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Dickinson Dees LLP, under John Marshall, successfully defended Tees Valley Regeneration Limited in an alleged breach of “lock out” case in the High Court. The practice receives numerous instructions from rail clients and was recently instructed by two rail companies on a challenge, by way of judicial review, to a decision by the British Transport Police Authority. Clients value the ‘brilliant results produced‘.

‘A guru of both legal and commercial knowledge‘, Bill Gilliam ‘runs a tight and efficient team‘ at Eversheds LLP. The practice continues to receive instructions on commercial litigation, arbitration, mediation and negotiation for national and international clients. Sector expertise includes IT and healthcare, with recent instructions including acting for a government department on the termination of two multimillion-pound contracts. Senior associate Claire Carroll is singled out as ‘absolutely excellent‘.

The practice at Muckle LLP is well respected by peers. Stewart Irvine is recommended, and advises clients such as conservatory manufacturer Amdega Ltd and The Newcastle Business Park Limited. The team advises individuals as well as corporate clients.

Ward Hadaway’s team continues its role for Persimmon Homes in a long-running judicial review case, with 2008 seeing a High Court appeal for the client. Ian Collinson heads the team and is recommended for his wide experience in civil disputes. The ‘extremely efficient and diligent‘ Paula Myers jointly leads the private wealth disputes team, and is singled out for her ‘practical approach‘.

‘Focused and tenacious‘, Watson Burton LLP provides ‘cost-effective, practical solutions‘; results are ‘nothing short of spectacular‘. Recent highlights include unlawful termination and breach of warranty cases, and Mark Heath has a good reputation for his commercial fraud work. Allan Henderson has recently left the firm.

Crutes Law Firm, under Helen Ager, retains its high level of expertise and strong reputation on directors’ disputes. The team is increasingly instructed by large regional clients such as Bellway and Chevron on smaller litigation claims that fall below their insurance companies’ excess.

Hay & Kilner was recently instructed on a High Court case surrounding the ownership, derivation and use of extensive databases. Clients include a sizeable financial institution which the team is advising on substantial recoveries, and a notable name in the transport sector. Martin Soloman is recommended.

At BHP Law, practice heads Ursula Collie and Graeme Ritzema continue to advise regional corporate clients across a range of disputes. Recent instructions include advising a manufacturing company on a disputed contract under the Consumer Credit Act.

The niche practice at the ‘excellent‘ Gibson & Co has developed a thriving banking litigation practice. Jane Gibson and Toby Gibson both have backgrounds at Magic Circle firms in London, and are recommended as providing ‘first-rate advice‘ and as being ‘highly responsive‘. Clients include JPMorgan and Credit Suisse.

Recent clients of Short Richardson & Forth LLP include a sportswear manufacturer and a biotech company. Tim Berg and Mark Green are recommended.

Developing its expertise in the waste management sector, Sintons LLP was instructed by a major waste disposal management and remediation company on the enforcement of “take and pay” contracts. Catherine Wood leads the practice, which also advises individuals.

Jonathon Stokes is the name to note at Gordon Brown Associates. The team offers expertise in landlord and tenant disputes and breach of contract claims.

Sara Keating leads Mincoff Jacksons LLP’s Newcastle offering. The practice is notable for its advice to individuals; recent examples include a partner in an insurance business and an accountant.

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Legal Developments in the UK

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  • Student employees – new restrictions on employment

    On 10 February 2010 a Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules was laid before Parliament which is due to come into force on 3 March 2010.
    - Penningtons Solicitors LLP
  • Landlord & Tenant Briefing

    Dilapidations in commercial premises – ten points to consider
    - Bircham Dyson Bell LLP
  • Being a helpful Landlord may be a mistake!

    Most landlords and their solicitors try to resist the impulse to be helpful, however, in these recessionary times when landlords are concerned to avoid empty space, there may be the temptation to take shortcuts to ensure a letting proceeds. In circumstances where it is intended that Part II of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 (the 1954 Act) should not apply to the tenancy, i.e. that the tenant should not have the benefit of security of tenure, then occupation before the lease has been finalised (and the appropriate ‘contracting-out’ steps taken) is a potentially dangerous step and needs to be taken only when the landlord has fully comprehended the potential consequences.
    - Bircham Dyson Bell LLP
  • New regime for approval of major transport projects set to ‘switch on’

    The Planning Act 2008 (the Act) introduces a new regime designed to speed up the planning and, in turn, the delivery of infrastructure projects of national significance. For transport projects, it is one of the most important pieces of legislation in recent years. The new procedure will have to be used for any third runway at Heathrow, amongst other high-profile projects.
    - Bircham Dyson Bell LLP
  • Divorce and the media: the courts, the pay-outs and the speculation

    The rising divorce rate and some well-publicised settlements running into tens of millions of pounds have focused attention on a growing issue in divorce cases: just how far can spouses go to obtain information about their partner’s financial affairs?
    - Schillings
  • Top ten really useful cases of 2009

    If you want your panel solicitor to‘get off the fence’, need to know when a cause of action accrues or wondered whether the judiciary live in the 21st century, the following cases from 2009 provide some really useful guidance. With professional negligence claims on the increase, whether you are giving or receiving legal advice, the cases discussed below highlight practical points for all legal advisers to be aware of.
    - Bond Pearce LLP
  • The twilight zone: legal issues for directors

    there is no legal definition of the term ‘twilight zone’ (perhaps derived from the cult TV series, the writer would like to think), which is now widely used to describe a period of trading when a company has, or is predicted to have, insufficient cash to pay its debts as they fall due. This might be an immediate cash-flow crisis or the problem might be anticipated many months ahead.
    - Holman Fenwick Willan
  • Cloud computing:key issues for SMEs

    Although many definitions exist, broadly speaking ‘cloud computing’ is the outsourcing of specified IT functions via the internet (the cloud) to provide or receive services that would otherwise only be available if the end user had installed the appropriate hardware and/or software on desktops, or on local networks controlled by that organisation itself. Such services may include the use of software over the internet or remote storage of business data by a third-party provider. One benefit of this is that businesses can structure payment for these services differently (for example pay-as-you-go or on a subscription basis), rather than having to pay large sunk costs for long-term software licences, and the purchase and installation of IT infrastructure necessary to support the services locally.
    - SJ Berwin LLP
  • Commission victorious in ‘regulatory holiday’ action brought against Germany

    On 3 December 2009, following an action brought by the European Commission under article 226 of the EC Treaty (now article 258 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU) the European Court of Justice (ECJ) confirmed that Germany had failed to comply with its obligations under the European regulatory framework for telecommunications (the Common Regulatory Framework (CRF)). The ECJ’s judgment in European Commission v Germany [2009] confirms that Germany acted unlawfully by adopting a national law excluding ‘new markets’ from regulation – so called ‘regulatory holidays’.
    - SJ Berwin LLP
  • New Commission

    On Friday 27 November 2009 the new European Commission, which will begin its mandate early in 2010, was announced by Commission President José Barroso. This announcement followed a week after the appointment of Herman Van Rompuy and Catherine Ashton as the President of the European Council and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy respectively, the two new roles created by the Lisbon Treaty, which entered into force on 1 December 2009.
    - Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP

Press releases

The latest news direct from law firms. If you would like to submit press releases for your firm, send an email request to