Addleshaw Goddard

Addleshaw Goddard, Leeds.

According to The Lawyer, a British legal newspaper, Addleshaw Goddard was ranked 15th largest law firm in the UK by turnover in 2006.[3] It was ranked 91st in the world by the same periodical. Two years later the firm remained ranked 15th nationally (by turnover) in The Lawyer's UK 200 Annual Report.[4] More recently Addleshaw Goddard ranked 21st in The Lawyer's top 200 firms in 2011.[5]

The firm was also placed 91st in The Times newspaper's 'Top 100 Graduate Employers' for 2008.[6] In March 2008 it was placed 40th in the Sunday Times '100 Best Companies to Work For' in the UK.[7] The firm is the only law firm to also be included in the newspaper's Top 50 Places Where Women Want to Work, and the Top 100 Graduate Employers rankings as well as the 100 Best Companies. The ranking rose 43 places since the 2007 survey – one of the biggest improvements by any organisation reviewed and the best in the legal sector.

In July 2007, the firm gained some unlooked-for publicity when its discussions with Mr Justice Peter Smith concerning the possibility that the judge might take up employment with Addleshaws became the subject of an appeal to the Court of Appeal. The judge was discontented at the breakdown of the employment negotiations but nonetheless refused to recuse himself from hearing a case in which an individual partner of the firm was engaged in the capacity of trustee. The Court of Appeal ruled that the judge could not hear the case.[8] The judge subsequently received a formal reprimand from the Lord Chief Justice.

'COMPUTER FORENSICS and DISCLOSURE OF E-MAILS'

SHAW V CHESHIRE CONSTABULARY [2015]EWHC 3021 Admin

Mr Shaw believed that Philip Goodstone, then a corporate partner with Addleshaws had knowingly withheld important information, about fraudulent activity committed against him by Mr Goodstone, from the Court. A search of Mr Goodstone's e-mail records sent and received over a few days was likely to reveal whether that had been true. Following a Court disclosure order against Addleshaws, their IT department, then headed by a Peter Thompson, told the Court that they had found the relevant back-up tapes but were unable to play them (which the Court accepted). In view of that being extremely unlikely and of the serious and costly (over £1m) nature of this matter Mr Shaw requested that the police use their specialised IT resources to search those tapes. The police refused because they said that the Crown Court would be very unlikely to allow it given Addleshaws prior statement to the Court. Mr Shaw then made an application, for judicial review of that decision of the police, in London. Mr Justice Ouseley, Head of the Administrative Court refused permission on the basis that he had no power to overturn a decision of the police. He said at paragraph 13 of his judgment, "I have understood why Mr Shaw says what he says and his feeling that the police are not pursuing a case where he is firmly of the view that solicitors are getting away with it, if I can put it colloquially but I think it expresses his feeling". Mr Shaw says he could not have put it better but the judgment leaves him in the position that he believes that the British police and legal system have let him down badly and have deliberately and cynically blocked his ability to establish the truth. Mr Goodstone has moved on to the position of Head of Law at Ernst and Young in the UK.

• Official website
• Addleshaw Goddard companies grouped at OpenCorporates