Owning a classic car can be one of the most enjoyable hobbies for high-net-worth individuals. The purchase, selling and maintenance of such items can, however, involve a number of legal complexities. Indeed, Spear’s ranked adviser, Clive Robertson, says there is as much research required to buy an expensive car as there is to buy a house.
A classic car lawyer can be an essential safeguard for collectors of high-value marques. They can assist on matters such as contracts, taxation and – should it arise – litigation. Those featured on the index are also huge classic car buffs themselves, and their passion and knowledge of cars and the industry drives their success.
Explore the other rankings within the 2025 Spear’s Legal Indices:
The advisers featured in the Spear’s Classic Cars Index 2025 are among the leading names in the field, with experience in provenance, restoration, ownership and forgeries. Among those featured is Taylor Wessing‘s Ronald Graham, who, in 2022, acted on the sale of the most expensive car that had (at the time) ever been sold at auction: a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé, which sold for €135 million.
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- Methodology
- Best classic car lawyers: some names to know
- Best classic car lawyers: the complete list
- Contact us
Methodology
Each year, the Spear’s Research Unit reassesses and refreshes its rankings of the leading providers in each sector by gathering data from and about the advisers and firms themselves, assessing submission forms, collating nominations, carrying out peer reviews, reviewing data from third-party sources, gathering references and recommendations, canvassing experts and conducting hundreds of interviews.
Advisers are evaluated using a proprietary scoring system that assigns different weightings to certain attributes. These scores feed directly into each new set of rankings in the Spear’s Indices. Each of these indices are published first online (according to the research calendar) and then in print. Print publication takes the form of the annual Spear’s 500 directory, which includes the top advisers in every index.
[See also: A guide to The Spear’s 500: Everything you need to know]
Each featured adviser is profiled on spears500.com. The site allows users to search the Spear’s database of more than 4,000 entities to find one (or more) to meet their specific requirements by filtering for specific attributes such as an adviser’s location, their specialist expertise and information about their client base.
Best classic car lawyers: some names to know
David de Ferrars
- Focus: Litigation and disputes
- Ranking: Top Recommended
- Firm: Taylor Wessing
David de Ferrars is a market leader in resolving disputes related to classic car sales. He has been with Taylor Wessing for more than 25 years and brings a solid understanding of the classic car market.
His interest in cars has merged with his legal career, allowing him to handle issues such as provenance discrepancies, unauthorised sales, and the increasing problem of forgeries in the market.
Read David de Ferrars’s full profile on Spears500.com
Clive Robertson
- Focus: Classic and collector cars
- Ranking: Top Recommended
- Firm: Healys
Clive Robertson joined Healys in 2016; a consultant solicitor, he leads the firm’s classic and collector car group. Robertson and his team advise on commercial law relating to historic automobiles and motorbikes, including title and contract matters, provenance issues, estate and inheritance tax planning, and litigation and mediation in the event of dispute.
Read Clive Robertson’s full profile on Spears500.com
Ronald Graham
- Focus: Classic car transactions
- Ranking: Top Recommended
- Firm: Taylor Wessing
Graham primarily works with individuals, auction houses and restorers on sales, purchases and provenance. Previous transactions have included a rare Aston Martin and a Pagani.
In 2022, Graham acted on the sale of the most expensive car ever sold at auction: a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé sold for €135 million, a sale, he tells Spear’s, that was a ‘privilege and honour’ to handle.
Read Ronald Graham’s full profile on Spears500.com
Philip Harmer
- Focus: High-value, rare cars
- Ranking: Top Recommended
- Firm: Stormcatcher Law
Philip Harmer is the founder of specialist automotive law firm Stormcatcher Law, a firm that intertwines his drive with his personal passion for cars.
Positioning itself as ‘forward-thinking and progressive’, the company dedicates its time to cases and disputes involving high-value and rare antique cars and supercars. This includes matters relating to provenance, historically stolen vehicles, sale of goods, repair, consumer rights, restoration and modification.
Read Philip Harmer’s full profile on Spears500.com
Best classic car lawyers: the complete list
Click on the individual names to be directed to more detailed profiles on spears500.com. The table is ordered by ranking and then alphabetically by surname.
Contact us
- To apply for inclusion in The Spear’s 500, complete our submission form.
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- If you have missed calendar deadlines for our research cycles in 2025, you can still register your interest for updates about upcoming research and rankings.
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