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Osborne Clarke provides a ‘highly responsive service’ across its offices in the South West and South East, advising both investors and investees. As well as continuing to act for longstanding clients including Motorola Ventures, Imperial Innovations, NESTA and Encore Ventures, the team has successfully grown its client base to include VCs such as ProFounders Capital, which it advised on its £2.5m funding into the online trading company Made.com. Matthew Lewis has a focus on renewables and cleantech, and jointly heads the team with the ‘responsive and willing’ Rob Wood. Also recommended is the ‘creative and dependable’ Greg Leyshon.

A traditional area of strength for the firm, SJ Berwin LLP’s six-partner practice stands at the vanguard of the industry. It has deeply entrenched relationships with key investors and investees, and regularly advises on regulation and legislation affecting the industry. The practice remains heavily involved in the secondary market, and recently advised Apax Partners on its disposal of two funds with holdings in 16 growth and development stage technology companies to Azini Capital; the ‘well-respected’ Perry Yam led on this deal, and is a core member of a team that also includes Ylan Steiner, who acts for a balanced mix of investors and investees including Kennet and Alertme.com.

Driven out of London and Cambridge and aided by the firm’s significant pan-European network, Taylor Wessing LLP’s team is well equipped to handle some of the most significant mandates in the market. Increasingly active in the burgeoning cleantech space, it recently advised Climate Change Capital Private Equity on a €9.1m investment in Nualight. The firm expanded its roster of technology clients, and recently advised new client PrismaStar on a £2m investment with Octopus Ventures and associated funds. Led by Simon Walker, the team also includes Howard Palmer and Cambridge-based David Mardle.

Bird & Bird is ‘one of the leading firms in this domain in Europe’, providing a ‘responsive and very thorough’ service to an increasingly balanced array of investor and investee clients in the technology, life sciences and cleantech sectors. The team is headed by the ‘fastidious and commercially astute’ Angus Miln, and recently represented new client Union Square Ventures on the €10m Series B financing of SoundCloud. Struan Penwarden has strong ties with Kreos Capital, Europe’s largest venture debt lender; and Richard Eaton is experienced in advising both investors and investees.

At Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP, the ‘outstandingly commercial’ Geraint Lloyd heads a four-partner team that provides ‘responsive, knowledgeable and sensible’ advice to an investor-focused client base. Able to tap into the broader resources of the firm in complementary areas such as IP and real estate, it continues to represent core client Albion Ventures across a range of matters, including its investment in TEG Biogas (Perth).

Deeply entrenched in the venture capital market both in Europe and the US, the ‘business-focused’ team at Brown Rudnick LLP is well positioned to advise on national and cross-border transactions for investors and investees. Mark Dorff and the ‘excellent’ Tina Baker are pivotal members of the team, and have advised Index Ventures on a number of deals. Other clients include Amadeus Capital Partners, Delta Partners and Atlas Venture.

Headed by the ‘focused and attentive’ Louise Nash, Covington & Burling LLP provides an ‘excellent service based on extensive industry knowledge and experience’. It continues to assist clients such as SR One with portfolio management, and has attracted new-money work from the likes of Gothaer Asset Management, which it advised on its investment in Silkroutefinancial, a UK-based hedge fund. The arrival in May 2011 of the ‘superb’ Paul Claydon and three other partners from Morrison & Foerster LLP significantly enhances the team’s expertise in the life sciences sector.

Led out of London by Andrew Wigfall and aided by a significant presence in Sheffield, Nabarro LLP has a well-established reputation in the technology sector. Aided by a new entrepreneurs group targeting start-up companies, the firm has been particularly active on the investee side, for the likes of Supreme Biotechnologies, which it advised on two rights issues.

Driven out of London and now aided by a nascent presence in Madrid and Berlin, Olswang has strong credentials for domestic and pan-European deals in the technology and life sciences sectors. Recent highlights include advising Convergence Pharmaceuticals on its spin-out from GSK, and representing Kymab on its £20m Series A fundraising. Team head Fabrizio Carpanini is recommended.

The ‘very responsive’ team at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe (Europe) LLP has a strong reputation in the market advising investees, particularly in the hi-tech sector, where it is able to tap into the expertise of the firm’s US Silicon Valley practice. The London team handled over 50 VC transactions in 2010, and attracts praise for its ‘detailed industry knowledge’. ‘Very good at advising on fundraisings and dealing with VCs’, Chris Grew is at the forefront of the most significant deals handled by the team, including its recent work for GroupSpaces on its $1.3m Series A financing.

The ‘very responsive and focused’ team at Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP provides ‘very thorough and precise’ advice to investee clients in the media and technology sectors. ‘Bright and very client-focused’ team head Neil Foster is ‘excellent at dealing in complex areas’, and has developed a specialism in the cleantech sector, as illustrated by his recent work for 2K Manufacturing. Other clients include BBC Worldwide and PacketExchange.

Harbottle & Lewis LLP’s venture capital team excels in transactions in the media, communications and technology sectors. As well as handling work for many investees, such as Brandwatch and Zattikka, it continues to develop its investor client base, recently advising new client Seraphim Capital on its investment in Pyreos. Team head Tony Littner is recommended.

Marriott Harrison provides a ‘responsive, flexible and partner-driven service’ to an impressive array of investor clients including Alcuin Capital, Foresight Capital and YFM. Duncan Innes is praised for his ‘good people skills and excellent legal mind’, and is a key member of the team. Dee Sian is ‘one of the most well-informed lawyers in the market’, and continues to handle a raft of work for Beringea – including its investments in Speed-Trap Holdings and the salad bar chain Tossed Limited.

Headed by the ‘very experienced’ Chris Putt, Speechly Bircham LLP’s ‘superb’ two-partner practice handled over 50 transactions in 2010 across a broad range of sectors. One of the few teams active in the debt financing market, it advised Kreos Capital on its investment in micro-finance provider Wonga.com. Albion Ventures, Chrysalis Ventures and Iceni Capital are also clients.

At Wragge & Co LLP, Andy Stylianou and Ian Piggin are highly regarded for their investment expertise, while Neil Pearson is recommended for his VCT tax-related expertise. Recent highlights include advising GSK on the spin-out to Convergence Pharmaceuticals of two clinical-stage products. Clients include Abingworth Life Sciences Investment, Bridges Community Ventures and Index Ventures.

At Arnold & Porter (UK) LLP, Jeremy Willcocks advises investors and investees in the life sciences, telecoms and technology sectors. Clients include Manzanita Capital, Monsanto, and Tate & Lyle Ventures.

As part of its broader private equity offering, CMS Cameron McKenna LLP regularly handles venture capital transactions for the likes of Octopus Capital. David Bresnick is recommended.

At Dorsey & Whitney, Frances Doherty has a strong reputation representing technology and pharma companies. The firm is also praised for its ‘excellent work in relation to university spinout companies’. Clients include Microsaic Systems, Cambridge Consultants, and Chrysalis VCT.

At Hogan Lovells International LLP, Jeffrey Hurlburt has particular expertise in highly regulated sectors such as TMT, life sciences and energy.

Operating as part of the firm’s integrated global private equity practice, Jones Day’s venture team is instructed by a predominantly investor-side client base including Merlin Ventures, Nectar Capital and Net Partners. James Goold has handled a raft of work for NBGI Ventures, including the sale of its investment in InternetQ.

Kemp Little LLP continues to handle a raft of work in the area, mainly for investees in the technology, telecoms and digital media sectors such as Wonga.com, Spotify and Autoquake. Siobhan McElhinney ‘really understands the legal issues and has the unique ability to apply these to commercial risks’.

Co-headed by David Bates and Stephen Beales, Mayer Brown International LLP’s venture capital team has been particularly active in the secondaries market for the likes of Azini Capital Partners, which it advised on the acquisition of a portfolio of 20 venture capital investments from Apax Partners.

Morrison & Foerster LLP’s life sciences practice was hit by the departure of four key partners, including Paul Claydon, to Covington & Burling LLP.

At WilmerHale, Joe Pillman handles venture capital work as part of his remit as head of the firm’s London corporate practice. He recently advised Oxagen on its Series C bolt-on financing of £4m.

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