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The Legal 500West Midlands Review 2011

TheBusinessDesk.com - Legal 500 - West Midlands Review 2011


P2

West Midlands

‘The lull created bythe recession hasgiven many firms thechance to regroup.’

EMERGENCE from recession presentedopportunities for growth for many of the leadinglaw firms in the West Midlands.However, while deal making activity has picked up it is still waybelow pre-recessionary levels and all the major firms have hadto work harder to collect their fees.

Last year’s Legal 500 suggested many firms were hit by thedecline in activity in the property sector and while there were anumber of high-profile transactions, the year wascharacterised by smaller deals, partly dictated by banks

adopting a more cautious approach to lending.

Looking at things this year, it would appear little has changed.

Work in the commercial property sector remains difficult, while cutbacks in thepublic sector imposed through government austerity measures has posed a freshset of problems.

Clients also remain demanding and are looking to their advisors to supply value formoney services, with a greater transparency on fees.

The lull created by the recession has given many firms the chance to regroup andreassess their target areas. It has also enabled some to add value through a seriesof acquisitions and mergers; with newly-restructured firms such as Shakespearesand Gateleys both looking to improve their standing within the profession.

Opportunities for growth have been presented in the form of the new Bribery Act, disputeresolution and employment legislation, while advances in social media and newtechnology are allowing many of the more creative firms to leverage their services totake advantage of new and emerging niche markets.

Due to the continuing tough economic conditions employment legislation remained alucrative area for many firms, with organisations looking to rationalise their workforceand implement redundancy programmes.

Marc Reeveseditor, West MidlandsTheBusinessDesk.com

Marc Reeves - editor,TheBusinessDesk.com

A year to regroup andreassess

ContentsForeword: Marc Reeves,TheBusinessDesk.com.............P2

Foreword: Gary Trueman,The Royal Bank of Scotland .....P3

Overview................................P4-5

Corporate and commercial ....P6-7

Dispute Resolution....................P8

Finance.....................................P9

Real Estate ........................P10-11

Technology,Media & Telecoms..................P12



P4

Firms have been active on the contentious side, advising ondiverse areas including shareholder and partnership disputes,and have been working with financial institutions to facilitatesolvent restructuring.The energy sector continues to show steady signs of growth. Lending conditions,however, remain tight and large-scale M&A work has been sluggish. The traditionaldeveloper market remains quiet.

National player Wragge & Co remains strong across the board, with strengthsranging from corporate and energy to corporate tax and construction. Its largecommercial litigation practice is particularly recommended for its international work.2010 saw the firm open affiliated offices in Paris and Abu Dhabi.

DLA Piper continues to act for diverse national and international clients, with itsrecent high-profile transactions including advising Intertek Group on its £450macquisition of Moody International. Its banking, commercial litigation and corporaterestructuring and insolvency teams attract many plaudits.

Eversheds’ corporate team has been involved in some of the largest deals in theregion, and its commercial property department is very well regarded, acting forblue-chip clients such as Hammerson and Mitchells & Butlers. Its property litigationteam is also highly rated.

Pinsent Masons has a broad range of expertise in the region, and has been involvedin some significant regeneration projects. Its banking and EU and competitionpractices remain very strong, and on the corporate front it has particular expertisein the technology and healthcare sectors.

Gateley continues to make progress across a range of practice areas. It recentlyadded a Manchester office to its national network, acquiring the commercial practiceof Halliwells.

Martineau stands out for its experience in the education and energy sectors, andhas been increasingly active in cross-border work.

Shoosmiths maintains a key position in Birmingham, with a leading practice in socialhousing and strength in areas such as dispute resolution and insolvency. It alsohas a growing international practice.

Squire Sanders Hammonds’ merger completed in January 2011. The firm isrecommended for its pensions and licensing expertise, in particular, and it also hasa strong commercial property offering, acting for local authorities such asWolverhampton City Council.

Areas of focus for Cobbetts include the public sector and international work.

Irwin Mitchell is a powerhouse in the insurance market, leading the rankings forclaimant personal injury and clinical negligence, and continues to develop its offeringin corporate and commercial litigation.

Mills & Reeve has a good all-round offering with key areas of expertise in privateclient, professional negligence and health.

Shakespeare Putsman expanded through mergers with Needham & James andNottingham-based Berryman; the firm is now known as Shakespeares.

West Midlands

OverviewMarket conditions in the West Midlands remain challenging

Regionalheavyweights

Wragge & Co LLPBirmingham

DLA Piper UK LLPBirmingham

Eversheds LLPBirmingham

Pinsent Masons LLPBirmingham

GateleyBirmingham

MartineauBirmingham

ShoosmithsBirmingham

Squire SandersHammondsBirmingham



P5

West Midlands

Nick Abell Wright Hassall LLP Commercial propertyDerek Adamson Buller Jeffries Personal injuryBernardine Adkins Wragge & Co LLP EU andcompetitionAndy Ballard Shoosmiths Social housingGary Barber Mills & Reeve LLP Private clientMark Beardmore DLA Piper UK LLP Corporate andcommercialDavid Beswick Eversheds LLP EmploymentRankeshwar Batta Anthony Collins Solicitors LLPClinical negligence; personal injuryFrançois Barker Squire Sanders Hammonds PensionsStephen Barker Hill Hofstetter LLP Commercial litigationJon Bew Squire Sanders Hammonds Banking andfinanceAlex Bishop Shoosmiths Commercial litigationAdrian Bland Wragge & Co LLP Commercial propertyGraeme Bradley DLA Piper UK LLP ConstructionAndrew Breakwell Harvey Ingram LLP Private clientJohn Burns Wragge & Co LLP Commercial propertyLorraine Carolan Beachcroft Personal injuryMartin Chitty Wragge & Co LLP EmploymentRoger Coates Buller Jeffries Personal injuryTim Coolican Russell Jones & Walker CrimeGemma Curtis Eversheds LLP Insolvency andcorporate recoveryAdrian Dagnall Bevan Brittan LLP Clinical negligenceRanjit Dhindsa Hill Hofstetter LLP EmploymentKeith Dudley Martineau Personal tax, trusts and probateHuw Dolphin DLA Piper UK LLP Insolvency andcorporate recoveryJoanne Ellis Pinsent Masons LLP Corporate andcommercialMark English Shakespeares Property litigationLiz Fallon Eversheds LLP PensionRichard Ford Pinsent Masons LLP PlanningIan Forrest Squire Sanders Hammonds PensionsIain Gilbey Pinsent Masons LLP PlanningStephen Goodrham Gateley Commercial litigationDavid Gordon Squire Sanders Hammonds EnvironmentPaola Gorrara Gorrara Haden Solicitors Social housingGuy Green George Green LLP Corporate andcommercialNick Green Squire Sanders Hammonds CommercialpropertyGeraldine Haden Gorrara Haden SolicitorsSocial housingTony Hall Anthony Collins Solicitors LLP Clinicalnegligence; personal injuryKathy Halliday Cobbetts LLP EmploymentMatthew Hansell Mills & Reeve LLP Private clientAnne Harris Eversheds LLP Corporate and commercialGordon Harris Wragge & Co LLP Intellectual propertyNicola Hart Pinsent Masons LLP EducationPaul Hayward Gateley Corporate and commercialStuart Henderson Irwin Mitchell LLP Clinical negligence;personal injuryJonathan Hofstetter Hill Hofstetter LLP CommerciallitigationAndrew Hornigold Pinsent Masons LLP Corporate andcommercialJog Hundle Mills & Reeve LLP EmploymentNicholas Iliff Pinsent Masons LLP PFIJack Jacovou Wragge & Co LLP Commercial propertyNicholas Jew DLA Piper UK LLP EmploymentPat Johnstone Eversheds LLP Banking and finance

Alan Jones Averta Employment Lawyers EmploymentBill Jones Wragge & Co LLP Information technologyLinda Jones Pinsent Masons LLP EmploymentAndrew Jordan Eversheds LLP Insolvency andcorporate recoveryLisa Jordan Irwin Mitchell LLP Clinical negligenceJagvinder Kang Technology Law Alliance InformationtechnologyJames Keates Shoosmiths Corporate and commercialStephen Kenny Wragge & Co LLP PFIJoel Kordan Shoosmiths Commercial propertySue Lewis Eversheds LLP Corporate and commercialGreg Lowson Pinsent Masons LLP Commercial litigationAndrew Madden Gateley Banking and financeAndrew Manning Cox Wragge & Co LLP CommerciallitigationHelen Mason Helen Mason & Co EmploymentSara May Beachcroft Personal injuryRebecca McGuirk Shoosmiths EmploymentMarie McMorrow DLA Piper UK LLP Intellectual propertyGary Mellor Beswicks Solicitors LLP SportIan Metcalfe Wragge & Co LLP Corporate andcommercialStephen Miles Pinsent Masons LLP Banking andfinanceJeremy Millington Wragge & Co LLP Corporate andcommercialPaul Moorcroft Eversheds LLP Property litigationPeter Mulhern Thompsons Solicitors LLP PersonalinjuryCallum Nuttall Gateley Commercial propertyStephen Ollerenshaw Technology Law AllianceInformation technologyAnne O’Meara Squire Sanders Hammonds CommercialpropertyRussell Orme DLA Piper UK LLP Corporate andcommercialJulian Pallett Wragge & Co LLP Banking and financeGeoff Perry Squire Sanders Hammonds Corporateand commercialAshley Pigott Wragge & Co LLP ConstructionKate Rees Pinsent Masons LLP EU and competitionRhod Richards Beachcroft Personal injuryAndrew Roach Beachcroft Health and safetyColin Rodrigues Hawkins Hatton LLP Corporate andcommercialGlyn Ryland Wragge & Co LLP PensionsMarc Saunderson Mills & Reeve LLP FamilyRebecca Sawbridge Freeth Cartwright LLP EmploymentParmjit Singh Eversheds LLP Commercial propertyGhulam Sohail Challinors Solicitors CrimeSarah Thompson Wragge & Co LLP CommercialpropertyAngus Turner Mills & Reeve LLP ProfessionalnegligenceRoy Tozer DLA Piper UK LLP Health and safety; CrimeMichael Ward Gateley Corporate and commercialSarah White Browne Jacobson LLP Health; ClinicalnegligenceAndrew Whitehead Martineau EnergyMatthew Woodford Browne Jacobson LLP EU andcompetitionBrian Woolcock DLA Piper UK LLP Banking and financeCerys Wyn Davies Pinsent Masons LLP IntellectualpropertyNick Yates Plexus Law Personal injuryDavid Young Eversheds LLP Health and safety

Leading individualsAndrewHornigoldPinsent MasonsLLPCorporate andcommercial

Nick AbellWright HassallLLPCommercialproperty

John BurnsWragge & CoLLPCommercialproperty

Sue LewisEversheds LLPCorporate andcommercial

Russell OrmeDLA Piper UKLLPCorporate andcommercial

Guy GreenGeorge GreenLLPCorporate andcommercial

David BeswickEversheds LLPEmployment

Brian WoolcockDLA Piper UKLLPBanking andfinance

JeremyMillingtonWragge & CoLLPCorporate andcommercial

Alex BishopShoosmithsCommerciallitigation



P6

West Midlands

Corporate and CommercialCorporate and commercial: Birmingham

Corporate and commercial:Elsewhere in the West Midlands

firms are listed A-Z within tiers

DLA Piper is ‘always involved in the high-profile transactions’, throughpartners such as the ‘pragmatic’ Mark Beardmore and the ‘commercial’Charles Cook. Highlights included acting for Avon Cosmetics on itsacquisition of Liz Earle Cosmetics, and advising Compass Groupon its acquisition of VSG Group. Other clients include BarclaysVentures and Iron Mountain.

At Eversheds, leading individuals include the ‘pragmatic’ SueLewis; and the ‘exceptionally skilled’ Keri Rees. The group is highlyrated for its capital markets and private equity expertise. It acted forAmin Tajani, Selim Tejani and others in selling LPC Group to SofidelSpa to create one of the largest privately-owned paper businessesin the world. Other key clients include Rolls-Royce and BarclaysPrivate Equity.

On the corporate front Gateley advised longstanding clientComputeach International on the acquisition of the assets of Advent

Computer Training, while on the commercial side it advisedBirmingham City FC on a variety of commercial contract issues.

Pinsent Masons has been involved in some high-value and complextransactions. It advised longstanding client Halfords on the strategicacquisition of Nationwide Autocentres, and continues to adviseCareTech on its strategic ‘buy and build’ acquisition programme.Peter McHugh heads the commercial team. Key clients includeHomeserve, Saint-Gobain and Glanbia.

Wragge & Co has a diverse client base ranging from FTSE-listedmajor corporates to owner-managed entrepreneurial privatecompanies. The team advised NYSE-listed Cambrex Corporationon the acquisition of a 51% stake in Indian pharmaceutical companyZenara for $20m. New client wins include Adroit Group, PremierFoods and Phones4U.

FBC Manby Bowdler recently acquired DH Legal, theWolverhampton-based specialist corporate practice. The corestrength of the team lies in advising SME/owner-managed businesses.The team is also acting for a number of insolvency practitioners onthe sale of businesses in administration/liquidation.

At George Green, deal highlights included acting for the management

in the sale and secondary buyout of Poundland, and advising themanagement and largest shareholders on the restructuring ofBakkavor.

At Harrison Clark, the team is well regarded for its expertise incorporate transactions in the healthcare sector, and has beenincreasingly involved in equity/investment-funded deals.

DLA Piper UK LLPEversheds LLP

GateleyPinsent Masons LLP

Wragge & Co LLP

Martineau

Squire Sanders Hammonds

Browne Jacobson LLPCobbetts LLP

Harvey Ingram LLPShoosmiths

FBC Manby Bowdler LLP WolverhamptonGeorge Green LLP Cradley Heath

Harrison Clark LLP Worcester

Ansons LLP LichfieldHiggs & Sons Brierley Hill

KJD Freeth LLP Stoke on TrentKnights solicitors llp Newcastle under Lyme

Wright Hassall LLP Leamington Spa



P7

West Midlands

Corporate tax

Employment


Wragge & Co has a full-service tax offering and ‘consistently providesa very high level of service’. Among its specialists is the ‘technicallyvery strong’ Kevin Lowe, for corporate tax, and Lee Nuttall, who isrecommended for property tax. The team provided the UK taxadvice to Dutch private equity fund manager H2 Equity Partners onits establishment in the UK and the launch of a new €300m fund.Other clients include Argos, JP Morgan and a number of venturecapital trusts.

DLA Piper’s team has the ability to ‘offer very clear and conciseadvice on complex issues’, often on multi-jurisdictional deals, andis particularly active in property tax and share incentives. Highlightsincluded advising the shareholders of Sophos on the sale of amajority stake in Sophos to Apax Partners. Major clients includeRBS, Blackstone and Aviva. Mark Burgess is recommended.

James Gopsill at Gateley is recommended for his VAT expertise.

Key clients include RBS and BT. The team is acting for aUK-incorporated AIM-listed company on a number of tax claimsagainst the previous owners of a worldwide business.

The practice at Pinsent Masons was enhanced by the additionof ‘technically excellent’ senior associate Kate Featherstonefrom Addleshaw Goddard. The team advises on contentiousand non-contentious tax matters, for clients such as AvonCosmetics and Royal Mail. Ian Hyde is the national head ofproperty tax.

The team at Squire Sanders Hammonds acted on a number ofheadline deals, including advising the BSS Group on its £557mrecommended takeover by Travis Perkins. Jon Stevens is appreciatedfor his ‘broad experience’, while consultant Lawrence Green isrecommended for employee share scheme work.

Nicholas Jew heads DLA Piper’s team, which acts for Selfridges,IMI and Kodak. Highlights included Karen Macpherson advisingWipro Technologies on the employment details of variousoutsourcing deals.

Eversheds’ client base includes Centrica, Rolls-Royce and Diageo,and recently expanded to include Imperial Tobacco and JohnsonControls. The group advised Walsall Metropolitan Borough Councilon the introduction of Single Status terms and conditions.

Linda Jones at Pinsent Masons is regularly identified asone of the best employment lawyers in Birmingham. The groupadvised Asda on the employment aspects of its bid for NettoFoodstores, and subsequently represented Asda on the requireddisposal of 47 stores.

Wragge & Co has been busy advising on employee investigationsand restructuring work, as well as handling day-to-day employmentwork for public and private sector clients.

DLA Piper UK LLP Birmingham

Eversheds LLP Birmingham

Pinsent Masons LLP Birmingham

Wragge & Co LLP Birmingham

Cobbetts LLP Birmingham

Gateley Birmingham

Martineau Birmingham

Squire Sanders Hammonds Birmingham


DLA Piper UK LLP BirminghamGateley BirminghamPinsent Masons LLP

BirminghamSquire Sanders Hammonds

Birmingham

Eversheds LLPBirmingham

MartineauBirmingham



P8

West Midlands

Dispute ResolutionCommercial litigation: Birmingham

DLA Piper UK LLPEversheds LLP

Hill Hofstetter LLPPinsent Masons LLP

Wragge & Co LLP

Cobbetts LLPGateley

MartineauMills & Reeve LLP

ShoosmithsSquire Sanders Hammonds

Anthony Collins Solicitors LLPBuller Jeffries

Irwin Mitchell LLPShakespeares

The Wilkes Partnership

Commercial litigation:Elsewhere in West Midlands Debt recovery

firms are listed A-Z within tiers firms are listed A-Z within tiers

FBC Manby BowdlerLLP Wolverhampton,

Bridgnorth, TelfordGeorge Green LLP

Cradley HeathHawkins Hatton LLP

DudleyLanyon Bowdler

Telford, Shrewsburymfg Solicitors LLP

HalesowenORJ Solicitors LLP

Stafford

Beswicks Solicitors LLPStoke on Trent

Harrison Clark LLPWorcester

Higgs & SonsBrierley Hill

KJD Freeth LLPStoke on Trent

Knights solicitors llpNewcastle under LymeWright Hassall LLP

Leamington Spa


ShakespearesBirmingham

ShoosmithsBirmingham

Coltman WarnerCranston LLP Coventry

Knights solicitors llpNewcastle under Lyme

MartineauBirmingham


Wright Hassall LLPLeamington Spa

The team at DLA Piper includes Neil Bowker, who is a ‘sensiblelitigator and a team player’, and Nick Bamford, who has a ‘good eyefor detail’. Key specialisms include domestic and internationalarbitration, procurement process challenges, pensions litigation anddefamation/media work. Major clients include Kraft, Kodak andCadbury. The team successfully defended Compass Group againsta claim relating to an alleged agreement for introductory fees in theMiddle East.Eversheds’ offering was enhanced by the addition of Mark Surguyfrom Pinsent Masons. Highlights included advising Mid StaffordshireNHS Foundation Public Trust on the public inquiry regarding MidStaffordshire Hospital. Other clients include the Department forTransport and Hampson Industries.Hill Hofstetter has a number of standout individuals, notably Stephen

Barker, who is especially recommended for arbitration. It successfullyrepresented the German arm of a global medical equipment supplierin a €7m dispute arising from the termination of a commercialagreement with a Turkish distribution company.Pinsent Masons acts for clients such as Britannia Building Society,Telent and Mitie. Jim Richards led the team in acting for Müller, theyogurt manufacturer, in a major contractual dispute with roboticscompany RTS over the automation of its production lines at MarketDrayton. The group includes an in-house forensic accounting team.Wragge & Co reports a growing volume of instructions ininternational litigation and arbitration. It advised Russian propertydeveloper Synergy in relation to its $90m investment in AIM-listedcompany RGI International, while other clients include BA andNational Grid.

In debt recovery, Coltman Warner Cranston counts manyhousehold names as clients, including receiving a steady flow ofinstructions from a High Street retailer, a large franchise retailersand the UK’s largest electrical wholesaler.Andrew Davidson’s team at Knights solicitors reports a growingvolume of instructions involving overseas debts. Clients includeKeele University, K3 Business Technologies Group, and SlaterHarrison & Co.Martineau has been particularly active in the energy and educationsectors, and acted for British Energy in the recovery of a portfolio

of industrial and commercial debts.Wragge & Co’s Greg Standing leads a team that predominantly actsfor finance sector clients, with work ranging from mortgagerepossessions to asset finance recoveries. It has expertise in therecovery of Consumer Credit Act regulated lending.Wright Hassall has launched a portfolio management andcollection team, with Gill Payne a key contact. It has a significantnumber of secured lending and vehicle finance clients, and adviseson the full range of debt recovery options from volume collectionsto complex litigation.



P9

West Midlands

FinanceBanking and finance

Insolvency and corporate recovery

Private Finance Initiative


DLA Piper UK LLP BirminghamEversheds LLP Birmingham

Gateley Birmingham

Squire Sanders HammondsBirmingham




Eversheds LLP BirminghamGateley Birmingham

Martineau BirminghamSquire Sanders Hammonds

BirminghamWragge & Co LLP Birmingham

Browne Jacobson LLPBirmingham

Cobbetts LLP BirminghamElse Solicitors LLP Birmingham

Freeth Cartwright LLP BirminghamShakespeares BirminghamShoosmiths Birmingham


Wragge & Co LLP BirminghamBevan Brittan LLP

BirminghamBeachcroft Birmingham

Eversheds LLP Birmingham

DLA Piper provides ‘robust and commercial advice’ on largetransactions, and is recommended for its experience in leveragedfinance and asset based finance. Key partners are the ‘veryresponsive’ Brian Woolcock and Stephen Bottley, who has ‘strongtechnical knowledge’. The group advised Barclays, RBS andSantander on the acquisition funding for the Extra MSA motorwayservice station group. It also acts for Lloyds TSB and Lombard.James Crellin joined as a legal director from Eversheds.

At Pinsent Masons, Alice Broadfield and Matthew Heaton provide‘grounded advice’, and legal director Graeme Walton ‘works towardsa solution with clients’. The firm advised Santander and RBS onfacilities for Birmingham International Airport, and advised BarclaysBank on corporate facilities for the University of Leicester. Otherclients include Matrix and Lloyds Banking Group. The diverse practiceis noted for its expertise in leveraged financing transactions, and incross-border transactions.

DLA Piper, under the ‘very level-headed and experienced’ Huw Dolphin,handles a considerable amount of lender-driven restructuring andproperty-related insolvency work. Key mandates included acting forPwC/Bank of Scotland in the administration of a property holdingcompany which holds various bingo halls around England and Wales;and advising HSBC/BDO on the administration of a chain of furnitureretailers based in and around London. Other clients include BegbiesTraynor, KPMG and Baker Tilly.

Eversheds’ successful year saw it advise on the restructuring of anumber of high-profile corporates. A key mandate was acting forBegbies Traynor in the administration of the Wedgwood Museum

Trust. The team has an excellent reputation for restructurings in thereal estate sector, and counts Lloyds Banking Group, PwC and Deloitteas clients.

Gateley’s sizeable team has an ‘excellent reputation’, and featuresthe ‘top-notch’ Brendan McGeever and Mark Wilson. It acted forthe joint administrators of Birmingham Development Company inrelation to the Cube, a mixed-use development scheme in thecentre of Birmingham, and acted for the liquidator of a leading automotivemanufacturer in the successful conclusion of a claim against its formeradministrators. Clients include Lloyds TSB, Deloitte and Zolfo Cooper.

Pinsent Masons has particular expertise in the waste sector andpublic/private partnerships. It is also experienced in street lightingprojects, and recently advised Nottingham City Council on theprocurement of its street lighting PFI project. Other clients includeLondon Borough of Croydon, Covanta Energy and Babcock.

Wragge & Co runs a national PFI/PPP practice, with all partners

and fee-earners operating from its Birmingham and London offices.Stephen Kenny heads the team, which advised NottinghamshireCounty Council on its involvement in the Nottingham Express Transitproject, and Gloucestershire County Council on its £40m fire andrescue project. The group has extensive experience in sectors suchas highways, defence, waste and social infrastructure.



P10

West Midlands

Real EstateCommercial property: Birmingham

Commercial property:Elsewhere in the West Midlands

Construction


Higgs & Sons Brierley Hill

Knights solicitors llp Newcastle under Lyme

Wright Hassall LLP Leamington Spa

FBC Manby Bowdler LLPWolverhampton, Telford, Bridgnorth

KJD Freeth LLP Stoke on Trent

Shakespeares Stratford upon Avon

Eversheds LLPPinsent Masons LLP

Squire Sanders HammondsWragge & Co LLP

DLA Piper UK LLPGateley

MartineauShakespearesShoosmiths

Anthony Collins Solicitors LLPBrowne Jacobson LLP

Clarke Willmott LLPCobbetts LLP



Gateley BirminghamPinsent Masons LLP Birmingham

At Eversheds, the seven-partner practice sees a steady flow ofcomplex and sizeable transactions. It advised Land Securities onthe sale of Stratford Shopping Centre London, and Mitchells &Butlers Retail on its disposal of the Hollywood Bowl ten-pin-bowlingbusiness. Other clients include HSBC and Hammerson.

Pinsent Masons is advising Waitrose on its national new storesprogramme, and also advised new client Orascom on a propertyoption agreement for its acquisition of over 600 hectares of formerchina clay mining land in Cornwall. Other clients include CalthorpeEstates, Corus and Birmingham City University. Tom Johnson, whohas considerable retail sector expertise, heads the practice.

Squire Sanders Hammonds’ clients include Jurys Inn and NationalGrid. The ‘experienced’ Anne O’Meara and Monique Sutherlandadvised Advantage West Midlands and East Midlands DevelopmentAgency on the establishment of the Manufacturing TechnologyCentre at Ansty. The ‘attentive’ Nick Green heads the team.

Wragge & Co has a heavyweight team featuring group head AdrianBland, the ‘very commercial’ Richard Bate, and the ‘very well-connected’ Christopher Hunt. It advised Slough Borough Councilon securing three key agreements for the council’s Heart of Sloughproject, and assisted Goodman in securing £47m funding for theconstruction of a 468,000 sq ft regional distribution centre.

The five-partner team at Higgs & Sons acts for names such asMcDonald’s, Avis Rent a Car, and London and Cambridge Properties,one of the UK’s largest private landlords, and also has expertise inproperty financing, advising clients such as RBS and NationalWestminster Bank.

Knights solicitors’ property practice is ‘City standard’ but with ‘thefees and accessibility to fee-earners of a provincial practice’. Itadvised on the acquisition of 15 industrial, retail and commercial

sites for investment clients (value approx. £65m), and has a notablemines and minerals practice. Clients include Hanson Quarry Productsand Tarmac.

Wright Hassall has a number of ‘sensible and commercial lawyers’,among them practice head Nick Abell and ‘good all-rounder’ DavidSlade. It acts for BMW and JCDecaux (UK). Recent work includesadvising Butchers Pet Care on the £38m acquisition of a newheadquarters and manufacturing facility.

Wragge & Co acts for Balfour Beatty and John Sisk, and secured Rotary (International) and Hyder Consulting (UK) as new clients. Its recenthighlights include acting for Aceramais in litigation arising from a housing development in Cheltenham.



P11

West Midlands

Environment


Planning

Property litigation

Eversheds LLP BirminghamPinsent Masons LLP Birmingham

Squire Sanders Hammonds BirminghamWragge & Co LLP Birmingham

Ansons LLP LichfieldDLA Piper UK LLP Birmingham

Hill Hofstetter LLP SolihullKnights solicitors llp Newcastle under Lyme

Martineau Birmingham


Pinsent Masons LLP BirminghamWragge & Co LLP Birmingham

Clarke Willmott LLP BirminghamFBC Manby Bowdler LLP Telford Gateley Birmingham

Knights solicitors llp Newcastle under LymeMartineau Birmingham

Shoosmiths BirminghamSquire Sanders Hammonds Birmingham

Eversheds LLP BirminghamWragge & Co LLP Birmingham

Gateley BirminghamMartineau Birmingham

Pinsent Masons LLP Birmingham

Eversheds’ highlights included advising Lloyds TSB DevelopmentCapital on the environmental aspects of the purchase of AIM Aviation,while other clients include Halliburton.

Pinsent Masons continues to advise on all the environmental aspectsof the remediation strategy for the London Olympic Park, while otherhighlights included acting for IM Properties in its acquisition of aformer manufacturing facility in the Midlands. The firm also acts forEnglish Partnerships, Carlton Power, and new client West SomersetDistrict Council.

At Squire Sanders Hammonds, David Gordon heads the team and

has particular experience in chemical/regulatory matters. The‘strong team’ acts for names such as Goodyear and Taylor Wimpey,and garners praise for its ability to deal with high-value environmentalwarranty and indemnity claims.

Wragge & Co continues to flourish in its core areas of propertydevelopment, corporate support, environmental enforcement andregulatory advice. It recently advised a minerals operator on issuesregarding leachate and gas at a landfill site, and also advised amajor waste management company on permitting issues for theexploitation of landfill gas.

DLA Piper remains active on major projects such as acting for BarrattDevelopments and Connolly Homes on a development of land thatincludes 3,000-3,500 homes and a broader mixed-use development.Peter Taylor has ‘built up a good team’, and associate David Brammeris praised by clients for his ‘professionalism’.

Eversheds has ‘heavy hitter’ Rod Bull, who ‘gets the job done’. Majorclients in the residential development sector include Taylor Wimpey,and the firm secured significant instructions in the energy, utilitiesand minerals sectors, from clients such as Tarmac. The firm advisedREG Windpower on the promotion of seven onshore wind farmprojects in 2010.

Pinsent Masons’excellent team was enhanced by the addition of

Iain Gilbey from Shoosmiths, who co-heads the group with RichardFord. The team has considerable expertise in the nuclear sector,and was appointed to advise the three key local authorities onplanning, highways, compulsory purchase and consenting mattersrelating to the £15bn Hinkley C New Nuclear Power Station. Newclients include Waitrose.

Under the leadership of Andrew Thomas, Wragge & Co has particularstrength in strategic residential-led developments, major regenerationschemes and highway infrastructure projects, and considerableexperience in judicial reviews. It continues to advise on the £17bnCrossrail project, and acted for St Modwen on the regeneration ofLongbridge. Marks & Spencer is also a client.

Able to ‘see the bigger picture’, Eversheds counts Next and AnglianWater as clients, and is notable for its experience in agricultural law,energy and wayleaves.

Wragge & Co had a busy year advising on a broad range of

developers’ problems, option disputes and contested lease renewals,and is acting for Persimmon in a case concerning a disputedconditional land sale. Other clients include Argent, Taylor Wimpey,and new gain Smiths News.



P12

West Midlands

Technology, Media & TelecomsIT and telecoms

Media and entertainment


Intellectual property

Technology Law AllianceBirmingham



Martineau BirminghamPinsent Masons LLP Birmingham

Shakespeares BirminghamSquire Sanders Hammonds

Birmingham


Wright Hassall LLPLeamington Spa




Squire Sanders HammondsBirmingham


Cobbetts LLP BirminghamEversheds LLP Birmingham

Gateley BirminghamMartineau Birmingham

Shakespeares Birmingham


Cobbetts LLPBirmingham


Technology Law Alliance advised Firstsource on a major telecomssector outsourcing and also acted for Columbus IT and PostcodeAnywhere. Jagvinder Kang ‘listens, understands and delivers themessage in business English’.Wragge & Co advised BP on consolidating its contract for IT services.Sally Mewies has ‘unsurpassed knowledge in the UK and US... andis a tough but adaptable negotiator’.Simon Jones’ team at DLA Piper has a central government andfinancial services focus, acting for clients such as the Foreign &Commonwealth Office and Barclays. The team advised the NHS onrenegotiating its arrangement with Computer Sciences regardingthe National Programme for IT.Eversheds acted for Mitchells & Butlers Retail on its reprocurementof outsourced data, telecoms and computing services, and adviseda leading life assurance company on negotiating an actuarial system.

Martineau acts for website hosting company Rackspace on day-to-day issues, and recently advised it on a new suite of service contracts.It also represented Desi Mobile on contractual and legal mattersleading up to its launch.Pinsent Masons acts for clients such as BAA Airports, Boots andSiemens, and is noted for its experience across outsourcing deals,procurement, data protection, telecoms regulatory issues and datacentre services.Shakespeares continued to act for longstanding clients such asLogica, while gaining significant resources in the East Midlandsthrough the merger with Berryman and winning impressive newclients such as LG.Squire Sanders Hammonds advised longstanding client NationalGrid on its acquisition of a new electricity balancing system, andpicked up new clients such as Game Group.

Wragge & Co successfully obtained an interim injunction forUnilever to prevent the British National Party from using theMarmite brand in its electoral broadcast in a false endorsementaction, and advised the Liberal Democrat Party on defamation issuesthroughout the general election. Other clients include Orion Media

and Turner Broadcasting.

Cobbetts won new clients such as BFC Media and Middle GroundTheatre Company, and continued to act for First Light Movies andPerformances Birmingham.

Nick Cunningham of Wragge & Co advised the Liberal DemocratParty on reputational issues throughout the election campaign, whileGordon Harris represented Premium Aircraft Interiors Group in apatent dispute regarding aircraft seats.DLA Piper advised Avon Cosmetics on the IP aspects of its acquisitionof Liz Earle Cosmetics, and represented Aga Rangemaster Groupin patent infringement proceedings.

Pinsent Masons successfully represented Nanjing Automobile inHigh Court and Court of Appeal proceedings related to theinfringement and passing off of the MG trade mark and octagonlogo. Other clients include Kraft Foods, LG and Aviva.Squire Sanders Hammonds is currently acting for the Secretary ofState for Health in pursuing NHS Yearbook for trade mark infringementand passing off, and regularly advises Delta Anti-Piracy.

West Midlands Review 2011 - Amazon Web...

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