The Legal 500

Within Corporate and commercial: Manchester, Pinsent Masons LLP is a first tier firm,

Headed by the ‘excellent’ Gregg Davison, Pinsent Masons LLP’s nine-partner group provides ‘very commercial’ advice to a balanced mix of corporates and private equity sponsors. Led by Davison, the group acted for new client Barclays Private Equity on the £30m MBO of Wilton Engineering Group and £75m MBO of Allied Glass. ‘Someone you want to have on your team’, Helen Ridge represents public companies on their M&A activity, recently advising longstanding client AMEC on the £62m acquisition of Entec Holdings. Also recommended are Howard Gill and Scot Morrison, who leads the commercial team.

Within Corporate tax, Pinsent Masons LLP is a third tier firm,

At Pinsent Masons LLP, the ‘responsive and knowledgeable’ Lynette Jacobs heads up the office’s share plans offering, and recently advised longstanding client Speedy Hire on share incentive plans.

Within Commercial litigation: Manchester, Pinsent Masons LLP is a third tier firm,

The recent departure of Clare Taylor means that Pinsent Masons LLP no longer has a commercial litigation partner in Manchester. Senior associate Emma Flower is praised for her ‘great organisational skills, tremendous insight and first-class knowledge of the law’, and is currently representing a former management board in the defence of various allegations of breach of contract, confidence and fiduciary duties. Clients include Delphi Group, Cargill and Russell Hobbs.

Within Banking and finance, Pinsent Masons LLP is a second tier firm,

Led by the ‘user-friendly’ Matt Morgan, Pinsent Masons LLP provides ‘robust and commercially focused advice’ to an expanding portfolio of banks including Barclays, HSBC and Lloyds. Particularly accomplished in real estate finance, its credentials were recently underscored by its representation of HSBC on the provision of a £90m loan to MGP Harbour Exchange II for the purchase of Exchange Tower in the Isle of Dogs, London. The group regularly combines with the corporate team on leveraged finance transactions.

Within Insolvency and corporate recovery, Pinsent Masons LLP is a second tier firm,

Benefiting from panel relationships with four of the largest UK clearing banks, Pinsent Masons LLP is regularly involved in significant restructurings and insolvencies in the region. Led by Jamie White, the team has also handled a raft of pensions-related restructuring matters, such as advising the trustees of the Singer & Friedlander Pension Scheme on litigation arising out of the collapse of Icelandic bank Kaupthing Singer & Friedlander.

Within Employment, Pinsent Masons LLP is a second tier firm,

Praised for its robust approach and deep industry knowledge, the relatively small team at Pinsent Masons LLP continues to punch above its weight, winning clients such as Manchester United Limited and AstraZenaca UK Limited. The team is led by Simon Horsfield.

Within Pensions, Pinsent Masons LLP is a first tier firm,

Pinsent Masons LLP has a strong, partner-led team whose wealth of experience is reflected in its ability to win and retain high-profile clients such as the £2bn Balfour Beatty fund. Stephen Scholefield leads the team.

Within Regional review, Pinsent Masons LLP is a first tier firm,

Pinsent Masons LLP’s reputation in the region continues to grow beyond its recognised national strength in construction and projects work. The relatively recent recruitment of Matthew Morgan and Gregg Davison on the banking and corporate sides respectively has heightened the firm’s visibility in both areas, and has contributed to the firm now boasting one of the most complete private equity offerings in the region.

Within Private finance initiative (PFI), Pinsent Masons LLP is a first tier firm,

The ‘excellent’ Graham Alty heads Pinsent Masons LLP’s three-partner group, whose work spans a wide array of sectors, with energy an area of particular strength. Clients include the top five contractors in the UK, including Balfour Beatty, Carillion and Kier. Recent highlights include advising Wates Construction as building contractor on a £100m social housing PFI project. The firm has also successfully increased its procurer and investor client base, gaining clients such as Scottish Power.

Within Education, Pinsent Masons LLP is a third tier firm,

As well as its work on BSF schemes, Pinsent Masons LLP undertakes work for the University of Manchester, and the University of Cambridge. ‘Highly personable’ employment specialist Sara Sawicki is appreciated for her ‘sound, practical and reasoned advice’.

Within Local government, Pinsent Masons LLP is a second tier firm,

Pinsent Masons LLP’s commitment to the area is indicated by initiatives such as establishing a new team to advise on developing partnership structures to deliver local government initiatives. The team also won some significant panel appointments in 2010, including the North West Legal Consortium. Celia Cullen is practice head.

Within Commercial property: Manchester, Pinsent Masons LLP is a second tier firm,

Now headed by the ‘superb’ Mike Edge following his move from Halliwells, Pinsent Masons LLP’s team is a growing force nationally as well as in the local market. Recent highlights include advising a joint venture between ASK and Goodman Developments on the £35m development of a divisional headquarters building for the Greater Manchester Police Authority. Clients include the Homes and Communities Agency, Aldi Stores, Heywood Williams, and Shepherd Developments.

Within Construction, Pinsent Masons LLP is a first tier firm,

Jointly headed by Michael Hopkins and Graham Alty, Pinsent Masons LLP’s five-partner team has a ‘very comprehensive understanding of complex construction issues’. Instructed by all of the five largest UK contractors, including Balfour Beatty and Carillion, the team is active across diverse sectors including nuclear, where Mark Job advised Areva on a new-build nuclear power station project. Chris Hallam (‘industry aware and flexible’) has handled numerous waste projects, including the £5bn Greater Manchester Waste project. On the contentious side, the team is praised for its ability to ‘move the litigation forward’.

Within Planning and environment, tier 4

At Pinsent Masons LLP, senior associate Simon Colvin continues to impress clients with his ‘legal excellence and practical knowledge’, particularly in relation to conententious environmental matters.

Within Property litigation, Pinsent Masons LLP is a third tier firm,

Senior associate Nicola Buchanan at Pinsent Masons LLP recently joined the firm from Eversheds LLP to set up a property litigation team.

Within Intellectual property, tier 4

Rosemary Jay at Pinsent Masons LLP advises on privacy, confidentiality, data protection, access and related information law issues.

Within IT and telecoms, Pinsent Masons LLP is a third tier firm,

Pinsent Masons LLP was recently strengthened by the arrival of leading figure Samantha Livesey, whose diverse IT expertise includes major procurement projects.