The Legal 500

London: Dispute resolution

Commercial litigation

Bevan Brittan LLP is well known for its local authority and public sector-related disputes experience; the practice also fields litigators in fraud, financial services, IT, breach of duty claims, and contractual disputes. Virginia Cooper specialises in collective actions and is experienced in financial services disputes.

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Professional discipline

Professional discipline - ranked: tier 3

Bevan Brittan LLP

Bevan Brittan LLP's practice includes advising professional regulatory bodies in relation to the Bar Standards Board, SRA, ARB, Insolvency Practitioners Association and the FRC. It has led numerous inquiries and investigations into the conduct of local authority officers and councillors. Birmingham-based Adam Kendall heads the litigation, advisory and regulatory department; and Virginia Cooper in London acts for a large number of public bodies, including local authorities, regulators, NHS Trusts and Ombudsmen. London’s Amy Tschobotko is a key senior associate.

Leading individuals

Rising stars

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London: Human resources

Employment: employers

Employment: employers - ranked: tier 6

Bevan Brittan LLP

Jodie Sinclair leads the employment practice at Bevan Brittan LLP, which acts for an extensive list of healthcare employers in the private sector, third sector and NHS spheres. The team has recently advised on the employment aspects of complex mergers of healthcare bodies, the provision of medical consultants in private patient units, TUPE consultations and workforce reorganisations. Operational advice typically involves senior executive conduct and performance issues, workforce implications of CQC inspections, responding to whistleblower complaints and other highly sensitive internal investigations. The team often represents clients in the Employment Tribunal and upper courts on disputes involving unfair dismissal claims, discrimination claims and breach of contract disputes.

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Health and safety

Health and safety - ranked: tier 4

Bevan Brittan LLP

Bevan Brittan LLP has a strong reputation in the public sector and is a popular choice for NHS trusts and housing associations. Stuart Marchant is one of three practice heads and primarily focuses on health and social care issues. Fellow practice head Adam Kendall, who is based in Birmingham, is an expert in advising on health and safety issues involving healthcare and housing. Also leading the team is Bristol-based Hannah Taylor, who predominantly works on health and safety matters concerning mental health.

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London: Insurance

Clinical negligence: defendant

Clinical negligence: defendant - ranked: tier 2

Bevan Brittan LLP

The clinical risk team at Bevan Brittan LLP has a strong track record in multi-party actions, as well as providing specialist support to clients on quantum issues. The NHS and an increasing number of private medical malpractice insurers and healthcare providers instruct the team, which has experience across the complete range of complex and high-value cases resulting from the provision of medical care. Department head Joanne Easterbrook's expertise covers group actions and claims arising out of fertility treatment; while cases involving the Human Rights Act and mental health are some of Julie Charlton's special areas of interest. Standout work saw Dan Morris lead advice to the defendants in the important public policy case of XX v Whittington Hospital NHS Trust, concerning the recoverability of damages for commercial surrogacy costs in California.

Leading individuals

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London: Private client

Court of Protection

Court of Protection - ranked: tier 3

Bevan Brittan LLP

Bevan Brittan LLP operates nationally out of its four offices and advises mental health, social and community care providers on mental capacity and other key issues such as best interest cases. The team provides specialist Court of Protection advice with considerable experience on mental capacity and health issues as well as human rights and equality issues. It frequently advises on significant medical treatment cases ranging from disputes over end-of-life care through to withdrawal of treatment for neonates and children. Joanne Easterbrook, Stuart Marchant, Simon Lindsay, newly promoted partner Hannah Taylor and Julia Jones are the names to note.

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London: Projects, energy and natural resources

Infrastructure (including PFI and PPP)

Infrastructure (including PFI and PPP) - ranked: tier 4

Bevan Brittan LLP

Bevan Brittan LLP is well versed in assisting clients from the public and private sector alike and has particular industry expertise in waste, energy, health and property regeneration infrastructure. The team's workload mostly comprises advising on infrastructure/ PPP projects and delivery models as well as advising on the contract management of these and related disputes matters.  Practice head Nadeem Arshad is regularly instructed by international contractors and project developers in relation to his experience in the waste and energy sectors. Sharon Renouf is the firm's health PFI/PPP expert, and Louise Robling is the key contact for contentious matters. The team is based in Bristol.

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Power (including electricity, nuclear and renewables)

Power (including electricity, nuclear and renewables) - ranked: tier 4

Bevan Brittan LLP

Bevan Brittan LLP 's national power practice, which is led from the firm's Bristol base, handles power and energy mandates across England, Scotland and Wales. The group advises clients on developing and financing assets as well as on a broad range of legal issues including planning, property, construction, corporate, regulatory, funding and disputes issues. Nadeem Arshad s group has a strong track record on regulatory work, as well as the retail sector.

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London: Public sector

Administrative and public law

Administrative and public law - ranked: tier 2

Bevan Brittan LLP

Bevan Brittan LLP has a strong presence in the healthcare field of public law, with a number of key NHS bodies and clinical commissioning groups counted on the client list. Typical instructions in this field include defending clients against mistreatment claims by patients (including a recent case concerning a trans patient in Broadmoor Hospital) and challenges to planning and funding decisions, and advisory work concerning policy, decision making and the statutory remit of ombudsman clients. Practice head Virginia Cooper and Olivia Carter also have expertise in representing both claimants and defendants in judicial review challenges to procurement decisions. Other public bodies on the client list include local authorities, policing commissioners and councils. Regular mandates include defending challenges to redevelopment plans, restitution claims pursuant to the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 and alleged breaches of Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

Next Generation Partners

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Education: schools

Education: schools - ranked: tier 5

Bevan Brittan LLP

Bevan Brittan LLP is experienced in handling large construction and development projects for its education sector clients. Led by head of commercial and infrastructure Andrew Tobin, the team undertakes advisory work for schools, academies, colleges and universities. Bristol-based David Hutton has experience in academy conversions and development projects.

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Healthcare

Healthcare - ranked: tier 1

Bevan Brittan LLP

Bevan Brittan LLP is particularly well known for advising the NHS on a number of innovative income generation commercial activities and international ventures, strategic estates partnerships, and complex corporate, commercial and regulatory matters, among others. Key partners in the sizeable team include Vincent Buscemi and Carly Caton for commercial projects and transactional matters; Sharon Renouf for procurements; and Rosemary Jago for healthcare infrastructure PPPs and  joint venture arrangements. Hannah Taylor is particularly recommended for serious medical treatment cases, deprivation of liberty matters and applications to the Court of Protection.  Recent hire Monica Macheng adds complementary expertise in advising care homes, dental practices, pharmacies, GP surgeries and healthcare professionals.

Leading individuals

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Local government

Local government - ranked: tier 1

Bevan Brittan LLP

The Bevan Brittan LLP team is rated by the market for the breadth of its practice; it has worked with over 300 local authorities around the country. It advises on a comprehensive range of work from regeneration and procurement to assisting on new ways to raise finance in order to provide key services. It also assists on local government governance and reorganisations, often in cases where the authority is in financial distress. The team, which is led by David Hutton in Bristol, includes Steven Smith, Virginia Cooper and Judith Barnes, who is based in Leeds. 'Strong negotiator' Nadeem Arshad is also a key member of the team and is especially noted for his expertise in the waste industries.

Leading individuals

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London: Real estate

Commercial property: development

Commercial property: development - ranked: tier 4

Bevan Brittan LLP

At Bevan Brittan LLP, Mark Calverley heads the team which possesses specialist expertise in representing public bodies, most notably the NHS, as well as local government on a broad range of development and regeneration projects across London and the UK. In a standout case highlight, the group has been advising the London Borough of Ealing in relation to the £1bn Southall Gateway mixed-use development which is set to create 4,000 new homes. Numerous registered providers of social housing also regularly engage the practice which has recently been bolstered through the arrivals of Wendy Wilks and Fiona McDonald from Dentons.

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Contruction: non-contentious

Contruction: non-contentious - ranked: tier 5

Bevan Brittan LLP

Bevan Brittan LLP , which has a particular specialism in advising public sector clients, also works with business across the urban regeneration, housing and waste-from-energy sectors. The practice is led by Andrew Tobin, whose notable recent work has included advising the Department for Education on the implementation of a construction framework delivering £8bn worth of school building projects. Jonathan Turner is a specialist in housing-led regeneration, while Pippa Beesley focuses on projects in the development and social housing markets.

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Social housing: finance

Social housing: finance - ranked: tier 4

Bevan Brittan LLP

In 2018, Bevan Brittan LLP hired a team of social housing lawyers from Dentons, which included Wendy Wilks and senior associate Fiona McDonald. Their arrivals have added particular depth to the firm's offering in property charging matters, with Richard Stirk and Julie Cowan-Clark also having experience of this type of work. Elsewhere, the firm's recent mandates included the structuring and management of loans to local authority/housing association joint ventures, loan refinancings, derivatives transactions, public bond issues and development finance matters. In 2018, Stirk worked with Hugo Stephens and David Moore to assist Together Housing Group with negotiating the refinancing of a £210m loan facility with Dexia and increase of facilities from four other lenders. The firm also acted for Ledden Estates Limited on the provision of a £1.8m loan from the Homes and Community Agency to build new homes for sale. Jonathan Turner is another notable individual.

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Social housing: local authorities and registered providers

Social housing: local authorities and registered providers - ranked: tier 4

Bevan Brittan LLP

Bevan Brittan LLP's social housing practice is gaining momentum, with the firm strengthening its offering in 2018 by hiring Wendy Wilks and senior associate Fiona McDonald from Dentons. In addition, Sarah Greenhalgh joined the Birmingham office from Anthony Collins Solicitors LLP and Kate O’Brien was promoted to senior associate. The firm has also picked up a string of new clients, including London & Quadrant Housing Trust, Home Group and Network Homes. It acts for more than 70 housing associations, and also advises local authorities in London and further afield throughout England. The London practice is particularly well known for its strengths in property and development, corporate and finance, and housing management. In addition, the firm is also able to offer clients the expertise of practitioners who are knowledgeable in niche areas, such as social housing insurance, fraud, health and safety, and procurement. Steven Smith, Andrew Shaw and David Wardle are advising London Borough of Ealing on its £1bn Southall Gateway mixed-use development, which is set to create 4,000 new homes and significant new infrastructure. In 2018, Chris Harper, senior associate Andrew Spicer, and others assisted PFP Capital (part of the Places for People Housing Group) with the acquisition of the national assets of the Igloo Regeneration Fund (managed by Aviva Investors), which includes a number of large ongoing developments for both social and private housing, and other land for future residential development. Jonathan Turner is the overall head of the social housing practice. Neil Brand, Matthew Waters and planning head Kathryn Lawrance are also recommended.

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