Rowberry Morris Solicitors - Reading

Rowberry Morris Solicitors was founded on 1 April 1943 by Gilbert Rowberry in Gloucester. The Reading office opened on 30 September 1958 by Neil Rowberry, and Anthony Rowberry joined his brother as a partner a couple of years later. In 1971, the firm bought its current premises in Castle Street, Reading, a building dating from the 1600s made from ship timbers, previously used as an inn, a brewery and a doctor's surgery. The firm has offices in Reading, Staines, Tadley and Richmond, with 3 offices and 9 partners. It is regulated by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority and consistently achieves Lexcel and ISO 9001 accreditations.

In 2011, it won the Best Professional Practice Award in Richmond. Its solicitors hold memberships including The Law Society Specialist Panels, Resolution, Lifetime Lawyers, Association of Contentious Trust and Probate Specialists, Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners, Community Legal Service, Association of Personal Injury Lawyers, Family Mediators and STEP. The firm's family law solicitors are members of Resolution. Only qualified lawyers deal with matters, supported by a dedicated assistant, and all lawyers are experienced Solicitors, Chartered Legal Executives or Licensed Conveyancers.

Legal services include family law, residential property, dispute resolution, employment law and private client services. Four partners have been made local judges in the Thames Valley area; two were appointed as full time judges and former senior partner Richard Leathem holds two part time judicial appointments. The firm opened further offices in the mid-60s in Tadley, Crowthorne (now Rowberrys) and Staines. It originally offered mainly conveyancing transactions, later branching out into wills and probate, litigation and family matters.

House buyers and families navigating court proceedings alike turn to this Reading firm, and the pattern across feedback is one of specialist knowledge matched with steady communication. Chris Darke is named repeatedly in connection with residential purchases and moves, with clients describing him as experienced and thorough, taking time to explain matters that were unclear and replying promptly. One account of a transaction that ran into difficulties notes that he kept the parties informed and offered appropriate guidance as problems arose, while a buyer of a first home describes the process as straightforward from start to finish.

On the family law side, Luke Cheshire is praised for his handling of child arrangement cases and for supporting clients through sensitive circumstances, being described as approachable and generous with his time even under pressure. Francesca Neil receives similar recognition for litigation work, professionally managing a fast-moving case and delivering advice at short notice. Conveyancing across multiple properties, employment matters and elderly client work also feature among the services clients mention. One thing mentioned again and again is the reassurance of being updated at each stage, with queries answered without delay and the stress of legal processes eased considerably.