PDT Solicitors is ranked a Leading Firm by The Legal 500 2021 in 8 practice areas: Banking & Finance, Commercial Property, Corporate & Commercial, Debt Recovery, Insolvency & Corporate Recovery, Commercial Litigation, Public Sector and Asset Based Lending. 

In addition to being successfully ranked for most of PDT's core service areas, Noel Ruddy, Head of Corporate is also singled out by The Legal 500 as a leading individual in both his corporate and commercial and asset based lending practice areas due to his quality work and expertise within the corporate transactional and banking and finance sectors.

Other Lawyers recognised by The Legal 500 as recommended lawyers include James Clewlow, Dawn Shadwell, William Angas, Rebecca Glazebrook, Jane Bowden, Andrew Hoad, Ian Lindley, Craig Burton, Gail Morris, Holly Goacher, Justin McConville, Laura Sutton, Gina Hope and Ruth Clinton.

Managing Partner, James Clewlow commented "I'm really pleased with our success in gaining the recognition of the quality legal work which we do and which we have been doing for many years. The fact that this recognition is across so many sectors and in respect of so many of our lawyers is further reflection of our position as a leading law firm, and of the positive and inclusive culture which we are creating within the firm. I said last year in respect of our rankings that there was more to come and this is confirmation."

The Legal 500 is an independent guide, and firms and individuals are recommended purely on merit. It is the only guide to truly reflect the needs of corporate counsel by focusing on the strength in depth of the teams. The Legal 500 Series, now in its 34th year, is widely acknowledged as the world's largest legal referral guide.

These rankings reflect PDT Solicitors' strong commercial approach and its ability to deal with complex transactions, consistently attracting high quality, high value work.

Commenting on the firm, the Legal 500 identified PDT's strength in the Asset Based Lending Sector and Banking and Finance. Noel Ruddy is described as "informed and always willing to offer advice and opinion without the client feeling like there's a fee clock ticking in the background." Dawn Shadwell as "always professional and supportive.", and "always available and provides well thought-out intelligent solutions to a diverse portfolio of deals." William Angas is described as "very client focused and approachable." On the PDT team one client commented "The team headed by Noel Ruddy and supported by Dawn Shadwell is as good as any firm in the UK. They are able to combine legal knowledge and expertise with an entrepreneurial and commercial spin which is critical of an innovative finance provider looking to compete in an increasingly "fintech" driven world. They provide the confidence that you need, through robust legal support, to find that competitive edge." Ian Lindley, Laura Sutton and Ruth Clinton are also recommended as key lawyers due to their expertise and experience in the sector.

PDT's commercial property practice is praised for their ability to advise on the full gamut of commercial property matters with clients including national and local housebuilders, landlords and tenants, housing associations, and organisations in the healthcare sector. James Clewlow is highlighted for his 'experience, understanding of process and pragmatism'. Jane Bowden is 'truly fantastic to deal with' and Craig Burton is an 'exceptional talent' leading on landlord and tenant work. The Legal 500 highlight the PDT experience and culture in a client testimonial "PDT stands out from other firms we have used because they are extremely approachable (don't under-estimate this!); communicate well; cover a broad range of legal requirements under one roof; and are able to provide quick responses without fuss. PDT have exceptionally good teams in all their departments and come with the highest recommendation from us"

Elsewhere corporate and commercial are described as a "hugely experienced team of top flight lawyers led by Noel Ruddy, who brings valuable commercial sense alongside a level of experience and legal ability that's hard to beat. Noel and the team are brilliant communicators, swift to respond, proactive, and make sure their advice and assistance is always relevant." Rebecca Glazebrook is also mentioned for her experience in corporate finance, Andrew Hoad as a M&A specialist and Ian Lindley for his commercial side of the practice.

As one of the largest Insolvency practices in the south east, PDT's insolvency and corporate recovery team is recommended for their "wide range of contentious and non-contentious insolvency and restructuring matters, and in particular for their proven track record advising on invoice finance and asset-based lending. With William Angas gaining further mention for his expertise in insolvency litigation, particularly in the recovery of unlawful dividends or unauthorised renumeration from shareholders and directors.

Listed in the public sector ranking for the first time due to their strength in the pharmaceuticals sector and assisting clients with the refinancing and acquisition of pharmacies, James Clewlow, and the 'commercially astute' team is described as highly experienced in the pharmacy space and also handles dental and optical practice purchases. Associate Holly Goacher is described as "skilled in undertaking and advising on transactions" and "fantastic in her approach in handling Pharmacy purchases". One pharmacy client commented "James Clewlow has been outstanding from beginning to end. Having met James last year it became clear to me that I would use PDT for my future legal needs. His knowledge and ability to apply that legal knowledge was second to none. Indeed, he even highlighted serious legal errors in the seller's solicitors when I was buying another Pharmacy which would have scuppered the deal had he not spotted their errors."

William Angas, Gail Morris and Justin McConville are recommended for their Commercial litigation practice, in particular their strength handling disputes including breach of contract, professional negligence, shareholders disputes and protection of confidential information. "PDT is a professional law firm yet handles all of your legal needs like a family run business. They have expertise in various divisions which we have used over time. We especially used their business law recently in a contract dispute but have used their commercial team for our commercial property purchase. Their partners work very well together, and I feel a real peace of mind every time I visit them". Justin McConville is highlighted for his expertise in a recent matter involving an international firm doing business in the UK "When most firms would take the easy solution and settle, Justin went well beyond and had my best interests at the centre of his negotiations. PDT have demonstrated this in all of our dealings over the past 20 years. I have recommended them on many occasions and continue to believe they are one of the best firms I have dealt with while here in the UK.'

PDT's debt recovery team is also recognised for undertakking substantive ledger recoveries for insolvent firms. Lead partner William Angas is known for recovering losses under finance agreements, while the 'tenacious' Gina Hope covers invoice factoring companies, local businesses and flight delay compensation. They are commended for their capable way of doing business "PDT have a very relaxed and friendly approach to their work which makes it easier to deal with highly stressful cases. The team have a great way of working alongside us with our clients in order to maintain clear understanding of procedures all round. Most other firms can make it difficult for the everyday person to understand proceeding with technical terms but with PDT it is clearly explained for our clients to relate to easier".

You can view more details on the ranking and read the practice area recommendation in more detail on the Legal 500 website.