Cleary Gottlieb Earns Premier Recognition in Legal 500 UK 2026

Cleary Gottlieb continues to achieve recognition as a premier law firm in the 2026 edition of The Legal 500 UK.

The firm received 17 practice rankings, and 21 Cleary lawyers were recognized in their respective practice areas.

Partners David Gottlieb, Jackie Holland, Jonathan Kelly, Nick Levy, and Tihir Sarkar and senior counsel Maurits Dolmans were honored in The Legal 500 UK Hall of Fame; partners Edward Aldred, James Brady-Banzet, Paul Gilbert, Polina Lyadnova, Christopher Moore, James Norris-Jones, Mike Preston, Nallini Puri, Nick Rumsby, and Ian Shawyer were named “Leading Partners”; and partners Sarah Lewis, Chrishan Raja, Ferdisha Snagg, Paul Stuart, and Naomi Tarawali were selected as “Next Generation Partners.”

Cleary received commendations from The Legal 500 UK and clients as a recommended firm in the following practice areas:

• Corporate and Commercial: Equity Capital Markets – Mid-large Cap: “Cleary is our go-to firm whenever we face complex U.S. securities laws issues on ECM transactions or a particularly complicated registered deal. They have unparalleled technical expertise and deliver quick, clear and commercial advice.”
• Corporate and Commercial: EU and Competition: “An exceptional team of highly intelligent lawyers who are able to communicate well and provide succinct, commercial advice. They always resource matters well, ensuring that the team is not too large and work is done at the right level.”
• Corporate and Commercial: Financial Services: Non-Contentious/Regulatory: “The team’s ability to deliver joined-up, multi-jurisdiction solutions to complex financing and collateral problems, addressing key structural, legal and regulatory issues in a seamless way is a significant differentiator.”
• Corporate and Commercial: M&A: Upper Mid-Market and Premium Deals (£750M+): “The team’s extensive transactional experience, coupled with their unwavering commitment, dedication, and sharp business acumen, makes Cleary’s practice truly unique and irreplaceable.”
• Corporate and Commercial: Private Equity: Transactions – High-Value Deals (£500M+): “Great team, strong leadership. Outstanding partner leadership where necessary. Highly attentive and laser-focused on client needs.”
• Dispute Resolution: Banking Litigation: Investment and Retail: “Cleary is one of the best banking litigation teams in the City. They have an excellent depth of talent and are regularly instructed on the most important and high-profile banking disputes of the day.”
• Dispute Resolution: Commercial Litigation: Premium: “Driven, clever, resourceful. Strength in numbers and in ability. Work tirelessly to get the best results for clients. Think outside the box.”
• Dispute Resolution: Competition Litigation: “Very strong team, creating innovative (and successful) legal arguments in defence of their clients.”
• Dispute Resolution: International Arbitration: “The Cleary international arbitration team is a top-notch group. They are extremely client oriented and go the extra mile to get the best results.”
• Finance: Acquisition Finance: “A very innovative team that always strives to achieve the most flexibility possible from the market.”
• Finance: Bank Lending: Investment Grade Debt and Syndicated Loans: “Excellent quality, consistent team structure, excellent project management with split of responsibilities to move forward on different work streams in parallel.”
• Finance: Corporate Restructuring and Insolvency: “The lawyers in this practice are skilled at presenting complex issues in ways that are easily accessible by non-lawyer clients and boards of directors.”
• Finance: Debt Capital Markets: “The Cleary team is incredibly responsive and thorough. Cleary manages inquiries from both legal and non-legal teams, and communicates effectively with each.”

Learn more about Cleary’s recognition on The Legal 500 UK’s website.