The Legal 500

ESSEX HOUSE, MANOR STREET, HULL, HU1 1XH

What we say about the firm's legal practice in Yorkshire and the Humber

Corporate and commercial

Within Corporate and commercial: East Yorkshire and the Humber:, Andrew Jackson is a first tier firm,

Andrew Funnell leads Andrew Jackson’s busy corporate team, which advised Oughtred and Harrison in its demerger and sale by MBO. The team has real strength in the dairy and food sector, and Martin Whitehead is highly rated in this field.

Dispute resolution

Within Commercial litigation: East Yorkshire and the Humber:, Andrew Jackson is a first tier firm,

Hugh Smith’s large team at Andrew Jackson is noted for advising on multimillion-pound international food product liability disputes.

Human resources

Within Employment: East Yorkshire, Andrew Jackson is a second tier firm,

Headed by Jonathan Dale, Andrew Jackson boasts an increasingly national client base that includes International Power, as well as local clients such as Hull FC. Recent instructions involve redundancy-related work.

Within Health and safety, Andrew Jackson is a second tier firm,

Andrew Jackson represents clients in HSE and local authority investigations and prosecutions, and is experienced in corporate manslaughter cases. Jeff Swales and Andrew Oliver are recommended.

Private client

Within Agriculture and estates, Andrew Jackson is a second tier firm,

Martin Whitehead leads Andrew Jackson’s agriculture practice, acting for landed estates, and landowning and tenant farmers. The team recently advised onthe commercial and property aspects of wind farm projects.

Within Family: North, South and East Yorkshire:, Andrew Jackson is a second tier firm,

Isobel Robson heads an Andrew Jackson team that is expanding its reach across the north of England. It recently advised the fiancée of a rich list member on a pre-nuptial agreement, the couple having combined assets in excess of £1bn.

Real estate

Within Construction

Within North and East Yorkshire:, Andrew Jackson is a first tier firm,

Andrew Jackson is capable of operating on both a regional and national scale. In keeping with the firm’s respected know-how in retail development, particularly in the food sector, the group advised J Ross Developments on a new multimillion-pound Tesco Superstore project in Wales. Bill Fisher leads the successful team.

TMT (technology, media and telecoms)

Within Intellectual property and information technology, tier 4

Andrew Jackson is recommended for its IP expertise and receives regular instructions from PLC clients.

Transport

Within Transport , Andrew Jackson is a first tier firm,

Andrew Jackson has a comprehensive shipping and marine practice, and is the only firm in the region with dedicated wet and dry shipping, sea fisheries and marine environment teams. The firm’s wet unit is receiving increased shipping accident and fatality instructions, while dry instructions are frequently sourced from insurers AXA Insurance UK and Allianz Northern Ireland. ‘Very impressive all-round lawyer’ Dominic Ward heads the department.

Yorkshire and the Humber Overview

Within Regional review,

Harrogate is a relatively compact market, offering quality players such as McCormicks, Hempsons and Berwins LLP, while the Hull market remains largely focused on the shipping and food processing industries. Andrew Jackson, Gosschalks and Rollits remain the top players here.


Legal Developments in the UK

Legal Developments and updates from the leading lawyers in each jurisdiction. To contribute, send an email request to
  • Changes to the child visitor immigration rules from 1 January 2010

    From 1 January 2010, students from countries outside the European Economic Area will be able to apply to enter the UK for up to six months on an exchange or educational visit to a state-maintained school, a non-maintained special school, an independent fee-paying school or an independent non fee-paying school. They will not require entry clearance, unless they are nationals of countries who require a visa to enter the UK.
    - Penningtons Solicitors LLP
  • Introduction of biometric processing for tier 2 in-country applications  - a reminder

    Regulations extending identity cards for foreign nationals (ICFN) to skilled workers came into force on 6 January 2010. All tier 2 applications made inside the UK now involve the enrolment of the applicant's biometric information (fingerprints and photograph).
    - Penningtons Solicitors LLP
  • Pulling the plug on a television documentary:a case study

    Out of the blue, you receive a call from a broadcaster proposing to feature your company in a prime-time documentary. The broadcaster tells you that they have footage covertly filmed inside the company by a former employee, accompanied by sensational stories from the same source. After carrying out initial enquiries, you ascertain that the former employee left on bad terms, the footage is staged and the stories are, in some instances, untrue and, in others, wildly exaggerated. You must stop the broadcast. Your next two calls are to your PR or communications team and your media lawyers. These teams will work alongside each other to apply just the right amount of pressure on the broadcaster to ensure that the story is dropped. You gather your team around you and prepare as much information as possible to hand over to the media lawyers.
    - Schillings
  • Stop the press:the Reynolds defence

    Reynolds v Times Newspapers Ltd & ors [2001] established a new defence for libel claims in which the story is in the public interest and the publisher acted ‘responsibly’. The Reynolds defence is designed to protect serious investigative journalists acting in good faith and reporting on matters of public interest. Even where allegations are false and hugely damaging to the subject of the publication, publishers can make use of this defence. However, Reynolds has also provided a useful tool for subjects to delay, if not prevent, publication of defamatory allegations.
    - Schillings
  • Fire safety: a burning legal issue

    Heralded as the biggest overhaul of fire safety legislation in 40 years, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order (FSO) 2005 was introduced in April 2006 with the intention of streamlining existing legislation, reducing the burden on business and improving safety by allowing fire authorities (the bodies responsible for fire brigades in each area) to concentrate on high-risk premises; all of which are laudable aims. But over three years on what’s been the reality?
    - Bond Pearce LLP
  • Terminal traps in insurance contracts

    The terms of any insurance contract can be categorised as conditions, conditions precedent, warranties, or terms delimiting the risk. The status of conditions and warranties in mainstream contract law is reversed in insurance law. Breach:
    - Debevoise & Plimpton LLP
  • Samsun Logix and developing cross-border insolvency issues

    With the ever-increasing trend towards globalisation, it is often observed that there are few businesses of reasonable size that do not trade across borders. At this difficult economic time, many are likely to have overseas suppliers, contractors, counter-parties and customers undergoing financial difficulties. For these businesses, cross-border insolvency issues are cropping up frequently. At the same time, the law is rapidly developing, with cases on cross-border insolvency issues regularly brought before the English and foreign courts.
    - Holman Fenwick Willan
  • Agreement finally reached on EU telecoms reform package

    On 5 November 2009 the European Commission announced that the European Parliament and Council of Ministers had finally reached an agreement on the issues outstanding in the reform of the EU Common Regulatory Framework for Communications (CRF). Disagreement between the European Parliament and the member states (via their position in the Council) earlier this year had threatened to significantly delay the vital reform of the CRF.
    - SJ Berwin LLP
  • Dispute resolution clauses in IT contracts

    Given the relatively frequent occurrence of disputes over contracts for the supply of software and IT services, dispute resolution provisions are an important feature. In the recent case of Ericsson AB v Eads Defence and Security Systems Ltd [2009], the High Court had an opportunity to consider such provisions and their relationship with rights of termination and remedies under the contract.
    - SJ Berwin LLP
  • Under review: current consultations and market studies

    THE EU and UK competition authorities are carrying out several consultations on revised legislation and guidance, as well as a number of market studies.
    - Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP