Thomson Reuters names eight Keystone Law partners in its Stand-out Lawyers Guide 2026
Andrea James, Andrew Darwin & Anna McKibbin
Keystone Law has welcomed nine partners to the firm. Christopher Stanwell, Allison Keyse, Rebecca Steer, Teresa Cullen, Edwin Richards, Ifran Baluch, Richard Arnot, Sabina Ahmed, and Warren Nichols join the firm’s Planning, Corporate, Commercial, Family, Technology, and Licensing teams.
James Knight, Founder and CEO of Keystone Law, said:
“We are delighted to welcome these nine excellent partners to the firm who bring with them a wealth of knowledge and expertise. They will undoubtedly be a great asset to their respective teams and contribute to our client service offering.”
The new appointments are:
Christopher Stanwell – Planning
Christopher advises on all aspects of planning and compulsory purchase law. His expertise spans mixed-use regeneration, heritage, housing, retail, leisure, offices, and data centres, with particular focus on energy and infrastructure projects. His clients include developers, banks, funds, institutions, private clients and operators in the energy, leisure, waste, and transport sectors.
Christopher joins from Fieldfisher where he was a Partner and Head of Planning.
Allison is a corporate partner who specialises in acting for management teams and founders in connection with private equity transactions. She has over 20 years’ experience advising senior managers, founders and companies on the complexities of buy-outs, equity incentive plans, reorganisations, and other corporate activities.
Her practice spans a variety of sectors including financial services, luxury brands, technology, and consumer.
Alison joins the firm from Mishcon de Reya where she was a Consultant and formerly a Partner.
Rebecca is a Partner specialising in commercial, intellectual property, and technology law. She advises on commercial contracts, intellectual property strategy, protection and exploitation, technology, e-commerce, and supply chain arrangements.
Rebecca has over 20 years’ experience negotiating complex, high-value and strategic customer, supplier, subscription, and licensing agreements, often with cross-border elements. Her clients include owner-managed businesses, SMEs, start-ups and scale-ups, portfolio companies, and privately owned and multinational organisations. She also supports clients on a fractional GC basis.
Rebecca was a Partner at Charles Russell Speechlys before moving to Keystone.
Teresa advises on all aspects of family law, including financial and child matters. Her work often includes issues of international as well as domestic law. She advises on pre-nuptial, post-nuptial, and cohabitation agreements as protective measures.
Teresa works with families whose wealth includes complex trust structures and corporate entities, and manages cases through the courts or by negotiation, as appropriate. She is a trained Mediator (family, civil and commercial), a Collaborative Lawyer, and a Tavistock-trained psychodynamic psychotherapist specialising in couples and relationship work.
Teresa was previously a Partner at Fladgate.
Edwin is a corporate partner who advises on private equity, venture and development capital, acquisitions and disposals, equity capital markets, and general corporate matters.
His practice covers advising on business sales and acquisitions, management buyouts – in particular management teams, investment rounds and fundraisings, as well as strategic transactions in the professional services (accountants and lawyers), healthcare, natural resources, and financial services sectors.
Edwin also qualified as a Chartered Accountant (FCA 2003) and was a principal investor at UBS Capital for over a decade.
Edwin joins from JMW Solicitors where he was a Partner.
Irfan is a commercial and technology partner who advises on complex IT, IP, and data-driven matters. He specialises in software development, SaaS and cloud services, data protection, cybersecurity, blockchain and digital assets, artificial intelligence, and the commercialisation of emerging technologies.
His clients include technology vendors, fintech platforms, cryptocurrency companies, financial institutions, energy and cleantech businesses, and media and sports-technology providers.
Ifran was a Partner and Head of Technology Law at Cripps.
Richard is a specialist in licensing and regulatory law. He acts for pub companies, nightclub operators, national supermarkets, independent convenience stores, hoteliers, restaurateurs, local authorities, and police. Richard has been sole licensing lawyer to Co-operative Group Food for over 14 years and has also advised clients such as TGI Fridays, Hotel du Vin, Malmaison, Inn Collection Group, and Lane 7.
Richard also advises and represents clients in investigations, compliance, and prosecutions.
Richard joins from Ward Hadaway where he was a Partner.
Sabina is a family partner with expertise in advising and representing clients in relation to a full spectrum of financial matters and private law children work.
Sabina regularly advises on complex financial matters involving mid to high-net assets which involve businesses, pensions, overseas assets, and property portfolios. Her experience covers financial issues arising from the breakdown of a marriage, a civil partnership, or a cohabiting relationship. She also has experience in alternative dispute resolution (ADR), guiding and representing clients through arbitration, mediation, and private FDRs.
Sabina joins Keystone from Maddox Legal.
Warren is a family partner with extensive experience in all aspects of contentious and non-contentious family law. He advises clients on the full range of family matters, including divorce and financial settlements, pre- and post-nuptial agreements, separation advice, cohabitation disputes, and matters concerning children and their welfare.
He handles complex, high-value financial remedy cases, often involving significant assets, business interests, and international elements. He regularly acts for FTSE 100 company directors, bankers, lawyers, celebrities, and entrepreneurs, both in the UK and overseas.
Warren also joins Keystone from Maddox Legal.
For further information please contact:
