Coodes’ legal expertise praised by guide to UK’s top lawyers

Coodes Solicitors has been recommended for its legal expertise and high quality service to clients in a prestigious national legal directory.

The 2022 edition of Chambers & Partners, which ranks the UK’s top lawyers based on interviews mainly with clients, praises the South West law firm’s expertise in agricultural law and clinical negligence claims.

The directory highlights Coodes’ Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence team as having expertise in a range of clinical negligence claims and quotes one interviewee saying “They are lovely to work with throughout and well organised.”

Another interviewee said: “They are very knowledgeable and experienced in the field of professional negligence and have an excellent knowledge of local issues in healthcare.”

Partner and Head of Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence Rachel Pearce has also achieved an individual ranking for the second consecutive year.

Chambers says: “Rachel Pearce is acknowledged for her work on misdiagnosis and delay in treatment claims, with further experience in birth injury cases. She also acts on cases of negligent care and assists clients with inquests,” and quotes one interviewee saying: “She is very well thought of.”

Accredited under the Law Society Clinical Negligence Accredited Scheme, Rachel is a Senior Litigator and Accredited Clinical Negligence specialist with the Association of Personal Injury lawyers. She has more than 15 years’ experience in handling complex clinical negligence claims and, as a member of the charity INQUEST, provides legal representation for bereaved families.

Coodes’ Rural Services team is once again recommended in the directory. Chambers says the team: “Handles a wide range of agricultural matters, including property transactions, tenancies and farming partnerships. Notable for advising South Western farmers and other landowners over several generations. Also offers specialist expertise in disputes related to boundary issues, animal welfare and pollution.”

Partner and Rural Services Team Leader Pam Johns has been awarded a Band 1 individual ranking, and is singled out for the quality of her advice handling rural land and agricultural property transactions, and agricultural landlord and tenant matters.

A Fellow of the Agricultural Law Association, Pam advises farmers and landowners across the South West. With a legal career spanning 40 years, Pam qualified as a solicitor in 1994 and established the firm’s Holsworthy office in 1998, where she is now supported by a growing team.

Pam specialises in complex cases involving rural properties, including the sale and purchase of farms and farmland. She deals with farm business tenancies, refinancing and the splitting of agricultural land as part of matrimonial settlements or succession planning.

One of the world’s most respected guides to lawyers and law firms, Chambers & Partners is based on rigorous independent research and feedback from clients and other professionals. Coodes was recently also recommended by the UK’s other leading legal directory, the Legal 500.

Coodes Chairman Peter Lamble said: “I am delighted that Coodes has once again been recognised by this prestigious legal directory.

“Chambers & Partners sets the highest standards and is based on feedback from clients and other professionals. Therefore, being ranked in the 2022 edition is testament to the expertise and high quality service that we deliver across the firm, both to businesses and individuals.

“Generations of farmers and landowners have put their trust in Coodes, relying on us for excellent service and specialist legal knowledge. We are proud to continue to grow and develop our rural expertise and to be recognised at a national level.

“Our growing Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence team provides a vital service to individuals across the South West and beyond and it is very satisfying to see their care and expertise being rewarded.”