The Legal 500

North West: Corporate and commercial

Corporate and commercial: Manchester

Corporate and commercial: Manchester - ranked: tier 1

Pinsent Masons LLP

The ‘first-rate’ team at Pinsent Masons LLP regularly handles private equity mandates for a range of private equity houses and is adept at handling strategic M&A deals. Corporate head and private equity specialist Gregg Davison advised Co-operative Group on its strategic acquisition of Nisa Retail for £143m and advised Livingbridge on the £40m secondary management buyout of Giacom Holdings. Manchester office head Helen Ridge  and Kieran Toal (who is ‘excellent on private equity matters’) are also key members of the ‘experienced’ team, which includes recently promoted partner  Amie Norris, who is experienced in private equity transactions, and senior associate Alasdair Weir, who is noted for corporate finance mandates. LDC, Sovereign Capital Partners and Linnaeus Group are also clients. National head of commercial Samantha Livesey  is active across IP, IT, digital and commercial contract matters and acts for clients such as WaterSmart.

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Corporate tax

Corporate tax - ranked: tier 1

Pinsent Masons LLP

The energy and infrastructure sectors are key areas of focus for Pinsent Masons LLP's ‘highly rated’ department, which advises on direct and indirect tax matters, in addition to handling corporate transactional and advisory work as well as contentious matters. On the transactional side, the team advised IP Group on its hostile £490m takeover of Touchstone Innovations. Department head Lynette Jacobs is experienced in share plans and incentives; she advises Imperial Brands on it share plans globally and advised Halfords on the introduction of its restricted share plan. The ‘brilliant’ Steven Porter handles contentious and non-contentious tax matters and has extensive experience in relation to litigating and resolving disputes with HMRC. Heather Self joined Blick Rothenberg in 2018.

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North West: Dispute resolution

Commercial litigation: Manchester

Commercial litigation: Manchester - ranked: tier 2

Pinsent Masons LLP

Pinsent Masons LLP’s ‘truly brilliant’ team is active across commercial litigation, regulatory disputes, and contentious sports, media and entertainment matters, often with an international element. The team continues to defend Allied Irish Bank (AIB) in proceedings brought by an individual alleging that that the bank is not entitled to repayment of sums loaned and secured against properties, and is defending United Drug (UK) Holdings Ltd in a £4m claim for misrepresentation arising out of the purchase of a pharmaceutical events company. Other key mandates included representing the EFL in high-profile regulatory charges brought against Watford Football Club and one of its former directors. BP International, Balfour Beatty Regional Construction, Everton Football Club and Viridor Waste Management are also clients. The ‘calm, classy and knowledgeable’ Julian Diaz-Rainey is a ‘leader in his field’ and heads the team, which includes senior associates Andrew Mitchell (‘fiercely bright, very capable, and very hardworking’), Jo Seed, who has ‘star quality’, and Michael Hannon.

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North West: Finance

Banking and finance

Banking and finance - ranked: tier 1

Pinsent Masons LLP

The ‘first-rate’ team at Pinsent Masons LLP handles a range of transactions spanning syndicated lending, real estate finance, acquisition and leveraged finance, asset-based lending, securitisations and debt capital markets work. Clients include lenders as well as public sector bodies. Headline work includes advising a group of seven lenders to Radius Payment Solutions in relation to the acquisition of a minority stake in the company by Inflexion, and advising a group of ten lenders on the financing of The Hut Group. The team also advised HSBC Bank in connection with the refinancing of Vernacare, to support the acquisition of HCS. Select Property Group, P J Livesey Group, Investec Bank and Tyman are also clients. Department head Matthew Morgan is an ‘excellent technical lawyer’ and is experienced across real estate finance, corporate financings and acquisition finance. Samantha Rollason regularly advises on the restructuring of real estate transactions and real estate funds and is also active on public sector and education finance-related mandates. 'Brilliant' senior associate Tim Fearn  specialises in corporate financing, acquisition finance and asset-based lending.

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Insolvency and corporate recovery

Insolvency and corporate recovery - ranked: tier 2

Pinsent Masons LLP

Praised for its ‘ability to think commercially’, Pinsent Masons LLP's team regularly acts for banks, asset-based lenders, insolvency practitioners, corporates, directors, private equity houses, distressed investors, pension trustees and public sector clients on a range of restructuring mandates. The education, retail, energy, construction, financial services and charity sectors are key areas of focus. The team advised the independent director of VP Realisations, which went into liquidation to trigger the Hoover Pension Scheme's entry into the Pension Protection Fund (PPF). It also advised Plexus Cotton on a company voluntary arrangement, acted for SEA Equity on its acquisition of Pyroban and Pyropress from Caterpillar, and advised PwC on its appointment as interim manager over the Park Charitable Trust. Department head James Cameron ‘comes up with commercial solutions to problems’ and is noted for his pensions restructuring expertise. Senior associate Louise Taylor and associate Daniella Thompson are also key members of the team.

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North West: Human resources

Employment

Employment - ranked: tier 3

Pinsent Masons LLP

Neil Black  heads an ‘excellent team’ at Pinsent Masons LLP  that provides ‘very commercial advice’. Legal director Kate Dodd  ‘is very knowledgeable and has a great understanding of her clients’ businesses’. Black specialises in  manufacturing and infrastructure and is a leading employment adviser to the food and drinks sector. Highlights for the team included advising Cargill plc on the creation of a joint venture with Faccenda, which required UK Competition and Markets Authority clearance in addition to European Commission approval under EU Merger Regulations. Other key clients include Odeon Cinemas and Weetabix along with Muller Dairy (UK) and Mondelez International (formerly Kraft / Cadbury).

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Health and safety

Health and safety - ranked: tier 1

Pinsent Masons LLP

Head of team Kevin Bridges at Pinsent Masons LLP  ‘deservedly has a national reputation. He is experienced in a range of areas in health and safety and quickly grasps the key points behind disputes’. The team overall has ‘genuine expertise and experience and is able to provide practical and commercial advice coupled with a very good strategic insight. It is also aware of all the latest developments in this area and is able to deploy its knowledge well and skilfully’. The ‘tremendous’ senior associate Zoe Betts  has a ‘great eye for detail and is very much on the ball’. Associate Emma Evans  is an ‘astute litigator who is able to assess the evidential strengths and weaknesses of a case quickly, as well as identifying what steps need to be taken to resolve problems. She also has excellent client skills’. Solicitor Alex Hudson  is ‘clever and one to watch for the future. He is conscientious and unflappable under pressure and shows good judgement regarding technical points of difficulty’. The ‘outstanding’ team continues to advise a major waste management, recycling and landfill contractor on various matters. In the last two years there have been two separate fatal incidents and the team has been advising this client on all aspects of these matters. Other active clients include Capita, Crest Nicholson Operations and Bouygues Group.

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Pensions

Pensions - ranked: tier 1

Pinsent Masons LLP

The ‘very highly regarded’ Stephen Scholefield  heads the department at Pinsent Masons LLP . Scholefield advises trustees and employers on both strategic and day to day legal and governance issues, and specialises in complex reorganisations, buy-ins and buyouts as well as advising on schemes in distressed situations and on long-term strategic planning. The team's blue-chip client base includes financial institutions and pension providers as well as pension schemes and their employers. Pippa Read is recommended for her work with trustees and employers. Senior associate Robert Tellwright advises a number of insurance companies on buy-in and buyout transactions and routinely advises trustees, employers and financial institutions on other areas such as benefit changes, scheme mergers and restructuring in addition to complex funding arrangements. The team advises Balfour Beatty Pension Fund on a wide range of issues such as advising on an asset backed funding and security arrangements, on member communications and on investment matters. It also advises the trustees of two Royal Ordnance pension schemes on various issues such as scheme documentation, benefit security and member disputes.

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North West: Projects, energy and natural resources

Energy

Energy - ranked: tier 1

Pinsent Masons LLP

Pinsent Masons LLP demonstrates a ‘good level of industry knowledge and commitment to the sector’ and clients particularly praise the team’s ‘detailed knowledge’ across national and international energy projects. Highlights include advising Sellafield on more than £10bn of projects at its nuclear decommissioning site in Cumbria, which includes a £4.5bn PPP programme and advising Yapı Merkezi İnşaat ve Sanayi on an EPC contract for the construction of a rail network as part of the establishment and expansion of the Jubail Industrial Cities project in Saudi Arabia. NuGeneration, York Potash, United Utilities and Viridor Laing are clients. Head of projects Graham Alty handles matters across the nuclear, oil refining, power and road sectors and is a ‘knowledgeable, responsive and highly capable individual who clearly makes a personal commitment to the success of projects’. UK head of construction and engineering Mark Job advises on the procurement and implementation of construction contracts for major energy projects. Legal director Ian Fairclough  is active across nuclear, conventional energy and renewables mandates, while Anthony Bradley, who delivers ‘great strategic advice, and has very good business acumen’, and legal director Sian Hughes, who is ‘quick in developing and analysing documents’, handle energy-related disputes. Legal director Stephen Ovenden recently joined the team from Foot Anstey.

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Project finance and PFI

Project finance and PFI - ranked: tier 1

Pinsent Masons LLP

With a ‘fantastic reputation’, the team at Pinsent Masons LLP works closely with its national and international network of offices to deliver advice on national and international development, construction and infrastructure projects across the energy, waste, transport, health, education and real estate sectors. The team is advising Sellafield on £10bn of projects at its nuclear decommissioning site in Cumbria, which includes a £4.5bn PPP programme, and advised the London Borough of Wandsworth on the establishment of a joint venture between it and a private sector partner for the delivery of a regeneration scheme in the Winstanley and York Road Estates adjacent to Clapham Junction Station in London. It is also advising the Ministry of Justice on its PPP modelled £1.3bn Prison Estate Transformation Programme and on the procurement of a long-term framework arrangement for construction works. NuGeneration, Homes England, Council of the City of Manchester, Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, Lendlease Construction (Europe) and Cayman Islands Government are also clients. Head of projects Graham Alty has ‘in-depth experience’ across energy, infrastructure and construction projects; head of structured solutions Scot Morrison is experienced in PPP joint venture vehicles and partnership structures involving public sector bodies; UK head of construction and engineering Mark Job specialises in the procurement and implementation of construction and related contracts for major energy, infrastructure and building projects; and UK head of infrastructure Nick Ogden, who is based across the London and Manchester offices, and legal directors Ian Fairclough, who is experienced energy and large infrastructure projects and Stephen Ovenden, who recently joined from Foot Anstey, are also key members of the team.

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North West: Public sector

Education

Education - ranked: tier 2

Pinsent Masons LLP

Michael Pocock  is a leading name at Pinsent Masons LLP  . Pocock has significant expertise in advising on large and complex development projects for the university and higher education sectors. Highlights included continuing to advise the University of Sheffield on the expansion of a major Advance Manufacturing Research Centre which promotes collaborative working between the industry and the education sector. The team is also advising the London Legacy Development Corporation on the Stratford Waterfront Development. This initiative is aiming to deliver a brand new cultural and higher education district known as the Cultural and Education District which will be made up of two sites on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The practice has also noticed significant growth in its education finance practice.

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Local government

Local government - ranked: tier 2

Pinsent Masons LLP

Scot Morrison  heads the department at Pinsent Masons LLP  and is recommended for his work on structuring public sector joint venture vehicles and partnerships involving local authorities and other government bodies. Morrison is leading the advice to Manchester City Council on the Northern Gateway project which will provide 10,000 new homes. The development is one of the largest urban regeneration projects in the UK and spans 300 acres. He has also been leading the advice to London Borough of Wandsworth on the establishment of a joint venture between the authority and a joint venture provider to deliver a regeneration scheme in the Winstanley and York Road Estates immediately adjacent to Clapham junction station.

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North West: Real estate

Commercial property: Manchester

Commercial property: Manchester - ranked: tier 3

Pinsent Masons LLP

Pinsent Masons LLP delivers ‘timely advice, which demonstrates an impressive breadth of commercial awareness and technical knowledge’ on complex real estate development and regeneration projects and is also noted for its real estate finance experience. Highlights include advising Manchester City Council on the Northern Gateway Project, for significant development in north Manchester which includes the provision of 10,000 new homes; and advising ASF European Holdings on its bid to acquire and develop Albert Island, a 25-acre site overlooking London City airport, as a marina and trade hub with ancillary development. Phillip Birchall has ‘good technical knowledge’, recently promoted partner Helen Robinson is ‘brilliant’ and senior associate Matthew Rowlands is also recommended. Jonathan Brocklehurst has relocated from the firm’s Leeds office to head the department, as former department head Mike Edge and Rachel Pitman have recently left the firm to join Mills & Reeve LLP.

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Construction

Construction - ranked: tier 1

Pinsent Masons LLP

Pinsent Masons LLP handles a range of UK and international construction projects, with focus on the nuclear, energy and infrastructure sectors, and it has ‘strength-in-depth in relation to the construction disputes’. Transactional, construction and projects team head Graham Alty, who has a ‘wealth of knowledge’, is advising Sellafield on relation to more than £10bn in projects at its nuclear decommissioning site in Cumbria and is leading advice for the Ministry of Justice on its £1.3bn Prison Estate Transformation Programme (PETP), under which it intends to procure the design and construction of up to four new prisons in England and Wales, and on the procurement of a long-term framework arrangement for up to £3bn of construction works. Construction advisory and disputes head Michael Hopkins represented Connect Plus (M25) on a £87.5m dispute with its Highways England Company relating to the meaning and operation of the payment mechanism in a DBFO contract. Mark Job leads the transactional construction team and is advising Yapı Merkezi İnşaat ve Sanayi as EPC contractor for a $1.7bn railway project in Ethiopia.Anthony Bradley is a ‘very bright, technical lawyer’ who ‘inspires confidence’ and legal director Siân Hughes and recently promoted partner Katherine Sneddon are ‘adept at identifying the best strategy for achieving client aims and delivering on that strategy’. Legal directors Ian Fairclough and Nick Kippax, who is ‘bright, conscientious, very good with clients and is a good case manager’, are also noted as are senior associates Andrew Batty, who is ‘a very good technical lawyer’ and Jo Falencka. Legal directors Arwyn Jones from CMS and Steve Ovenden from Foot Anstey recently joined the department.

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Planning and environment

Planning and environment - ranked: tier 1

Pinsent Masons LLP

The planning team at Pinsent Masons LLP delivers ‘commercial advice’ and is regularly instructed on planning, development, energy and infrastructure matters, and the environment team handles contentious and non-contentious work across the utilities, waste, chemicals and advanced manufacturing sectors. Department head Mike Pocock is a ‘stand-out planning lawyer’ and is acting for for Land and Lakes Ltd on the development of over 600 acres on the Isle of Anglesey to deliver a site comprising of leisure facilities, residential homes and temporary accommodation for 3500 construction workers to serve the neighbouring Wylfa New Building Nuclear Power Station; is advising HIMOR (Carrington) on the redevelopment of the former Shell refinery at Carrington; is advising United Utilities on its £300m Thirlmere Pipeline Project across West Cumbria, linking Thirlmere reservoir to the rest of its regional network; and is continuing to advise the University of Sheffield on the expansion of its Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre. Senior associate Melanie Grimshaw is ‘brilliant’ and associate Elizabeth Nuttall is ‘very commercial, with good attention to detail’. Legal director Claire Gregory heads the environmental team and is experienced across UK, EU and international environmental law and policy, with an emphasis on contentious environmental matters. Gregory is acting for various subsidiaries of the Casey Group on Environment Agency enforcement actions relating to its waste division.

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Property litigation

Property litigation - ranked: tier 2

Pinsent Masons LLP

Pinsent Masons LLP acts for investors, developers and occupiers on landlord and tenant disputes and development-related matters. The team has particular expertise across vacant possession strategies, rights to light, residential tenants’ rights, non-domestic business rates, electronic communications, protestors, student accommodation and agricultural matters. The team is advising Leeds City Council on the construction of a substantial vacant possession strategy in order to enable the development of a new East Leeds Orbital Road; represented DDK Estates on professional negligence claim against its former solicitors, arising from the drafting of a conditional land sale agreement; and is advising on vacant possession matters in relation to the redevelopment of the Merseyway Shopping Centre. The team is also acting for a number of London boroughs in relation to the regeneration of housing stock. The University of Manchester and Asda are also clients. Senior associate Stuart McCann is active across infrastructure, retail, financial services and development matters, and has particular experience in the application of non-domestic business rates and is also experienced in agricultural law. Senior associate Paul Pinder joined the team in 2018 from CMS and associate Patricia Mellody joined in 2017 from Land Law LLP. Former team head Nicola Buchanan is now a now a practice development lawyer and Birmingham-based Alicia Foo heads the team.

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Social housing

Social housing - ranked: tier 2

Pinsent Masons LLP

Pinsent Masons LLP is regularly instructed by landowners, residential developers, local authorities, funders, grant givers and contractors on large-scale housing transactions and the team regularly advises on strategic joint ventures in the sector. The team advised Manchester City Council on the Northern Gateway Project, which will deliver 10,000 new homes, which includes a significant proportion of social housing, and advised Matrix Homes, a joint venture between Manchester City Council and the Greater Manchester Pension Fund, on a new housing investment fund. It acts for Homes England on several projects and is advising it on several sites in the region for the delivery of new homes and affordable housing. Recently promoted partner Helen Robinson regularly advises on complex housing regeneration schemes and planning specialist Michael Pocock is also recommended. Senior associate Ann Draper specialises in residential development schemes and Nicola Buchanan is now a practical development lawyer. Senior associate Paul Pinder recently joined from CMS .

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North West: TMT (technology, media and telecoms)

IT and telecoms

IT and telecoms - ranked: tier 2

Pinsent Masons LLP

Pinsent Masons LLP  has a strong digital and online practice and is praised for its ‘quick and pragmatic advice’. It regularly advises on the development, procurement and licensing of digital platforms, online trading and on the collection and use of personal data. It is also skilled at advising on the exploitation of big data and online security compliance. The ‘very experienced’ Samantha Livesey and newly promoted partner Claire Edwards  both ‘provide informed, knowledgeable and commercial advice to a high standard’. The team is adept at advising on strategic data privacy projects for clients seeking to collect, own and exploit huge datasets of personal data on an international basis for fan and customer engagement. It has also been busy advising both public and private sector clients on how to respond to cyber security breaches. An impressive roster of clients includes Celtic Football Club, Bonmarché Holdings, Silentnight and the Hanson Group.

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Intellectual property

Intellectual property - ranked: tier 2

Pinsent Masons LLP

Samantha Livesey  heads the department at Pinsent Masons LLP  and was joined by senior lawyer Nadia Zegze. The group continues to act as the principal legal advisor to Jockey Club Racecourses Limited (the owners of The Jockey Club and 15 UK racecourses). It has recently been advising the client on various sponsorship and technology procurement contracts. It is also advising the Camping and Caravanning Club (‘CCC’) on its collections and archiving project. The CCC is the oldest club of its kind in the world and has a huge amount of copyright materials in its archives dating back over a century. Other active clients include Lily’s Kitchen and Silentnight.

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Sport

Sport - ranked: tier 1

Pinsent Masons LLP

Julian Diaz-Rainey at Pinsent Masons LLP  has extensive experience in sports-related litigation and arbitration as well as governance and regulation issues in sport. His main expertise lies in football and he represents leading premier league and football league clubs as well as a host of major premier league players, governing bodies and agents. Diaz-Rainey has acted for major football clubs, sporting bodies and leading individuals on a range of matters from contractual disputes, disciplinary proceedings to sponsorship agreements. Samantha Livesey  advises on technology and digital rights in addition to wi-fi and data privacy issues for sports related clients. Livesey has also brought on board a number of new retailers who are operating in the sportswear industry. The team continues to advise The Jockey Club on various sponsorship matters. The club owns and operates 15 of the UK’s most famous racecourses (including Aintree, Epson, Cheltenham and Sandown Park). Andrew Mitchell  is a senior associate who specialises in contentious sports matters. He has experience in a broad range of sports such as football, cricket, rugby league, athletics and motor sport. Jo Seed  who is also a senior associate has extensive experience on a wide range of sports including motor sport, football, horse racing and cricket. Manchester City Football Club/City Football Group Limited, Leeds United FC Club, Regatas Vasco De Gama FC and The English Football League are significant clients.

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