United Kingdom > East Anglia > Corporate and commercial
Corporate and commercial: Cambridge
Corporate and commercial: Cambridge
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- Birketts LLP
- Eversheds LLP
- Hewitsons LLP
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Taylor Vinters - Taylor Wessing LLP
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Dixon Phillips - Tees Solicitors
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Mills & Reeve LLP has a strong team that includes ‘intelligent and professional lateral thinker’ Claire Clarke. She and Stephen Hamilton worked alongside Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP on Hong Kong listed CKI Holdings’ £74m disposal of Cambridge Water. Other recommended individuals include Tom Pickthorn, who provides ‘strong partner support and excellent service’; Zickie Lim, who ‘goes above and beyond to get the best deal’; and the ‘pragmatic’ Brian Marshall.
Birketts LLP’s ‘very strong Cambridge practice’ acted in the acquisition of NCS Survey for Acteon Group, and in a £4.25m MBO of ASL for Matrix Private Equity Partners. Adrian Seagers is ‘experienced and commercial’.
The ‘very commercial and value-for-money’ team at Eversheds LLP acted for Greene King on its offer for Capital Pubs, and the Eid family on the sale of Honeytop Foods. The ‘quietly efficient, no-nonsense’ Mark Satterly advises on food, technology and education deals, and Russian speaker Galina Kurovska has experience in Eastern European deals.
John Dix’s team at Hewitsons LLP is ‘approachable, customer focused and practical’. The ‘very down-to-earth and logical’ James Lawrence advised 1Spatial Holdings on its £14m merger, and Laurence Evans acted on the sale of Suckling Airways Group.
Taylor Vinters impresses with its ‘experience and foresight’. Adam Bradley is ‘client focused at all times’; James Allen is ‘first class, straightforward and pragmatic’; and associate Tom Fairley is ‘thorough and commercial’. Highlights included acting for Torstone Technology on its MBO.
‘A fantastic firm with super people’, Taylor Wessing LLP’s focus on venture capital deals sees it act for technology, life sciences, and cleantech companies, and institutional investors. Highlights included acting for Google in its $61m purchase of BeatThatQuote.com. ‘Go-to guy and excellent leader’ Simon Walker and the ‘superbly calm and informative’ David Mardle are recommended.
Greenwoods Solicitors LLP’s merger with Walker Wallis brought with it a new Cambridge office and Duncan Walker, who handles local and international work. Clients include HiWave Technologies.
Penningtons Solicitors LLP absorbed Charles Russell LLP’s Cambridge office, bringing in James Stephen’s expanding local client base.
A relatively young firm, Dixon Phillips provides ‘fair value and good advice’. Oliver Phillips ‘has huge energy, is technically robust, and will do everything in his power to get the job done’. He recently advised a UK limited company on a £10m share sale.
Tees Solicitors’ clients welcome David Culshaw’s ‘attention to detail and calm, precise approach’. He advised Fraser Capital Management on the £8m purchase of a bingo hall chain.
Woodfines LLP’s growing client list includes a number of Indian companies. Stephen Oliver advised on the £1.5m acquisition of an East Anglian haulage company.
Corporate and commercial: Ipswich
Corporate and commercial: Ipswich
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Ashton KCJ -
Blocks -
Gotelee Solicitors -
Kerseys Solicitors - Prettys
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Birketts LLP represents clients locally and beyond East Anglia, with James Austin, Matthew Atkins and Mark Gipson forming the backbone of its Ipswich-based corporate practice. In 2011, banking and finance head Mark Henry acted for Carlson Vehicle Transfer in the transfer of a 50% stake in the company to CAT.
At Ashton KCJ, Paul Whittingham’s ‘polite and helpful service, wide range of knowledge and good value for money’ typifies the practice’s approach. Highlights included a £1.2m shareholder exit. Petra Sharp is also recommended.
At Blocks, Andrew Fleming ‘inspires very high confidence’ among a diverse client base that includes a local building society, dental practices and GPs. Highlights included joint venture documentation work for a new client in the motoring sector.
Gotelee Solicitors provides ‘exceptional attention to detail, responsiveness and value for money’. The ‘measured and thorough’ Max Harnden advised a garden centre partnership on its incorporation, and Victoria Judge advised a haulage business on a £2.5m share sale.
The ‘thorough and rapid’ James Hayward leads a team at Kerseys Solicitors that ‘keeps to agreed budgets and time constraints and makes the whole process quick and easy’. The ‘extremely approachable’ Iain Thom is ‘knowledgeable and happy to run through every possible option’. It recently acted for the purchaser of a care home company, and a joint venture partner in a £2m development.
At Prettys, Ian Waine advised on the £25m disposal of a transport and logistics business to a multinational company, and on the acquisition of a window manufacturing company.
Corporate and commercial: Norwich
Corporate and commercial: Norwich
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Ashton KCJ - Birketts LLP
- Howes Percival LLP
- Leathes Prior
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Fosters -
Rogers and Norton -
Steeles Law LLP
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Cozens-Hardy LLP - Greenland Houchen Pomeroy
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Hansells - Hatch Brenner LLP
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The ‘professional, personable and responsive’ Craig Hodgson leads the team at Mills & Reeve LLP, which acted in a major restructuring across seven countries for the StarBev Group. James Hunter is ‘quick to respond sensibly with solutions’, and Terry Gould is ‘frank, pragmatic and commercially minded’. The ‘incisive, extremely responsive’ Nick Fischl and ‘very good commercial lawyer’ Greg Gibson are also recommended.
Ashton KCJ’s merger with Chambers & Co brought market-leading franchising expert John Chambers into the fold; he joins Edward O’Rourke and associate Damian Humphrey, who are ‘personable yet professional, and willing to take the commercial view’. Highlights included advising the shareholders on their exit from Deben UK.
Birketts LLP’s ‘competent, personal and prompt’ Adrian Possener acts in IPOs and securities issues for companies listed on the main market and AIM, and on venture capital transactions. Erika Clarke is recommended for her projects expertise, which includes large outsourcing deals.
‘Young and keen with solid, old-fashioned ideals of quality service’, Robert Colman at Howes Percival LLP is ‘commercially aware and technically very good, and has excellent rapport with clients’. His team acted for Norwich Colour Print in its merger with F Crowe & Sons in 2011. Ford Motor Retail and Chalcroft are also clients.
At Leathes Prior, Peter Sheppard is ‘excellent, and acts as if he is a member of the client’s team’, and Paul Warman ‘works hard in the client’s best interest’. Warman advised Norwich City FC on rescheduling complex debt finance arrangements.
The official legal partner of Norwich City FC, Fosters provides ‘accurate and comprehensive advice’, with Tracy Guest singled out as ‘a good communicator who explains complex information clearly’. Clients include international companies and local councils.
Rogers and Norton is noted for its ‘speedy responses and extensive knowledge’. In 2011 it acted in the sale of NHS and private dental practices, and in the MBO of a freight forwarding company. Richard Etheridge is ‘meticulous in his attention to detail and handles negotiations very carefully’.
At Steeles Law LLP, the ‘cultured, civilised’ Nigel Lubbock has ‘vast experience and the energy of ten top lawyers’, and James Tarling is ‘very switched on, providing sensible advice’. Highlights included acting for the Jeyes Group in its £2m sale of Belpac shares. It also advises the Cosworth Group.
Cozens-Hardy LLP’s commercial department advises a number of sole traders and family-owned companies around Norwich. Simon Whipp is valued for his ‘sound commercial judgement and excellent advice’,
Greenland Houchen Pomeroy is best known for advising housing associations such as Flagship Housing Group.
At Hansells, Roger Holden advises aviation clients such as KLM. Michael Steward is popular with local SMEs.
’A great firm to deal with’, Hatch Brenner LLP’s Nathan Horton provides ‘well-considered advice with clarity of thought and an all-important sense of humour’.
Corporate and commercial: Peterborough
Corporate and commercial: Peterborough
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- Greenwoods Solicitors LLP
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Hegarty LLP
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Buckles Solicitors LLP - Hunt & Coombs Solicitors
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Greenwoods Solicitors LLP’s David Woods advised Elliott Group on the multimillion-pound acquisition of Farquhar Hires, and Anglia Regional Co-operative Society on the creation of a new employee co-operative. The ‘pragmatic and straightforward’ Alastair Gunn is also recommended.
At Hegarty LLP, Andrew Heeler’s ‘remarkable technical knowledge makes him the go-to guy for heavyweight legal issues’. Highlights included the £8m sale of Rigby and Peller; the acquisition of an accountancy firm in Kent; and the group restructuring of a £10m business.
The ‘straight-talking, very experienced’ Nigel Moore at Buckles Solicitors LLP ‘makes everything clear and simple’. Its expertise spans local, regional and international work, which included acting for Italian company Vietri in relation to a €3m equity investment.
Hunt & Coombs Solicitors provides ‘friendly and professional service’, and advised Anglia Regional Co-operative Society on the disposal of its department store business, comprising 19 department stores across the UK. The ‘very knowledgeable’ Anna Spriggs is recommended. Alejandro Verdu de Haro leads the Spanish legal services team.
Corporate and commercial: Elsewhere in East Anglia
Corporate and commercial: Elsewhere in East Anglia
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Ashton KCJ (Bury St Edmunds) - Greene & Greene (Bury St Edmunds)
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Blocks (Felixstowe) -
Fraser Dawbarns (King's Lynn, Wisbech) - Gross & Co (Bury St Edmunds)
- Hunt & Coombs Solicitors (Huntingdon, Oundle)
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Leeds Day (St Ives, Huntingdon, St Neots) -
Metcalfe, Copeman & Pettefar (Thetford, King's Lynn, Peterborough, Wisbech) -
Nicholsons Solicitors LLP (Lowestoft) -
Ward Gethin Archer (King's Lynn, Swaffham)
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Geoff Hazlewood at Ashton KCJ is ‘an excellent communicator with great patience and understanding’. ‘Conscientious, and good at getting to the deal-breaker issues’, he has ‘a good grasp of commercial reality and a good sense of humour – essential when working under pressure’.
Valued for its ‘very high level of knowledge’, Greene & Greene’s team acted in the sale of an underwriting agency by Somerville Holdings, and advised Vitec Group on a £9.75m acquisition. Neil Walmsley ‘always offers a sensible commercial view’, and Simon Ratcliffe is ‘superb’. Chris Thomson is also recommended.
‘Fair, efficient’ partner Andrew Fleming at Blocks oversees the Felixstowe office’s workload following the departure of Howard Wright. Highlights included setting up a joint venture for a large food exporter.
Fraser Dawbarns’ team has a ‘clear and logical’ approach, and ‘responds quickly and gives a thorough appraisal of risks’. In 2011 it acted in the merger of two estate agents. Tony Cheetham is noted for his ‘excellent service and commercial law expertise’.
Gross & Co provides a ‘friendly and practical service’ to local businesses including doctors, dentists and vets. Graeme Kirk and Nicholas Amor are recommended.
Andrew Whitehead at Hunt & Coombs Solicitors is ‘very user friendly and helpful’. He prepared a new partnership deed for Yaxley Medical Practice in 2011, and continues to advise Clydesdale Bank. Peter Izod is also recommended.
Leeds Day’s Bob Dewdney represented Tecstar Electronics in its acquisition of motorcycle communication company Autocom.
Metcalfe, Copeman & Pettefar’s senior partner Tim Stevenson is ‘thoroughly recommended for commercial work’.
Robert Nicholson of Nicholsons Solicitors LLP is ‘experienced, knowledgeable and commercial’. The firm advises owner-managed businesses in the leisure, and food and beverage sectors.
Ward Gethin Archer’s Penny Lees, Simon Wilson and Simon Fowler advise a number of local entrepreneurs.
Corporate tax
Corporate tax
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- Mills & Reeve LLP (Cambridge)
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- Birketts LLP (Ipswich, Norwich)
Mills & Reeve LLP provides ‘carefully considered and commercially tailored advice’. In 2011 it advised Orchard Street Investment Management on the tax issues arising from £365m of property deals. Christopher Townsend, Ted Powell and Matthew Short ‘provide clarity in complex matters’.
Birketts LLP’s Gavin Birchall is ‘absolutely marvellous, diligent and meticulous’. Consultant Ben Goodfellow advised J&H Bunn on its takeover by Koch Fertilizer, and Acteon Group on its purchase of NCS Surveys.
EU and competition
EU and competition
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- Hewitsons LLP (Cambridge)
- Mills & Reeve LLP (Cambridge)
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Taylor Vinters (Cambridge)
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Barker Gotelee (Ipswich) - Birketts LLP (Norwich)
- Greenwoods Solicitors LLP (Peterborough)
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Hewitsons LLP’s ‘outstanding’ Luisa Leone ‘impresses with her knowledge and responsiveness’. Clients include bulk sugar supplier Tereos, US-based Columbia Sportswear Company, and VKR Group; it recently advised the latter on competition law audits.
The ‘measured, thorough’ Kevin Calder leads a ‘practical, confident and rigorous’ team at Mills & Reeve LLP, which includes the highly sought after Ron Plascow; and Gill Thomas, who ‘enjoys the intellectual challenges of the law’. It provides EU procurement, competition law and state aid advice to clients such as the Department of Health.
Taylor Vinters’ Guy Wheeler oversees a cross-departmental team including Edward Perrott and Janet Turner QC. The firm advises Greene King on anti-competitive land agreements, and represented BCL/Deans before the Competition Appeal Tribunal. Other clients include easyJet and NAAFI.
At Barker Gotelee, consultant Richard Barker continues to advise government departments on EU farming policies, and acts for the firm’s agricultural clients on EU matters.
Birketts LLP’s Andrew Wood advises on compliance and contentious matters through the OFT and the Competition Commission, and provides risk assessments for clients in a dominant market position.
Greenwoods Solicitors LLP’s David Woods co-ordinates a multi-disciplinary team acting for clients such as Elliott Group.