The Legal 500 United Kingdom 2012 > North > Corporate and commercial

Corporate and commercial: Newcastle

1
- Dickinson Dees LLP
2
- Muckle LLP
- Ward Hadaway
3
- Eversheds LLP
- Sintons LLP
- Watson Burton LLP
- DWF LLP
- Hay & Kilner
- Mincoff Solicitors LLP

Dickinson Dees LLP’s 11-partner practice is ‘very competent and responsive’. Recent work highlights include handling a £1.6bn multi-jurisdictional reorganisation of a chemical company; and acting for longstanding client Grainger on its £285m acquisition of a 50% interest in two joint venture LLPs. Practice head Simon Watts’ ‘commitment to service excellence and experience/expertise in the transaction field differentiates him from his competitors’. Jamie Pass and Tom Fitzpatrick are also recommended.

Robert Phillips’ team at Muckle LLP recently advised UK Land Estates on its investment and joint venture into an industrial property company; and Addison Motors on the acquisition of Colebrook & Burgess Holdings. The 12-partner team includes Peter Robinson (‘a born dealmaker’); Joanne Davison (‘unflappable and unfailingly cheerful’); Nicola Loose (‘an exceptional young lawyer’); and Andrew Davison (‘a trusted sage’). Craig Swinhoe and Hugh Welch ‘both provide excellent advice’.

Ward Hadaway’s team is led by Martin Hulls. It recently advised Aesica Pharmaceuticals on the acquisition of three manufacturing plants, in Germany and Italy, and advised the Centre for Process Innovation on a £5m joint venture with Tata Steel. Richard Butts and Imogen Holland ‘deliver an exceptional service’, and commercial lawyer Colin Hewitt has ‘an excellent understanding of the dynamics of the public sector and its interaction with the private sector’. The group was recently bolstered by the arrival of former Watson Burton LLP commercial practice head Mark Whitehead.

Eversheds LLP’s ‘excellent’ team is valued for its sector strengths and its ability to draw on resources across the firm’s network of offices. Practice head Charles Reynard is ‘an intuitive business adviser’, and is noted for his energy expertise and in-house experience. The group recently advised NVM Private Equity on its £7.5m investment in Kitwave One and subsequent acquisition of Kitwave Ltd; and also advised Angel Biotechnology on a £12m-£15m joint venture with a Russian company.

The well-respected Karen Simms leads at Sintons LLP. Matt Collen provides ‘excellent advice’, and recently acted for Kitwave on the £7.5m investment into the company by NVM Private Equity. Collen also advised Techdrill on the sale of share capital to a US buyer. New panel appointments in the banking, hospitality and public sectors have bolstered the firm’s client list. Christopher Welch and the ‘sharp’ Adrian Dye are recommended; and Amanda Maskery was recently promoted to partner.

Watson Burton LLP’s team is led by Duncan Reid, who recently advised Communicator Corporation on its £8m sale to Trinity Mirror. Senior partner Gillian Hall is also a key member of the team, and advised US corporation Lansinoh Laboratories on its £3.5m acquisition of HealthQuest. Former commercial practice head Mark Whitehead left in 2011 for Ward Hadaway.

The ‘faultless’ team at DWF LLP was bolstered considerably by the arrival from Dickinson Dees LLP of executive partner John Flynn, and Robin Steel and Peter Clark. Anne Spetch advised SGW Construction (Redcar) on the sale of Engineering Test Services. The group also advised St Georges Securities on the sale of its entire issued share capital to Highcross.

Nick James’ team at Hay & Kilner is ‘absolutely first class in every way’. The group, which includes Jonathan Waters and Mark Adams, advised on the sale of a subsidiary of a domiciliary care provider to City & County Healthcare Group.

Mincoff Solicitors LLP’s team is headed by Paul Hughes, and includes John Nicholson and associate Antony Hall. It recently acted on a series of transactions for Automatic Retailing, including the disposal of the wholesale division of the business and the acquisition of an automatic retail vending business.

Corporate and commercial: Cumbria

1
- Baines Wilson Solicitors (Carlisle)
- Burnetts (Carlisle)
2
- Cartmell Shepherd (Carlisle)

Baines Wilson Solicitors’ ‘excellent’ team is jointly headed by ‘driving force in the business’ John Wilson and Andrew Hill. Hill has ‘impressive experience and attention to detail’, and recently advised French-based company Onet on the acquisition of the entire issued shared capital of Bradtec Deacon Technologies.

In 2011 the ‘first-class’ team at Burnetts advised on various academy conversions, and experienced practice head John Noctor also advised Askham Bryan College on its acquisition of Newton Rigg Campus. Vaughan Jones is ‘an excellent commercial lawyer with broad experience’.

Timothy Sykes leads at Cartmell Shepherd, and advises both owner-managed businesses and national organisations.

Corporate and commercial: Elsewhere in the North

1
- Dickinson Dees LLP (Tees Valley)
- Endeavour Partnership LLP (Stockton on Tees)
2
- Archers Law LLP (Darlington, Stockton on Tees)
- BHP Law (Stockton on Tees)
- Jacksons Law (Stockton on Tees)
- Latimer Hinks (Darlington)
- Tilly Bailey & Irvine (Wynyard)
3
- Merritt & Co (Yarm)
- Punch Robson (Middlesbrough)
- Smith & Graham (Hartlepool)

Nigel Williams is the key partner at the Teesside office of Dickinson Dees LLP, advising on the full gamut of corporate work.

Paul Bury and Joanna Smith are recommended at Endeavour Partnership LLP. The team recently acted for GEMS International in a €31m private equity buyout, and various other multimillion-pound transactions, including reorganisations and acquisitions.

At Archers Law LLP, John Richardson leads a team which includes associate David Adams, and is ‘fantastic in every way’. The pair recently advised on a £10m share sale, the reorganisation of six retail companies and a number of acquisitions.

BHP Law’s ‘very good’ team is led by Gary Copeland. In 2011 he drafted a number of photovoltaic contracts for feed-in tariffs, and advised on the sale of the entire shareholding of BIB Darlington to a national insurance company. Elaine McLaine moved to Thorp Parker LLP.

Tony Wentworth is the key figure at Jacksons Law, and recently advised on a number of £1m-plus company and property acquisitions.

Nicholas Poole at Latimer Hinks acts for a mainly SME client base. Recent highlights for his team include advising on the purchase of certain domiciliary care activities.

John Walters at Tilly Bailey & Irvine advises on the full range of corporate transactions, including mergers and buyouts.

Corporate tax

1
- Dickinson Dees LLP (Newcastle)
2
- Ward Hadaway (Newcastle)
3
- Eversheds LLP (Newcastle)
- Watson Burton LLP (Newcastle)

Jeremy Smith leads the team at Dickinson Dees LLP. He advised NCFE on the tax issues regarding its joint venture with Reed in Partnership, taking into account NCFE’s charitable status and VAT exemption.

Paul Christian is the key figure at Ward Hadaway. He recently acted for Colebrook & Burgess Holdings, advising the shareholders on the tax aspects of the sale of the business.

Leeds-based David Jervis at Eversheds LLP is ‘outstanding’, and advises clients such as SPX Corporation on corporate tax and VAT matters.

At Watson Burton LLP, Richard Sowler acts as retained tax counsel and continues to provide dedicated support to the firm’s corporate finance team.

EU and competition

1
- Dickinson Dees LLP (Newcastle)
2
- Ward Hadaway (Newcastle)

Dickinson Dees LLP’s three-partner team is headed by Neil Warwick, and acts in merger clearance, compliance and investigations, and state aid matters. Recent highlights include advising a UK plc on a hostile takeover of another plc, and advising the JEREMIE fund on its acquisition of the One NorthEast access-to-finance funds.

Ward Hadaway’s practice is led from Leeds by Andrew Finfer, with support from Newcastle-based commercial partner Colin Hewitt. The firm recently advised on a cartel case and predatory pricing allegations.

Leeds-based Adam Collington at Eversheds LLP continues to have a presence in the North East.

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Corporate and commercial: Newcastle

Corporate and commercial: Newcastle

Corporate and commercial: Cumbria

Corporate and commercial: Cumbria

Corporate and commercial: Elsewhere in the North

Corporate and commercial: Elsewhere in the North

Corporate tax

Corporate tax

EU and competition

EU and competition

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