The ‘skilled and practical’ team at Cripps in Tunbridge Wells handles complex disputes for UK and international clients, companies and business individuals across several sectors including the advertising and media, technology, food and drink, and property industries. Recent work has involved litigation related to commercial contracts, insolvency and restructuring matters, professional negligence claims and post-transactional disputes. Heading up the team is Philip Youdan and the ’fantastic, efficient, sensible and wise’ Ed Weeks, who is well-known for his expertise in shareholders’ disputes and directors’ duties issues. ‘Go-to lawyer’ Joanna Ford has a specialism in handling restructuring and insolvency matters as well as shareholder disputes concerning IT and technology contracts. Also of note is Tom Bourne, who has a particular interest in the food and drinks sector, with experience in commercial and post-transactional disputes. Hannah Proctor is well versed in misfeasance claims and breach of contract disputes, praised as a ’successful litigator’. In early 2024, the firm merged with Horsham-based firm PDT Solicitors, which added the expertise of William Angas, Ben Ashworth and Justin McConville to the practice.
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘The Cripps commercial litigation team is skilled and practical. It achieves results without complication and efficiently. It is clearly the go-to team for medium/large commercial disputes in SE England outside London.’
‘Ed Weeks is fantastic, efficient, sensible and wise. Joanna Ford and Tom Bourne are also very good indeed.’
‘I am based in SE Asia, and I am often asked to recommend a law firm in the UK and without hesitation I recommend Cripps. I have recommended them multiple times recently.’
‘Joanna Ford is my go-to lawyer. I have worked with her for years and she always helps finds me the right person. Cripps are an excellent firm, and I would go nowhere else.’
‘Ed Weeks was outstanding in terms of understanding the commercial drivers of the dispute, responsiveness and acting pragmatically.’
‘Cripps is obviously well run and well organised. It delivers a City standard service at Tunbridge Wells prices. As a group they are pleasure to deal with and have been helpful in ways that went beyond their obligations. I would have no hesitation in recommending them to others.’
‘I have worked with Hannah Proctor who has all the skills required of the successful litigator: an ability to get the job done, an ability to make realistic assessments of the merits and to look for the quickest way to resolve the client's problem. She is also personable and fun to work with.’
‘William Angas is very commercial with excellent insolvency knowledge and lots of experience in fraud and directors' duty claims. Ben Ashworth is very good at getting to grips with detail.’
Key clients
- Eurotunnel / The Channel Tunnel Group
- FRP Advisory Trading Limited
- Holiday Extras
- The Wates Group
- Close Brothers
- Cadogan Estates Ltd
- Fridays Ltd
- Spink & Son Ltd
- Noksel Çelik Boru Sanayi A.S
- Panini Spa
Work highlights
- Acted for a Turkish company, Noksel Çelik Boru Sanayi A.S, to achieve a multi-million pound judgment after an eight day reported commercial court trial.
- Acted for Greenbox Recycling Limited, a waste management company, and one of its directors defending a misfeasance claim estimated to be worth millions of pounds in the High Court, including a subsequent appeal in the Court of Appeal.
- Acted for a wealthy London family in defending a multi-million pound claim and injunctive proceedings issued by a non-domiciled family member alleging fraud and forgery relating to a company and a number of London properties.
Lawyers
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Ed Weeks, Philip Youdan