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DLA Piper UK LLP has traditionally acted on contract and trading disputes, with an emphasis on IT and telecoms clients such as Verizon, while others have included Bradford & Bingley and Lombard North. Ashley Mott, Richard Norman and Stephen Sly are the department’s leading lawyers.

Nabarro LLP represents clients from a range of sectors and is particularly noted as having ‘good knowledge of the housebuilding industry’. Practice head Gerard Khoshnaw ‘produces excellent results’. Recent mandates include acting for Persimmon Group in a claim against Great Lakes Reinsurance relating to an ATE insurance policy.

Irwin Mitchell LLP has a particularly strong presence in finance and real estate. The Sheffield team works alongside colleagues in Leeds, and is headed by Nick Bates. Recent highlights include defending freezing orders and underlying claims for damages in a dispute between a then Premier League Football Club and its former chairman.

HLW Commercial Lawyers LLP’s practice is led by Simon Lockley Warne, and is valued for its ‘excellent level of service’. Recent highlights include acting for a Sheffield engineering company in a claim against former directors for breach of fiduciary duty.

Hill Dickinson LLP’s commercial litigation practice was acquired from the now defunct Halliwells, and is headed by Giles Searby. Recent work includes advising Transaction Network Services in a number of significant disputes.

Keeble Hawson appointed Michael Peacock as head of department in 2010. Clients appreciate his ‘consistent advice’.

The 2009 addition of Paul Clarke from DLA Piper UK LLP was a boost to Taylor & Emmet LLP’s practice. Clients praise his ‘fighting spirit and clarity’, and say he is ‘quick to act, respond and explain matters’.

Mark Serby heads the ‘above-average’ team at Wake Smith & Tofields. It recently acted for one of the defendants in a £90m dispute involving claims by a waste management multinational for deceit, breach of warranty and breach of fiduciary duty arising out of its sale to a national metal recycling business.

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Legal Developments in the UK

Legal Developments and updates from the leading lawyers in each jurisdiction. To contribute, send an email request to

  • COUNCIL TAX

    In Harrow LBC v Ayiku [2012] EWHC 1200 (Admin) Sales J held that the word “or” in the Council Tax (Exempt Dwellings) Order 1992, art 3 Class N, had a disjunctive meaning, therefore it was sufficient for the non-British spouse of a foreign student to satisfy one or other of the two conditions, namely being prevented from taking paid employment or being prevented from claiming benefits, in order to qualify as a “relevant person” who was exempted from liability to pay council tax.
    - 11KBW

  • QUEEN’S SPEECH

    Bills already introduced pursuant to the Queen’s Speech on 9 May 2012 include Local Government Finance Bill and Electoral Registration and Administration Bill, both accompanied by Explanatory Notes, which in each case address ECHR compatibility.
    - 11KBW

  • Standards

    In R (Calver) v Adjudication Panel for Wales [2012] EWHC 1172 (Admin) Mr Calver was a member of Manorbier Community Council who successfully challenged the decision of the Panel to dismiss his appeal against a decision by Prembrokeshire County Council Standards Committee censuring him for a number of comments or blogs posted by him on a website he owned and controlled.
    - 11KBW

  • A justified retrospective

    Clive Sheldon - QC debates the pros & cons of retrospective tax legislation
    - 11KBW

  • Public Sector Equality Duty (“PSED”)

    In R (Greenwich Community Law Centre) v Greenwich LBC [2012] EWCA Civ 496 the Court of Appeal held that the Council had had “due regard to the PSED when making changes to its funding of community legal advice services”. At para 30 Elias LJ said:
    - 11KBW

  • Public Sector Equality Duty

    Surrey County Council conducted a review of its Library Service. This culminated in a Report to the Council’s Cabinet. The Recommendations in the Report included that there should be consultation about a community-partnership approach at selected Libraries.
    - 11KBW

  • Judicial Review

    The Judgment of Lindblom J in The Manydown Co Ltd v Basingstoke and Deane BC [2012] EWHC 977 (Admin) repays attention. The Claimant sought to challenge by judicial review 2 decisions of the Council: (1) the Council’s refusal to reconsider its position on the development of a site that it owns (and is the subject matter of a Joint Development Partnership Agreement with the Claimant); and (2) a decision of the Council’s Cabinet approving a selection of sites for development which did not include this site.
    - 11KBW

  • The Health and Social Care Act 2012: impact on adult social services

    After its torrid passage through Parliament, the Health and Social Care Bill received Royal Assent on 27 March 2012. The Act deals principally with healthcare reform, but it also contains some amendments to the legislative framework for social care. It will come into force on a day yet to be appointed by the Secretary of State.
    - 11KBW

  • Immigration update May 2012

    In this issue:
    - Penningtons Solicitors LLP

  • Premium service for tier 2 and 5 sponsors to be launched

    A premium service for sponsors will be launched by the UKBA on 6 April 2012. The service is designed specifically for companies that sponsor international employees under tier 2 and 5 of the points based system and aims to provide them with enhanced support.
    - Penningtons Solicitors LLP

Press Releases in the UK

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