20 leading lawyers in Litigation and Procedural Law in the United Kingdom in 2026

Edition 2026 Commercial litigation
English

Impact Lawyers’ editorial selection brings together twenty professionals with particularly significant experience in this field in the United Kingdom. In areas where UK practice is divided between solicitors and barristers, the selection includes professionals from law firms and chambers. Lawyers are listed alphabetically by first name; the order does not establish internal positions or imply that one professional is superior to another.

Lawyer Firm / Chambers Main profile
Ali Kirby-Harris Freshfields Commercial and financial litigation
Andrew Austin Freshfields Group actions and shareholder disputes
Antony White KC Matrix Chambers Investigations and regulatory disputes
Cat Greenwood-Smith Freshfields Cross-border litigation and procedural strategy
Christopher Pugh Freshfields Commercial and financial litigation
Clive Greenwood Lewis Silkin Group actions and shareholder disputes
Craig Montgomery Freshfields Investigations and regulatory disputes
Emily Knight Freshfields Cross-border litigation and procedural strategy
Emma Probyn Freshfields Commercial and financial litigation
James Kennedy Freshfields Group actions and shareholder disputes
James Raeside Freshfields Investigations and regulatory disputes
James Roberts Freshfields Cross-border litigation and procedural strategy
Janet Kentridge Matrix Chambers Commercial and financial litigation
Matthew Hodgson Linklaters Group actions and shareholder disputes
Nicholas Frey Freshfields Investigations and regulatory disputes
Piers Reynolds Freshfields Cross-border litigation and procedural strategy
Rebecca Burton Linklaters Commercial and financial litigation
Richard Marshall Penningtons Manches Cooper Group actions and shareholder disputes
Sarah Parkes Freshfields Investigations and regulatory disputes
Teresa Laboucarié-Polak Linklaters Cross-border litigation and procedural strategy

How the ranking was prepared

The selection has been prepared through an independent editorial analysis and an overall assessment of the career, specialisation, experience and professional recognition of the lawyers included. Multiple sources of information have been taken into account, including the websites of the professionals themselves and their firms, news and publications appearing in the media, matters and transactions in which they have been involved, their academic and institutional activity, their national and international profile, and references within the legal and business community.

Particular attention has also been paid to the perception of clients and professionals familiar with their work, assessing factors such as the trust they inspire, responsiveness, legal judgement, effectiveness in resolving matters and the recognition achieved within their respective areas of specialisation. The result reflects a combined editorial assessment of objective and qualitative factors, designed to capture not only career track record and technical knowledge, but also the prestige and professional standing each lawyer has consolidated through legal practice.

How to interpret the selection

The ranking is an editorial snapshot of the UK legal market based on information available in 2026. It does not measure fees, guarantee outcomes or claim that any included professional is the right choice for every matter. The choice of counsel should take into account the precise specialty, the relevant UK jurisdiction, potential conflicts of interest, availability, language, budget and relationship of trust.

Copyright © The Impact Lawyers. All rights reserved. This information or any part of it may not be copied or disseminated in any way or by any means or downloaded or stored in an electronic database or retrieval system without the express written consent of The Impact Lawyers. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the positions or policies of The Impact Lawyers.
Newsletter

Would you like to read more?

The Impact Lawyers offers a FREE newsletter that keeps you up to date on news and analysis about the international latest legal news.
Please complete the form below and click on subscribe to receive The Impact Lawyers Newsletter subscription

2
x
Subscribe for free

The Impact Lawyers Newsletter

  • Practical templates and guides for lawyers and law firms
  • Podcasts, videos and webinars explaining how to be sucessful
  • Tips made by lawyers and other practitioners