Simons Muirhead Burton

Company Profile

Simons Muirhead Burton LLP is a London-based law firm that is recognised for its strength in guiding clients and providing them with strategic advice at key moments in their personal and business lives. The firm takes a collaborative approach to resolving matters discreetly, quickly and sensitively – there is always a clear understanding of the importance of protecting clients’ reputations while getting the best outcome for them.

Clients receive immediate responses to the crises they face and are provided with solutions to reputation management, criminal and family matters, as well as being supported in addressing property and private wealth issues.

The firm enjoys an unparalleled reputation for its quality of legal services both in the UK and internationally. Clients benefit from the leadership and experience of its lawyers, who are known for their ability to offer practical and invaluable advice when dealing with what are often complicated and highly sensitive legal matters, both in the UK and internationally. Founded in the 1970s, the firm has grown dramatically as a full-service law firm, while remaining deeply committed to diversity and civil liberties.

Crime
SMB’s long-established crime and regulatory team, headed by Phil Smith, is recognised as a leading authority in criminal law, fraud and regulatory matters both on UK and international issues. For HNWs, the criminal team works in tandem with the firm’s reputation management team, dovetailing where necessary with PR professionals to keep an arrest or investigation out of the public domain. Matters include complex investigations into corruption, money laundering and serious fraud, criminal conspiracies, sexual offences, assault and drug offences. Clients range from HNWs and media personalities to public company directors, SMEs, national charities and PLCs. Phil is regarded for his strategic acumen and crisis and reputation management skills by individuals from the arts, finance and sport, media, medical and legal professions.

Phil is supported by rising star senior associate Henrietta Ronson, who deals with a varied portfolio of high-profile and private cases across the full range of the criminal law, including fraud, corruption, crime and disciplinary matters. Widely respected, she has been heavily involved in the representation of HNWIs, Premier League footballers, head teachers, musicians and politicians on various charges including sexual offences.

Family
The family department is known for its exceptional ability to deal with complex, emotionally charged issues leading from relationships and relationship breakdown. Working with international clients, the team is adept in using both traditional procedures to deal with legal separation and divorce as well as alternative dispute resolution, such as mediation, when best suited to clients.

The team is led by Jane McDonagh. Tom Farley-Hills is highly adept at advising on financial issues arising from divorce and separation, including cases with overseas and offshore elements. Tessa Bray has a thriving Anglo-Franco divorce and pre-nup practice, and Lara Wulwik has been described as a “Rising Star” by Spear’s. 

The team’s discreet, sensitive and proactive approach is praised by clients, including HNWs, foreign nationals or individuals who have links with other jurisdictions, well-known names in the arts, TV and media, business owners and farmers/land owners, professional sportspeople, entrepreneurs and individuals who have a case of some financial or legal complexity. 

Property
The real estate department offers developers, traders and property finance lenders, as well as operators in hospitality, leisure and retail, efficiently delivered and commercially focused advice. Known for providing practical and commercial legal advice to clients both in the commercial and residential sectors, SMB’s real estate team has particular expertise in dealing with London-based retail, hotel and leisure sites, guiding UK and overseas developers, investors and national charities on complex property issues.

Led by Mark Levine, the department acts for developers, investors, asset managers and finance lenders, as well as operators in the hospitality, leisure and retail sectors. Clients value Mark’s ability to find angles to enhance their commercial position, and to execute deals in challenging timescales.

Reputation Management
Led by Louis Charalambous and Jeffrey Smele, SMB’s top-tier practice continues to be a market leader in defamation, privacy and reputation management and a go-to firm for claimants and defendants alike. SMB is a full-service firm, meaning the team can deal with any reputational issue, including police or journalistic investigations, high-profile litigation or press issues. They act for clients who are subject to online defamation or harassment, or victim of other unlawful activities like material published or threatened in breach of privacy or data rights. The team are experts in identifying and pursuing anonymous individuals online.