Harper James Arvostelua 188

Have generally had great support from HJ - they are my go-to when I have a commmercial/ employment law query/ clarification that I need sorting out.

Have had great support from Sean, Samantha, Sarah and Fozia. Would recommend.

Yes, you can have excellent experience with lawyers! They understood our requirements quickly and did the job efficiently.

They were quick to respond to my initial enquiry but I was over quoted. I was advised the costs would outweigh any benefit to me. I appreciate the honesty and not getting the hard sell, but I ended up going elsewhere, and my issue was resolved very quickly and affordably. I think some things are too small fry for them, but that didn't stop them from adding me to their mailing list!

I instructed Harper James Solicitors in relation to a commercial dispute. Based on my experience, I would recommend that others seriously consider using an alternative firm.

From the outset, there was a clear mismatch between what I understood I was purchasing and what was ultimately delivered. I initially requested a one-hour strategic consultation to understand my position. I was informed that an upfront payment equivalent to eight hours was required, but it was clearly explained to me by the salesperson that any unused time would be refunded following that initial consultation.

On that basis, I proceeded.

In practice, this is not how the matter was handled. The work undertaken did not begin with a focused consultation. Instead, time was spent reviewing materials and requesting further information before any meaningful strategic discussion took place. As a result, a significant portion of the prepaid time was consumed before I received clear direction.

There were also repeated requests for information that had already been provided. When I highlighted this and resent the information, the response I received was dismissive in tone, along the lines of “I’ve got it now,” which did not reflect an appropriate standard of client care given the circumstances.

More concerning was the amount of time charged relative to the work carried out. From my perspective, a significant amount of time appears to have been spent reviewing information I had already provided, contributing to the rapid depletion of the prepaid hours before meaningful advice was delivered.

In addition, there was internal confusion regarding the agreed budget. I was incorrectly informed that I had nearly exhausted five hours when eight had in fact been prepaid, and I was asked to provide additional funds on that basis. While this was later acknowledged as an error, it raised serious concerns about cost tracking and internal communication.

Ultimately, the core advice I required was delivered in a relatively short call. This reinforced my view that the matter could have been scoped and handled far more efficiently from the outset, without consuming the majority of the prepaid hours.

Overall, the key issues were:
• A mismatch between what was explained at onboarding and how the service was actually delivered
• Front-loading of chargeable time before any meaningful strategic consultation took place
• Repeated requests for information already supplied
• Dismissive communication when issues were raised
• Poor cost visibility and internal inconsistency regarding billing
• Significant upfront cost incurred before clear, actionable advice was provided

This is not a complaint about hourly rates, but about transparency, proportionality, and delivery against what was represented at the outset. Based on my experience, the service did not align with my understanding of what I had agreed to.

For these reasons, I would recommend that prospective clients consider alternative firms and ensure that any scope, timelines, and use of prepaid hours are clearly documented in writing before proceeding.

Emily is very helpful, quick turnaround on feedback for contracts/documents. Proactively she has suggested speaking on a call which is very helpful to discuss topics where there is less clarity and we need to dig more on either side in what the intent or required direction is

Emily was great, we needed a contract reviewed as a priority, and she turned it around for us within 24 hours of sending the request over. Amazing service.

“I have a dedicated account manager, so I just call and they connect me with whoever is the best fit for the job I need doing. The service has been excellent from start to finish

Quick, efficient service with legal professionals that think commercially.

I have nothing but good things to say about Harper James. Having used the firm on several occasions, everyone in the team is professional, human, and extremely knowledgeable. No legal jargon, just plain English and a very responsive service. For my business this is the legal partner I want to have. Thank you to everyone in the team.

Found their assistance really useful - they consistently followed up and offered next stage dialogue while awaiting third party variables. Would recommend

I have worked with Samantha on a complex legal matter and have been extremely impressed with the service she has provided. She has been consistently professional, responsive and clear in her advice throughout the process.

Samantha was always available when needed, often responding quickly and taking the time to explain the legal position and the options available to me. She went above and beyond what I would normally expect, including working outside of normal hours to help move matters forward and resolve the issues we faced.

I would not hesitate to recommend Samantha and her firm to anyone dealing with a legal dispute or requiring clear, pragmatic legal advice.

We’ve had a fantastic experience working with Harper James.

As a growing business, having legal partners who are both commercially minded and responsive is incredibly important, and the team at Harper James consistently deliver on both fronts. They understand the realities of running a company and provide clear, pragmatic advice rather than overcomplicating things.

A special mention has to go to Callum, who has been exceptional throughout. He’s been incredibly knowledgeable, responsive, and easy to work with, always taking the time to explain things clearly and making what can sometimes feel like complex legal processes much more straightforward.

I contacted Harper James for a quote on some legal services and I had the pleasure of speaking with Ollie Rennie.
Ollie was fantastic from start to finish - he listened carefully, was incredibly patient and worked with me to explore the best options for my situation.
Even though I ultimately chose a different firm for legal representation, Ollie's professionalism and the effort he put into helping me were truly impressive. It's rare to receive such dedicated support with no guarantee of outcome.
Because of the positive experience I had with Ollie, I will definitely consider working with him and this firm in the future.
Highly recommend for anyone looking for thoughtful and attentive service.

Professional and attentive service. Listened carefully to my needs and executed in a timely fashion. Just the service I need, as a small business owner.

Very professional and fast service, helped us finalised a settlement quickly. Special thanks to Tiffany

From beginning to end handling my matter, I found the firm responsive, helpful, and communicative. The value for cost is exceptional.

I worked with Harper James during a sensitive exit process and found them to be professional, clear and commercially pragmatic throughout.

Samantha Wragg handled my matter and was excellent - measured, strategic and calm under pressure. She struck the right balance between being firm where necessary and keeping discussions constructive. I always felt she was focused not just on the legal position, but on achieving a practical outcome.

Helen was also extremely helpful from an expert employment perspective.

What stood out most was their ability to combine technical legal expertise with commercial judgement. They didn’t escalate unnecessarily, and they were clear about risk, options and likely outcomes at each stage.

I would not hesitate to recommend Harper James to founders or senior executives needing steady, experienced support during complex situations.

We worked with Harper James Solicitors during the sale of our business and the associated due diligence process, and the service was excellent throughout.

Claire and Jenni were professional, responsive, and pragmatic, providing clear advice and a flexible, solutions focused approach in what was a fast moving and complex transaction. Their support made a real difference, and we would happily recommend Harper James to other business owners.

AVOID!!! Absolutely disgraceful solicitors… I enquired at this company regarding an issue I had regarding a pension/shares issue that I had that has been going on for over 8 years.
When I first enquired, I spoke with a business development executive & he mentioned to me that it was time barred, but I would have to onboard for a solicitor to review it. This cost me £1072 & still not sure why I should have paid to onboard if my case was clearly time barred.
I first spoke with a solicitor , after sending him my paperwork which clearly showed dates of 2016/2017. He never mentioned anything about it being time barred & as this wasn’t anything he could deal with I was passed over to another solicitor .
I was charged for a handover call between the 2 solicitors & when I questioned this, I was given a free call with to discuss my potential case.
He was happy to take my case on, even though he advised me it was time barred on numerous occasions & not once did he decline to take it on or cease acting for me at any point to date. He even sent letters of claim stating that I, as his client had the right to start legal proceedings. This was on an already time barred case!!!
This went on for 6 months, until he finally sent me an email saying it was fruitless. It was obviously fruitless from the start, as had it have gone to court it would have been thrown out straightaway.
I sent a complaint in & of course it was rejected, as it seemed clear by the response from the Quality and Compliance Director & Commercial Partner that all they were really worried about was getting their payments.
I even asked her separately after receiving the outcome, if she could confirm what area of law my solicitor took my case down. She repeated numerous time “Limitation act 1980” & when I asked what section she replied
“HE confirms my statement yesterday that the relevant limitation periods are set out in the Limitation Act 1980, which is what HE would have considered when providing his advice. He tells me that the case was not taken on, nor a letter sent under, a particular section of law (and HE didn’t specifically refer to any such section as he tends to avoid ‘technical legal jargon’ where possible).

As is normal practice, he provided general advice regarding his view and knowledge of limitation.”

Technical legal jargon… As a legal professional, why would you not use technical legal jargon? Is that not what he was being paid for??

So, along with many others that I have seen in the reviews, I have now reported this to the legal ombudsman & SRA, as I have cited many different breaches by this solicitor/company.

It’s been a complete waste of time & money. You’re better off going somewhere else!!!

Great support from Emilia!