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Burges Salmon LLP matches ‘London standards’ and is ‘very strong in development finance’. It advised HSBC on a £80m syndicated property finance facility, and new client Julian Hodge Bank on its £69m mortgage portfolio sale. Richard Leeming ‘provides solutions and warrants a recommendation’. Patrick Cook’s arrival from Taylor Wessing LLP enhances the group’s restructuring capabilities.

Osborne Clarke has a ‘regionally based but national practice’. It acted for a club of five banks led by HSBC as agent on a £135m facility for Smiths News plc, and for Tribal Group on its £40m corporate facilities refinancing. Santander Corporate Banking and UNITE are new clients. Omar Al-Nuaimi heads the team.

Bond Pearce LLP’s Julian Kinsey ‘knows when to concede points and when to hold firm’, and Tony Woodward has ‘incredible knowledge of FSA matters and compliance’. The team advised Oman’s Authority for Electricity Regulation on reviewing cross-border project finance documentation.

Beachcroft's recent work includes advising Bank of Ireland on loan restructuring and refinancing. Stephen Metcalfe heads the group.

Richard Norton’s team at Charles Russell LLP gives ‘focused and professional’ advice and ‘interacts very effectively’ with clients. International transactions included advising on giving security in Gulf region countries such as Bahrain and Kuwait, and advising Clydesdale Bank on a £5m development agreement.

Clarke Willmott LLP’s Roger Seaton ‘always provides prompt and high-quality service’. The team advised M3 venture capitalists/Evergreen Real Estate Partners on acquisition funding of Extra Group, and HSBC on the Quantum Group City Centre redevelopment funding.

Rickerbys LLP advised an energy system operator on a €100m loan facility, and a savings bank on a counter guarantee as part of a finance-backed sale. Team head Tim Walker is ‘focused’ and ‘promptly available’.

TLT LLP advised Triodos Bank on renewable projects as well as property and corporate banking matters, and regularly advises Bank of Ireland and Barclays Bank. It is also newly appointed to The Co-operative Group panels. Peter Carney heads the team.

Ashfords LLP is ‘thorough in compliance issues’ and provides ‘excellent advice and guidance’. The group acted for National Australia Bank on a £30m project financing, and for Centrax Industries on a £50m refinancing. Clare Brewer heads the group.

Foot Anstey ‘deals effectively with sensitive situations’, with the ‘calm and highly assured’ Robin Brown leading on litigation and Richard Sutton leading on non-contentious matters. The team represented NatWest on a £3.7m development finance matter, and defended a major bank against a claim by a liquidator.

Lester Aldridge LLP’s work is of ‘unquestionable quality’. It advised a bank on a £1m subrogation claim, and represented a finance company regarding the recovery of a £1m secured guarantee liability. Jon Kelly provides ‘sound and pragmatic advice’, and Paula Mason adopts a ‘common-sense approach’.

Charles Maunder and Philip Ryley head the ‘committed’ team at Michelmores LLP, which offers ‘sound and commercial advice’. It acted for State Bank of India regarding a $25m letter of credit facility, and for ICICI Bank on a $87.5m loan to a Saudi Arabian company.

Veale Wasbrough Vizards’ David Emanuel ‘grasps situations and provides pragmatic advice’, and Steven McGuigan displays ‘efficiency and practicality’. The firm advised Santander on a £12m loan to Canford Healthcare Group, and HSBC on a £1.5m loan to Selwood Holdings.

Insolvency and corporate recovery

Bond Pearce LLP’s Joanne Rumley ‘speaks about complex issues with clarity’ and ‘understands when advice is needed urgently’. The team provides ‘innovative’ advice with ‘no time wasting or padding’, and has continued to develop relationships with innovative funders. It advised More or Less on acquiring the distressed debt of Faith Shoes, and also acted for PwC, Deloitte and BDO.

Burges Salmon LLP ‘produces work of the highest standard’ and attracts high praise for its efficiency. David Hall heads the team, which acted on the £120m restructuring of James Hull Group, and also advised Lloyds on the £34.8m refinancing and sale of Forestdale Hotels. Patrick Cook, who ‘sets the benchmark in respect of quality and commerciality’, joined from Taylor Wessing LLP.

Osborne Clarke’s joint practice heads Nigel Boobier and David Wright provide ‘appropriate advice at a realistic price’ and are supported by an ‘excellent team’. The group advised Lloyds and Deloitte on a development restructuring with £90m bank debt, and represented PwC on the Alitalia airline case, involving a range of cross-border issues.

TLT LLP is valued for its ‘clear communication’ and ‘pragmatic advice’ at a ‘sensible price’. The group acted for FRP as administrators and Barclays as secured lender and new funder on the Churchill Taverns Group restructuring. Peter Carney ‘understands the client’s business and knows what it wants to achieve’, and team head James Forsyth is also recommended.

Beachcroft’s ‘thoughtful and strategic’ Giles Hindle is a ‘safe pair of hands’, and ‘excellent technician’ Kevin Hawthorn has a ‘fine grasp of the law’. The team acted on the liquidation of an international commodities broker, and represented BDO on the administration of a legal services provider.

Michelmores LLP advised the UK private equity funder of a French corporate group with liabilities exceeding €30m, and continues to advise Bridge Business Recovery as administrators of Altala Group. Charles Maunder handles matters ‘promptly and with confidence’ and is ‘very capable of sparring with the big firms’. Stephen Lawson gives ‘concise advice’ and a ‘clear opinion on strategy’.

David Pomeroy’s team at Ashfords LLP recently acted for the trustee of two bankrupts in obtaining formal recognition of the Australian bankruptcy in England under UNCITRAL.

Clarke Willmott LLP advised the liquidators of an investment management group with interests in several African investment funds. Philip Winterborne heads the practice.

Meade-King provides ‘good and timely backup’, and successfully defended a winding-up petition against a film company. Keith Mahoney is a tenacious advocate.

Rickerbys LLP’s Colin Gibson has recently acted for Hazelwoods, Svenska Handelsbanken and RSM Tenon.

Stephens Scown LLP’s ‘experienced team’ successfully settled proceedings against a high street bank in a £1m breach of trust claim. Practice head Matthew Wald is an ‘astute and able litigator’.

Mark Cullingford at Thrings LLP heads a team that advised two directors of an LSE-listed company’s subsidiary about defending claims for £42m.

Veale Wasbrough Vizards advised three partners of Grant Thornton as administrators of charitable company, in a matter drawing on the firm’s schools and charities expertise; and Traxx Tyres on a £2m acquisition of an insolvent company. Nicholas Briggs heads the group.

Recent work for Bevan Brittan LLP includes acting for 123 UK local authorities which had placed deposits with Icelandic banks in seeking to recover over £1bn. Ed Husband heads the practice.

Kitsons LLP’s Emma Davy advised on a range of trading administrations, pre-packaged sales, liquidations and receiverships.

Morgan Cole provides ‘specific advice rather than being generic’. Paul Caldicott ‘goes the extra mile to ensure matters are dealt with quickly’, and divides his time between Bristol and Cardiff. He acts for banks and receivers in reviewing property title, security and statutory responsibilities.

Withy King LLP’s Philip Banks-Welsh has ‘in-depth knowledge’, and ‘proposes constructive solutions to keep matters moving forward’.

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Legal Developments in the UK

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