United Kingdom > Yorkshire and the Humber > Corporate and commercial
Corporate and commercial: Leeds and West Yorkshire; North Yorkshire
Corporate and commercial: Leeds and West Yorkshire; North Yorkshire
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- Addleshaw Goddard LLP (Leeds)
- DLA Piper UK LLP (Leeds)
- Eversheds LLP (Leeds)
- Pinsent Masons LLP (Leeds)
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Squire Sanders LLP - Walker Morris (Leeds)
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2
- Cobbetts LLP (Leeds)
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Gordons LLP (Leeds, Bradford)
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- Clarion (Leeds)
- DWF LLP (Leeds)
- Dickinson Dees LLP (Leeds)
- Irwin Mitchell (Leeds)
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Lupton Fawcett LLP (Leeds) - Schofield Sweeney (Leeds, Bradford)
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Denison Till (York) -
Harrowells LLP (York) - Langleys Solicitors LLP (York)
- Last Cawthra Feather LLP (Bradford, Shipley, Ilkley)
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Lee & Priestley LLP (Leeds)
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- 3volution LLP (Leeds)
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HLW Keeble Hawson (Leeds) - Hempsons (Harrogate)
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Levi Solicitors LLP (Leeds) - McCormicks (Harrogate)
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Ramsdens (Huddersfield) -
Shulmans (Leeds) -
The Needle Partnership LLP (Leeds) -
Ward Hadaway (Leeds) -
Watson Burton LLP (Leeds)
Addleshaw Goddard LLP is an established player in the corporate market, with a particularly strong presence within financial services. Significant mandates included advising Yorkshire Building Society on the acquisition of Egg Banking’s £2.5bn Savings business and £430m mortgage business. It also advised 3i in connection with the sale of RBG to Stork Technical Services and Arle, closing the deal within six weeks. Yunus Seedat and Neil Woolhouse enjoy solid reputations in the market, and Tim Wheldon has re-joined the firm following a number of years in-house. Simon Pilling recently left to take up an in-house position.
Recent highlights for DLA Piper UK LLP’s ‘outstanding’ practice include advising Priory Central Services in relation to the sale of Priory Investments to Advent International. Jonathan Proctor heads the corporate group, while the ‘very skilled and pragmatic’ Iain Bowler leads on the commercial side, and recently advised Smith & Nephew Medical in relation to design and manufacturing agreements. Wendy Harrison is ‘superb’, and John Gallon is ‘friendly but decisive’.
Eversheds LLP’s advice is ‘immaculate’; clients are ‘grateful for the exemplary input and competence of its lawyers’. The team recently acted for Glisten on the purchase of Honey Monster Sugar Puffs, and also of Big Bear Group, which owns Fox’s Confectionery. Robin Skelton heads the corporate practice, while Peter McCormack leads on the commercial side. The team ‘has merit’ for many reasons, including its ‘ability to work effectively and under pressure’. Hannah Kendrick is particularly recommended.
At Pinsent Masons LLP, ‘the overall client experience is first class’. A key highlight was advising DCC Energy in the acquisition of oil distribution assets formerly owned by Total for a consideration of approximately €67m. New instructions included advising Rothschild in relation to the recommended cash offer for Pinewood Studios. Andrew Kerr co-heads the group with the ‘exceptional’ Andrew Black. Peter Wood is ‘an excellent negotiator’, and ‘extremely reliable’.
Squire Sanders LLP has ‘good depth of skills within the team’, and clients appreciate the level of ‘partner involvement and engagement’. 2011 highlights included advising the sellers on the disposal of Applied Language Solutions to Capita for £67m, and advising Volvox Group on a secondary buyout backed by Elysian Capital. The key partners are Steven Glover and Jonathan Jones; both are highly regarded by peers and clients.
Walker Morris’ clients value its ‘partner-led approach’, and praise its industry knowledge and ‘excellent judgement in assessing the significance of issues’. It recently advised Endless LLP on the closing of its third fund at £220m, and is advising on the financing side of the sale of Dyson’s Saffil business to US company Unifrax. John Hamer leads the team, and Richard Naish is ‘always helpful’.
Cobbetts LLP has acted on some significant international deals recently, such as advising US-based Techne Corporation on its £75m cash acquisition of Tocris Holdings. The ‘top-class team’ has a ‘great work ethic and outstanding skills’, and benefits from Dan O’Gorman’s capital markets expertise. Guy Jackson and Mark Green are recommended for corporate and commercial work respectively.
Gordons LLP is ‘going from strength to strength’. Highlights included advising Morrisons, a flagship client of the firm, on its acquisition of Flower World. It also acted for William Cook on the acquisition of Astrum from joint administrators, and for Advent Data on the sale of the company to DCC for around £25m. Senior partner John Holden heads the department.
Clarion provides ‘excellent value for money’, and has acted on several high-value deals recently, including advising the executors of the late Jimi Heselden OBE and his various companies, including Hesco Bastion. Practice head Richard Moran has ‘excellent all-round knowledge, and takes a good commercial approach to situations’. Christian Hunt is also recommended.
DWF LLP provides ‘excellent, straight-talking advice, combined with great efficiency’. New client wins included Grainger, which the firm assisted with the reorganisation and refinancing of Sovereign Reversions, a joint venture between the client and Moorfield. Lester Wilson, described by one client as ‘the only lawyer I don ’t resent paying fees to’, gives ‘good results every time’. Andrew Walker is also recommended.
Dickinson Dees LLP provides ‘value-for-money advice’. Recent highlights include advising Vivimed Labs on its acquisition of Uquifa from Yule Catto for $55m; and advising the University of York on establishing a joint venture with City of York Council and Sport England for the development of a new sports village. Philip Ashworth heads the department.
Irwin Mitchell is ‘very user friendly, and offers excellent advice to clients’. The team recently acted for Encon on its management buyout from Wolseley, and for Henry Boot in a joint venture with Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust. Paul Johnson is ‘communicative, proactive and commercial’.
A ‘preferred choice’ for many, Lupton Fawcett LLP has a strong reputation as a mid-tier firm. Clients include York Mailing, which instructed the firm in relation to its purchase of Pindar out of administration. Practice head Bob Harrap is ‘strong commercially, and a good communicator’. Andrew Lindsay recently joined from Denison Till.
Schofield Sweeney provides a ‘cost-competitive, commercial and effective service’. It recently acted for the selling shareholders on the sale of Bagel Nash, and advised EnServe on a £9m management buyout. Chris Schofield leads the team, and is recommended alongside Martin Sweeney and David Strachan.
Denison Till’s clients appreciate the ‘subject matter expertise’ of its lawyers, and its ‘specialist professional advice’. Key clients include Burgess Group, Brands Home & Leisure (BHL), and Flamingo Land. Alastair Duncan heads the group; and Martin Frost is ‘tenacious’, with excellent negotiation skills and commercial acumen’. Andrew Lindsay recently left to join Lupton Fawcett LLP.
Harrowells LLP has been developing its expertise in the healthcare sector, advising a number of GP groups. Other clients include high street fashion boutique Coggles. Philip Lewis Ogden leads the team.
Langleys Solicitors LLP recently acted for Collinson Dutton on the sale of its consulting rail engineering business to GHD, including the sale of its Australian subsidiary. Other instructions came from property group Hunters and Paragon Creative. Andy Kay heads the department.
Last Cawthra Feather LLP has ‘real strength in this area’, and the team is ‘totally professional, giving great customer service’. Susan Clark is ‘very knowledgeable’. Recent mandates include acting for a client on the issue of convertible loan notes to corporate investors and individuals, raising up to £2m.
Lee & Priestley LLP is recommended for its ‘common-sense attitude’, and has recently been involved in significant transactions within the healthcare sector. Practice head Jonathan Oxley is ‘honest, flexible and knowledgeable’, and associate Christian Peace ‘always does an excellent job’ and is ‘highly skilled’.
Corporate and commercial: Sheffield and South Yorkshire
Corporate and commercial: Sheffield and South Yorkshire
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- DLA Piper UK LLP (Sheffield)
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- Nabarro LLP (Sheffield)
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3
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HLW Keeble Hawson (Sheffield) - Hill Dickinson LLP (Sheffield)
- Irwin Mitchell (Sheffield)
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Bell & Buxton (Sheffield) -
Taylor & Emmet LLP (Sheffield)
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Wake Smith LLP (Sheffield)
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DLA Piper UK LLP has a reputation as ‘the leading brand in the city’, and the corporate team is ‘excellent’. It recently acted for Eaga (now Carillion Energy Services) on its £300m debt and equity financing of a rooftop solar energy project. It also advised Dyson and UGI, the latter on the acquisition of seven businesses from Royal Dutch Shell. Notable members of the team include Catherine Simister and Jon Kenworthy. Well-respected office managing partner Richard May oversees the team.
Nabarro LLP showed its ability to handle complex, cross-border instructions when it acted as lead adviser to Brenntag on the £112m acquisition of Multisol Group. National client wins included Sports Direct, and it continues to advise Ryanair and UK Coal, among others. The team is headed by Ben Hendry; both he and Andrea Cropley are highly respected and ‘always a pleasure to deal with’.
Newly merged outfit HLW Keeble Hawson is ‘a key player in the South Yorkshire market’, and ‘very good on SME transactions’. Recent mandates include acting for ELG on acquiring the entire issued share capital of Recycled Carbon Fibre from its UK and US institutional shareholders. Practice head Roger Dyson is ‘imaginative, efficient, and very commercial in his approach’, and Paul Trudgill is also recommended.
Hill Dickinson LLP rises in the ranking this year. Neil Thompson is ‘clearly the premier corporate lawyer in Sheffield’, and ‘his team has been hand picked’. Key mandates included acting for Endless on its successful exit from Amco Group, which was acquired by Renew Holdings. Paul King is ‘highly capable and easy to deal with’.
Irwin Mitchell provides ‘excellent value for money’, giving ‘informed, timely, and practical advice’ which ‘helps to make the transaction run more smoothly’. Highlights included acting for PPL Polyurethane Products on its acquisition by Trelleborg. James Bullock is ‘very good’, and ‘always hits deadlines’. Kevin Cunningham heads the team.
Bell & Buxton’s two-partner practice recently advised Ulma Packaging and Phoenix Collingwood. Alex Ross is the principal contact.
Taylor & Emmet LLP acted for SCX on the disposal of its subsidiary GCM to Premier Technical Services, and also advised Seafield on its acquisition of Kent-based freight forwarding company Distribution Investments. Associate Peter Crawford is recommended.
Wake Smith LLP has a relatively sizeable team with some ‘great individuals’ who ‘know their customers well, thus saving time in instructions’. It is HSBC’s sole adviser in the region on commercial matters. Duncan Shepherd heads the team, which includes John Baddeley.
Corporate and commercial: Hull and East Yorkshire
Corporate and commercial: Hull and East Yorkshire
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Andrew Jackson (Hull) -
Gosschalks (Hull) -
Rollits LLP (Hull)
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Andrew Jackson gives ‘beneficial and knowledgeable advice’ that is ‘within required response times’ and ‘value for money’. It recently acted for TestMatchExtra.com on the acquisition of the entire share capital of Wisden Cricketer Publishing; and also advised Nisa on the planned separation of its retail and wholesale businesses. Practice head Andrew Funnell is ‘concise but thorough’, and Mark Pearson-Kendall ‘gets things done in a timely manner’.
Gosschalks is ‘consistently on top of the transaction’ and provides ‘excellent and timely advice’. In 2011, mandates included advising a large excavation and quarrying company on a proposed Insolvency Act reconstruction. Just Car Clinics is a key client, and instructed the firm on its delisting from AIM. Simon Lunt heads the practice.
The ‘excellent’ practice at Rollits LLP recently advised Assem Allam and family on the acquisition of Hull City AFC and its stadium. Other work included advising the management team of Crown Paints on the sale of the company. Senior partner Steve Trynka heads the team and is ‘a very good corporate lawyer’. Nasim Sharf is ‘superb’, and ‘provides sound advice on business structuring’.
Corporate tax
Corporate tax
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1
- Pinsent Masons LLP (Leeds)
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Squire Sanders LLP (Leeds)
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2
- Addleshaw Goddard LLP (Leeds)
- Eversheds LLP (Leeds)
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3
- DLA Piper UK LLP (Leeds)
- DWF LLP (Leeds)
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Lupton Fawcett LLP (Leeds) - Walker Morris (Leeds)
The team at Pinsent Masons LLP has ‘very good depth of legal knowledge’, and is ‘enjoyable to work with’. Recent mandates include acting for the property investment fund MC Income Plus Fund on a major restructuring, enabling it to convert from a widely held fund into a fund for institutional investors. John Christian heads the team, which includes Judith Cray and senior associate Jon Robinson, who is ‘always good at answering tricky questions’.
Squire Sanders LLP’s recent highlights include advising the sellers of Travel Republic on pre-sale tax planning and structuring in relation to the sale of the company to dnata World Travel, a sister company to Emirates. Other instructions came from Six Degrees Group and Fore Advisors. Mark Simpson is the key contact in the Leeds team, which includes Timothy Jarvis.
Addleshaw Goddard LLP’s team is ‘technically strong’, and its ‘pragmatic approach is a key differentiating factor’. It recently advised Sainsbury’s on cross-border taxation issues, and has a strong client base within financial services, including Yorkshire Building Society and Santander. Justine Delroy is ‘experienced and practical’.
Eversheds LLP is valued for ‘clear, concise and professional advice delivered within tight timescales and the agreed budget’. Its expertise spans corporate tax and VAT matters, and tax disputes. Highlights included advising SPX on its purchase of Clydeunion Pumps. David Jervis heads the practice, and associate David Smith is ‘outstanding’; he is ‘well informed, and up to date with best practice and the law’.
EU and competition
EU and competition
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1
- Addleshaw Goddard LLP (Leeds)
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2
- Eversheds LLP (Leeds)
- Walker Morris (Leeds)
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3
- Cobbetts LLP (Leeds)
- McCormicks (Harrogate)
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Ward Hadaway (Leeds)
The full-service competition team at Addleshaw Goddard LLP continues to act for Sainsbury’s in respect of its immunity position in the OFT’s tobacco investigation. Other key highlights included acting for Quarmby Construction and its parent company St James Securities in appealing a decision fining them for participation in the construction cover pricing cartel. Adam Aldred, who is recognised for his ‘niche in competition litigation’, heads up the Leeds arm of the department.
Eversheds LLP recently achieved settlement on an abuse of dominance case for Reckitt Benckiser, and advised Electruepart on its acquisition of eSpares, obtaining unconditional clearance for the transaction from the OFT. Adam Collinson heads the team, which includes Adam Ferguson and associate Kate Newman.
Walker Morris’ recent mandates include representing Yorkshire Purchasing Organisation (YPO), a public sector group made up of local authorities, in an OFT cartel investigation about the marketing of goods and services to schools across the country. Jeremy Scholes heads the department.