The Legal 500

Manches has offices in London, Oxford and Reading, each of which provides a full legal service, strongly focused through a number of chosen sectors.

The firm: Manches’ commercial work – both contentious and non-contentious – is centred on real estate, technology, media, intellectual property and commercial; corporate finance and employment law. It has a strong reputation for providing astute and practical legal advice to its clients.

In parallel with its commercial practice, Manches continues to maintain its prestigious highly rated family law and private client practice, whose service levels are widely considered to set the benchmark for this area of law.

Types of work undertaken: Commercial clients include major public and private companies and investors, but the firm actively fosters its relationships with fast-growing and mid-sized businesses, universities, research councils and government bodies.

Property: works with a range of property investors and financiers and with specialist teams looking after retailers, residential developers, social housing providers, overseas investors and shopping centre operators. Manches provides a full range of contentious and non-contentious legal support services throughout the property sector.

Construction and projects: deals with all aspects of contentious and non-contentious issues in the construction industry. The firm advises clients in the UK and internationally, particularly in the Middle and Far East. Specialist advice is available for those involved in energy, water, PPP/PFI projects, waste management and infrastructure industries.

Technology, media and IP: covers all aspects of commercial and trading law, including publishing, biotechnology, IT and retail companies amongst its clients. Advice covers distribution agreements, joint ventures, partnerships, manufacturing and supply agreements and regulatory compliance. Intellectual property work covers patent disputes, copyright, trade marks, franchising, brand management, celebrity endorsements and advertising. Media work encompasses broadcasting production, content and carriage, publishing, music, computer games and devices and sport. The data protection team works in all sectors, but has established an enviable reputation in retail.

Corporate finance: undertakes a full range of corporate work, including full listings, AIM flotations, public takeovers, venture capital funding, university spin-outs, MBOs, company sales and acquisitions, corporate tax, insolvency and restructurings.

Employment: acts for employers and individuals. With a specific focus on senior level appointments and terminations and where required, international transfers, a full service is provided to HR departments, from first advertisement to termination and beyond.

Litigation: has a broad and in-depth experience of all aspects of commercial dispute resolution, with a particular emphasis on construction, property, banking, insolvency, product liability, intellectual property, technology and media disputes.

Family: is universally acknowledged as being among the best in the country, with over 30 lawyers dedicated to this work. The private client group adds a further seven lawyers to the team. Manches is particularly well known for its expertise in complex financial cases, those involving children and international cases.

Sector focus: Manches has a special focus on key sectors where lawyers from all legal disciplines help address the business issues that face clients. These include: retail, real estate (including property, social housing and environment), commercial technology, life sciences, publishing and media, finance, international wealth, sustainability and public sector.

Number of UK partners 46
Number of other UK fee-earners 111