Downs Solicitors LLP

Downs Solicitors LLP is a leading Surrey-based provider of legal services to businesses and individuals. It has offices  Surrey Dorking, Cobham and Godalming.

The firm: Downs has a long heritage of providing legal services dating back to 1836. However, the firm has changed significantly over the years, from simply providing legal advice to private individuals to providing the full spectrum of commercial services to business clients.

Downs is accredited under the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS), the mark of excellence awarded to law firms that meet the highest standards for conveyancing transactions.

Downs is also accredited by Lexcel. The Law Society has certified that certain standards of practice have been met following independent assessment. This accreditation is only awarded to solicitors who meet the highest management and customer care standards. Lexcel-accredited practices undergo rigorous independent assessment every year to ensure they meet required standards of excellence in areas such as client care, case management and risk management.

Types of work undertaken
Corporate: from emerging areas of business law, to mainstream M&A and corporate finance, Downs’ corporate lawyers have a depth of experience and a breadth of understanding that enables it to produce rigorously-researched solutions to the most complex business issues.

Employment: the firm’s employment law solicitors help businesses with the full range of employment law and HR advice, from the drafting of contracts of employment and handbooks, to advising on disciplinary and grievance issues, settlement agreements and unfair dismissals through to tribunal hearings.

Commercial property: whether a client owns the local corner shop, is selling or letting an office building, or purchasing land for development, Downs’ commercial property specialists will give all the expert advice and assurance needed to protect their interests.

Corporate recovery: highly experienced and commercially savvy, the firm’s corporate recovery team advises private equity firms, financial institutions, insolvency practitioners, companies and individuals on a wide range of disciplines, from a broad range of industries.

Litigation: the team of specialist litigation lawyers will protect clients’ interests and assert their rights across a very broad range of business areas, including breach of contract claims, negligence, passing off and copyright infringement, insolvency, property and construction, shareholder and partnership disputes.

International: Downs’ specialist multi-disciplinary international group has considerable experience of acting for clients and law firms located in various jurisdictions and requiring legal advice and services in England or abroad. Clients range from multinational companies to wealthy private investors and offshore trusts. It has lawyers who are qualified in multiple jurisdictions and a number speak foreign languages. They are also contributing authors to private international law publications in the US.

Individual client: the firm provides the full range of legal services to individual clients, including buying and selling property, writing a will, inheritance tax planning, probate, lasting powers of attorney, divorce/separation, pre-nups, disputes and employment issues.