What people say about us
Real estate
Chambers UK
2025 edition
‘Penningtons highlights and advises on the commercial implications of any aspects of the agreements at hand, while being pragmatic in order to meet the client’s deadlines.’
Legal 500
2025 edition
‘The commercial property team are a group of very talented, dedicated and personable professionals that are invested in understanding the client’s business.’
What people say about us
IT and digital transformation
Chambers UK
2025 edition
‘Penningtons Manches Cooper has a strong, knowledgeable, approachable team that is always available to support all our needs.’
Legal 500
2025 edition
‘Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP is recognised… for its prowess across a full range of matters, including structuring and negotiating complex technology transactions, artificial intelligence projects, high tech manufacturing agreements and work among novel and emerging technologies.’
What people say about us
International trade
Chambers UK
2025 edition
‘They have very good depth of knowledge and are a well-coordinated team. They are very helpful and responsive to new cases.’
Legal 500
2025 edition
‘The firm is very experienced in commodities export trade law and in commodities arbitrations. The commercial input is also excellent. The firm’s solicitors, when called after business hours due to the urgency, always kindly assist.’
What people say about us
Intellectual property
Chambers UK
2025 edition
‘Penningtons Manches Cooper offers an impressive intellectual property practice acting for life sciences and tech-sector businesses, universities and their spin-offs, and also leading publishing and engineering companies. The firm comes recommended for litigation, as well as licence and research agreements.’
Legal 500
2025 edition
‘The team’s strategic prowess is exceptional as they expertly guided me through trademark matters with skill. Their clear and effective communication instilled a profound sense of confidence and reassurance.’
What people say about us
Immigration for business
Chambers UK
2025 edition
‘I rate Penningtons very high in handling complex matters.’
Legal 500
2025 edition
‘Empathy and action. Diligence and knowledge in advice as well as strategies to reach goals and tools. Collaboration is excellent, technology explained step by step with success. Very good follow-up.’
What people say about us
Employment for business
Chambers UK
2025 edition
‘Penningtons Manches Cooper guide us with a confident and risk-averse approach that gives us huge peace of mind and confidence to take action on key strategic decisions.’
Legal 500
2025 edition
‘A level of commitment far above what I expected. Fantastic communication throughout the process.’
What people say about us
Construction and infrastructure
Chambers UK
2025 edition
‘Penningtons has detailed knowledge and a pragmatic approach. It has always been quick to respond and it has a commercial view, rather than getting immersed in points of law.’
Legal 500
2025 edition
‘Penningtons are experts in construction and are able to provide practical advice with knowledge of the real world construction environment. They are able to advise on the balance between being legally correct, but also thinking about long-term relationships and negotiation strategies.’
What people say about us
Commercial dispute resolution
Chambers UK
2025 edition
‘Penningtons Manches Cooper have provided me with a formidable team to undertake my litigation. They do what is necessary to provide updates and direction with the matter.’
Legal 500
2025 edition
‘An excellent firm that seems to have attracted intelligent, hardworking and decent people across all offices. They are great to work with as an advisor/expert and it is clear that barristers and clients feel the same.’
What people say about us
Banking and finance
Chambers UK
2025 edition
‘The banking team is collaborative and knowledgeable in providing advice on both domestic and cross-border deals.’
Legal 500
2025 edition
‘The team are commercial in their approach, provide concise and clear explanations of any issues that may present and engage across all levels. They are clearly knowledgeable, experienced and capable individuals in their field.’
Costs
Legal costs is a complex and specialised area of law which benefits from the expertise of qualified costs lawyers. Regulated by the Costs Lawyer Standards Board (CLSB), they bring comprehensive knowledge of legal costs, evolving case law and the regulatory landscape. At Penningtons Manches Cooper, our dedicated team has extensive experience in all aspects of inter partes costs disputes and forms a key part of the firm’s substantial contentious offering.
Expertise in legal costs issues
Composed of both costs lawyers and qualified project managers, our team has a wealth of experience across a broad spectrum of legal costs issues, including international arbitration, multi-jurisdictional litigation, Solicitor Act assessments and England and Wales based costs claims. We have established key specialisms in personal injury and clinical negligence, social housing, commercial dispute resolution and marine, trade and energy, enabling us to provide tailored advice in these fields.
Working closely with the core legal teams representing clients, we add value at every stage of proceedings, from initial costs estimating and retainer advice to costs budgeting, advocacy at CCMCs and dealing with security for costs or wasted/non-party costs orders. Our expertise extends to handling Solicitor Act assessments, fixed costs, costs recovery, and detailed assessments, as well as advising on Part 36 and other settlement offers.


Recognised for our commercial, pragmatic and client-focused approach, we leverage budgeting software and collaborate closely with our finance and IT teams to deliver exceptional results. This technology enables live tracking of court approved budgets, ensuring we remain within the scope and pricing of client estimates, and allows us to provide quick, accurate advice across the firm.
Unlike many external providers, our costs team is involved throughout the lifespan of a case, maintaining daily communication with client-facing lawyers to ensure the costs process runs as efficiently as possible. Having a dedicated internal costs team means clients benefit from our knowledge and expertise as an integral part of the firm’s offering.
Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP is a well-regarded firm with a growing costs offering. The team advises clients on cost estimates all the way through to cost recovery and assessment matters.
Our team regularly appears in courts at all levels and has acted in leading cases involving default costs certificates, qualified one-way costs shifting, high-profile litigation, and multi-million pound personal injury and clinical negligence claims. We have also developed niche expertise in international arbitration and litigation, working closely with lawyers in our Madrid, Paris, Piraeus and Singapore offices, and are familiar with arbitral bodies such as LCIA, LMAA, ICC, SCMA and RICS.
We are proud to be part of the Pro Bono Expert Support (PBES) Network, a scheme delivered by the National Pro Bono Centre and Pro Bono Connect to offer litigation support services to pro bono cases. We are also committed to providing training both internally and externally, delivering sessions tailored to legal professionals of all levels. Our training promotes best practice, addresses current hot topics in costs, and helps ensure cost-effective and efficient case management to maximise costs recovery.
How we help our clients
Costs budget preparation
Costs negotiations
Costs related advocacy
Funding/retainer advice
Inter partes costs recovery (both receiving and paying party)
International arbitration
Solicitor Act assessments
Legal project management
What our clients are saying
Penningtons’ solicitors are very clear, concise and act with the confidence of their experience.
Penningtons has a very comprehensive costs team. They know what they are doing and they know how to fight their corner.
The Penningtons team has a broad range of experts across multiple areas. They are always friendly and approachable and always have the clients at the forefront of their minds.
Penningtons’ costs team takes a strong, pragmatic and proportionate approach to detailed assessment. The preparation that goes in is exceptional.
Penningtons has good technical knowledge and all round understanding of costs arising out of commercial litigation.
Recent work highlights
Personal injury default costs certificate
Part 36 offer in detailed assessment process
Employment Tribunal default costs certificate
Russian aviation dispute over lost aircraft
Qualified one-way costs shifting matter
Recovery of indemnity costs
Case studies
Keep exploring
Contact us
Please complete this short form to send us your enquiry. We will be in touch shortly with a reply.
If you need to speak someone soon

