The Legal 500

Within EU and competition

Within EU and competition

Within Flotations - small and mid-cap, Hammonds LLP is a third tier firm,

Led Simon Gordon, Hammonds LLP advised Yangtze China on its US$25.4m AIM IPO, and KBC Peel Hunt on the £1.1m AIM IPO of Share.

Within M&A - lower mid-marketdeals, £50m-£250m, Hammonds LLP is a first tier firm,

Hammonds LLP garners very positive client feedback; ‘value for money’ is a common refrain, as is ‘excellent service and quick response times’, and it is noted as a ‘market leader in client care and no-nonsense drafting’. Standout partners in London are Mark Robson, David Hull, Nick Allen, James McKay, Robert Bray and Giles Distin.

Within Partnership,

In keeping with its reputation as a premier litigation firm, Herbert Smith LLP provides clients with a ‘first-class’ service in contentious partnership matters, but also demonstrates ‘commercial cutting edge’ on the non-contentious side. It advised Hammonds LLP on its conversion to LLP status and the structure of its international operations, while other clients include PwC, KPMG and Deloitte & Touche LLP. Alan Watts is ‘business-orientated and an excellent negotiator’, and Malcolm Lombers is ‘a quite brilliant lawyer’. Gary Milner-Moore is recommended for his contentious expertise.

Within Private equity

Within Licensing, gaming and betting, Hammonds LLP is a third tier firm,

Hammonds LLP advised UEFA, Formula 1 and FIFA on regulatory and gambling issues in 2008, and acts for a range of football clubs including Chelsea, Aston Villa, Manchester City and Fulham FC. The team also advised companies such as easyJet regarding gambling advertising campaigns. Carl Rohsler heads the gambling team.

Within Commercial litigation, tier 7

Paul Oxnard heads the team at Hammonds LLP, which includes Simon Price, who is recommended for pensions and financial services disputes. Clients include T-Mobile, Aldi, Homeserve and Royal Mail.

Within International arbitration

Within Mediators, Hammonds LLP is a second tier firm,

The reputation of Hammonds LLP’s Charles Middleton-Smith continues to rise. Lauded for his professional bearing, calm manner and technical finesse, he is ‘quick to see the real issues in a case’, and engages the parties in ‘a firm but effective way’.

Within Corporate restructuring and insolvency, tier 7

Cathryn Williams at Hammonds LLP is ‘doing an excellent job at building up the department’.

Within Employment, tier 5

Clients value the ‘very commercial view’ delivered by Hammonds LLP. It recently acted for Manchester City FC on changes to the management and executive team, including the departure of Sven Goran Eriksson and the appointment of Garry Cook. David Whincup is praised for his ability to ‘communicate complex ideas in a highly original and easily accessible manner’. New clients include Fulham FC and the Financial Times.

Within Health and safety, tier 4

Hammonds LLP provides an ‘excellent service’ and delivers ‘very useful, practical and commercial advice’. Rob Elvin is ‘very good with witnesses due to his breadth of experience with industrial clients’. It advised SITA UK on a number of fatal accident investigations and HSE prosecutions, and Enterprise Inns plc and National Grid are also clients.

Within Immigration, tier 5

Also recommended are: Bird & Bird LLP whose clients include Evolution Group; the ‘brilliant’ and ‘clever’ David Webb at DJ Webb & Co who is ‘a real star’; Matthew Davies at Fox Williams LLP; sole practitioner Gulay Mehmet at Gulay Mehmet; the ‘efficient and timely’ Andrew Osborne at Hammonds LLP; and Karen Sturtivant at Sturtivant & Co.

Within Pensions (incl pensions dispute resolution), tier 4

Now headed by Wendy Hunter, Hammonds LLP has a ‘strong team’ that is ‘willing to put itself out to find solutions to problems wherever possible’ and ‘provides reasonable value for money’. Clifford Sims is ‘highly responsive’; associate Emma King wins praise; and Simon Price is recommended for disputes, which include Sea Containers. Former practice head Jay Doraisamy has joined Eversheds LLP.

Within Power (including electricity, nuclear and renewables) , tier 5

Under the leadership of William Downs, Hammonds LLP is ‘professional’ and ‘exceptionally responsive’, with Adam Langridge praised for his ‘strong commercial sense’. Highlights included advising the successful consortium (Nuclear Management Partners) on its bid for the nuclear decommissioning contracts for the Sellafield site.

Within Commercial property, tier 5

Hammonds LLP garnered some admirable acquisition and disposal mandates, such as advising Norwich Property Trust on the £145m sale of 10 Queen Street Place in London to Jaguar Capital. The ‘technically extremely knowledgeable’ Jonathan Morshead leads the team, while Mike Shaw is ‘very strong’.

Within Construction, tier 4

Hammonds LLP snapped up a two-partner team from Watson Burton LLP in 2008, with Lawrence Bruce and Olivia Bateman joining Mark Fraser to strengthen the London team. The practice primarily represents developers and funders. New client wins include the Olympic Delivery Authority, Australian group Bilfinger Berger, and Britannia Construction. The practice advised Quintain Estates and Development on the Bristol and Bath Science Park.

Within Construction, tier 4

Watson Burton LLP recruited longstanding industry practitioner David Jones in 2008, while construction partners Lawrence Bruce and Olivia Bateman departed to Hammonds LLP after a short tenure in the London office. Loyal clients say the firm ‘compares well with other national practices’ when it comes to ‘depth and knowledge’.

Within Brand management, Hammonds LLP is a first tier firm,

At Hammonds LLP advertising and brands partner Robert Wegenek acts for global players including the WPP Group, has a ‘good name’ and is ‘excellent; other law firms call him if they have problems’. His team has recently grown through two internal partner promotions and the recruitment of well-regarded associate Carlton Daniel from Wragge & Co LLP, and of senior associate Nessa McGill - who focuses on branded content work - from Howard Kennedy. The sponsorship practice has a strong client base in football, and has been advising Fulham FC on a kit supply deal with Nike. The firm also has a solid franchising practice headed out of its Manchester office.

Within Brand management, Hammonds LLP is a first tier firm,

Wragge & Co LLP has lost advertising associate Carlton Daniel to Hammonds LLP, but associate Dan Smith is ‘responsive and has a good understanding of the key negotiating levers that the rights holders would use’. Smith has secured high-profile instructions including representing BP on its sponsorship agreement to be the exclusive oil and gas partner to the London 2012 Olympics. Head of IP Gordon Harris is highly respected, and successfully acted for O2 in its groundbreaking comparative advertising ECJ litigation against Hutchison 3G. The firm’s Birmingham office handles franchising work for some well-known clients.

Within Intellectual property, tier 6

Hammonds LLP’s ‘pragmatic, practical and committed’ litigator Carl Rohsler heads a team which has been advising Watermark Publishing in a complex copyright dispute.

Within Sport, Hammonds LLP is a third tier firm,

Led by Stephen Sampson, who is praised for his ‘easy manner and great commercial approach’, Hammonds LLP is best known for its expertise in football. 2008 saw the team, which also includes the ‘talented’ James Hennigan, advise Manchester City FC and UK Sports Investments on the sale of the club to Abu Dhabi United Development Group, and UEFA on ticketing and rights protection issues. Other clients include Chelsea FC, Aston Villa FC and Fulham FC.