insolvency; debt recovery; professional negligence and business protection. The team also has an increasing reputation in the field of contentious trusts and probate, being one of few firms with an expert team in this area.

Crime and regulatory: the firm’s crime and regulatory department is very well respected, and acknowledged for its varied caseload. Its team members are experts in health and safety and environmental regulatory issues, and continue to handle heavyweight criminal matters.

Road transport: led by highly respected transport solicitor Mike Hayward, Woodfines’ road transport team is seen as one of the best in the country. One of only six firms appointed nationally to represent the DVSA in prosecuting serious cases, it also represents a wide range of operators and drivers at public inquiries and courts.

Agriculture: the firm’s agriculture team has extensive experience handling all agricultural matters, including partnership agreements, inheritance issues, business tenancies, and the sale and acquisition of farming and agribusiness land. It also provides specialist support for rural diversification across the region.

Private client: Woodfines provides a wide range of services for private individuals, including specialist services for the elderly and disabled, expert advice in complex trust matters and Court of Protection cases. The team includes an Office of the Public Guardian-appointed Panel Deputy, one of only 68 in the UK, in Nigel Ashton, and is led by a highly experienced team of specialists.

Family: the family department has two main practice areas: divorce and separation, and care work. The team handles a wide variety of high-profile cases, advising on complex cases involving overseas jurisdictions.

Woodfines offers a highly capable, personal service, while retaining real commercial weight and expertise for organisations of all sizes.