The Legal 500

Within Corporate and commercial: Bristol, tier 4

Anthony Young leads Bevan Brittan LLP’s corporate practice. Recent clients include the management team of Healthcall Optical and Hearing Services, Esporta Group Limited and Smiths News.

Within EU and competition, Bevan Brittan LLP is a third tier firm,

Tim Heywood has ‘excellent knowledge of EU procurement law and a practical approach to advising his clients‘. He leads the team at Bevan Brittan LLP.

Within Commercial litigation: Bristol, Bevan Brittan LLP is a third tier firm,

Steven Eccles, Ed Husband and Emily Heard have been promoted to partner level at Bevan Brittan LLP, following the departures of Ben Daniels to Beachcroft LLP and Tim Boyce to Osborne Clarke. Tom Ellis is ‘knowledgeable‘ with a ‘strong commercial approach‘. Key clients include Eurotunnel and Orange.

Within Insolvency and corporate recovery, tier 4

Ed Husband, head of the insolvency and restructuring team at Bevan Brittan LLP, is a ‘good listener who is professional and yet has a very personal style‘. The team’s clients include Wincanton, PwC and BDO Stoy Hayward.

Within Employment: Bristol, Bevan Brittan LLP is a first tier firm,

Led by Julian Hoskins, the team at Bevan Brittan LLP displays ‘great detailed knowledge‘. Highlights included representing the UK’s largest security services company regarding a disability discrimination claim, and Sarah Lamont leading work for Cornwall County Council on the Local Government Reorganisation.

Within Clinical negligence - defendant, Bevan Brittan LLP is a first tier firm,

Bevan Brittan LLP enjoys a fantastic reputation and provides ‘great support to clinical staff‘ during proceedings. The team ‘responds out of hours‘, with Simon Lindsay and Ed Duckworth providing an ‘excellent and reliable service‘. The team has two NHSLA-nominated partners, and has acted on some high-profile hospital acquired infection cases.

Within Personal injury - defendant, Bevan Brittan LLP is a second tier firm,

Bevan Brittan LLP provides ‘effective legal solutions‘, notably through Adrian Neale, who displays ‘impressive in-depth knowledge and attention to detail‘, and Paul Taverner, a ‘star in the insurance field‘. The team focuses on high-value head and spinal injury and stress cases, and is appointed to the London Authorities Mutual panel. Defending claims from professional sportsmen is a niche.

Within Charities, Bevan Brittan LLP is a third tier firm,

Bevan Brittan LLP’s John Clarke advises on charity law and is a member of the Charity Law Association.

Within Private finance initiative (PFI), Bevan Brittan LLP is a first tier firm,

David Hunter now heads the six-partner team at Bevan Brittan LLP after the departure of Chris Wade and Simon Moore to Osborne Clarke in December 2008. Penny Rinta-Suksi is recommended as a ‘determined and focused lawyer who understands a wide range of aspects concerning PFI law both from a private and public sector viewpoint‘.

Within Education, Bevan Brittan LLP is a third tier firm,

John Clarke leads Bevan Brittan LLP’s vast education practice, which spans the independent and maintained sectors.

Within Health, Bevan Brittan LLP is a first tier firm,

Led by the ‘creative and responsive‘ Stephen Hughes, Bevan Brittan LLP’s team has ‘excellent strength in depth‘. The team advises a wealth of foundation trusts and is also involved in a number of high-value PFI schemes in the South West.

Within Local government, Bevan Brittan LLP is a first tier firm,

Bevan Brittan LLP is a team that is ‘ahead of the game‘, and is led by Bethan Evans and Peter Keith-Lucas. The 11-partner practice has a national reputation and advises on standards, conduct and constitutional issues, and major projects, such as regeneration and social housing as well as property development.

Within Commercial property: Bristol, Bevan Brittan LLP is a third tier firm,

Bevan Brittan LLP’s practice is ‘prompt and committed‘ and ‘commercially astute‘. It advised Places for People group on the Dove Lane project and Knightstone on its multimillion-pound refinancing facility. Team head Mark Calverley is ‘a real market leader‘.

Within Construction, Bevan Brittan LLP is a first tier firm,

Bevan Brittan LLP’s clients are ‘impressed‘ with Martin Howe’s ‘legal and commercial skills‘ and Duncan Weir’s ‘great industry knowledge‘. The ‘professional and pragmatic‘ team advised Costain on a £120m waste-to-energy plant construction, and Bristol University on the £90m BioMaths project. Waste and renewables is a developing focus of the practice.

Within Planning, Bevan Brittan LLP is a second tier firm,

Bevan Brittan LLP’s team is headed by Karen Cooksley, and associate Kathryn Lawrance ‘progresses work with minimal instruction‘. Devon County Council, South Hams District Council and Plymouth City Council instructed the team on a new 5,500-home settlement. Other clients include Robert Hitchins Limited and Bristol Primary Care Trust.

Within Property litigation, tier 5

The ‘experienced‘ Steven Eccles at Bevan Brittan LLP is part of an ‘extremely professional and helpful‘ team.

Within Social housing, Bevan Brittan LLP is a second tier firm,

Bevan Brittan LLP’s client relationships are ‘among the best in the industry‘, with ‘approachable‘ RSL specialist Ken Mortimer advising Places for People on a redevelopment scheme, while Merlin Housing Society has been represented in a number of disputes.

Within Regional review

Within Intellectual property and information technology , tier 4

Bevan Brittan LLP’s two-partner IP and IT practice is led by Martin Carroll and provides a ‘client-focused service‘. Clients include Motorola, Orange Personal Communications Services and Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications.