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Commercial property: Leeds and West Yorkshire; North Yorkshire

Addleshaw Goddard LLP is ‘consistently good’, and commands ‘huge respect’ in the market. It recently advised Stadium Group on the sale of a 50% joint venture interest in German shopping centre CentrO Oberhausen, valued at €1.3bn and comprising 1.6 million sq ft. It also advised Oakgate on developing a retail scheme in York to help deliver a new football and community stadium; and was instructed by Sainsbury’s Property Investments on four depot developments with a combined project value of around £500m. Paula Dillon and Bruce Lightbody are recommended.

DLA Piper UK LLP is ‘clearly up there’ and ‘continues to be a strong player’. The ‘extremely good’ team is led by Tim Field in Leeds, and counts Tata Steel and National Express among its key clients. It has been advising Knightsbridge Student Housing on a series of accommodation acquisitions. The Leeds office includes retail specialist Valerie Mather, and Sheffield partners Stephen Blacksell and Nigel Howard are also recommended.

Walker Morris is ‘fleet of foot and tends to approach matters in a very commercial manner’, providing ‘excellent value for money’. Jeremy Moore heads the practice, which recently advised Bexley Borough Council on the sale of its Civic Offices to Tesco. Unite is a key client, with recent instructions including the acquisition from Westfield of a development site in Stratford, valued at between £60m and £80m. Nicholas Cannon has ‘good business acumen and a determined approach’.

Eversheds LLP saw the departure of Adrian Hill and Morag Joyce to Muckle LLP in Newcastle and DAC Beachcroft LLP in Leeds respectively, but can still call on the expertise of Steve Felstead and George Bacon. It picked up some impressive new clients including DFS, Hallmark Cards and KPMG, acting for the latter on the sale of Hounds Hill Shopping Centre in Blackpool.

Pinsent Masons LLP ‘works well within targets and under time pressure’, adopting a ‘tailored approach’. It advised key client Aviva on several large investment transactions, and also advised Jewson on the property aspects of its £145m acquisition of 148 branches of the Build Center from Wolseley. Jonathan Brocklehurst heads the team, which includes recommended practitioner Richard Daffern. Former office head Mark Owen moved to Dickinson Dees LLP.

Squire Sanders LLP’s ‘overall performance is excellent’; its lawyers ‘put themselves out to understand the client’s business, and are proactive and lateral in their thinking’. Recent highlights include acting for both the SouthEast England Development Agency and the Homes and Communities Agency in relation to a 224-unit mixed-use development scheme. Other clients include Cath Kidston. Andrew Sprake heads the team, which includes Matthew Dalzell, Karen French and Prew Lumley, who inspires ‘complete confidence’.

Martin Grange heads the team at Clarion, which gained Persimmon Homes and Lazarus Properties as new clients. Other clients include Urban Splash. It is currently advising a major regional property investor on the refinancing and debt restructuring of a £7m commercial property portfolio.

Cobbetts LLP’s recent highlights include advising the City of Copenhagen and Realdania on the delivery of a 15,000-seat live entertainment arena in Copenhagen. Andrew Flounders heads the practice, and Jonathan Crew is noted for retail work, where national clients include Magnet and Kentucky Fried Chicken.

DAC Beachcroft LLP’s real estate practice has ‘all-round professional standards, and provides value for money’. It has gone from strength to strength with the addition of Morag Joyce and a team from Eversheds LLP, following a successful pitch by the firm to act for O2. The Leeds team performed a key role alongside other offices in securing the letting of Westfield’s 1.9 million sq ft shopping centre at the London Olympics site in Stratford; and Asda is also a client. Simon Sherwood and Virginia Clegg are the key contacts.

DWF LLP is ‘doing very well’ and is ‘easy to do business with’. It recently advised Q-Park on refinancing its UK and European property portfolio. The team is led by the ‘committed, reliable, practical and personable’ Nic Crocker.

Dickinson Dees LLP’s work in 2011 included acting for the University of York. It has been retained by Galliford Try to advise its Yorkshire subsidiary, Linden North, in relation to its residential development sites in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. David Stone heads the team, which recently relocated to Leeds from York.

Gordons LLP’s ‘service is superb’; the firm wins consistently glowing feedback from clients, and ‘has strength in depth which belies its largely Yorkshire representation’. Key clients include Morrisons. Barbara Rollin heads the department, which includes managing partner Paul Ayre.

Irwin Mitchell’s key contact in Leeds is John Flathers. The team acted for Shepherds in the public procurement process to be appointed developer on the redevelopment of the Town Hall in Trafford, a project valued at £23m.

At Ward Hadaway, ‘the overall level of service is excellent’. The team counts Allied London and British Waterways among its clients, and is led by Judy Fawcett. Andrew Pliener is ‘particularly good at combining business understanding with legal acumen’.

Dixon Law is a ‘strong regional practice with adaptability and focus’. Name partner Colin Dixon has ‘broad knowledge’, and ‘takes a full interest in individual cases’. The firm has a strong record advising healthcare clients.

Ford & Warren has particular expertise in the licence and leisure industry. It manages the northern estate of Punch Taverns, valued at around £2bn. Mark Crabtree heads the department.

At Lee & Priestley LLP, David Coleman leads a team that includes Matthew Thompson, whose ‘enthusiasm makes him a breath of fresh air’; his ‘all-round technical knowledge is excellent and he is more than capable of holding his own’. The team recently advised Jack Lunn on the acquisition of a new retail park at Northallerton.

The ‘user-friendly’ team at Lupton Fawcett LLP was strengthened by the arrival of director Russell Davidson and consultant Rodney Dalton, the latter from Brooke North LLP. David Whittaker heads the practice, and David Bowden is also recommended. The firm recently advised Austin Reed, among other clients.

Schofield Sweeney’s practice is headed by Darren Birkinshaw in Bradford, and includes Richard Innes in Leeds. Key clients include The Trafford Centre, Network Rail and Nanoco Group.

Commercial property: Sheffield and South Yorkshire

DLA Piper UK LLP provides ‘timely and clear advice at all times’. Its excellent reputation is reflected in the strength of its client base, which includes Sheffield City Council, Tata Steel and National Express. It has also been acting on a number of accommodation acquisitions for Knightsbridge Student Housing. The team is led by Nigel Howard and includes associate Allison Clarke, who stands out for her ‘team approach’ and ‘commitment and commercial understanding of the implications of her advice’.

Nabarro LLP has a ‘very good practice’ and ‘excellent lawyers who give a well-rounded service’. It recently acted for Primary Health Properties on a transaction involving 29 assets owned by various companies in the group; and also advised The Mall partnership on sales of its shopping centres in Bristol, Middlesborough and Barnsley. Sports Direct is also a client. Niall Logan heads the department.

Irwin Mitchell has a ‘heavyweight team’ that is led by Kevin Docherty and includes office managing partner Paul Firth. It acts for a number of local authority, charity and education clients, and recently advised Hallam Land Management, the planning division of Henry Boot, on a new community development in Exeter, as well as on a separate matter involving the sale of land to Bovis Homes.

Commercial property: Hull and East Yorkshire

Andrew Jackson is ‘not a large firm by modern standards, but has a significant real estate practice’. In 2011 it advised Bridgeland in relation to a proposed 612,000 sq ft green business park. It also advises Associated British Ports. Practice head Bill Fisher has ‘a wealth of experience’; he is ‘a highly skilled practitioner’ who is ‘in tune with retailers and their requirements’. The ‘first-rate’ Richard Mays is ‘commercially aware, technically accomplished’ and ‘good at finding solutions to problems’. Stephen Unwin has a significant renewables practice.

Gosschalks’ real estate department is ‘pre-eminent locally’, but also has ‘a well-deserved reputation nationally’, enabling it to ‘hold its own against competition from wherever – large or small’. Key clients include Arnold White Estates and a national pub company. Mark Teal oversees the department, which includes Dick Llewellyn, ‘probably one of the best property lawyers in the UK’, and Katie Groves, who is ‘one to watch for the future’. Andrew Bell ‘overcomes obstacles and always delivers’.

Rollits LLP’s ‘approachable’ team is led by Neil Franklin. It recently acted for Yorkshire Bank on a number of property transactions, while other clients include Helmsley Group and Joseph Rowntree Housing Trusts. It also has a growing renewables practice. The firm is noted for its well-established roots in the local business community.

Construction

Addleshaw Goddard LLP maintains a reputation for excellence in all aspects of construction work. David Shaw and the ‘extremely responsive’ James Reynolds lead on the non-contentious side, while experienced arbitrator Mark Hilton leads on contentious matters. Recent work examples include advising John Laing and The Co-operative Group on onshore wind farm developments at Billsthorpe and Coldham respectively, and acting for Sainsbury’s in connection with its ‘crystal schemes’. Reynolds is also the firm’s national head of nuclear.

Pinsent Masons LLP is ‘very very good’; the ‘level of service is consistently excellent’, and ‘strength in depth is 100%’. Practice head Mark Harris is ‘excellent’. Significant mandates included advising new client China National Overseas Engineering Company on the termination of two sections of the A2 project in Poland by the Polish Road Authority. Other key clients include Babcock Rail, Renew Holdings and Simons Construction.

Walker Morris’ ‘advice is succinct and effective’. Martin Scott heads the group; Tom Peel is ‘very good on property contract matters’ and Simon Anderson is ‘organised and proactive’ and ‘very straightforward; he gets to the point and doesn ’t sit on the fence’. Key instructions in 2011 came from clients including Unite, Arla Foods and ASD Lighting.

DLA Piper UK LLP is a ‘very professional and client-friendly organisation’, and its construction team is ‘knowledgeable, professional’, and ‘good at negotiation’. The team was recently appointed to Asda’s panel, and subsequently advised it on the construction and real estate aspects of its new chilled distribution centre in the North West. It also acted for Sheffield Hallam University on its Heart of the Campus scheme. Team head Julie Morrisy in Sheffield ‘is always bang up to date, and displays confidence in adversarial situations’.

Eversheds LLP’s construction department has recently been advising Doosan Power Systems, Asda, Mears Group and McCain Food. In 2011 it continued its growing involvement in high-value process engineering projects, particularly in the energy and waste sectors. Andrew Symms heads the department, and has extensive experience in Asia, and Central and Eastern Europe.

A niche firm with eight fee-earners, Hawkswell Kilvington LLP ‘compares favourably with larger practices’ and ‘punches above its weight’, providing ‘realistic and practical advice’. The firm is experienced in both contentious and non-contentious work, and recently advised Hallam Land Management (HLM) on the Cranbrook Project, a joint venture between HLM, Persimmon and Taylor Wimpey. Jonathan Hawkswell is the key contact; he and Daniel Silberstein are ‘very competent’. David Kilvington is also recommended.

Nabarro LLP is ‘respected locally, regionally and nationally’. Recent work examples include representing Amey as the claimant in litigation relating to the £400m Bradford BSF scheme. Practice head Martin McKervey’s ‘strong understanding of the business singles him out in his field’; his ‘open and honest personality gives clients confidence, and he is an excellent ambassador for the industry and Sheffield’. James Duckworth is also recommended.

Squire Sanders LLP’s ‘professional team’ has ‘vast experience’, and is led by the ‘very capable’ Zakir Mulla. Henry Boot has instructed it on a number of projects, including the development of The Courthouse in Manchester. Other clients include MedicX Property and the Homes and Communities Agency.

Cobbetts LLP’s recent highlights include advising Harrison Developments on a development scheme to promote the regeneration of Lichfield City Centre. Practice head Penny Tate is ‘responsive and thoughtful’, and ‘goes the extra mile to ensure interpretation of her advice is fully understood’.

DAC Beachcroft LLP has ‘a client-focused ethic’, with ‘strength in depth in abundance’. It recently advised City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council on the construction of two new schools. Andrew Marsh heads a team that is ‘helpful, flexible and prompt’, and includes the well-respected Simon Arnold.

Richard Piper at Gordons LLP has ‘thorough knowledge on construction-related issues’, and ‘impresses with his prompt, proactive and professional advice’. Recent highlights include advising GMI Construction on the regeneration of a disused chemical site in Huddersfield, and the team has also been advising Spring Petroleum.

Environment

DLA Piper UK LLP’s team is ‘knowledgeable and very responsive’. Highlights included advising Tata Steel on the environmental aspects of selling a substantial part of its business to Sahaviriya Steel Industries. Other clients include Coors Brewers, Covanta Energy and the Environment Agency. Teresa Hitchcock is ‘extremely switched on, particularly in relation to energy and mineral extraction issues’; and Paul Burnley is also recommended.

Addleshaw Goddard LLP has been advising clients including British Gas on a number of anaerobic digestion waste-to-energy plants. It is also proficient in advising on the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme, with recent clients including Semperian Capital Management. Other clients include Strawson Holdings. Amanda Beresford heads the team.

Eversheds LLP’s environment team operates on a national basis, with regulatory expert Kevin Elliott among the key partners in Leeds. Highlights included acting for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency in successfully prosecuting the owners of a vessel found to have caused substantial pollution of palm oil on the south coast of England.

The team at Nabarro LLP ‘gets straight to the heart of the matter’ and ‘provides an exemplary service’; the lawyers ‘clearly know their stuff’. Highlights included acting for Murco in an appeal against a greenhouse gas civil penalty. Lukas Rootman ‘is very personable and listens well – he provides very focused advice’.

Pinsent Masons LLP’s practice is led by legal directors Helen Peters and Pauline Munro, for non-contentious and contentious work respectively. Peters is rated for her ‘ability to explain complex issues in plain English’, and Munro is an ‘an excellent performer’ who is ‘well liked and trusted’. Recent mandates include advising Sahaviriya Steel Industries on the environmental aspects of its acquisition of Tata Steel’s UK plant.

Planning

Squire Sanders LLP provides a ‘good service’, and ‘friendly, client-focused advice’. In 2011 it assisted National Grid in seeking consent for a 22-kilometre electricity transmission line in Suffolk; and gained new clients including Manchester City FC, Quintain Estates and Artisan. Practice head David Goodman is ‘reliable, robust, and usefully opinionated, and can be relied upon to deliver’. Richard Glover is a key player, and senior associate Julia Dixon ‘deserves recognition’; she is ‘reliable, not afraid to roll her sleeves up’, and ‘good at analysis’.

Walker Morris, ‘a regional firm with the quality of a national’, has a winning combination of ‘top-level experts supported by a close-knit team’. In 2011, it advised Taylor Wimpey and Persimmon Homes, among others. Richard Sagar ‘can deal with big picture and detail, and has the benefit of the perspective of being an advocate’; Chris Slater ‘has delivered some difficult agreements in a timely and unflustered manner’; and Andrew Williamson is an ‘excellent, thorough and meticulous advocate’.

Addleshaw Goddard LLP recently acted for Strawson Holdings in relation to the Secretary of State’s decision in a planning appeal over the proposed redevelopment of a former RAF site for a mixed-use development scheme. It also advised British Gas and Doncaster Metropolitan Council, among others. Amanda Beresford is recommended.

Cobbetts LLP, notwithstanding the significant loss of David Hardy to Eversheds LLP, has a ‘hardworking team’ that ‘always delivers on time’, and is noted for its ‘efficiency’ and ‘depth of knowledge’. Now led by director Marian Griffiths, its clients include E.ON Renewables, Warwick Energy and Cornwall Council.

DLA Piper UK LLP’s clients appreciate its ‘rare’ depth of expertise in oil and gas matters, praising its ‘excellent knowledge of the industry’. Led by Leeds-based Glenn Sharpe, it also has presence in Sheffield. Moorland Energy is a key client.

Dickinson Dees LLP has ‘outperformed some London practices in terms of focus and advice’. It recently advised Augean on the High Court challenge to its planning permission to take low-level radioactive waste at its hazardous landfill site. Team head Claire Brook is ‘at the top of the tree as regards waste management’, and Jocelyn Denton has ‘strength in dealing with difficult negotiations’.

Eversheds LLP recently hired David Hardy from Cobbetts LLP; his work is ‘always excellent, to time and displays a thorough understanding of planning’. Key clients include Next and Taylor Wimpey.

Nabarro LLP has excellent knowledge of the coal industry, and key clients include Harworth Estates and Essex County Council Pension Fund. Senior associate Derek Hayes is ‘a very experienced planning lawyer’ and ‘provides valuable insights’.

Pinsent Masons LLP’s Jonathan Riley is ‘a good team leader, and very sharp’. The group’s broad mix of clients includes the MoD and Leeds Bradford International Airport. It is currently advising three local authorities in relation to a new nuclear power station in Somerset.

Mark Dixon is the key contact at Rollits LLP, which recently advised The Kingswood Parks Development Company in relation to a mixed-use 600-acre greenfield site in Hull. Other clients include Blocktext and Horncastle Group.

Property litigation

Addleshaw Goddard LLP is ‘very successful’ in the area of property litigation, and recently acted for Jolan and others in the high-profile case Crossco v Jolan. It continues to advise Standard Life, Scottish Widows and Threadneedle on asset management issues such as break notices, dilapidations and service charge disputes. Julie Middlemass is the key figure in the practice, and is currently advising British Land on contentious matters relating to the Meadowhall Centre in Sheffield.

DLA Piper UK LLP’s ‘well-run team provides a seamless service’, and its ‘individuals are of a high calibre’. The Sheffield team, headed by Petra Billing, counts National Express as a key client. In Leeds, the team acts for Dixons and Mothercare; Matthew Lonergan and John Kittle oversee this arm of the practice, and the latter is ‘very capable and commercial, and fully tuned into clients’ business requirements’.

Nabarro LLP has ‘excellent knowledge of industry-critical matters’, and its ‘response times are first class’. It acts for The Coal Authority and Land Securities, and recently advised UK Coal in relation to the Huntington Lane Surface Mine protest. New clients include Threadneedle. Stephen Scott heads the team, and associate Jane Turley ‘stands out as an extremely thorough and high-quality lawyer’.

Pinsent Masons LLP ‘displays great business acumen and industry knowledge’, and gives ‘sound advice, often at short notice’. The group recently acted for Marcus Heaney on a rights of light action concerning Toronto Square in Leeds. Practice head Matthew Baker is ‘very helpful indeed’; he has ‘an ability to get straight to the heart of the matter, and has proved to be very focused on the issues that count’.

Squire Sanders LLP has ‘terrific knowledge of negligence issues’ and ‘particular expertise in ADR’. It recently acted for Manchester Airport Group when some 680 claims were issued for compensation following major works carried out at Manchester and East Midlands airports. New clients include Carpenter. Sally Lodge heads the group; she is ‘approachable, realistic and understands the real world’. Barrister Patrick Walker is ‘extremely helpful’, and Nick Armitage is ‘an extremely good lawyer’.

Walker Morris provides ‘commercially tailored advice’, and is ‘very responsive’. It recently acted for Persimmon Homes in a claim involving construction and rectification issues, and for Montpellier Estates in a claim against Leeds City Council. Andrew Beck heads the department.

Stephen Green heads the practice at Cobbetts LLP. Its mix of commercial and residential clients includes Magnet, Gladedale, West Yorkshire Housing, and new client Crescent Estates.

DWF LLP ‘handles cases effectively and commercially’, enabling it to ‘compete well with larger firms in Leeds’. It recently represented Q-Park on the purchase of several airport parking sites. Practice head Andrew Todd has ‘a rare ability to get to the heart of a matter and to deliver solutions in a cost-effective way’. Alan Herbert is rated for his ‘availability’ and ‘understanding’.

Eversheds LLP’s clients ‘depend on its depth of knowledge’; it ‘never fails to deliver’. Leeds department head Alison Oldfield, alongside teams in London and Newcastle, acted for Olympic Park Legacy Company in defending its decision to select West Ham United FC as the preferred bidder for the Olympic stadium lease.

Social housing

Addleshaw Goddard LLP has longstanding experience in social housing finance. It recently acted for Santander and Lloyds TSB on the £355m refinancing of Riverside Housing Association, and for RBS and the European Investment Bank on providing £520m facilities to Wakefield & District Housing. New client wins in 2011 included Credit Suisse and Royal Bank of Canada. Lee Shankland heads the practice.

Cobbetts LLP is praised for its ‘attention to detail’ and ‘good working knowledge’. It recently advised Yorkshire Housing on the purchase of land in Barnsley for a sizeable residential development, and advised Arena Housing Group on the purchase of land in Cheshire. Ian Moran heads the group, and Julie Cowan is noted for her negotiation skills.

Emsleys Solicitors regularly represents providers of social housing in relation to housing management as well as non-contentious property matters. John Murray heads the department.

Pinsent Masons LLP is a key adviser to the Homes and Communities Agency. Its ‘knowledge of the social housing world is very solid’, and ‘there is a strong team assigned to projects so you never feel the lawyers are overstretched’. Anne Bowden heads the group.

Rollits LLP’s practice is led by Douglas Oliver, who has ‘extensive knowledge of the sector’. Clients include The Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust and Yorkshire Housing.

Schofield Sweeney has extensive experience in acting for social landlords and their funders. Simon Petchey and Andrew Hurst are the key partners.

Walker Morris acts for a variety of registered providers including Hyde, InCommunities and Accent. Chris Woodthorpe ‘takes time to explain things properly’, and ‘can move quickly when needed’.

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