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FBC Manby Bowdler LLP’s ‘strong team’ regularly acts for small and medium enterprises and owner-managed businesses. The ‘technically very able’ Kam Johal led a team that acted in the sale of a property portfolio group to a well-known pension trust. The group also acted for a large UK metal processor in the acquisition of additional shares in an overseas company. The ‘pragmatic’ Stuart Rea and the ‘knowledgeable’ James Sage are recommended.

George Green LLP is noted for its expertise in corporate finance and private equity transactions; it is ‘very active’ and gets ‘complex M&A deals done very quickly’. The ‘clever and proactive’ Guy Green and Stephen Wyer are recommended. Paul Bennett led the advice to the management team on the management buy-in of Ash & Lacy Buildings Systems from Hill & Smith Holdings. The group also advised the Equiniti Group on its purchase of the CES division of NatWest Stockbrokers.

Harrison Clark LLP advised John Irwin and other shareholders on the sale of their shares in Inclusion Care (a care home specialist) to Sovereign Capital. Major corporate clients include Core Asset Group, Allen Gears and Active Risk. Head of the corporate team Rod Thomas and Richard Wilkey are ‘commercially aware’, and Robert Capper is recommended on the commercial side, where clients include Tarmac and DHS.

Higgs & Sons is a ‘very energised, modern and professional firm’, and department head Nick Taylor is ‘very active’. The ‘very capable and experienced’ John Heaton advised the management team of Equip Outdoor Technologies on the £4.5m investment by Matrix Private Equity Partners and the related funding package of £20m for the acquisition of Lowe Alpine. Client wins included SignHealth and Colman Getty. The team has core strength in the engineering and manufacturing sectors.

Knights solicitors llp has a ‘quality team’ that represents football clubs such as Stoke City FC and Wolverhampton Wanderers FC. It also has niche expertise in the leisure sector, acting for blue-chip clients such as Alton Towers Resort, Legoland Windsor Park and Merlin Entertainments. Susan Honeyands is ‘commercial’, and Adrian Rushton, on the corporate side, is ‘accurate and experienced’. The firm acted for NatWest in its funding of the MBO of Design Catering Equipment.

Ansons LLP’s ‘commercial and proactive’ team secured some notable client wins, including Aston Martin and Palletforce. Its primary strength lies in the pharmacy sector, and it has an established reputation for its transactional work for owner-managed businesses. It also continues to advise Lloyds TSB on medium and larger corporate deals. The ‘pragmatic’ Hilary d’Cruz is recommended, and Jasbinder Singh is also well regarded.

Hawkins Hatton Corporate Lawyers Limited has a ‘small team, but that does not detract from its ability to deal with complex business matters’. A busy year saw the team secure an appointment to the regional panel of HSBC, and act as lead adviser in the sale of a Herefordshire children’s care home and school business. Colin Rodrigues is ‘proactive rather than reactive’.

Lanyon Bowdler adopts a ‘very pragmatic and cost-effective approach’, and head of department Richard Murrall ‘gets the deal done’. It advised the shareholders of Wrekin Group in the sale of the company to Wynnstay Group. Clients include Golden Bear and Jupiter Marketing. Associate Ruth James is praised for her ‘attention to detail’.

Wright Hassall LLP has an active and wide-ranging practice, regularly handling complex deals with an international element. It acted for Valco Capital Partners (the private equity arm of Hilco) in the sale of Litho Supplies UK. Denby Pottery and HSBC are also clients. Robert Lee and Mark Lewis are recommended for corporate matters, along with the ‘very knowledgeable’ Christine Jackson on the commercial side.

At Freeth Cartwright LLP, Peter Ellis acted for Harsco Group in the disposal of the Rovacabin and Eventlink businesses. He also acted for the AIM-listed Portmeirion Group in its acquisition of the IP assets of Royal Worcester and Spode (in administration). Paul Owen is the other key contact.

Thomas Horton LLP’s Jeff Taylor ‘instils confidence’ in clients, and Matthew Horton is recommended on the commercial side. The team advised Taylor Nash in its share purchase of MARS Recruitment. It also advised Enforce Technology in its acquisition of the trade and assets of NetworkSi.

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Legal Developments in West Midlands for Corporate and commercial: Elsewhere in the West Midlands

  • US rules regarding offshore accounts

    The Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act 2010, enacted on 18 March 2010, imposes a new US withholding tax and reporting regime, known as the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). The FATCA regime applies generally to payments made after 31 December 2012, except on obligations (to be defined in future guidance) outstanding on 18 March 2012. Substantial effort is required by foreign entities to bring their worldwide operations and policies into compliance with the FATCA rules as of the effective date.

    - Jones Day

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