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Addleshaw Goddard LLP’s three-partner team has deeply entrenched relationships with a strong cadre of lender clients including Barclays, HSBC and Santander. The ‘accessible and sensible’ Martin O’Shea is ‘one of the best banking lawyers in the region’, and advised Lloyds on providing the financing on LGV’s acquisition of Snow + Rock: one of the few leveraged finance deals completed in 2010 in the region. ‘One of the most technically respected lawyers in the North’, Amanda Gray is also recommended for corporate banking and real estate financings.

DLA Piper UK LLP’s ‘highly responsive’ three-partner team provides ‘sensible and insightful advice’ to an increasingly balanced array of banks and corporates. The firm is on the panels of all the clearing banks, and, despite a paucity of new-money deals, acted for Barclays as lead bank in the syndicated financing provided to the management team on the buyout of Total Fitness, led by the ‘personable and professional’ Matthew Christmas. Refinancings have accounted for many of the team’s mandates, most notably Matalan’s £525m refinancing and bond issuance. Hans Scheiwiller is recommended for real estate finance.

Leveraging off an impressive corporate client base, Eversheds LLP is best known for its borrower-side financing capability, and has started to pick up some new-money deals, such as advising Bodycote International plc on its £110m syndicated finance agreement with a related accordion facility of £15m. On the bank side, the group has an excellent reputation for invoice finance and asset-based lending, with the ‘able and amenable’ Simon Prendergast particularly well regarded.

Led by the ‘user-friendly’ Matt Morgan, Pinsent Masons LLP provides ‘robust and commercially focused advice’ to an expanding portfolio of banks including Barclays, HSBC and Lloyds. Particularly accomplished in real estate finance, its credentials were recently underscored by its representation of HSBC on the provision of a £90m loan to MGP Harbour Exchange II for the purchase of Exchange Tower in the Isle of Dogs, London. The group regularly combines with the corporate team on leveraged finance transactions.

Although it lacks the deeply entrenched banking relationships of some of its peers, the recruitment in August 2010 of the ‘approachable and dependable’ Jonathan Edwards from Squire Sanders Hammonds was a major boost for DWF LLP. Edwards advised Yorkshire Bank on the £22m MBI of Dunham Leisure. The firm also has a strong asset finance capability, with the ‘very knowledgeable’ Tony Bochenski well regarded.

Weakened somewhat by the loss of Jonathan Edwards to DWF LLP, Squire Sanders Hammonds’ team is undergoing a period of consolidation. Team head Claire Shepherd handles a range of instructions from banks and corporates such as the Stobart Group, which she advised on its ten-year £100m financing by the Prudential Fund. Senior associate Graham Ball has handled a number of mandates for RBS, and is praised for the ‘clarity of his advice’.

Brabners Chaffe Street LLP’s five-partner banking team, across Manchester and Liverpool, provides a ‘good service’ to a lender-focused client roster that includes Lloyds, RBS and Santander. Team head Tony Harper has an excellent reputation for corporate finance and, along with Charlotte Round, recently advised a major bank on the acquisition finance facilities provided to a healthcare provider.

Led by Paul Brown, Cobbetts LLP’s three-partner team provides ‘fast and pragmatic advice’ to a strong roster of banking clients across a range of financing activity. ‘Very knowledgeable and easy to deal with’, Richard Berry is particularly accomplished in property finance, and recently advised the Co-operative Bank on the financing for the redevelopment of Lewis’s Department Store in Liverpool.

Bolstered by the arrival of Richard Capper and Beverley Bentley from Halliwells in July 2010, Hill Dickinson LLP is able to provide a ‘strong service’ across a range of financings out of Liverpool and Manchester. The team is gaining increasing market share, and was included on Nationwide Building Society’s rationalised panel, among other panel appointments.

Headed by Samantha Rollason, McGrigors LLP’s nascent group has been particularly active in renewable energy projects for banks and borrowers. The team was also involved in the refinancing/restructuring of £600m-plus of real estate debt in 2010.

At Gateley, Susan Molloy heads a two-partner team advising an impressive banking client roster including AIB, HSBC and Yorkshire Bank.

At Pannone LLP, Rob Fawke has ‘excellent all-round knowledge’ and is an integral member of a team with a strong lender-side client roster; panel appointments include Lloyds, HSBC and Santander.

George Davies Solicitors LLP was recently bolstered by the arrival of Shaun Rearden from Cobbetts LLP.

Kuit Steinart Levy LLP’s team head George MacMillan is recommended for real estate financing.

Weightmans LLP’s practice head Mike Yardley is recommended.

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