RUSSELL - COOKE LLP

We couldn't recommend Rachel Ip Fung Chun at Russell Cooke more highly. Efficient, responsive, knowledgeable and pragmatic. Rachel ensured both our buy and sell went perfectly smoothly. A very safe pair of hands.

We had an excellent experience with Rachel throughout our purchase. She was incredibly efficient, proactive and kept everything moving at a pace I’ve honestly never seen before.
Communication was clear and consistent, and we always felt in safe hands. Nothing was ever too much trouble, and she went above and beyond to make what can often be a stressful process feel smooth and well managed.
On top of that, she’s an absolute pleasure to deal with; approachable, knowledgeable and genuinely cares about her clients.
I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Rachel to anyone looking for a first-class solicitor.

Rachel Stewart at Russell-Cooke was recommended to us to act as our conveyancing solicitor for a recent house sale, and we are extremely glad we followed that advice. Our sale proved to be a tricky one with very challenging characters, but Rachel navigated every twist calmly and confidently, always keeping us focused on the outcome we wanted. She combines clear, proactive communication with real strategic judgement: she knows when to hold the line, and when to push. Throughout the process she was exceptionally responsive, organised, and unflappable, with endless patience and meticulous attention to detail. We always felt fully informed, protected, and prioritised, and never had to chase for updates. I have no hesitation in recommending Rachel and her team to anyone wanting a conveyancer who is not only technically excellent but also genuinely on your side.

Unfortunately, I used them for probate on my late father's estate as my father had used them initially when my mother passed away. Their fees were extremely high despite me doing most of the leg work and management of my late father's estate. On multiple occasions I felt that they were not acting in my interests. An example being when we sold the family home and despite our conveyancer forwarding the funds to them the same day as the sale, the solicitor wanted to hold the money for 10 days before even confirming a date for when they would release our money. Only when I escalated and said this was unacceptable was payment made to some of the parties. One recipient waited for payment for 2 weeks and only when chased was payment finally made. Another example was when I gained email confirmation from them that all income tax matters had been closed, only 3 months later when trying to close the estate I was told a further step was required to get confirmation of tax closure, which delayed things for a further 3 months. Towards the end I had to directly chase HMRC myself to get closure and finalisation on Inheritance tax and income tax, which made me think why I was paying them! Sometimes emails would take a working week to be replied to and throughout the process we had 5 solicitors assigned, admittedly over a 3-year period, but this probably tells its own story. For the cost, I don't think they provided much value add and I would certainly never use again.

Over the last decade my wife and I have trusted our home moves to Rachel Stewart at Russell-Cooke, and we can honestly say there is nobody else we would even consider working with. Rachel combines an extraordinary knowledge of the law with real-world pragmatism, and the tenacity and resolve to firmly but fairly represent clients' interests. She's also incredibly efficient and a pleasure to work with, and the same is true of her excellent assistant. Buying a house can be a test of patience, nerve, and even sanity, but having Rachel in your corner makes the whole process manageable. Genuinely a top-class professional who I can recommend without hesitation.