Coodes Solicitors Recognised in 2026 Chambers and Partners Guide

Coodes Solicitors has been named among the UK’s leading law firms once again, with impressive recognition in the 2026 Chambers and Partners guide. The latest rankings include top positions across five departments and seven lawyers, with first-time listings for two departments and three individuals.

The prestigious Chambers and Partners guide, which has assessed the world’s leading lawyers for over 30 years, ranks firms based on written submissions, client interviews and independent analysis. Firms are judged on technical ability, professionalism, client service, commercial insight, diligence and results.

Expanding Recognition Across Cornwall and Devon

This year’s results highlight continued excellence for Coodes in Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Clinical Negligence, and Real Estate Litigation. The firm also gained new rankings in Real Estate and Family/Matrimonial.

Head of Rural Services Pam Johns maintained her Band 2 ranking for the twelfth consecutive year, praised by clients as “very professional and competent,” “an excellent lawyer with a broad depth of professional and local knowledge” and “always a delight to work with.”

The Clinical Negligence team, recognised for the fourth year running, continues to be a strong area for the firm. Rachel Pearce, Head of Clinical Negligence, appeared for the sixth consecutive year, acknowledged for her work in misdiagnosis and birth injury cases and described as being “renowned for her exceptional client care” and leaving “no stone untouched to achieve the best possible outcome for her clients.”

Julie Hatton, who represents clients in severe injury and fatal claims, was praised as “a first-class lawyer committed to going the extra mile to achieve the best possible result for those whose lives have been tragically affected by negligent medical care.”

New Rankings and Rising Talent

The Commercial Dispute Resolution team, recognised for Real Estate Litigation, maintained its position after entering the guide for the first time last year. Chambers noted that it is “regularly sought out by clients for its experience of commercial property disputes.”

The firm’s Real Estate Services team entered the guide this year, earning praise for being “a great team with a vast amount of knowledge who provide great communication throughout any legal engagement.”

Also new to the rankings, the Family/Matrimonial team was recognised for delivering “a good, efficient service from solicitors with a high level of expertise.”

Three individual lawyers earned Chambers recognition for the first time:

• Victoria Walters (Family/Matrimonial) was described as “practical,” “empathetic” and “an exceptional solicitor who works very hard for her clients.”

• David Usher (Personal Injury) was praised as “approachable,” “thorough” and “a great solicitor … happy to help in any way he possibly can.”

• Demelza Pallant (Personal Injury) was recognised as “a very experienced, very capable solicitor for large personal injury cases,” with “excellent attention to detail” and “an in-depth knowledge of the subject.”

Firm Growth and Regional Strength

Chair Elise Alma said:

“We are incredibly proud to see even broader recognition for our talented lawyers and specialist teams in the 2026 Chambers guide.

These rankings reflect not only the depth of expertise at Coodes but also our long-standing commitment to delivering outstanding legal services with care, clarity and integrity across Cornwall, Devon and beyond.

It is also great to see the calibre of the firms against whom we are ranked, in most cases they are national competitors with very large teams with a wider geographical reach.

As these rankings demonstrate, Coodes Business Services teams are an emerging force in the region, with the Corporate and Commercial team completing a number of high value transactional deals during September and October. The Commercial Property team’s first listing in the directory for their real estate expertise demonstrates the quality of work undertaken, and this expertise is enabling them to win many new corporate clients. Also of note was the increase in work from disputes, which saw the Commercial Property Litigation team gain further recognition within Chambers. The overall success of our various teams has enabled the attraction of recruits of the calibre of Melanie Henson and Natalie Owen, as well as our recent acquisition of Christopher Key Solicitors. It is driving our plans to expand our teams across all areas of the firm and reflects the fact that Coodes is a great place to work.”

A Trusted Legal Name in the South West

With nine offices across Cornwall and Devon, Coodes Solicitors has built a strong reputation for providing expert legal services to individuals and businesses alike. Alongside its Chambers and Partners success, Coodes also features in the Legal 500, the latest edition of which was released earlier this month.

While firmly rooted in the South West, Coodes has grown into an £11 million-plus business, placing it among the top four per cent of UK law firms by turnover.

For more information about Coodes Solicitors, visit www.coodes.co.uk.