The Past
Our offices are in New Square, Lincoln's Inn which is one of the four Inns of Court and is at the heart of London's legal world. New Square was built between 1682 and 1698 with the Inn's gardens and lawns being laid out in 1843. The entrance to our offices at Number 7 can be found in More's Passage, which was named after Sir Thomas More (1478-1535), Lord Chancellor during the reign of Henry VIII.
Ambrose Appelbe founded our firm in Lincoln's Inn in 1935 and gave discreet, personal advice to clients as varied as Ingrid Bergman, Mandy Rice-Davies and the murderer John Christie. He helped found the National Marriage Guidance Council (now Relate), Help the Aged and was a founding trustee of the Albany Trust which was the first national counselling service for gay men, lesbians and other sexual minorities.
We have always been at the forefront of developments. Carrie Morrison, who in 1922 became the first woman admitted as a solicitor, was a partner in the firm. She was actually admitted alongside three other women but is considered the first female solicitor as she beat the others in a race from the top of Chancery Lane to the Law Society building!
The Present
Felix Appelbe has continued the firm's history of philanthropy by establishing a number of charities including Save the Elephants and The Poor School as well as utilising his many contacts and years of experience to assist charities their fundraising activities and dealings with the Charity Commission. Felix is involved in wide range of charities but has more recently focused on those with environmental aims.
Our clients are diverse: businesses and individuals come to us for our blend of personal attention and commercial judgement and benefit from our holistic approach to their case. The firm is proud of its reputation for providing the highest level of personal service, which is maintained by gaining a full understanding of the particular circumstances and requirements of each client.
In order to provide the flexible approach required by our clients we operate as a team rather than being rigidly compartmentalised. Often clients will seek advice on a family matter and then return to the firm for further advice regarding tax, charity, trust, employment or property issues. We believe that the law should work for our clients. Our aim is to add value and save our clients money.
