The Legal 500

Within M&A: lower mid-market, £50m-£250m, Lewis Silkin LLP is a third tier firm,

Lewis Silkin LLP is one of the leading lights when it comes to media work, and has ‘an excellent approach to commercial work’. Jo Evans is the standout partner, and has the ‘superb combination of knowledge with commerciality’. Philip Lamb acted for Solomon Capital on its £35.76m cash bid for the AIM-listed Metals Exploration.

Within Partnership, Lewis Silkin LLP is a second tier firm,

Lewis Silkin LLP has built up a ‘quality partnership team that is a genuine pleasure to work with’. The practice straddles both contentious and non-contentious matters, jointly led by ‘sensible, commercial and experienced’ litigation partner Clive Greenwood and ‘top-flight non-contentious expert’ Fergus Payne. Newly promoted and ‘easy-to-work-with’ partner Miguel Pereira rounds out the team.

Within Commercial litigation, tier 6

Lewis Silkin LLP acted for Fulham FC in an unfair prejudice petition brought against the Premier League and its chairman. Tom Coates is ‘an outstanding, strategic litigator’; Clive Greenwood handles commercially sensitive partnership and LLP disputes; and Philip Foster advises in complex regulatory infrastructure matters.

Within Defamation and privacy, tier 4

The team at Lewis Silkin LLP is ‘knowledgeable’ and ‘prompt’.

Within Employee share schemes, tier 5

Sara Cohen at Lewis Silkin LLP is ‘imaginative and pragmatic’.

Within Employment, Lewis Silkin LLP is a second tier firm,

Lewis Silkin LLP is ‘a big player in the employment world’. Clients range from law firms seeking to outsource or hire, to senior executives and employers in High Court litigation. The team was joined by the ‘commercial and practical’ Lisa Patmore from Pinsent Masons LLP, adding to its acknowledged strength in trade union law, and recent highlights include securing Court of Appeal approval for EDF Energy Powerlink’s contingency plans against industrial action. Among the 15 partners, Carolyn Soakell is a ‘responsive, tough negotiator’; Karen Baxter ‘extremely approachable’; Russell Brimelow ‘very knowledgeable’; Jonathan Carr a ‘superb all-rounder’; Michael Burd an ‘outstanding lawyer’; and Ellen Temperton ‘highly professional’.

Within Immigration, Lewis Silkin LLP is a third tier firm,

Since the arrival of Andrew Osborne, Lewis Silkin LLP has acted for a raft of new clients including Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, Carphone Warehouse and Jaguar Landrover. ‘Although a big organisation, it maintains relationships on a personal level’, providing solutions tailored to individual cases. Osbourne and George Koureas are both highly rated.

Within Education: schools, Lewis Silkin LLP is a third tier firm,

Geoffrey Davies’ team at Lewis Silkin LLP has a strong academy client base, and in 2010 provided advice on both establishment and operational matters. Clients include Westminster Academy and United Learning Trust.

Within Commercial property, tier 5

Lewis Silkin LLP represents a diverse range of occupier clients from the medical and dental, restaurant and leisure sectors. It advised Rio Tinto on the under-letting of its headquarters. Leonard Goodrich, Neil Toner, Rachel Francis-Lang and Jonathan Reuben are recommended.

Within Construction, tier 4

Lewis Silkin LLP is known for its expertise in education and social housing projects. It recently advised Notting Hill Housing Trust on a £17m acquisition in King’s Cross. Clare Reddy heads the team.

Within Property litigation, tier 4

Lewis Silkin LLP mixes residential and commercial instructions, and in 2010 was busy representing longstanding client Pizza Express. Brian Kilcoyne heads the practice, and Paul Hayes is a housing expert.

Within Social housing: local authorities and registered providers, Lewis Silkin LLP is a third tier firm,

Lewis Silkin LLP has a broad client base, and a particular focus on care and support housing. Recent work includes advising Notting Hill Housing Trust and London Borough of Barnet on the acquisition of and re-provision of housing for people with learning disabilities. Practice head Gillian Bastow and Linda Convery are recommended. Naomi Goode has left the firm.

Within Brand management, Lewis Silkin LLP is a first tier firm,

Lewis Silkin LLP is ‘excellent on all counts’. Its leading advertising agency practice assists global brand owners with multi-jurisdictional and cross-border issues. Practice head Brinsley Dresden advises the hundreds of advertising agencies that use the IPA Legal Advice Service. Jo Farmer advises Bacardi Global Brands on Grey Goose’s sponsorship programme. The highly regarded Giles Crown acted for ICI in a comparative advertising dispute with PPG, and Dominic Farnsworth is recommended for sponsorship matters. Marcus O’Leary specialises in online advertising, including user-generated content.

Within Intellectual property, tier 4

The ‘highly recommended’ Giles Crown and his team at Lewis Silkin LLP are acting for The Automobile Association in a comparative advertising dispute with Green Flag. Dual-qualified trade mark attorney Dominic Farnsworth and trade mark litigator Simon Chapman act for major advertising agency networks and global brands, including Bacardi. Simon Morrissey advises global brands on data protection. Arsenal FC is a new client.

Within IT and telecoms, tier 5

At Lewis Silkin LLP, Simon Morrissey and Marcus O’Leary advise on specialist cutting-edge solutions, open-source software, cloud-based digital asset management systems, and mobile apps and games.

Within Media and entertainment, Lewis Silkin LLP is a second tier firm,

Lewis Silkin LLP strengthened its resources by recruiting Jonathan Coad from Swan Turton and consultant Paul Chinnery, formerly head of legal at Channel Five. Music lawyer Cliff Fluet heads the team, which represents clients including Ministry of Sound, Sony BMG, BSkyB, and MTV. The team is particularly noteworthy for its format protection expertise. Simon Morrissey continues to advise media and entertainment clients on IP and IT issues, including the licensing and distribution of digital content across different platforms. Simon Entwistle advises publishers on contracts.

Within Overview,

Boutique and mid-size firms dominate media, entertainment and sport, with Wiggin LLP maintaining a high profile and Lewis Silkin LLP recruiting Jonathan Coad from Swan Turton and Paul Chinnery, former head of legal at Channel Five.

Within Sport, tier 4

Lewis Silkin LLP’s sports practice was bolstered in 2010 with the arrival of Andrew Osborne from Squire Sanders Hammonds. The team regularly advises rugby clubs including Saracens RFC and Northampton RFC. It also represents individuals such as rugby player James Haskell and coach Andy Robinson. Practice head Dominic Farnsworth is recommended.