Shoosmiths LLP

Dispute resolution/commercial litigation.

Stuart Little is head of the advisory services division at Shoosmiths, responsible for the management and direction of one of the firm’s largest groupings.

As divisional head, Stuart is responsible for leading almost 400 legal advisers, including 70+ partners, working across a portfolio of the firms core commercial disciplines including commercial, IP, employment, pensions, regulatory, and commercial litigation.

Within this broad commercial frame work the division is also able to offer support across specialist service lines including privacy & data, cyber, competition compliance, international arbitration and insurance.

Complementing its specialist technical expertise, the division is focussed on delivering a solutions-based approach to clients drawing on technology and the use of AI to enhance the overall client experience.

He works closely with general counsel (GCs) and in-house legal teams and is a regular panel speaker at in-house lawyer events (most recently the GC Summit in London in 2019). In conjunction with the GC of a leading US technology company, Stuart pioneered a risk and reward pricing model which was a winner of one of the first FT Innovative Lawyers Awards, for innovation in billing and fees. He maintains a hands-on role as the client partner for one of the firm’s major technology clients and is a member of the Society for Computers and Law.

A skilled negotiator, he has utilised ADR processes to achieve early commercial resolution, frequently preserving what are important commercial relationships between the parties.

Having qualified as a solicitor with a city firm in 1995, Stuart joined Shoosmiths in 1997 and was promoted to partner in 2004.

Law Society; Society for Computers and Law.

Westville Boys’ High School, South Africa; University College, Swansea (BA Politics Hons 2(1)); College of Law, Guildford.

Sport – rugby, water sports, music, reading.