North West law firm Woodcocks Haworth and Nuttall (WHN) Solicitors has strengthened its place in an influential guide to the UK’s top lawyers and firms as a record number of its teams and solicitors have been ranked in the latest annual edition.
WHN Solicitors, which has nine offices across Greater Manchester and Lancashire, has been praised by Chambers and Partners in its 2025 guide which identifies and ranks the most outstanding law firms and lawyers.
The guide ranks the top four per cent of law firms globally, focusing on those that provide the best client experience across the board, illustrating WHN’s level of legal expertise and client service.
The firm has bolstered its presence in the rankings with the Real Estate Litigation team maintaining its band three rank. Strengths highlighted by Chambers and Partners include providing ‘exceptionally high standards of knowledge and guidance’ and having ‘a proven record of winning cases for clients’.
Daniel Long has maintained his personal band three ranking, described by clients as ‘always accessible and responsive’ and providing ‘detailed but measured and commercially relevant advice’. In addition, associate director Eleanor Longworth has been included for the first time as an ‘Associate to Watch’, described as being ‘held in high esteem by clients for her capable handling of commercial and residential landlord and tenant matters’.
The firm’s Real Estate team has been ranked for the first time, featuring in the ‘up to £10m’ category, with director Nicola Phelps, described by clients as a ‘brilliant lawyer to deal with’, also included for the first time.
The team’s strengths highlighted by Chambers include providing ‘an impressive professional and personal service’, having ‘the experience to raise issues that may not at first be apparent’ and applying ‘a realistic and commercial approach in resolving them’.
Paul Matthews, who leads WHN’s corporate and commercial team, has once again been included for corporate mergers and acquisitions work in the SME/owner managed business category, with clients saying he is a ‘highly trained and seasoned expert in his field’ and ‘a highly experienced and trusted lawyer on corporate matters’.
For the 2025 edition, Chambers and Partners has launched new tables which recognise firms focused on the 99.9 per cent of businesses in the UK that are SMEs.
WHN has been included as a spotlight firm for corporate and commercial work in the UK-wide SME Focused Firms table, with Paul Matthews listed as a key contact, illustrating the firm’s national strength acting for SMEs.
In the listing, Chambers and Partners stated: “Woodcocks Haworth and Nuttall in Manchester advises family, owner-managed and SME businesses on the full suite of work related to incorporation, constitutional structure, fund raising and commercial and corporate transactions.
“The firm also has expertise in employment and shareholder matters, and partnership agreements and company reconstructions.”
Earlier this month, WHN also saw a record number of solicitors gain recognition in the 2025 edition of the Legal 500 rankings, another leading guide to the top UK lawyers and law firms.
Daniel Long, director, WHN Solicitors said: “Without the contribution of our clients and professional contacts, we would not have gained this recognition in Chambers and Partners. We would like to thank each of them, not only for taking the time to give their feedback during the research process but for trusting WHN with their important legal matters.
“WHN puts the client experience at the heart of everything we do and gives our clients access to top-quality legal experts in local North West markets. The feedback in this year’s rankings is a testament to that ethos and the whole firm is proud that our reputation continues to grow both in the North West and nationally.”
