The Legal 500

2 STONE BUILDINGS, LINCOLN'S INN, LONDON, WC2A 3TH, ENGLAND
Tel:
Work 020 7691 4000
Fax:
Fax 020 7691 4111
DX:
191 LONDON CHANCERY LANE WC2
Web:
www.edwincoe.com
Email:

What we say about the firm's legal practice in London

Corporate and commercial

Within M&A: smaller deals up to £50m, Edwin Coe LLP is a third tier firm,

Edwin Coe LLP combines ‘solid knowledge’ with ‘a practical approach’, with Andrew Bretherton recommended. The team was boosted by the arrival of Nick Williams from legacy firm Hammonds LLP. The team picked up Ladbrokes as a new client.

Crime, fraud and licensing

Within Fraud: civil , tier 4

Edwin Coe LLP is strong in claimant insurance litigation and securities fraud disputes, where it acts for large groups of shareholders. Michael Whitton and Roger Franklin are ‘tough negotiators’; and Nick Neocleous has ‘special expertise in Russian, Ukrainian and Cyprus-related disputes’.

Dispute resolution

Within Commercial litigation, tier 5

Edwin Coe LLP has a niche as a class action practice, dealing in particular with financial and securities fraud disputes. It acted for shareholders in Cattles, who formed an action group in relation to losses suffered as a result of an error in the company’s accounts. The team is ‘encouraging, supportive and at the same time realistic’. David Greene’s ‘strength is managing complex cases with hundreds of clients’; senior partner Christopher Berry is ‘a safe pair of hands’, and Nick Neocleous is ‘a hardworking and tough litigator’. Michael Whitton specialises in insurance litigation.

Human resources

Within Employment, tier 8

Edwin Coe LLP achieved a major success for City financier Mark Lowe in the complex £4.1m case brought by Jordan Wimmer in 2010: one of a raft of actions successfully handled by the team. Rachel Harrap is ‘everything that a client would want: astute, realistic, and analytical’; and the ‘very talentedLinky Trott is ‘particularly good with sensitive discrimination issues’.

Insurance

Within Insurance litigation: for policyholders , Edwin Coe LLP is a second tier firm,

The ‘highly experiencedMichael Whitton heads Edwin Coe LLP’s insurance team, which has ‘an ability to focus on the most important issues from a very early stage’, and exhibits ‘wide experience and formidable intellect’. Roger Franklin is recommended along with associate Nicola Maher, who recently joined and is ‘a very valuable addition to the team’. Clients include Synergy Healthcare and Kidde Products.

Within Professional negligence Professional negligence

Private client

Within Charities and not-for-profit , tier 6

Edwin Coe LLP advises a host of national and international charities, particularly Africa-related bodies such as the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences, and also acts for individuals setting up charities. David Goepel heads the team.

Real estate

Within Commercial property, tier 7

Edwin Coe LLP’s ‘excellent’ property group regularly handles deals between £25m-£50m, and has growing expertise in the hotels and hospitality sector. Carolyn West is ‘incredibly knowledgeable, quick and diligent’.

TMT (technology, media and telecoms)

Within Intellectual property, tier 5

Simon Miles heads the IP team at Edwin Coe LLP, whose ‘attention to detail and professional advice instils confidence’. The team was strengthened by the hire of Ted Mercer from Taylor Wessing LLP. David Greene’s ‘experience as a litigator is invaluable’.

Within IT and telecoms, tier 5

At Edwin Coe LLP, the ‘experiencedTed Mercer, who joined from Taylor Wessing LLP, is recommended for telecoms regulatory work and complex IT contracts. Nikki Powell is ‘an asset to the firm’.


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.
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  • Immigration update May 2012

    In this issue:
  • 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.